The Gour kingdom was one of the greater of the many petty kingdoms of the medieval Sylhet region. According to legend, it was founded by Gurak, off-shooting from Kamarupa's Jaintia kingdom in 630. Much of its early history is considered legendary or mythological up until Navagirvana who is mentioned in the Bhatera copper-plate inscriptions. The Kings of Gour are described as patrons of Hindu revivalism in what was previously a predominantly Buddhist and animist populated land.
The 11th century king Govinda-Rana Kesava Deva is recognised for introducing the navadinga (nine war boats) and heavily improving the kingdom's infantry, cavalry, and elephant power. Due to familial tensions, the kingdom split into two separate kingdoms in 1170; Gour (Northern Sylhet) and Brahmachal (Southern Sylhet), before being reunited by Raja Govardhan in the early years of his reign. However, this would be short-lasted as during Govardhan's reign, the kingdom would suffer attacks from neighbouring kingdoms of all directions; eventually leading to the latter's death and the annexation of Brahmachal from Gour to Twipra. Gour Govinda would be the last king to succeed him. In contrast to Govardhan, he would revive Gour back into a regional superpower, warding off all potential enemies, regaining lost territory, introducing defensive strategies like archery in war for the first time in Bengal's history and improving Gour's military status. Noted as a Hindu Revivalist, Gour Govinda encouraged the Hindu way of life . The kingdom came to an end after the Islamic conquest of Sylhet in 1303 led by Sikandar Khan Ghazi, Syed Nasiruddin and Shah Jalal, leading to the flight of Govinda and the royal family, and the subsequent incorporation of Sylhet with mainland Muslim Bengal ruled by Sultan Shamsuddin Firuz Shah.
Name There are many theories behind the naming of the Gour kingdom. Some say that the name originated from the kingdom's founder; Gurak, the son of Raja Guhak just as Jaintia was named after Jayantak and Laur after Ladduk. Other theories are that it was named following the 1170 partition of the kingdom into two. The north was renamed Gour (also transliterated as Gauda in Sanskrit) as in imitation of the great Hindu Gauda kingdom which ruled Bengal from 590AD to 626AD.
Location and origin The kingdom consisted of majority of the modern-day Sylhet District. It included some eastern parts of the modern-day Moulvibazar District until it split from Gour to become the independent kingdom of Brahmachal. The final king of Gour, Gour Govinda would reunite Brahmachal to the Gour kingdom. The Tungachal kingdom, to its southwest, was a vassal state of Gour, and later Brahmachal would be one as well. With Govinda turning Gour into a regional superpower, the Laur kingdom may have also been a vassal state as Takerghat (in Laur) was made the naval headquarters during Govinda's rule. In the 850s, much of the kingdom's territory was described to be "outside the pale of human habitation" with central and southwestern Sylhet forming a large sea. This explains the naval significance which the Kings of Gour boasted.
The early rulers of Gour were said to have belonged to an animist clan known as the Pator-Chutia or Patro which later converted to Hinduism after Raja Guhak's interest in the religion and his initial invitation to Brahmins from Kamarupa to come and migrate to Sylhet. The small tribe remains in existence today and are also known by their endonym, the Laleng, and claim descent from these kings although this cannot be proven. Their traditions are a mixture of tribal animistic and Hindu beliefs. They have a distinct language to Bengali and Sylheti and many migrated to Assam and Meghalaya following the 1947 Partition of India and 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
History
Establishment
Before the establishment of the Gour kingdom, the area was a part of the Jaintia kingdom in greater Kamarupa. When Guhak ascended the Jaintia throne, he married a princess from Kamarupa. Guhak had a deep interest in Hinduism and migration of Brahmins from Kamarupa to this area took place. On his way back, Guhak brought a stone image known as Kangsa-Nisudhana, an image of Krishna and Balarama murdering Kamsa, as well as Grivakali and Janghakali, and they put it on top of a hill in modern-day where they would worship it. During the British colonial Bengal Presidency, this hill was also home to the Civil Surgeon's Bungalow.
Guhak had three sons, Jayantak, Gurak and Ladduk, and two daughters, Sheela and Chatala. It is said that his eldest daughter, Sheela, was once bathing in a lake south of the Kangsa-Nisudhana hill and she was kidnapped. After being rescued by Guhak, Sheela started to become more religious and live a secluded life. Chatala indulged herself in an unlawful relationship with one of the palace servants, leading to her being disowned and dumped in a distant island in the middle of 2000 square mile lake to the south of the kingdom. After Sheela's death at a young age, Guhak gave up his kingdom to also lead a more ascetic life. This port-area around the lake, which was the largest centre in the Jaintia kingdom for trade, was named "Sheela haat" in her honour. Sources such as the Hattanath Tales mention Sheelachatal was named after both daughters for the region. This is one of many theories of how Sylhet got its name.see Names of Sylhet Xuanzang of Tang China mentions that he visited Sheelachatal in the 630s in his book, the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.
Guhak split the Jaintia kingdom into three for his three sons. He gave his eldest son, Jayantak, what would become the hilly Jaintia kingdom. He gave his second son, Gurak, the southern plains which would be named Gour, and he gave his third son, Luddak, the western plains which would become the Laur kingdom.
Gurak made the capital initially at Borchola, five miles northwest of modern-day Sylhet, but moved it to Malini stream bank, 7 miles south of Sylhet. He appointed Marbel as his chief minister. The minister was stationed in a hillock (now known as Mona Rai's Tila) near the port for ease in tax collection and civil duties.
Mass migration period Being separated from Kamarupa by the Jaintia kingdom, Gour started interacting more with the Hindu lands to its west such as Tripura and Prayagraj. Minister Marbel was ordered to find a wife for Gurak's son, Srihasta. He went south to the Twipra kingdom in eastern Bengal where he found a young princess for Srihasta. When Srihasta ascended the throne in 660, he too contributed to the increase of Hindu influence to the predominantly Tantric Buddhist and animist-populated land. He installed a stone Shivalingam, which he called Bateshwar Shiva, in modern-day Bondor Bazar which he obtained during a pilgrimage to Akshayavat in Prayagraj. It is said he did this to compete with the Buddhist Lokenath statue which a group of merchants installed in modern-day Kazir Bazar. Gour also bordered Bengal to the west which was ruled by the Buddhist Pala Empire. The Buddhist and later Muslim rule in Bengal led to large numbers of Hindus to migrate to Gour, which was considered a Hindu stronghold. Srihasta's reign ended in 690 AD and he was succeeded by Kritti Pal. The names of the four kings who succeeded Kritti Pal is unknown until 870 AD, when Bhut Vishnudeva ascends the throne as the 7th king of Gour. He was known to have been mute.
He was succeeded by Navagirvan Deva (also known as Ananta Deva Navagirvanta) who is mentioned in the Bhatera copper-plate inscription as Kharavana (sharp arrow thrower). The Bhatera copper-plate inscription mentions the rulers of Gour from Navagirvan up to Kesava Deva providing evidence of the chronicles of Gour in this period whilst the previous history before Navagirvan is considered legendary. Navagirvan is attributed for bringing prosperity to Srihatta. His son, Gokul Kishore Deva was described in the inscription to be so strong that he imposed inactivity to enemy kingdoms. Gokul's son, Narayana Deva had a minister named Nandaka and a son named Govinda-Rana Kesava Deva. He was faced with confronting a number of rebellions.
The 11th King of Gour was Govinda-Rana Kesava Deva, also known as the Ripuraj Gopi Govinda. He became king in 990 AD after the death of his father, Narayan Deva. He is considered to be one of the greatest kings of Gour. In 1027, he constructed a towering stone Krishna temple on the Kangsa-Nisudhana hill (which became the hillock of the Civil Surgeon's Bungalow during British rule). A famed patron of Hinduism, he hosted hundreds of Brahmins and Vedic scholars from Mithila and other parts of the subcontinent, employing them upon the services of temples in his kingdom. He performed a yajna, distributing gold equivalent to his body weight. The Brahmins who had migrated from Kamarupa were experienced in seafaring and navies. They built nine ships (navadinga), some being two-storied and with up to 120 oars. These boats; Chali, Hali, Jilkar, Hakaluka, Makarasya, Chatali, Damuria, Barua and Baral are said to be what the modern-day haors of Sylhet take their names from. The Navadinga boasted the power of Gour's kings who would use them when warring with neighbouring petty kingdoms as well as for trade. Kesava is also recognised for heavily improving the kingdom's infantry, cavalry, navy and elephant power. He practiced polygyny and had two sons, Jadava and Kangsa from his first wife, Kamala. After invading the kingdom of Kuchunia to his north ruled by Uraj Mardan, he also married Mardan's daughter Chandana and had a son with her named Ishan Deva. After the death of Srichandra of eastern Bengal's Chandra dynasty, Kesava took advantage and conquered the southern parts of the Sylhet region; extending the Gour kingdom south of the Kushiyara River.
Kesava's singh gour reign ended in 1040, leaving behind three sons; Jadava Kesava, Kangsa Narayan and Ishan Deva. The elder son, Jadava was meant to be king though he was said to have been childless and diseased, and so his brother, Kangsa Narayan became the next king instead. Kangsa established a satra in the memory of his father, and dug Kamala Lake in memory of his mother, Kamala. Kangsa's rule was very short as he was killed by a wild elephant at a young age. His newly-wed and pregnant wife, Kalavati, a princess from Bihar, became the queen regent with Prince Ishan Deva, General Viradatta and Minister Vanamali Kar managing the kingdom. Kalavati gave birth to a son who was named Pravir Deva. To celebrate Pravir's birth, Ishan installed the Madhu-Kaitabhari Temple - which contained an image of Vishnu - on a hillock now known as Manik Pir's hill. The installation ceremony was conducted by a group of Brahmins and they were rewarded by the administration by receiving excessive land grants in the kingdom. Ishan also possessed war-chariots. Pravir Deva became the Raja of Gour when he reached a mature age in 1080 AD. He had a son named Bhujavir.
Partition
In 1140 AD, after the death of Bhujavir Deva, his son Kshetra Pal ascended the throne. Raja Kshetra Pal also practised polygyny and had two wives; Ratnavati and Surama. During his reign, an earthquake took place which changed the country's contour and topography. It is said that a new river emerged in the town, which the King named after his second and favourite wife, Rani Surama, as the Surma River. The King's first son came from Surama and his name was Brahmajit. A few years later, Kshetra's first wife Ratnavati also gave birth to a son, called Dharmadhwaj. However, conspiracies emerged in the country as a number of people were suspicious of Ratnavati accusing her of jealousy and child illegitimacy as Kshetra was an old man by this time. After Kshetra died, his eldest son, Brahmajit stepped to the throne. His stepmother Ratnavati and her associates gave Brahmajit a hard time as she believed that as she was the elder wife, her son should have been the King.