2019-06-20 Thu

Cooch Behar is the city in the Indian States of West Bengal; it lies in the foothills of Eastern Himalayas. It is the only planned city in the North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage. The history of Cooch Behar is sought in the history of Assam. During ancient times, the territory of Cooch Behar was known as Pragjyotisha, which is mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Later, the western part of Pragjyotisha came to be known as Kamarupa, which had remained under the suzerainty of the Guptas and Palas for some time.

During the medieval period, it was one of the most powerful kingdoms of India. The first dynasty who ruled this region was Khen dynasty. After the Khen dynasty, the next dynasty who ruled this region was Koch Dynasty. The Koch Dynasty was the local tribe who proclaimed themselves as Kamateshwar (Lord of Kama).

The first ruler of Koch Dynasty was Biswa Singha who ruled Cooch Behar from 1510 CE to 1530 CE. Biswa Singha was succeeded by his son Nara Narayan, who is also known with the name of Mallanarayan.

This silver rupee was issued by Nara Narayan during Saka Era 1477; the weight of this coin is around 10.25g.

Image Courtesy: Todywalla Auction