Koch Bihar - British East India Company Acquires Control

British East India Company Acquires Control

Maharaja Dharendra Narayan appealed to the British, rulers of Bengal, for assistance in regaining his kingdom in exchange for a large payment. However, the Governor General Warren Hastings rejected the terms and insisted on an agreement by which the Maharaja would pay an annual tribute to the Company in exchange for protection - in effect an agreement to accept the supremacy of the British. The British then sent a regiment commanded by Mr. Paling from Kalikata (Calcutta/Kolkata) who marched through Rangpur towards Mughalhat, joined on their route by Behar forces. After a series of sharp encounters with the Bhutanese forces, the British captured the capital (1772) and moved forward into southern Bhutan.

Unwilling to go further into the difficult hill country, the British negotiated a peace agreement (April 25, 1774) with Bhutan in exchange for surrender of Bihar royal captives, Bhutan agreeing to return to its pre-1730 boundaries, and a symbolic tribute of five horses. The British left a small garrison in Behar, and withdrew the main army to Rangpur. When Dhairjendra Narayan realized that he had exchanged one master for another, and had permanently lost independence of his ancestral land, he abdicated in favor of Dharendra Narayan, who reigned until his death in 1775, when Dhairjendra Narayan resumed the throne (1775-1783 C.E.)

From now on, until the transfer of control to the State of India in 1949, Koch Behar was a princely state subject to overall British Suzerainty. In 1949, it was merged with the Union of India and later became a part of West Bengal state. .

Subsequent princely rulers under the British East India company were Harendra Narayan (1783 - 1839 C.E.), followed by Shivendra Narayan (1839 - 1847 C.E.) and then by Narendra Narayan (1847 - 1863 C.E.). At first the rulers had a measure of independent authority, but increasingly the British Commissioners became the effective rulers, stamping out abuses such as slavery and Dacoity, and gradually improving infrastructure and general prosperity and the rule of law.