Religion of Kamata-Koch Behar and Kamarupa

The book entitled Religion of Kamata- Koch Behar and Kamarupa: Early Medieval to Colonial Period. The book does not emphasise the study of gods and goddesses; instead, it explores the socio-religious and political history of the twin dynasties of Kamata-Koch Behar and Kamarupa from the early medieval period to the colonial era. It critically examines how indigenous traditions, beliefs, and customs, alongside migrant religious ethos and orders, blended with the religious concepts and beliefs already widespread in this extensive region. The focus also remains on political equations and their relationship with socio-religious and cultural development throughout this long period. While Neo- Vaishnavism, Saivism, beliefs in mother Goddesses, Saktism, and Tantricism were the mainstream religions, various indigenous traditions, customs, beliefs, and superstitions coexisted in this region, cultivating a distinctive religious and cultural heritage that set this region apart from the rest of India. The author faced many challenges in collecting relevant historical sources for this study. If readers are satisfied with reading this book, the author’s efforts and research will have been fulfilled.

Dr. Bhaskar Roy completed his M.A. in History at North Bengal University in 2005. He subsequently joined the Department of Ancient Indian and World History at Sanskrit College (now The Sanskrit College and University), Kolkata, as an Assistant Professor through the West Bengal Education Service, Government of West Bengal. He earned his Ph.D. with a thesis on ‘Comparative Study of Religion and Religious Establishment of Kāmatā-Koch Beha̅r and Kāmaru͂ pa’ under the supervision of late Professor Subid Chattopadhaya, Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta; late Dr. Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, Sir Jadunath Sarkar Chair Professor in History, Department of History, North Bengal University; and Dr. Rita Choudhuri, Associate Professor, Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta. He is a member of the Indian History Congress, Pashchim Banga Itihas Samsad, and the Council of Analytical Tribal Studies (COATS). He has published several book chapters and research articles in leading academic and professional journals. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Bidhannagar College, Salt Lake, Kolkata. Dr. Roy is actively engaged in studying the socio-religious, archaeological, and ecological history of North Bengal, Assam, and Northeast India.