The origin of the name of Tripura is still a matter of controversy among historians and researchers.
 According to the 'Rajmala', Tripura's celebrated court chronicle, an ancient king named 'Tripur' ruled over the territorial domain known as 'Tripura' and the name of the kingdom was derived from his name. A school of historians,however, challenge this story and identify 'Tripur' as an imaginary and ahistorical character.
Many researchers explain the name 'Tripura' from its etymological origin: the word 'Tripura' is a compound of two separate words, 'Tui' (water) + 'Pra' (near) which in totality means 'near water'. The geographical location of the state with it's close proximity to the vast water resources of Eastern Bengal (present Bangladesh) coupled with the generic identity of the state's original inhabitants as 'Tipra' or 'Twipra' apparently justify this explanation of the state's name. Except 'Rajmala' there is no authentic document to base Tripura's history upon even though a plethora of archaeological and numismatic evidences have helped reconstruct the history of the state over the past five centuries.
History of Tripura
| Down the annals of history Tripura has been known to be an exotic geographical entity silhouetted by lush green hills and dotted with fertile valleys crisscrossed by flowing rivers—home to benign tribals co-existing with their Bengali neighbours.
 The present state of Tripura, bordered on three sides by Bangladesh and on two sides by neighbouring states of Assam and Mizoram, is only a fragment of its earlier glorious self exercising sovereign control over the whole of present Comilla district and parts of Noakhali, Sylhet and Chittagong districts of Bangladesh.
The legacy of a major accident of sub-continental history-the partition of 1947-continues to haunt Tripura in the form of daunting socio-economic and ethnic turmoil. But with all the storm and stress on its ethnic mosaic, socio-economic and political life tiny Tripura-blessed with the bounties of nature-continues to cast a spell on all with its vitality of life and vibrantness.
The erstwhile princely Tripura's glorious history under the rule of Manikya dynasty monarchs, its rich cultural heritage coupled with the state's human and natural resources present a fascinating subject for study and research. However, the opening chapter of the present volume, our attempt at building up in letters an encyclopedia on Tripura, seeks to encapsulate the very basic data on the 'Queen of Hills'-an ornamental name given to post-independence Tripura by enchanted visitors. |
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History of Tripura and the Manikyas
The history of pre-Manikya Tripura is still shrouded in information gap. How the Tripuri tribesmen migrated into the present territorial location known as Tripura and how the monarchy under the Manikyas evolved still remain an enigma as far as authentic material for constructing a worthwhile history is concerned . Nevertheless, the'Gunaighar' copper-plate grant made by Maharaj Vainya Gupta in 188 Gupta era or 507 A.D. and the'Nidhanpur' copper-plate grant made by Bhuti-Varman of Assam in 554 A.D. shed light on the early history of the Northeastern region.
It is reasonable to believe in the light of the scanty historical document and sources that at least in the first part of seventh century Tripura or at least a part of it was under the suzerainty of Assam's truly imperial ruler Bhaskar Varman ,a contemporary of Harsha Vardhana (629-642), who also defeated the powerful ruler of Gour (Bengal) Sasanka . No contemporary evidence of the existence of a Tripuri kingdom is available though we know that a small tribal kingdom set up by the Mogs existed at that time encompassing the present southern Tripura upto the south bank of the Gomti river, present Noakhali and Chittagong districts and southern parts of present Comilla districts of Bangladesh. The Buddhist Mogs as well as the Chakmas who set up a kingdom in the present Chittagong hill-tracts of Bangladesh had migrated from Myanmar (Burma) through the Arakan region. The archaeological remains which still survive in south Tripura provide conclusive evidences to the existence of the Mog rulers and peaceful co-existence of a composite Hindu-Buddhist culture.
It is significant that'Rajmala', court chronicle of Tripura's Manikya dynasty rulers composed in a phased manner over a long span of time, also refers to the existence of Mog kingdom south of Gomti river. Believed to have been first commissioned by king Dharma Manikya , 'Rajmala' refers to the Mog kingdom as 'Lika Rajya' and the ruler as'Lika Raja'. Apart from this, the existence of another kingdom known as'Bachal Rajya' to the northeast of'Gomti' river is attested by'Rajmala'. The'Bachals' were a branch of the kuki tribesmen dominant in the northern part of Tripura though we have it on the authority of historical source material that the'Bachals' were not as civilised as the'Mogs'. There were other minor tribal groups far away from the route taken by the Tripuri tribesmen in their south-westerly movement and migration. The Tripuris overcame the human hurdles in their way through force of arms. A royal festival of yore is believed to be symbolic of the momentous happenings in the course of Tripuri tribesmens' migration towards the interior of the state : once in a year every tribal chief used to be invited and entertained by the Tripuri king of Manikya dynasty . However, the most significant part of the festival was that the Tripuri'Maharaja' would leave his throne and the'Bachal Raja' would be installed as king for a day as mark of royal tribute to the subject people who had once been rulers of the state.
Genealogy of Tripura's princely rulers:
| The early history of the kingdom of Tripura is a complex blend of history with mythology .According to 'Rajmala' Tripura's royal house trace their origin to the celebrated 'lunar' dynasty, following in the footsteps of their counterparts in the Hindu royal houses of the rest of India who claim to have originated from the 'lunar' or 'solar' dynasty. Thus we have on the authority of 'Rajmala' that mythological prince Druhya, third son of king Yayati of 'Mahabharatha', moved eastward along the lower course of the Ganges before reaching the Sagar island in the Sundarbans .
 Finally he obtained safe asylum in the hermitage of 'Kapil Muni' and with the saintly blessing Druhya set up a kingdom called 'Tribeg' along the lower course of the mighty 'Brahmaputra'. Later Druhya undertook northeastward expansion of his kingdom across Assam along the upper course of the river and shifted his capital . Again according to 'Rajmala', Druhya , the founder king , was succeeded by nearly two hundred mythological rulers. But the mythology or legend appears to have assumed grand proportions around the character of 'Tripur', the fortieth ruler from Druhya's direct line of succession.
Tripur's acts of perfidy and persecution of people made his subjects seek intervention from 'Mahadeva', the Hindu God of War, who finally killed him. With 'Mahadeva's blessing Queen Hirabati gave birth to a virtuous king Trilochan who is believed to have attended the 'Rajsuya' sacrifice organized by the celebrated Pandava ruler Yudhisthira of the 'Mahabharatha'. However, Trilochan's successors subsequently retreated from their orginal royal domain and settled down in the present state of Tripura.
The historicity and chronology of the early kings of Tripura, referred to in 'Rajmala', are open to questions. Any detailed description of the role and activities of the early rulers is conspicuous by absence from the chronicle. There is a list of 179 rulers beginning with the mythological king Druhya and ending with the last coronated king Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya who is currently a non resident Tripurite. The most important point to note in judging the authenticity of the genealogy of Tripura's royalty-as referred to in 'Rajmala'- is that the very existence of the rulers from Druhya (1) to Khicangfa (136) is in question.
A major trimming of the long list, at least from 1 to 135 seems to be required to recover history from mythology, particularly in view of the absence of archaeological , epigraphic and numismatic evidences. However, it is pertinent to mention that there is indeed a reference to a state called Tripura in the Mahabharatha but according to the description in the epic the place seems to point to a country near 'Koshala' in the vicinity of modern Jabalpur town in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from this, the famous Chinese traveller and pilgrim Yuan Chwang or Hiuen Tsang who arrived in the then Kamrup kingdom (modern Assam) in the year C. 642-43 noted the names of all the kingdoms contemporaneous with the then Assam but any reference to Tripura is conspicuous by absence from the travelogue left by him to posterity. Quite naturally, this casts a deep shadow over the authenticity of the early history of Tripura associated by modern scholars with mythology. | | |
Genealogy of Tripura's princely rulers: | | | | 1. | Druhya | 2. | Babru | 3. | Setu | | 4. | Anarta | 5. | Gandhara | 6. | Dharma | | 7. | Dhrita | 8. | Durmad | 9. | Praceta | | 10 | Paraci | 11. | Parabasu | 12. | Parishad | | 13. | Arijit | 14. | Sujit | 15. | Pururaba | | 16. | Bibarna | 17. | Purusen | 18. | Meghabarman | | 19. | Bikarna | 20. | Basuman | 21. | Kirti | | 22. | Kanian | 23. | Pratisraba | 24. | Pratisha | | 25. | Satrujit | 26. | Pratardhan | 27. | Pramath | | 28. | Kalinda | 29. | Krama | 30. | Mitrari | | 31. | Baribarha | 32. | Karmuk | 33. | Kalinga | | 34. | Bhishan | 35. | Bhanumitra | 36. | Citrasen | | 37. | Citrarath | 38. | Citrayudha | 39. | Daitya | | 40. | Tripur | 41. | Trilochan | 42. | Dakshin | | 43. | Taydakshin | 44. | Sudakshin | 45. | Tardakshin | | 46. | Dharmataru | 47. | Dharmapal | 48. | Sadharma | | 49. | Tarbanga | 50. | Debanga | 51. | Naranjit | | 52. | Dharmangal | 53. | Rukmangal | 54. | Somangal | | 55. | Nauyogray | 56. | Tarjung | 57. | Rajdharma | | 58. | Hamraj | 59. | Birraj | 60. | Sriraj | | 61. | Sriman | 62. | Lakshmitaru | 63. | Rupban | | 64. | Lakshmiban | 65. | Nageswar | 66. | Jogeswar | | 67. | Nildhwaj | 68. | Basuraj | 69. | Dhanrajfa | | 70. | Harihar | 71. | Candrasekhar | 72. | Candraraj | | 73. | Tripali | 74. | Sumanta | 75. | Rupabanta | | 76. | Tarhom | 77. | Hariraj | 78. | Kasiraj | | 79. | Madhav | 80. | Candraraj | 81. | Gajeswar | | 82. | Birraj | 83. | Nageswar | 84. | Sikhiraj | | 85. | Debraj | 86. | Dhusharanga | 87. | Barakirti | | 88. | Sagarfa | 89. | Malaycandra | 90 | Suryanarayan | | 91. | Indra Kirti | 92. | Birsinha | 93. | Surendra | | 94. | Bimar | 95. | Kumar | 96. | Sukumar | | 97. | Bircandra | 98. | Rajyeswar | 99. | Nageshwar | | 100. | Taichangfa | 101. | Narendra | 102. | Indrakirti | | 103. | Biman | 104. | Jasoraj | 105. | Banga | | 106. | Gangaraj | 107. | Citrasen | 108. | Pratit | | 109. | Marici | 110. | Gagan | 111. | Kirti | | 112. | Himti | 113. | Rajendra | 114. | Partha | | 115. | Sevray | 116. | Dharmafa | 117. | Ramcandra | | 118. | Nrisingha | 119. | Lalitray | 120. | Mukundafa | | 121. | Kamalray | 122. | Krishnadas | 123. | Josaraj | | 124. | Uddhav | 125. | Sadhuray | 126. | Pratapray | | 127. | Vishnuprasad | 128. | Baneswar | 129. | Birbahu | | 130. | Samrat | 131. | Campakeswar | 132. | Meghraj | | 133. | Dharmadhar | 134. | Kirtidhar | 135. | Acangfa | | 136. | Khichangfa | 137. | Dangarfa | 138. | Rajafa | | 139. | Ratna Manikya | 140. | Pratap Manikya | 141. | Mukul Manikya | | 142. | Maha Manikya | 143. | Dharma Manikya | 144. | Pratap Manikya | | 145. | Dharma Manikya | 146. | Dhwaja Manikya | 147. | Dev Manikya | | 148. | Indra Manikya | 149. | Vijay Manikya | 150. | Ananta Manikya | | 151. | Uday Manikya | 152. | Jay Manikya | 153. | Amar Manikya | | 154. | Rajdhar Manikya | 155. | Jasodhar Manikya | 156. | Kalyan Manikya | | 157. | Govinda Manikya | 158. | Chatra Manikya | 159. | Ramdev Manikya | | 160. | Ratna II | 161. | Narendra Manikya | 162. | Mahendra Manikya | | 163. | Dharma II | 164. | Mukunda Manikya | 165. | Jay Manikya | | 166. | Indra II | 167. | Vijay II | 168. | Krishna Manikya | | 169. | Rajdhar Manikya | 170. | Ramganga Manikya | 171. | Durga Manikya | | 172. | Kasicandra Manikya | 173. | Krishnakisor Manikya | 174. | Isan Manikya | | 175. | Birchandra Manikya | 176. | Radhakisor Manikya | 177. | Birendra Kisor Manikya | | 178. | Bir Bikram Kisor Manikya | 179. | Kirit Bikram Kisor Manikya
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| Dhanya Manikya (1490-1515):
| Arguably the greatest king, Dhanya Manikya made his mark in Tripura's history as a conqueror and judicious ruler . Ably assisted by his generals Ray Kachag and Ray Kacham , Dhanya Manikya expanded Tripura's territorial domain well into Eastern Bengal establishing control over entire Comilla district and parts of Sylhet, Noakhali and Chittagong districts of Bangladesh. This large tract of fertile land which yielded most of princely Tripura's revenue remained a part and parcel of the state till the partition of India in 1947. But Dhanya Manikya's greatest achievement lay in successfully thwarting Muslim incursions into Tripura by warfare. It was during his rule that Hossain Shah (1493-1519 A.D.), the Nawab of Bengal, invaded Tripura thrice in the years 1512, 1513 and 1514 but on all occasions heavy defeats were inflicted on the predatory armies by king Dhanya Manikya and his competent generals Ray Kachag and Ray Kacham. The old and worn-out cannon perennially on display in the 'Kaman Chowmuhuni' area of Agartala town had been seized by Tripura's army from Hossain Shah. It was quite in the fitness of things that Dhanya Manikya crowned himself with the imperial titles of 'Tripurendra' and 'Vijayendra'.
A devout Hindu , Dhanya Manikya set up many temples the foremost among which is the 'Tripureswari' temple in Udaipur, one of the holiest Hindu shrines in India now. Before his death from small-pox in the year 1515 Dhanya had consolidated the kingdom through military prowess as well as prudent rule. | | Go Top |
| Amar Manikya (1577-86) :
| King Amar Manikya's nine year rule was chequered and eventful , spent in perpetual war . This was a transitional period in the history of Bengal also . After Sher Shah Suri (1539-45) captured the throne of Delhi by inflicting successive defeats on the second Mughal ruler Humayun , the Afghans ruled Bengal for thirty seven years till 1576 when the province was recaptured by Akbar's Mughal army . But the Mughal presence in Bengal was nominal till the year 1594 and during the transitional phase Afghans continued to ravage large parts of Eastern Bengal including Chittagong, Sylhet, Khandal , Tripura as well as Assam and Arakan. King Amar Manikya who ruled the first part of the transitional phase had to engage in continued conflicts with Afghan warlords and rebellious landlords patronized by them. In one such battle Amar Manikya routed the pathan warlord Fateh Khan who had given shelter to the rebellious landlord of 'Taraph Pargana' under Tripura's domain. However king Amar Manikya treated Fateh Khan well after eliciting a pledge that he would never help any rebellious landlord. The happy king issued a coin in 1581 to commemorate the victory over .
The pathan warlord. Amar Manikya was however less fortunate in his war against the king of Arakan Meng Phalung and his Mog army. The Arakanese king was trying to capture Chittagong from Amar Manikya. The Arakanese king suffered defeats in several skirmishes and pretended to be suing for peace. Apparently as a goodwill gesture the Arakan king sent an ivory made crown adorned with jewels along with a draft peace accord through an emissary. The squabbling princes-sons of Amar Manikya-engaged in a fresh dispute over who would wear the crown. Having sown the seeds of discord the Arakan king gathered valuable information on Tripura's defences through the emissary and won the next battle after launching a fresh attack. This episode in Tripura's history was immortalised by Rabindra Nath Tagore in his famous drama 'Mukut' (crown).Amar Manikya is known to have had two large tanks named 'Aamr Sagar's dug in Udaipur and Amarpur. Besides, he had a number of temples and a palace constructed in Amarpur-the relics of the palace are still there. Having lost his throne and a son in the fight against Arakan king Amar . Manikya left Udaipur and finally committed suicide by consuming a fatal dose of Opium in 1586 at 'Rajdhar cherra' (later corrupted into 'Ratacherra' in Kailasahar subdivison ). Before his suicide Amar Manikya had his son and pirnce Rajdhar coronated on boats floating on Manu river in Kailasahar subdivision. | | Go Top |
| Govinda Manikya (1660-61, 1667-76) :
| King Govinda Manikya figures prominently in the list of leading Manikyas chiefly because of his progressive outlook and reformatory approach which led to the outbreak of a major controversy over animal sacrifice in the royal 'Bhubaneswari'Temple close to the palace in Udaipur. A man far ahead of contemporaries in thought and action ,Govinda Manikya attempted to impose a permanent ban on Daily blood-spilling in the name of animal sacrifice at the altar of the Mother-goddess, incurring the wrath of and determined opposition from the orthodox 'Chantai'(head priest) Raghupati. The public opinion was also moulded against the move by Chantai at a time when prince Nakshatra , step brother of the king and hostage in the court of Mughal Subedar in Bengal , made a move to overthrow Govinda Manikya with the help of Subedar Mir Jumla (1660-63), promising a higher annual tribute to the Mughal court. Helped by the Mughals Nakshatra who later assumed the name of Chatra Manikya captured Tripura's throne and remained king till his death in 1667. Govinda Manikya ascended the throne again in 1667 and ruled till his death in 1676.
It is relevant to mention here that Govinda Manikya's dispute with 'Chantai'Raghupati was immortalised by poet Rabindra Nath Tagore who based his novel 'Rajarshi'and drama 'Bisarjan'on this remarkable episode in Tripura's history. | | Go Top |
| Maharani (Queen) Jahnavi Devi (1783-85):
| | Maharani Jahnavi Debi, wife of king Krishna Manikya (1760-83), played a crucial role at a time of serious crisis in Tripura's history. King Krishna Manikya's death on 11.07.1783. was followed by a major dispute over succession as the king had left behind no successor. Krishna's younger brother Harimoni who had predeceased him had two sons, Kanthamoni and Rajdhar of whom the latter was Krishna Manikya and Jahnavi Debi's chosen successor. However, a third claimant to the throne Durgamoni, son of Shamsher Gazi's puppet Laxman Manikya appeared to be preparing for a showdown to ensure his own ascension to the throne . Queen Jahnavi Debi who had taken over the reins of administration since Krishna Manikya's death started acting as regent with great political skill during the two year interregnum (1783-85). Finally Ralph Leeke ,Resident of the East India company , who had visited 'Puran Haveli' shortly after the king's death convinced Warren Hastings that Rajdhar should be accepted as the legitimate successor to Krishna Manikya. Having accomplished her duties commendably queen Jahnavi Debi relinquished her position as Regent to pave the way for Rajdhar Manikya's accession to the throne in 1785 itself. | | Go Top |
| Bir Chandra Manikya (1870-1896) :
|  The latter part of 19th century saw political stability and consolidation of the administration within Tripura under four Manikya kings distinguished by their political liberalism, magnanimity towards all sections of the people and patronage of art and culture. Needless to say, Bir Chandra Manikya was the pioneer in ushering princely Tripura in the modern age. Bir Chandra Manikya's succession to the throne after the death of Ishan Chandra Manikya in 1862 was however marred by controversy and the matter had to be finally settled by judicial intervention. Bir Chandra Manikya ascended the throne in 1862 on the strength of a will the validity of which was challenged by other claimants who moved the British court in Comilla. Even though legal battles in the court continued to be fought Bir Chandra was accepted as de facto ruler by the British government. Finally matters reached the Privy Council in London and in its verdict pronounced on March 15 1869 the council upheld Bir Chandra Manikya's claim . He was formally coronated as the king on March 9 1870 with prior approval of the British Indian government. Bir Chandra has drawn flaks from historians for his treatment of relatives and rival claimants to the throne but he carved a niche for himself because of his administrative reforms and patronage of art and culture. Bir Chandra Manikya himself was a poet and writer of songs . His sensitivity as a poet is reflected in the six books of poems he authored. A versatile genius who could speak and write at least four languages , Bir Chandra Manikya recognized the poetic genius of young Rabindra Nath after reading 'Bhagna Hriday', Tagore's book of poems and established a close personal rapport with the poet which continued till his death in 1896.
Bir Chandra also made his mark as a modern reformer by codifying civil and criminal law of the state and introducing the system of registration of land sale and purchase deeds. Bir Chandra Manikya formally banned the system of slavery in Tripura in the year 1877 and the infamous rite of 'Sati' in 1889. The greatest tribute to Bir Chandra was paid by Nabadwip Chandra,a rival to the throne and father of maestro Sachin Debbarman, who described the king as ' a cultured and sensitive man of taste and a great patron of art and learning'. | | Go Top |
| Radha Kishore Manikya (1896-1909):
|  A benevolent and cultured man of refined tastes , Radha kishore Manikya succeded his father in 1896 and immediately confronted a series of crises. He had gained valuable political and administrative experience as chairman of the council of ministers formed by his father and king Bir Chandra to run the administration in his absence in 1883. Deeply shocked by the unitimely death of his queen Bhanumati Debi in 1882 Bir Chandra decided to go on pilgrimage to Brindaban after handing over the responsibility for running the administration to the council of ministers. The council was dissolved in 1886 but Radha Kishore profited from his experience which came in handy to solve the problems he encountered after donning the mantle of king. A devastating earthquake that rocked Agartala on june 12 1897 shattered a large number of houses in the town including the royal palace. This happened at a time when the royal coffer was in crisis. Radha Kishore Manikya confronted the problem well and got the present 'Ujjayanta ' palace built by Martin Burn company after drawing a bank loan with the help of Rabindra Nath Tagore. The construction of the palace was completed in the year 1901 and its centenary celebrated in 2001. The second problem cropped up on the issue of coronation of the prince. In accordance with Tripura's royal tradition 'Bar Thakur' Samarendra Chandra Debbarman was entitled to be the coronated prince or designated successor but Radha Kishore appointed his son Birendra Kishore as prince on February 8 1899, triggering legitimate protests from Samarendra Chandra. The dispute was settled by the British government by a decree in 1904 whereby Birendra Kishore's appointment as prince was held valid. Samarendra Chandra Debbarman was expelled from the state and divested of his position as 'Bar Thakur'. Apart from the dispute over appointment of designated successor , Radha Kishore's benign rule was distinguished by welfare activities and reforms. He separated the department of Tehshil from police and set up many police stations and Tehshil offices all over the state.King Radha Kishore Manikya was a great patron of learning and set up the R.K.I.school of Kailashar besides donating funds towards construction of Victoria college of Comilla in present Bangladesh. A full-fledged medical unit in Calcutta's R.G.Kar medical college was set up with financial assistance provided by him. Radha Kishore had close rapport and regular interaction with Rabindra Nath , Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and a host of other intellectuals ,authors and artists of Bengal and extended liberal financial assistance to Tagore, Viswa Bharati university at Santi Niketan, Bengal technical institute and Sir Jagadish Chandra. It was during king Radha Kishore's rule in the year 1900 that Rabindra Nath visited Tripura for the first time and was accorded a rousing reception . Like most of his illustrious predecessors Radha Kishore was also a patron of Bengali language and a poet himself. He met with a motor accident at Sarnath in the year 1909 and breathed his last. | | Go Top |
| Birendra Kishore Manikya (1909-1923) :
|  The onerous task of carrying on the tradition of liberal and welfare-oriented rule initiated by king Bir Chandra fell on the young but sturdy shoulders of Birendra Kishore on November 25 1909 when he was barely twenty six. An artist and prolific author of songs Birendra Kishore deservingly earned the appreciation and acclaim of connoiseurs for his exquisite oil-paintings entitled 'Sannyasi', 'Jhulon', 'Banshi Badan' etc while the lyrical grace of his songs swayed people . The 'Laxmi Narayan' temple, 'Durga Bari' and 'Lal Mahal' (converted into present town hall ) that adorn the frontal view of 'Ujjayanta' palace were all built during his rule . The 'Vaijayanta' palace (present governor house) was also built by Birendra Kishore in imitation of the architectural style of 'Fatepur Sikri' in Agra. Birendra Kishore's contribution to the state lay in his administrative reforms , welfare activities and consistent attempt to spread education . He divided the state into ten administrative units on the model of subdivisions and introduced the system of civil service examinations for recruiting competent youths in the administration in 1915. The post of chief secretary was created in 1917. Birendra Kishore issued an order in 1920 directing police officials and 'Tehshildars' to persuade tribal and non-tribal guardians to send their wards to schools set up by the royal house and sent Somendra Chandra Debbarman to USA to undergo training in education in order to apply advanced methods to spread and improve the standard of education in his kingdom. But Birendra Kishore's far-sightedness as a ruler is reflected in the fact that he took the first initiative to explore the potential and viability of tea cultivation in Tripura by requisitioning an expert survey which was conducted by Dr A.C. Bhattacharya in 1916. Altogether forty tea estates were set up in Tripura during his rule. The far-sighted king had also given formal licence to the Burma Oil Company in 1916 to explore for oil ,natural gas and minerals in Tripura after a survey conducted by geologist Ashok Basu had given fair indication in this regard. He also set up a silk-weaving centre at Agartala and took steps to develop Tripura's agriculture. King Birendra Kishore gave a hearty reception to poet Rabindra Nath Tagore at Agartala after the great man had won nobel prize for literature in 1913 and in a magnanimous gesture the 'Maharaja' donated a cheque of Rs 5 thousand to Tagore for setting up a hospital at Santi Niketan. The great-hearted king died young-only at the age of forty-in 1923. | | Go Top |
| Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya (1928-1947) :
|  The last of the great titans, King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya personified all that was noble, refined and exalted among 'Maharajas' of Tripura's Manikya dynasty.
Bir Bikram Kishore donned the mantle of king in the year 1923 when he was only sixteen. Since he was too young to rule he constituted a governing council to run the administration and was finally coronated on January 29 1928 as the legitimate king. Endowed with a creative faculty unmatched by contemporaries and a poetic mind Bir Bikram Kishore composed a large number of songs and quite a few dramas among which 'Chand Kumudini' and 'Sri Radhakrishner Lila Vilas' were staged in Calcutta. The king travelled extensively in India, Europe and America and came in contact with such leading statesmen as Benitto Mussolini in Italy, Adolf Hitler in Germany, Franklin Roosevelt in the USA , the king of England and gained valuable experience in governance . He planned to develop Tripura on a modern footing and started building up Agartala as a model town . Apart from this, king Bir Bikram Kishore decentralized the administration and set in motion a process of annually rewarding able and dedicated employees and officers. His unique contribution to democratizing the administration lay in introduction of the 'Gram Mandal' system as a precursor of the Panchayati Raj and an elected municipality for Agartala. The first election to Agartala municipality was held by secret ballot on 17.12.1945 on the basis of universal adult franchise.King Bir Bikram had inherited a zeal for spreading the light of education among his subjects and set up the famous 'Maharaja Bir Bikram College' at Agartala, besides setting up a number of schools. He also made liberal grants to a large number of schools and social organizations in Comilla (a district town in present Bangladesh) which then formed part of Tripura. Besides, 'Neer Mahal' , famous lake palace in the middle of the 'Rudra Sagar' lake at Melaghar under Sonamura subdivision of West Tripura, was built by Bir Bikram Kishore. This lake palace continues to be a major tourist spot even now. King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya was a magnanimous and secular ruler who treated all his subjects well. From 1941 till his death the noble king gave shelter and all necessary assistance to his Bengali subjects who had to flee 'Chakla Roshanabad' in the wake of communal riots. At the same time he notified 1950 square miles of land in the interiors of the state reserved for five tribal communities (Tripuri, Jamatya , Noatia, Reang and Halam) by two decrees in 1941 and 1943 to protect the interests of his tribal subjects.
During his long 19 year rule Tripura's relation with poet Rabindra Nath Tagore and Santi Niketan continued to be as cordial as it had been during the rule of his three illustrious predecessors. The king was given a warm and grand reception at Santi Niketan in 1939 and made liberal financial grants to Viswa Bharati university. King Bir Bikram conferred the title of 'Bharat Bhaskar' on Rabindra Nath in May 1941, only three months before the latter's death and in a heart-warming speech the grateful poet also paid rich tributes to the house of Manikyas in Tripura. The Maharaja also ordered observance of state mourning on the occasion of Rabindra Nath's death . The noble king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya breathed his last prematurely on May 17, 1947 at a critical juncture in Tripura's history when the partition of India was only two months away. He had however, expressed his will to royal personages and high officials that his kingdom would join India rather than Pakistan, whenever the question on the issue would arise. Apart from this, he had appointed on April 28- more than a fortnight ahead of his premature death-his minister Mr Girija Shankar Guha who was also a barrister as Tripura's representative to the constituent assembly as confirmation of his choice on the issue of joining India or Pakistan after partition which was imminent then. | | Go Top |
| Kirit Bikam Kishore Manikya (1947-2006):
|  Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya was the designated prince at the time of his illustrious father and king's death but since he was too young to rule, a Council of Regency headed by the Queen Mother Maharani Kanchanprava Devi as president, Brajendra Kishore Debbarman (Chief Minister) was formed to administer the state. A council of advisors comprising S.B.Mukhopadhyaya, Nandalal Debbarman , Durjoy Kishore Debbarman and Tamijuddin was also formed to assist the Regent Maharani in deciding the affairs of the state. However, at the directive of government of India the council was dissolved and the Maharani appointed as the sole Regent with effect from January 12 1948. This was a troubled time as ceaseless influx of refugees from riot-torn East Pakistan and opposition to it by a section of the tribals and muslims created a critical situation even though late king Bir Bikram Kishore had always welcomed and encouraged settlement of Bengali subjects of Chakla Roshanabad in Tripura. A conspiracy by royal scion Durjoy Kishore Debbarman , Gedu Mia and their followers was hatched to merge Tripura with East Pakistan and to begin with Durjoy Kishore was to be placed on Tripura's throne and Gedu Mia appointed as chief minister. Maharani Kanchanprava Debi and prince Kirit Bikram were at the time lodged in Shillong . A group of three influential persons Nripendra Kumar alias Kalu Chanda , Amarendra Debbarman (Banshi Thakur) and Prafulla Kumar Ray rushed to Shillong and apprised Maharani of the situation. Following clear directives received from the Maharani the trio visited Delhi and met in deputation with Sardar Vallavbhai Patel . The 'iron man' intervened strongly and the conspiracy was foiled. The 'instrument of accession' or the formal agreement of Tripura's merger with the Indian union was signed by Maharani Kanchanprava Debi on behalf of minor king Kirit Bikram on 13.08.1947 making Tripura a princely state within Indian union and paving the way for exercise of total power in regard to defence , foreign affairs ,transport and communication and several other matters by the central government, the remaining power being vested in the state government. Contrary to popular perception the real agreement of merger whereby Tripura totally merged with the Indian union as a constituent state was signed by sole Regent Maharani Kanchanprava Debi on October 9 1949 in New Delhi while the administration of the state was taken over by government of India with effect from October 15 1949. The significant point to note in this regard is that in her proclamation dated November 11 1947 , as quoted in 'Tripura district gazeteers' edited by K.D.Menon (I.A.S.) , Maharani Kanchanprava Debi had clearly stated " The accession of this state to the Indian Union was decided by the late ruler after due consideration and full consultation with all sections of the people".
Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya later joined politics and became a Congress M.P. from Tripura twice in 1967 and 1977. His wife Maharani Bibhu Kumari Debi was elected to the state assembly in 1983 and 1988 and was also revenue minister for a brief period in the Congress-TUJS coalition government that ruled Tripura between 1988-93.
Major events and personalities under the Manikyas
| |  Rangamati , later renamed as Udaipur, had been the capital of princely Tripura ,at least since the commencement of the rule of the Manikyas as attested by 'Rajmala'. It was during the rule of Uday Manikya (1566-71) that the capital was renamed Udaipur, headquarter of the present south Tripura district. | Fall and sack of Udaipur by Mughals:
| | Till the victory of East India Company in the battle of Plassey in June 1757 over Nawab Sirajuddaula's army Tripura had been subjected to periodic attacks, plundering and extortion by successive Muslim rulers of Bengal. But it was during the rule of Mughal emperor Jahangir that the state suffered most. In the year 1618 when Yashodhar Manikya was the king, Tripura was subjugated by Mughals after a brief siege of the capital Udaipur. The capital was sacked and the state remained under Mughal rule during 1618-20 when people in general were looted. Prohibition was imposed on traditional worship of deities in religious places including 'Tripureswari' temple. King Yasodhar Manikya was captured and taken as prisoner to Mughal court in Delhi never to return to his kingdom and people. Unable to bear the humiliation he breathed his last as an ascetic in Brindaban in 1623 after being released from the Mughal court. | | Go Top |
| Shamsher Gazi : A violent interlude (1748-60) :
| | A maverick who rose and fell like a meteor-this seems to be a fairly reasonable assessment of Shamsher Gazi's life and career in the course of which he ruled Tripura by proxy for twelve years. Even though various myths and legends were associated with him after he had seized political control of Tripura, 'Gazinama' authored by Sheikh Manohar and accepted as primary source of information on him, Shamsher Gazi was born of a poor Muslim peasant family in the year 1712 at Kungura village under Dakshin Shik pargana north of Chittagong which formed part of Tripura's Manikya kingdom. While working as 'Tehshildar' in the local landlord Nasir Mohammed's office Shamsher is said to have received divine blessing of a 'Pir'. Gazi, however, soon came to grief after his proposal to marry the landlord's daughter was rudely rejected and he was ordered to be nabbed. Shamsher Gazi made good his escape and organized an armed force. He soon captured Nasir Mohammed's domain in 1745 and massacred the family except the landlord's daughter who he had proposed to marry. Having consolidated his position as landlord of Dakshin Shik and Meherkul parganas Shamsher turned his attention to Tripura and ousted King Krishna Manikya after a brief conflict in the year of 1748. He encountered serious opposition from the tribal subjects in the hilly interiors of the state who flatly refused to pay any tax to the usurper. Having realised that his position was precarious Shamsher Gazi installed late Uday Manikya's nephew Banamali Thakur as a puppet on a bamboo-made throne and started ruling Tripura. Banamli Thakur assumed the title of Laxman Manikya but the gesture fell flat on the people of Tripura who refused to accept him. Shamsher Gazi soon antagonised the people of Tripura with his oppressive rule and the landlords within the state with his brigandage for money to keep the Nawab in Murshidabad in good humour. But the ousted king Krishna Manikya and a group of persecuted landlords jointly petitioned nawab Mir Qasim against Shamsher Gazi. The nawab was convinced and took no time in accepting Krishna Manikya's claim to the throne. Shamsher Gazi was arrested under nawab's order and executed in Murshidabad in 1760.Thus a violent interlude in Tripura's history came to an end. | | Go Top |
| Puran Haveli (Old Agartala) the new capital :
| | The shifting of the capital of princely Tripura from Udaipur to 'Puran Haveli' Or Old Agartala had been preceded by political instability and fresh turmoil . A Brigand called Shamsher Gazi who originated in Chittagong area of present Bangladesh rose like a meteor through a bizarre mix of treachery ,organising ability and force of arms. He overthrew king Krishna Manikya in the year 1748 and captured Tripura . He started his disastrous rule with a puppet Laxman Manikya on the throne , looting his own subjects and perpetrating all kinds of atrocities on them. Finally Shamsher Gazi was executed by orders from Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal in the year 1760 following an appeal from king Krishna Manikya. The king who had spent a wandering life of twelve years after being ousted from throne recaptured power in 1760 and it was before the end of his rule in1783 that the capital of the state was shifted from Udaipur to 'Puran Haveli' or present Old Agartala. According to 'Krishnamala', a book authored in poetic from by Pandit Ramganga Visharad, which chronicles king Krishna Manikya's reign , the shifting of the capital from Udaipur to 'Puran Haveli' took place exactly in the year 1760 A.D. or 1170 'Tripurabda' (Tripuri Era) when Krishna Manikya recommenced his reign after overthrow of Shamsher Gazi from power. In fact after being driven out of Udaipur by Shamsher Gazi , king Krishna Manikya had never returned to the old capital. | | Go Top |
| New capital at Agartala:
| The momentous event of shifting Tripura's capital afresh from 'Puran Haveli' to Present Agartala took place in the year 1838 during the reign of Krishna Kishore Manikya (January 1830-April 1849). We have it on the authority of 'Rajmala' that
Krishna Kishore Manikya , an extravagant ruler perennially on the look out for Pleasure, had once moved on horseback westward down the course of river Hawrah for hunting and was pleased with the plain landscape of Agartala dotted with jungles and marshy land . There and then he decided on shifting the capital Which has remained so till date. |
Tripura: Size, Location and Topography:
Tripura is one of the seven states in the north eastern part of India with a geographical area of 10,491 km2. It is located in the south-west extreme corner of the north-eastern region, between latitudes 22*57' and 24*33' N and longitudes 91*10' and 92*20' E. The state is situated between the river valley of Myanmar and Bangladesh, and is bounded by Bangladesh on the north, west, south and southeast; in the east it has a common boundary with Assam and Mizoram.
Tripura is a land locked state and its geographical limits touch both national and inter national boundaries. Its length of international boundary line with Bangladesh measures 839 km. Its national boundaries with Assam and Mizoram measure 53 km and 109 km respectively.
The terrain by and large consists of parallel hills and ridges running from the northwest to the southeast direction, with alternating narrow valleys .
The range of hills rises from the plains of Sylhet in Bangladesh at the north and proceeds southwards until they join the hills of the Chittagong hill tracts in Bangladesh. The elevation of hills gradually increases in the east. The eastern range of the Jampui is situated at an elevation of 914 meters above MSL and the western range of the Baramura, Deotamura with its elevation of 244 meters above MSL is the lowest.
Sedimentary rocks which range in age from Miocene to loosely consolidated sediments of recent age represent the geology of the state. The rocks are sandstone, siltstone and shale grading into clay. These rock types are repeated as layers, one above the other. Depending on their character and the presence of fossils, these sedimentary rock sequences are divided into Surma group, Tipam group and the Dupitila group. From the nature of the grains and the texture imprinted on these rocks, it is inferred that originally the sediments were deposited in the sea and later converted into rocks. The recent fluvial deposits occupy quite a large part of south Tripura district. The sedimentary rocks are deformed and folded.
Tripura : A full-fledged state of the union
The conferment of the full-fledged statehood on Tripura brought to fruition the long-cherished political aspirations of the state's people. Amidst all-round jubilation election to the state assembly came off on March 11 1972 and ,as expected, Congress party headed by Sukhamay Sengupta emerged clear winners ,securing 41 of the 60 assembly seats-the CPI (M ) won 18 seats while CPI captured one seat only . Apparently all was well as Sukhamay Sengupta kept ruling the state with his typical administrative high-handedness. However, dark cloud was gathering in the distant horizon with TUJS carrying on a virulent campaign for ADC, evoking 'equal and opposite reaction' from the 'Amra Bangali', and appendage of the shady 'Ananda Marg' which set in motion a rival campaign to forestall setting up of district council. The CPI (M) started gaining in strength mainly by organizing government employees through its powerful front organization 'Tripura Employees Co-ordination Committee' (TECC) to which the government responded by coercive measures. Mr Sengupta suffered a major setback in 1974 when Congress lost the election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat because of dissension within the party. With the imposition of emergency the state government became oppressive indiscriminately dismissing employees , arresting people and unleashing police on many an innocent citizen. Apart from prominent leaders of CPI (M) like Mr Nirpen Chakraborty, Mr Dasharath Deb a number of Congressmen like Mr Samir Ranjan Barman and Mr Tapas De, Editor of the largest-circulated and pro-people local daily 'Dainik Sambad', Mr Bhupen Datta-Bhowmik were put behind bars.
The withdrawal of emergency by Ms Indira Gandhi was followed by Lok Sabha election on March 16 1977. Rent by internal dissension ruling Congress in Tripura was in a poor shape ; so was the CPI (M) because of persecution of the party's workers and supporters during emergency and the late release of leaders from jail left the Marxists with hardly any time to prepare for the polls. The old warhorse Mr Sachindra Lal Singha descended on Tripura afresh as Lok Sabha candidate for newly-formed Congress for Democracy (CFD) and won the polls from west Tripura seat by a narrow margin ,defeating congress candidate Mr Tarit Mohan Dasgupta . In the tribal reserve East Tripura Loksabha seat Maharaja Kirit Bikram contesting on Congress ticket edged out CPI (M) leader Dasharath Deb in a keen contest.
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