A History of Assam c18.12

c18.12

In 1799 Jai Singh died, in the course of a pilgrimage, at Bhagwāngola, on the bank of the Padma, after a long and chequered reign of nearly forty years. His eldest son, Harsha Chandra, succeeded him, but was murdered, after a reign of two years, by the brother of one of his father's wives. Jai Singh's second son, Madhu Chandra, who followed him, shared the same fate five years later. A third son, Chaurjit Singh, ascended the vacant throne, and the fourth, Marjit Singh, thereupon engaged in a series of abortive conspiracies. He at last induced the king of Ava to espouse his cause, and was installed by him as Raja in 1812. He put to death most of his brother's adherents and all likely candidates to the throne. In 1818, he invaded Cachar with a large force. It is said that he would have conquered that country with ease, had not the Raja, Gobind Chandra, after soliciting in vain the intervention of the British Government, invoked the aid of Chaurjit Singh, who was at that time living in Jaintia. The latter at once came to his assistance.