Dharma Manikya I

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Dharma Manikya I
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign1431–1462
PredecessorMaha Manikya
SuccessorRatna Manikya I
ConsortNanua[1]
IssueRaja Fa[2]
Agar Fa[2]
Ratna Manikya I
Fifteen other sons
HouseManikya dynasty
FatherMaha Manikya
ReligionHinduism
Kingdom of Tripura
Part of History of Tripura
Kings of Tripura
Maha Manikyac. 1400–1431
Dharma Manikya I1431–1462
Ratna Manikya I1462–1487
Pratap Manikya1487
Vijaya Manikya I1488
Mukut Manikya1489
Dhanya Manikya1490–1515
1515–1520
Deva Manikya1520–1530
1530–1532
Vijaya Manikya II1532–1563
Ananta Manikya1563–1567
Udai Manikya I1567–1573
Joy Manikya I1573–1577
Amar Manikya1577–1585
Rajdhar Manikya I1586–1600
Ishwar Manikya1600
Yashodhar Manikya1600–1623
Interregnum1623–1626
Kalyan Manikya1626–1660
Govinda Manikya1660–1661
Chhatra Manikya1661–1667
Govinda Manikya1661–1673
Rama Manikya1673–1685
Ratna Manikya II1685–1693
Narendra Manikya1693–1695
Ratna Manikya II1695–1712
Mahendra Manikya1712–1714
Dharma Manikya II1714–1725
Jagat Manikya1725–1729
Dharma Manikya II1729
Mukunda Manikya1729–1739
Joy Manikya IIc. 1739–1744
Indra Manikya IIc. 1744–1746
Udai Manikya IIc. 1744
Joy Manikya II1746
1746–1748
Lakshman Manikya1740s/1750s
Interregnum1750s–1760
1760–1783
1785–1806
1806–1809
1809–1813
1813–1826
1826–1829
1829–1849
Ishan Chandra Manikya1849–1862
Bir Chandra Manikya1862–1896
Birendra Kishore Manikya1909–1923
Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya1923–1947
Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya1947–1949
1949–1978 (titular)
Kirit Pradyot Manikya1978–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)
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Dharma Manikya I, also known as Dangar Fa, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1431 to 1462. His reign was notable for its territorial expansions as well as for his religious and cultural contributions.

Ascension[]

The eldest of the five sons of his father Maha Manikya, Dharma was not initially intended to inherit the throne. According to court histories, he had originally decided on a monastic life, abandoning material desires and embarking on pilgrimages as an itinerant mendicant.[3] It was while he was visiting the holy city of Benares in 1431 that he received news of his father's death, as well as of the violent struggle for the vacant throne which had ensued among his brothers and the military leaders. The story continues that accompanied by eight Brahmins, Dharma hastened back to Tripura. There he was welcomed by the people and unanimously chosen as the next ruler.[4]

Reign[]

Early in Dharma's reign, his territories were invaded by the Sultan of Bengal, Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah, who compelled a tribute of money and elephants. In turn, Dharma launched his own assault, occupying and plundering the city of Sonargaon.[5][4] Further Bengali lands were attacked by his armies, with Patrikara, Gangamandal, Meherkul and Khandal all being annexed into Tripura.[6] Around this time, Min Saw Mon, the exiled ruler of Arakan, visited the royal court. Dharma contributed both financially and militarily to the former's reconquest of his kingdom.[7]

Traditions describe Dharma as a powerful administrator as well as a patron of learning and culture; the latter of which is most evident in his commissioning of the Rajmala, a history of the Manikya dynasty. His religious zeal is also notable, shown both through donations of large amounts of lands to Brahmins, as well as by his construction projects, which include temples and the famous Dharmasagar tank in Comilla.[8][9]

Overthrow and death[]

Numismatic evidence suggests that Dharma is identical to the Tripura ruler referred to in the Rajmala as "Dangar Fa". This is due to coins bearing the name of Dangar Fa's supposed son and successor, Ratna Manikya I (mistakenly identified as Dharma's great-grandfather in the text),[10] place the latter's reign as being immediately after that of Dharma. This would suggest that Dharma was in fact Ratna Manikya's father and that episodes linked with "Dangar Fa" in the Rajmala are instead associated with him.[8][11]

Thus, according to the events narrated in the chronicle, Dharma divided his kingdom into seventeen parts, each to be parcelled to all but the youngest of his eighteen sons.[note 1] The shunned son, Ratna, was instead given as a hostage to the Sultan of Bengal, Rukunuddin Barbak Shah. However, Ratna allied with the Sultan and launched an invasion of Tripura, defeating his father and brothers.[12] While his other sons were imprisoned, Dharma himself was expelled from the kingdom by the new monarch. He eventually died in exile on the Thanamchi hill, to the east of Tripura.[13][14][note 2]

Notes[]

  1. ^ This was presumably done in fear of another fratricidal struggle over the succession.[12]
  2. ^ The Rajmala makes no mention of Dharma being overthrown and exiled, instead merely stating that he had died of smallpox.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ Ray (1976), p. 6.
  2. ^ a b Bhattacharyya (1986), p. 16.
  3. ^ Sarma (1987), p. 39.
  4. ^ a b Sarma (1987), p. 40.
  5. ^ Singh (1980), p. 42.
  6. ^ Ghoshal (2018), p. 333.
  7. ^ Goswami (1996), p. 20.
  8. ^ a b Gan-Chaudhuri (1980), p. 20.
  9. ^ Chib (1988), p. 7.
  10. ^ Sur (1986), p. 220.
  11. ^ Saha (1986), p. 168.
  12. ^ a b Sarma (1987), p. 44.
  13. ^ Sarma (1987), p. 48.
  14. ^ Sarma (1987), p. 53.
  15. ^ Durlabhendra, Sukheshwar & Baneshwar (1999), p. 60.

Bibliography[]

  • Bhattacharyya, Banikantha (1986). Tripura Administration: The Era of Modernisation, 1870-1972. Delhi: Mittal Publications.
  • Chib, Sukhdev Singh (1988). Tripura. Ess Ess Publications. ISBN 978-81-7000-039-6.
  • Durlabhendra; Sukheshwar; Baneshwar (1999), Sri Rajmala, vol. I–IV, translated by Kailāsa Candra Siṃha; N.C. Nath, Agartala: Tribal Research Institute, Govt. of Tripura
  • Gan-Chaudhuri, Jagadis (1980). Tripura, the land and its people. Leeladevi Publications. ISBN 9788121004480.
  • Ghoshal, Anindita (2018). Tejimala Gurung (ed.). In the Belly of the Tiger, almost: Mughal-Tripura Interface in the Eighteenth Century. The Falling Polities: Crisis and Decline of States in North-East India in the Eighteenth Century. DVS Publishers. ISBN 978-93-85839-12-2.
  • Goswami, Debabrata (1996). Military History of Tripura, 1490 to 1947. Agartala: Tripura State Tribal Cultural Research Institute & Museum, Government of Tripura.
  • Ray, Ajay (1976). Tripura, the Enchanting Land. Directorate of Public Relations & Tourism, Government of Tripura.
  • Saha, Sudhanshu Bikash (1986). Tribes of Tripura: A Historical Survey. Agartala: Rupali Book House.
  • Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Puthipatra.
  • Singh, G. P. (1980). The Turko- Afghan and Mughal invasions of Tripura (Hill-Tipperah) Raj (1240-1733 A.D.). The Journal of the Assam Research Society. Kāmarūpa Anusandhān Samiti.
  • Sur, Hirendra Kumar (1986). British Relations with the State of Tripura, 1760-1947. Saraswati Book Depot.
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