30 THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE ASAMIYA LANGUAGE "Mech Brahmans" as the Signik Brahmans looked at them with dis. favour. Meches' and 'Koces may be derived from the present Sanskrit words Mlecca and Kupa; the dynasty of Bhagadatta might be called Mech Brahmans because of doing the priestly duties for these tribes of Mechgs and Koces, which duties were discharged until lato in the sixteenth century. So kanallal Baru opines that like the Vrltyas of Eengal the Kalites of Asam are of Alpine origin and are descendants of the Naraka-Bhagadatta line Also on the emotional and cultural ide, the Bhauma rulers of Kama rupa wielded immense unifying influence from the coast of the Pacifle Ceean in the east to the boundary of Megadha on the west, and from the foot of the Himalaya on the north to Ganjam in the Medrex presidency in the south. Not only the influence of the Rajas of Kimaripe we felt in there provinces, but with them the customs, canners, and the ideale of the Nagar Brahmans teko tent with them, were felt greatly. And rements of these customs, manners and ideele are still seen prevalent there. "With the advent of the Bhauma dynasty, their protege, the Nagar Brahmans, went to Gauda and Utkala to spread their sacred literature, manners and customs in those places Again, with the advent of Mue hammadan administration Muhammadin manners and customs were introduced in Bengal and customs and manners of the Bhauma period became almost extinct. But in Kimarine and Ukula, instances of old Influence of Bhauma rulers and their advisers can be seen even now". (Basu's SH.K, Vol. IIT, Preface)). Basu started his proface arguing and finding himself "How could there be such an unanimity of Nam Kirtten in two distant places at Utkala and Kimarupa? With all the slight variations and the manner of singing, the Kitten seems to pass for one and the same.... My first reasoning forced me to think that probably Sankardeva, the great reis- gious reformer of Kimarüpa, went to Utile and brought with him manners of singing Kirtan from that country. But after going through the Vaishnava literature of Utkala. I came to the conclusion that through the influence of Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanyadeva, Kirtan songs were introduced in Utkala: that before Sri Chaitanya, Sanlardeve weed to nserted that Kirtans had been in vogue at Kimarüpa before they were known in Utkala. "How the Brahmana from Kamarupo, Srihatta or Vanga, migrated to Utkala and settled there, and how the ancient kings of Kamara ruled not only Komarupa and Gauda, but the whole of Utkala as well, with a high hand for a pretty long time, I tried to explain". (Ibid) On the cducational side too, we find the integrating and unllying influence of Kimarupa working so effectively. Yuan Chwing records that Kamarupa was a great educational centre attracting scholars from
