Deva Manikya

Deva Manikya (d. 1563), also spelt Deb Manikya, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1520 to 1530. A son of the famous Dhanya Manikya, Deva initially continued his father's legacy of military conquests, though he ultimately proved to be less successful. A religiously zealous monarch, he was eventually killed in a conspiracy orchestrated by his spiritual guru.

Deva Manikya
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign	1520–1530
Predecessor	Dhwaja Manikya
Successor	Indra Manikya I
Died	1530
Wives[1]	Padmavati Gunavati
Issue	Indra Manikya I Vijaya Manikya II Amar Manikya
House	Manikya dynasty
Father	Dhanya Manikya
Religion	Hinduism

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 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 1739–1744 Indra Manikya II 1744–1746 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 Radha Kishore Manikya 1896–1909 Birendra Kishore Manikya 1909–1923 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)

Reign

Deva Manikya, likely a younger son of Dhanya Manikya, succeeded to the throne after the death of his elder brother Dhwaja Manikya in 1520. That same year, he invaded and conquered the Bhulua Kingdom, located in what is now the Bangladeshi district of Noakhali.[2] The city of Sonargaon was similarly captured and Deva is also believed to have held sway over Chittagong. However, his victories proved to be ephemeral since his rival, Sultan Nasrat Shah of Bengal, soon recaptured the latter region. It is also apparent that Sonargaon too was lost at some point, given that Deva's son celebrated his own conquest of the territory years later.[3]

He was a deeply devout individual and followed the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.[4] After his conquests in Bhulua and Chittagong, Deva made a pilgrimage to the spring at Durasara (located in present-day Sitakunda) and performed a holy bath, striking coins to commemorate the event.[5] One story relates that he once offered slaves as a sacrifice to the Fourteen Gods. However, when he was informed by the head priest that Mahadeva demanded an offering of the best commanders of the army, Deva had eight of his generals immolated as well.[6]

Deva eventually became a disciple of a Tantric Maithil Brahmin named Lakshminarayana, who launched a conspiracy against him in 1530. He was eventually assassinated by Lakshminarayana, who had worked in collaboration with one of his queens. Deva's son by this queen, Indra Manikya II, was placed on the throne, though the Brahmin held the actual power in the kingdom. This continued until 1532, when Lakshminarayana was killed and the throne was taken by Deva's younger son, who became Vijaya Manikya II.[7]

References

1. Carter, Martha L. (1994). A Treasury of Indian Coins. Marg Publications. p. 113. ISBN 978-81-85026-25-1.
2. Raatan, T. (2008). Encyclopaedia of North-East India. Gyan Publishing House. p. 147. ISBN 978-81-7835-068-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
3. Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Puthipatra. p. 61.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
4. Raatan (2008, p. 148)
5. Sarma (1987, pp. 61–62)
6. Gait, Edward Albert (1898). "Human sacrifices in ancient Assam". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal. LXVII (III): 59.
7. Sarma (1987, pp. 62–63)