Tripura

History

The predecessor state of Tripura was founded about 100 AD. According to legend, the Manikya dynasty derived its name from a jewel ('Mani' in Sanskrit) that had been obtained from a frog. The first king who ruled the state under the royal title of Manikya was Maharaja Maha Manikya, who ascended the throne in 1400.

The kingdom is mentioned in Ming Shilu as Di-wu-la. It is further stated that it was occupied by Da-Gu-la, an unidentified state in what is Northern Myanmar or Assam.

The Rajmala, a chronicle of the Kings of Tripura, was written in Bengali verse in the 15th century under Dharma Manikya I. The kingdom of Tripura reached its maximum expansion in the 16th century.

In 1764, when the British East India Company took control of Bengal, the parts of Bengal that had been under the Mughal Empire were taken over by the British administration. In 1809, Tripura became a British protectorate, and in 1838 the Rajas of Tripura were recognised by the British as sovereigns.

Between 1826 and 1862 the eastern part was subject to the ravages caused by Kuki invaders that plundered and destroyed villages and massacred their inhabitants.

There were troubles in every succession among the Tripura royal family members when the aspiring princes often resorted to use the services of the Kukis to cause disturbances. Thus in 1904, the British enacted a sanad that regulated permanently the succession of the royal family. Thenceforward the succession would have to be recognised by the Viceroy of India representing the British Crown.

Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) modelled his administration on the pattern of British India, and enacted reforms including the foundation of the Agartala Municipal Corporation.

In 1905, Tripura became part of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam and was designated as 'Hill Tippera'. In addition to the Hill Tippera area, which corresponds to Tripura State, the kings retained a fertile estate known as Chakla Roshnabad with an area of 1476 km2, located in the flatland of Noakhali, Sylhet and Tipperah districts; the latter is now mostly included in the Comilla District of Bangladesh.

King Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarma died in May 1947, shortly before Indian Independence. His son Kirit Bikram Kishore was a minor at that time, and, so, Maharani Kanchan Prava Devi presided over the Council of Regency formed to govern the state. On 13 August 1947, the Maharani signed the Instrument of Accession, joining the Indian Union. There was turmoil in the state in the succeeding months and several changes in the administrative structure took place in quick succession. Finally, on 9 September 1949, the Maharani signed the Merger Agreement with the Dominion of India, which became effective on 15 October, and Tripura became a centrally administered Part C State (Chief Commissioner's Province) of India.

Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman (b. 1978) was the son of the last King - and is the current titular monarch.

Rulers

The head of the royal family of Tripura held the title of 'Maharaja' from 1919 onwards. Since 1897 the rulers were entitled to a 13 gun salute by the British authorities.

Rajas

• 1978 - **** Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma (Last King)

1684 – 1712 Ratna Manikya II (2nd time) (d. 1712)

1712 – 1714 Mahendra Manikya

1714 – 1732 Dharma Manikya II (1st time)

1732 – 1733 Jagat Manikya

1733 - Dharma Manikya II (2nd time)

1733 – 1737 Mukunda Manikya (d. 1739)

1737 – 1739 Jai Manikya II (1st time)

1739 – 174.. Indrasya Manikya II (1st time)

17.. – 174. Udai Manikya

174. – 174. Jai Manikya II (2nd time)

174. – 174. Indrasya Manikya II (2nd time)

174. – 1743 Jai Manikya II (3rd time)

1743 – 1760 Bijaya Manikya III

c. 1748 – c. 1758 Shamsher Gazi -Regent (d. c. 1758)

1760 Lakshman Manikya (d. 1760)

1760 – 1761 Krishna Manikya (1st time) (d. 1783)

1761 – 1767 Balaram Manikya

1767 – 11 July 1783 Krishna Manikya (2nd time) (s.a.)

11 July 1783 – Mar 1804 Rajadhara Manikya II (d. 1804)

Maharajas

1 January 1919 – 13 August 1923 Birendra Kishore Manikya

17 August 1923 – 17 May 1947 Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya (born 1908, died 1947) (after 3 June 1935 called Sir Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya)

17 May 1947 – 15 October 1949 Manikya Kirit Bikram Kishore Deb Burman, a minor (born 1933 – died 2006) - reigned as a titular ruler until his death, but unrecognised after 1971 by the Indian Government

17 May 1947 – 15 October 1949 Maharani Kanchan Prava Devi, Regent (born 1914, died 1973)

Dewans (chief ministers)

1850 – 1857 Balaram Hazari

18.. – 18.. Braja Mohan Thakur

18.. – 1873 Dinabandhu Thakur

Jul 1873 – 1877 Nilmoni Das

1877 – 1880 Sambhu Chandra Mukherjee

1880 – 1883 Absent

1883 Prince Radha Kishore Manikya

1883 – 1886 Dhanajaya Thakur

1886 (3 months) Babu Dinanath Sen

1886 – November 1888 Rai Bahadur Mohini Mohan Bardhan

November 1888 – 1890? The Raja

1890 – 1892 Rai Umakanta Das Bahadur (1st time)

1892 – 1901? Dinabandhu Thakur

1901 – 1905 Rai Umakanta Das Bahadur (2nd time)

November 1905 – February 1907 Shri Ramani Mohan Chattopadhyaya

February 1907 – December 1908 Rai Umakanta Das Bahadur (3rd time)

December 1908 – 7 November 1909 Sirjukta Babu Annada Charan Gupta

November 1909 – 1914 Nabadwip Chandra Deb Barma (b. 1854 – d. 1931)

1914 – 1915 Brajendra Kishore Deb Barma (b. 1880 – d. 19..) (1st time)

Symbols

Flag

The flag features the coat of arms, on a background of yellow and red.

Coat of arms

The motto is "Bir ta Saramekam" (Courage is the thing which is most needed or no one is better than a warrior).