Rajbongshi people

The Rajbongshi people, also known as koch-Rajbongshis/Rajbangshis/Rajbanshis/Rajbansis, are largely an indigenous group of people inhabiting in northern Bengal, Lower Assam, northern Bangladesh, and some pockets on the eastern parts of Bihar and Nepal. They are spread mainly in the districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and the plain lands of Darjeeling in West Bengal; Goalpara and Dhubri districts of Assam; and Rangpur and Dinajpur Districts of Bangladesh. substantial amount of Rajbongshi population can also be found in the Malda district of West Bengal, Purnia district of Bihar and the Jhapa District of Nepal. curious claims of existing Rajbongshi population has also been made in the districts of Bogra and Mymensingh in Bangladesh.

Etymologically, the term 'Rajbongshi'; which derives from Bengali, of the Magadhi Prakrit sub-group; means 'of Royal Lineage' (Raj= royal/king; Bongshi= descendant of). The origin of such nomenclature, however, remains unclear to this day. But it is a generally accepted theory that the Rajbongshi people were ethnically and culturally related to the same ruling dynasty who ruled their land, and vice versa, i.e., the Koch dynasty of northern Bengal. Many however trace this etymological relation to the dynasties prior to that of the Kochs. contradicting views suggest that the term 'Rajbongshi' developed much later; much after the advent of the Koch dynasty. In Assam the term 'Koch-Rajbongshi' is used, while in the case of Bengal and Nepal, there are known as Rajbongshis only. many Rajbongshis also refer to themselves as 'Shivbongshi'.

...
Wikipedia