KACHAR, a territory in the northern part of the valley of Assam, north-west of Bishnath and north-east of Gowhatty. The Kachari also dwell in the mountains south of the Assam valley, and to the east of Munipur, in lat. 24° 40'N., and long. 93° E. Kachari, or I3orro or Bodo as they call themselves, are numerous along the northern and southern borders of the Assam valley, but found in almost all parts of the valley. Chatghari, frontier district situated between Desh Darrang and the Bhutan Hills, seems to be their chief locality, and here their numbers are said to amount to about 30,000, which is about half the Kachari population in the valley. A large portion of their vocables are identical with those of the Garo, and almost all the rest may be traced to some dialect of the Tibetan.
The names of Mech and Kachari arc indiffer ently applied to the same people, the latter none being especially used in the extreme east of the district. The tribe is widely scattered over al_ North-Eastern Bengal, being able to support life in the malarious tarai that continuously fringes the first slopes of the Himalayas.
The Kachari, the Naga, the Abor, and some other tribes bordering on Assam, are supposed to be of the same race as the Nechi.
Closely connected with the Kachari, among the inhabitants of the plains, are the Hojai Kachari, the Kochi, which include the Modai Kochi, the Phulguriya, and Hermia, the Mechi, the Dhimal, and the Rabha. Each of these speaks a separate dialect, between which and the Kachari, Mr. Robinson says, the differences are rather nominal than real. Their numbers are about 3,000,000.
Until the middle of the 13th century, the Chutia or Kachari dynasty continued to hold Southern Upper Assam and Saddiya, and part of Naugaon (Nawgong), but were then subjugated by Shans from the south, who, after establishing themselves in Upper Assam, forced the eastern portion of the Ko'cch - Hindu kingdom to submit, whilst the lower or S.W. part of Kamrup fell under the sway of the Muhammadan rulers of Bengal.
The Kachari are a fine athletic race, fond of village merry-making and dancing. Their Mon golian features are strongly marked, no beards or whiskers to speak of, and with little hair on other parts of their bodies. They are found in
small distinct settlements all over Upper Assam, and those who have become Hinduized call them selves Soromia. Others in the Eastern Douars call themselves Shargia; and near the Bot country, where they are adopting Lamaism, they style them selves Shargia Butia. They extend from lat. to 27° N., and long. 30' to 88° E., and are supposed to be more than 200,000 souls. They worship the Sij (Euphorbia), as also do tribes in Central India and Orissa. The Ojha is priest and physician (Ojha, entrails). Their chief deity is Batho, and his wife Mainon ; and chief priest, Deoshi. Eggs and hogs are offered in sacrifice. The Kachari and Mechi go through the ceremony of forcibly seizing the willing bride. The Dhimal of the sal forest do not exceed 15,000 souls. The Rabha and Hajong of Goalpara are branches of the Kachari.
Kachar has been largely occupied by tea planters. The soil of the plains of Kachar is a rich alluvial one, formed from the washings of the mountains which surround it on three sides. The country is drained by the river Barak, which runs in a most tortuous direction right through the whole of it from west to east. The bunks of this river are the highest parts of the plain country, and are about 200 feet above the level of the sea. The ground slopes inland from these banks for several miles, and then gradually ascends towards the foot of the mountains on either side, leaving a long line of jhils and swamps between the river and high lands. In the cold season the bed of the stream is about 30 feet below the top of the banks, but in the rains the waters overflow the banks and inundate the low tracts. Low ranges of hillocks intersect the country in many places, chiefly at right angles the river. The soil of these ranges, on which cotton is chiefly cultivated, is a red sandy clay, and rests on a base of conglomerate rock, which in many places is seen to lie exposed. The red clay and the conglomerate also lie below the alluvium of the plains, and are met with iu the bed and deep-cut bank of the river.