Rajdhar Manikya I

Rajdhar Manikya I (d. 1600), also spelt Rajadhara Manikya, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1586 to 1600. Formerly a warrior-prince who fought with distinction during his father's reign, upon his own ascension to the throne, Rajdhar showed little interest in such matters, instead becoming occupied with religious pursuits. The decline of Tripura is thought to have begun during his reign.

Rajdhar Manikya I
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign	1586–1600
Predecessor	Amar Manikya
Successor	Ishwar Manikya
Born	Rajdhar Narayan
Died	1600
Consort	Satyavati[1]
Issue	Ishwar Manikya (possibly)[2] Yashodhar Manikya
House	Manikya dynasty
Father	Amar 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)

As heir apparent

Born Rajdhar Narayan, he was the second son of Maharaja Amar Manikya. Following the premature death of his elder brother Rajadurlabha, Rajdhar was named heir apparent in his place and granted his former title of Yuvraj.[3]

Alongside his younger brothers, Amaradurlabha and Jujhar Singh, Rajdhar contributed significantly to his father's military campaigns.[4] In 1581, in what was likely the first expedition of Amar's reign, Rajdhar was dispatched against the insubordinate zamindar of Taraf, Syed Musa. When the latter fled to Fateh Khan, the ruler of Sylhet, Rajdhar marched a formidable military force into the region. In the battle that followed, Khan was defeated and Syed Musa arrested.[5][6] Rajdhar escorted Khan to Udaipur,[7] where he submitted to the Maharaja's authority.[8]

Following the conquest of Noakhali and Chittagong by the Arakanese king Min Phalaung, Rajdhar, commanding a large contingent, was sent into the occupied regions to drive out the invaders.[9] The army landed in Chittagong and Rajdhar, alongside his brother Amaradurlabha and the generals Chandradarpa-Narayan and Chattrajit Najir, led the capture of six enemy camps successively before halting at Ramu. The Arakanese, following a failed retaliatory assault, blockaded the troops, resulting in the latter's supplies soon dwindling. Additionally, the Portuguese soldiers who formed part of the Tripura army were enticed to desert, turning their camps over to the enemy. This forced the Tripuri to begin retreating back to Chittagong, though at the Karnaphuli River, they were attacked and defeated by the Arakanese, resulting in heavy casualties. However, upon reaching Chittagong, Rajdhar had the army reorganised and launched a counter-assault, capturing seven of the enemy fortresses and forcing their retreat.[10]

After a brief hiatus, a second invasion of Chittagong was launched by Min Phalaung. The Tripura army were routed in the ensuing conflict, with Rajdhar's younger brother Jujhar Singh being killed and he himself suffering a serious bullet wound. The Arakanese then invaded Tripura itself, penetrating all the way to Udaipur and having it sacked and plundered. As a result of this humiliation, Rajdhar's father committed suicide, with his mother later performing Sati in the king's funeral pyre.[11][12]

Reign

With the Arakanese having abandoned the capital after their pillaging, Rajdhar returned and claimed his father's throne, adopting the traditional royal title of "Manikya". His reign is believed to have commenced in 1586.[13]

Rajdhar proved himself to be a ruler of spiritual leanings.[14] Avoiding the battlefield and having little interest in the administration of his kingdom, he instead devoted himself to religious pursuits. A patron of Vaishnavism, under his rule the influence of the sect spread significantly throughout Tripura. A temple to Vishnu was constructed in Udaipur and eight Brahmins were employed to perform devotional songs before the idol perpetually.[15][16] Its gardens were adorned with fruit and flowering plants and the Maharaja visited it daily. Rajdhar was also considered notable for his great respect for Brahmins, participating in religious discussions with the 200 in his court and distributing significant amounts of land to them, in spite of opposition from his nobles.[17]

It is perhaps because of Rajdhar's devout manner that the ruler of Bengal invaded Tripura during this time, though the practical reason was likely to obtain access to the kingdom's elephants. This campaign ultimately failed, with the attacking army being repelled by the veteran general Chandradarpa-Narayan. The actual identity of the invader is uncertain, though the most likely individual would have been the Mughal governor of the region, Man Singh I.[18]

Death and legacy

Whilst walking on the banks of the Gomti River, Rajdhar, absorbed in meditation and drinking water in which an image of Vishnu had been washed, fell into the river and drowned.[19] His death is believed to have occurred in 1600.[13]

Rajdhar is depicted in the Rajmala as a benevolent monarch, affable and religious-minded, and charitable both with Brahmins and his subjects; a reputation he likely deserved.[13] However, it was through his aloofness in regards to the running of his kingdom that Tripura's decline began. Royal power waned and lost territory was never regained, with the morale of the military also being decreased. This culminated in the kingdom's nadir during the reign of his son Yashodhar Manikya, who ultimately fell victim to external imperial aggression.[20][15][21]

Rajdhar was succeeded by Ishwar Manikya, whose relation to him is uncertain.[16]

References

1. Majumdar (1974), p. 361.
2. Sarma (1987), p. 90.
3. Bhattacharyya (1986), p. 27.
4. Sarma (1987), p. 86.
5. Sarma (1987), pp. 77–78.
6. Sarma (1978), p. 12.
7. Bhattasali (1928), p. 42.
8. Sarma (1987), p. 78.
9. Khan (1999), p. 23.
10. Sarma (1987), p. 81.
11. Sarma (1987), pp. 82–84.
12. Long (1850), p. 550.
13. Sarma (1987), p. 87.
14. Chib (1988), p. 10.
15. Das (1997), p. 16.
16. Roychoudhury (1983), p. 23.
17. Sarma (1987), p. 88.
18. Sarma (1987), pp. 87–88.
19. Long (1850), p. 551.
20. Majumdar (1948), p. 243.
21. Khan (1977), p. 38.

Bibliography

• Bhattacharyya, Banikantha (1986). Tripura Administration: The Era of Modernisation, 1870-1972. Delhi: Mittal Publications.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Bhattasali, Nalini Kanta (1928). "Bengal Chiefs' Struggle for Independence in the Reigns of Akbar and Jahangir". Bengal: Past and Present. Calcutta Historical Society. 35.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Chib, Sukhdev Singh (1988). Tripura. Ess Ess Publications. ISBN 978-81-7000-039-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Das, Ratna (1997). Art and Architecture of Tripura. Tribal Research Institute, Government of Tripura.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Khan, Abdul Mabud (1999). The Maghs: a Buddhist community in Bangladesh. University Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Khan, Nurul Islam (1977). Bangladesh District Gazetteers: Comilla. Bangladesh Government Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Long, James (1850). "Analysis of the Bengali Poem Raj Mala, or Chronicles of Tripura". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Calcutta: Asiatic society. XIX.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1948). The History of Bengal. II. Dhaka: University of Dacca.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1974). History of mediaeval Bengal. G. Bharadwaj.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)
• Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1978). "Manikya Administration". Journal of the Asiatic Society. Asiatic Society. XX.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Calcutta: Puthipatra.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)