Manikya dynasty

The Manikya dynasty was the ruling house of the Twipra Kingdom and later the princely Tripura State, what is now the Indian state of Tripura. Ruling since the early 15th century, the dynasty at its height controlled a large swathe of the north-east of the Indian subcontinent. After coming under British influence, in 1761 they transitioned from feudal monarchs into rulers of a princely state, though the Manikyas maintain control of the region until 1949, when it ascended in union with India.

History

Tracing a descent from the mythological Lunar dynasty, the Rajmala royal chronicle records an unbroken line of 144 (likely legendary) monarchs of Tripura up to the ascension of one Ratna Fa, who is stated to have become the first Manikya after being granted the cognomen by the Sultan of Bengal. According to Rajmala, the ancestors of the royal family of Tripura shifted their capital from Nowgong district to the district of Cachar on the bank of River Barak. Afterwards, they proceeded south-west and settled in Dharmanagar and established their capital on the banks of Juri river. It was from Dharmanagar that they came to the centre of the present state of Tripura. The process of state formation in Tripura began during the reign of the Manikya rulers which is also known as the medieval period in the history of Tripura. The Tripuri rajas are said to have assumed the title of 'Manikya' from the time of Ratna Pha,who according to Prof. Kalikaranjan Qanungo,was a contemporary of Ghiyasuddin Balban. Ratna Pha defeated Sultan Mughisuddin Tughril in about AD 1450, then he was honoured with the title of Manikya by the muslim ruler. The process of state formation started in the early 15th century when Tripura chief, Chhengthung Pha, later named as Maha Manikya succeeded in subjugating other tribes namely the Jamatias,Kukis,Reangs and others. Rangamati(the present Udaipur) in South Tripura was annexed by Jujhar Pha,the seventy fourth raja of Tripura. Rangamati was made the capital of the kingdom from Raja Lika onwards. Later, the name was changed to Udaipur by Uday Manikya, a king of the Manikya Dynasty.[1]

Maha Manikya's early successors achieved considerable military success, conquering territory in Bengal, Assam and Burma. Tripura reached its zenith in the 16th century under such prominent kings as Dhanya Manikya and Vijaya Manikya II, with its lands stretching from the Garo Hills in the north to the Arakan in Bay of Bengal in the south. As monarchs of a Hindu kingdom, the Manikyas developed a rivalry with the successive Muslim rulers of Bengal, coming into conflict with Sultans, governors and Nawabs before being brought under Mughal suzerainty in the early 17th century. As Mughal power waned, the antagonism with Bengal re-erupted, which drove the Manikyas to first approach the British for aid. In 1761, Tripura had succumb to British influence, becoming a princely protectorate, though control of the region remained under the Manikya dynasty.

In 1870, Bir Chandra Manikya ascended the throne and began a series of political reforms to his kingdom, modelling his government on the British system. A lover of the culture of Bengal, Bengali was adopted by the court under his rule and he developed a friendship with the celebrated poet, Rabindranath Tagore. After Tripura was briefly incorporated into the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam at the beginning of the 20th century, the last Manikya monarch, Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore, chose to come under the jurisdiction of the predominantly Hindu Dominion of India in 1947. The final ascension of Tripura into the modern Indian nation was signed by his widow, Kanchan Prava Devi, in place of the minor Kirit Bikram Kishore, bringing to an end five centuries of Manikya rule.

List of rulers

Tripura princely state in 1909

Kingdom of Tripura
Part of History of Tripura
Kings of Tripura Maha Manikya c. 1400–1431 Dharma Manikya I 1431–1462 Ratna Manikya I 1462–1487 Pratap Manikya 1487 Vijaya Manikya I 1488 Mukut Manikya 1489 Dhanya Manikya 1490–1515 Dhwaja Manikya 1515–1520 Deva Manikya 1520–1530 Indra Manikya I 1530–1532 Vijaya Manikya II 1532–1563 Ananta Manikya 1563–1567 Udai Manikya I 1567–1573 Joy Manikya I 1573–1577 Amar Manikya 1577–1585 Rajdhar Manikya I 1586–1600 Ishwar Manikya 1600 Yashodhar Manikya 1600–1623 Interregnum 1623–1626 Kalyan Manikya 1626–1660 Govinda Manikya 1660–1661 Chhatra Manikya 1661–1667 Govinda Manikya 1661–1673 Rama Manikya 1673–1685 Ratna Manikya II 1685–1693 Narendra Manikya 1693–1695 Ratna Manikya II 1695–1712 Mahendra Manikya 1712–1714 Dharma Manikya II 1714–1725 Jagat Manikya 1725–1729 Dharma Manikya II 1729 Mukunda Manikya 1729–1739 Joy Manikya II c. 1739–1744 Indra Manikya II c. 1744–1746 Udai Manikya II c. 1744 Joy Manikya II 1746 Vijaya Manikya III 1746–1748 Lakshman Manikya 1740s/1750s Interregnum 1750s–1760 Krishna Manikya 1760–1783 Rajdhar Manikya II 1785–1806 Rama Ganga Manikya 1806–1809 Durga Manikya 1809–1813 Rama Ganga Manikya 1813–1826 Kashi Chandra Manikya 1826–1829 Krishna Kishore Manikya 1829–1849 Ishan Chandra Manikya 1849–1862 Bir Chandra Manikya 1862–1896 Birendra Kishore Manikya 1909–1923 Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya 1923–1947 Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya 1947–1949 1949–1978 (titular) Kirit Pradyot Manikya 1978–present (titular)
Tripura monarchy data
Manikya dynasty (Royal family)
Agartala (Capital of the kingdom)
Ujjayanta Palace (Royal residence)
Neermahal (Royal residence)
Rajmala (Royal chronicle)
Tripura Buranji (Chronicle)
Chaturdasa Devata (Family deities)

Rulers of the Manikya dynasty (c.1400 – 1949)
Name	Reign start	Reign end	Claim	Notes
Maha Manikya	c.1400	1431
Dharma Manikya I	1431	1462	Son of Maha Manikya
Ratna Manikya I	1462	c.1487	Son of Dharma Manikya I
Pratap Manikya	c.1487	c.1487	Son of Ratna Manikya I
Vijaya Manikya I	1488	1488	Possibly son of Pratap Manikya
Mukut Manikya	1489	1489	Son of Ratna Manikya I
Dhanya Manikya	1490	1515	Son of Ratna Manikya I
Dhwaja Manikya	1515	1520	Son of Dhanya Manikya
Deva Manikya	1520	1530	Son of Dhanya Manikya
Indra Manikya I	1530	1532	Son of Deva Manikya
Vijaya Manikya II	1532	1563	Son of Deva Manikya
Ananta Manikya	1563	1567	Son of Vijaya Manikya II
Udai Manikya I	1567	1573	Father-in-law of Ananta Manikya	Claimed the throne following the death of his predecessor, briefly supplanting the ruling dynasty with his own line.
Joy Manikya I	1573	1577	Son of Udai Manikya
Amar Manikya	1577	1586	Son of Deva Manikya	Restored the Manikya dynasty after killing his predecessor.
Rajdhar Manikya I	1586	1600	Son of Amar Manikya
Ishwar Manikya	1600	1600	Possibly son of Amar Manikya or Rajdhar Manikya I
Yashodhar Manikya	1600	1618	Son of Rajdhar Manikya I	Monarchy temporarily overthrown by the Mughal Empire.
Kalyan Manikya	1626	1660	Descendant of Maha Manikya	From a cadet branch of the dynasty. Elected as monarch after Mughal interregnum.
Govinda Manikya	1660	1661	Son of Kalyan Manikya	First reign
Chhatra Manikya	1661	1667	Son of Kalyan Manikya
Govinda Manikya	1667	1676	Son of Kalyan Manikya	Second reign
Rama Manikya	1676	1685	Son of Govinda Manikya
Ratna Manikya II	1685	1693	Son of Rama Manikya	First reign
Narendra Manikya	1693	1695	Grandson of Govinda Manikya
Ratna Manikya II	1695	1712	Son of Rama Manikya	Second reign
Mahendra Manikya	1712	1714	Son of Rama Manikya
Dharma Manikya II	1714	1725	Son of Rama Manikya	First reign
Jagat Manikya	1725	1729	Great-grandson of Chhatra Manikya
Dharma Manikya II	1729	1729	Son of Rama Manikya	Second reign
Mukunda Manikya	1729	1739	Son of Rama Manikya
Joy Manikya II	1739	1744	Great-great-grandson of Kalyan Manikya	First reign
Indra Manikya II	1744	1746	Son of Mukunda Manikya
Udai Manikya II	c. 1744	c. 1744	Son of Dharma Manikya II	Briefly laid claim to the throne during a power struggle between his relatives.
Joy Manikya II	1746	1746	Great-great-grandson of Kalyan Manikya	Second reign
Vijaya Manikya III	1746	1748	Brother of Joy Manikya II, great-great-grandson of Kalyan Manikya
Lakshman Manikya	?	?	Grandson of Dharma Manikya II	Ruled as a puppet-monarch under Shamsher Gazi for three years before the latter took the throne for himself.
Krishna Manikya	1760	1783	Son of Mukunda Manikya
Rajdhar Manikya II	1785	1806	Grandson of Mukunda Manikya
Rama Ganga Manikya	1806	1809	Son of Rajdhar Manikya II	First reign
Durga Manikya	1809	1813	Son of Lakshman Manikya
Rama Ganga Manikya	1813	1826	Son of Rajdhar Manikya II	Second reign
Kashi Chandra Manikya	1826	1829	Son of Rajdhar Manikya II
Krishna Kishore Manikya	1829	1849	Son of Rama Ganga Manikya
Ishan Chandra Manikya	1849	1862	Son of Krishna Kishore Manikya
Bir Chandra Manikya	1862	1896	Son of Krishna Kishore Manikya
Radha Kishore Manikya	1896	1909	Son of Bir Chandra Manikya
Birendra Kishore Manikya	1909	1923	Son of Radha Kishore Manikya
Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya	1923	1947	Son of Birendra Kishore Manikya
Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya	1947	1949	Son of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya
Titular (1949 – present)
Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya	1949	2006	Son of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya
Kirit Pradyot Manikya	2006	current	Son of Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya

Family tree

Family tree
Bibliography: Choudhury, Achyut Charan (2000) [1910], Srihatter Itibritta: Purbangsho (in Bengali), Kolkata: Kotha, p. 502 Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987), Political History of Tripura, Calcutta: Puthipatra

Bibliography

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