Maha Manikya

Maha Manikya (d. 1431), also known as Chhengthung Fa, was the Maharaja of Tripura from about 1400 to 1431. Contrary to narratives provided by early histories, evidence indicates that Maha Manikya was the founder of the kingdom, having established dominance over neighbouring tribes in the early 15th century. He is further thought to be the first holder of the title "Manikya", taken in recognition of a historic victory over the neighbouring Bengal Sultanate. The dynasty which he founded continued using the title until Tripura's merger with India in 1949.[1]

For the Barāha ruler of Assam, see Mahamanikya.

Maha Manikya
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign	c.1400–1431
Successor	Dharma Manikya I
Died	1431
Consort	Tripura Sundari
Issue	Dharma Manikya I Gagan Fa three other sons
House	Manikya dynasty

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)

Chronology and name

Maha Manikya is estimated to have reigned from about 1400 until 1431. The Rajmala, the royal chronicle of Tripura, contains little information regarding his life. There, he is described as the son of Mukut Manikya, himself the son of the dynasty's supposed founder, Ratna Manikya I, a descendant of the mythological Lunar dynasty.[2][3] Upon ascending the throne, Maha is said to have proved himself a virtuous ruler and distinguished scholar, with no mention of any military engagements during his reign.[4] There are notable reasons to be doubtful of the narrative provided by the Rajmala however. Numismatic evidence proves that Maha could not have been the son of Mukut, given that the latter had only begun his rule in 1489.[5] It is further believed that it was in fact Maha who had founded the dynasty and be the first to possess the Manikya cognomen, rather than Ratna Manikya, who evidence shows had actually reigned over thirty years after the former's death.[6]

Given that his son Dharma Manikya I is identified with the ruler named in the Rajmala as "Dangar Fa",[7] it is judged that Maha can be equated with the latter's predecessor in the text: "Chhengthung Fa".[note 1] This was likely what he was originally called, given that "Maha Manikya" (literally meaning "Great Manikya")[note 2] would be a very unusual personal name, especially considering that "Maha" is merely a prefix which is meaningless as a given name.[8][10]

Reign

It is believed that Chhengthung Fa (later Maha Manikya) was a Tripuri chief who had established the Tripura kingdom in the early 15th century by subjugating neighbouring tribes, namely the Kukis, Jamatias and Reangs among others. This was possible due to the Tripuri having the largest tribal population as well as its inhabitancy of the productive and fertile valleys bordering Bengal, lying between Sylhet and Chittagong.[11][5] These events are believed to have occurred around the time that Raja Ganesha had established temporary sovereignty over Bengal, when the influence of its Sultan was weak.[12]

According to the Rajmala, Chhengthung Fa later incurred the wrath of an unidentified ruler of Bengal when a man bearing a gift for the Sultan was robbed while passing through Tripura. When he learned that a large army was dispatched against him, Chhengthung Fa was prepared to sue for peace but was prevented from doing so by his queen, Tripura Sundari. She declared submission to be an act of cowardice and convinced her husband to fight, taking command of the soldiers herself and leading them to victory over Bengal.[8][13][14] It is likely that it was as a result of this impressive triumph that Chhengthung Fa took the title "Maha Manikya", with the "Manikya" suffix being subsequently inherited by his successors.[8] However, due to the similarity between the coins of Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah and that of a later Tripura ruler,[note 3] it has been suggested that some part (or perhaps temporarily, the entirety) of the kingdom had submitted to Bengal during Maha's reign, though this is disputed among historians.[12][4]

Maha died in 1431 and following a brief struggle among his children and generals, he was succeeded by his eldest son Dharma Manikya I.[15] The descendants of another son, Gagan Fa, inherited the throne in later centuries, beginning with Kalyan Manikya in 1626.[16][17]

Notes

1. The two other rulers who are placed between Chhengthung Fa and Dangar Fa in the chronological sequence provided by the Rajmala, Achang Fa and Khiching Fa, are dismissed in this scenario. This is because they are only mentioned in passing in the text, with virtually no information provided about them, leading to the conclusion that their existence is questionable.[8]
2. "Manikya" refers to a reddish stone or ruby.[9]
3. The coin of Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah and that of Ratna Manikya I both share the motif of a lion with a raised fore-paw.[4]

References

1. Bhattacharjee (2010), p. 33.
2. Sarma (1987), pp. 38–39.
3. Durlabhendra, Sukheshwar & Baneshwar (1999), p. 60.
4. Sarma (1987), p. 39.
5. Roychoudhury (1983), p. 14.
6. Sarma (1987), p. 38.
7. Gan-Chaudhuri (1980), p. 20.
8. Lahiri (1999), p. 53.
9. Singh (1999), p. 8.
10. Saha (1986), p. 168.
11. Momin, Mawlong & Qādrī (2006), p. 81.
12. Ganguly (1985), p. 155.
13. Raatan (2008), p. 145.
14. Roychoudhury (1983), p. 3.
15. Sarma (1987), pp. 39–40.
16. Sarma (1987), p. 96.
17. Choudhury (2000), pp. 501–02.

Bibliography

• Bhattacharjee, Subhadeep (2010). Energy and Power in North East India. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-81-8324-338-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Choudhury, Achyut Charan (2000) [1910], Srihatter Itibritta: Purbangsho (in Bengali), Kolkata: Kotha
• Durlabhendra; Sukheshwar; Baneshwar (1999), Sri Rajmala, 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Ganguly, J. B. (1985). The Economic Content of the State Formation Process in Medieval Tripura. Proceedings of North East India History Association. Agartala: North East India History Association. Session.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lahiri, Bela (1999). "Numismatic Evidence on the Chronolgy and Succession of the rulers of Tripura". The Journal of the Numismatic Society of India. Numismatic Society of India.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Momin, Mignonette; Mawlong, Cecile A.; Qādrī, Fuz̤ail Aḥmad (2006). Society and economy in North-East India. New Delhi: Regency Publications. ISBN 978-81-87498-83-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Raatan, T. (2008). Encyclopaedia of North-East India. Delhi: Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7835-068-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Roychoudhury, Nalini Ranjan (1983). Tripura through the ages: a short history of Tripura from the earliest times to 1947 A.D. Sterling.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Saha, Sudhanshu Bikash (1986). Tribes of Tripura: A Historical Survey. Rupali Book House.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Puthipatra.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Singh, Jai Prakash (1999). An Introduction to the History of the Manikyas of Tripura. Shillong: North Eastern Hill University Publications.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)