Koch Rajbongshi people

Koch–Rajbongshi community (also known as Kochrajbongshi and Koch Bihari) is an indigenous community of Koch Bihar origin found in parts of present-day Nepal; the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal, and Meghalaya; and Kishanganj in the state of Bihar and certain parts of Bhutan.

It is commonly believed that the Koch (Rajbansi) population forms a major detribalised group. According to Gait (1905) “In Assam proper, it (the word Koch) has become the name of a Hindu caste, into which are received the converts to Hinduism from the ranks of the Kachari, Lalung, Mikir and other tribes”. However, it is not known from which time the process of conversion started. It is viewed that major part of conversion took place following the preaching of Vaishnavite cult by Srimanta Sankardeva, a socio-cultural reformer and a religious preacher of Assam during the 15th century A.D.

The term Koch-Rajbongshi has sparked many controversies recently. Koches who identify themselves as Kocha (in Assam & West Bengal) and Kocho (in Meghalaya) have never used the term Rajbongshi to identify their tribe but by their Sub-tribes such as Wanang, Harigaya, Tintikiya, Margan etc. They also relate themselves to other members of their tribe through clans, such as a “kama” clan in a harigaya sub-tribe is related to a “kama” clan in a titikiya sub-tribe. The children always follows the mothers clan and if a non-koch is married/included into the family, he/she is given the father’s clan. None of this features are practised by the Rajbongshi Communities. The language spoken by the Koches of Assam and Meghalaya are tibeto-burman and have similarities with the Garo, Boro and Maitri Sub-tribes of the Rabha whereas the language spoken by the Rajbongshis’ is of Aryan origin. This has led to the controversy of whether Koches and Rajbongshis’ as being the same tribe.

Some speak the Koch language, which is a Sino-Tibetan language closely related to the Bodo language spoken by the Bodo people.

Some speak the Rajbangshi language, which is an Indic language spoken by five million in India, and more than 130,000 by Nepali Rajbanshi and also Tajpuria. Many are bilingual in either Bengali or Assamese.

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