Rajdhar Manikya I

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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
Silver tanka of Rajadhara Manikya (1586–1599 CE), king of Tripura.
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign1586–1600
PredecessorAmar Manikya
SuccessorIshwar Manikya
BornRajdhar Narayan
Died1600
ConsortSatyavati[1]
Issue
HouseManikya dynasty
FatherAmar Manikya
ReligionHinduism
Kingdom of Tripura
Part of History of Tripura
Maha Manikyac. 1400–1431
Dharma Manikya I1431–1462
Ratna Manikya I1462–1487
Pratap Manikya1487
Vijaya Manikya I1488
Mukut Manikya1489
Dhanya Manikya1490–1515
Dhwaja Manikya1515–1520
Deva Manikya1520–1530
Indra Manikya I1530–1532
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
Vijaya Manikya III1746–1748
Lakshman Manikya1740s/1750s
Interregnum1750s–1760
Krishna Manikya1760–1783
Rajdhar Manikya II1785–1806
Rama Ganga Manikya1806–1809
Durga Manikya1809–1813
Rama Ganga Manikya1813–1826
Kashi Chandra Manikya1826–1829
Krishna Kishore Manikya1829–1849
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)
Pushbanta Palace (Royal residence)
Neermahal (Royal residence)
Rajmala (Royal chronicle)
Tripura Buranji (Chronicle)
Chaturdasa Devata (Family deities)

As heir apparent

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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

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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

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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

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  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. ^ a b c Sarma (1987), p. 87.
  14. ^ Chib (1988), p. 10.
  15. ^ a b Das (1997), p. 16.
  16. ^ a b 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

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  • Bhattacharyya, Banikantha (1986). Tripura Administration: The Era of Modernisation, 1870-1972. Delhi: Mittal Publications.
  • Bhattasali, Nalini Kanta (1928). "Bengal Chiefs' Struggle for Independence in the Reigns of Akbar and Jahangir". Bengal: Past and Present. 35. Calcutta Historical Society.
  • Chib, Sukhdev Singh (1988). Tripura. Ess Ess Publications. ISBN 978-81-7000-039-6.
  • Das, Ratna (1997). Art and Architecture of Tripura. Tribal Research Institute, Government of Tripura.
  • Khan, Abdul Mabud (1999). The Maghs: a Buddhist community in Bangladesh. University Press.
  • Khan, Nurul Islam (1977). Bangladesh District Gazetteers: Comilla. Bangladesh Government Press.
  • Long, James (1850). "Analysis of the Bengali Poem Raj Mala, or Chronicles of Tripura". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. XIX. Calcutta: Asiatic society.
  • Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1948). The History of Bengal. Vol. II. Dhaka: University of Dacca.
  • Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1974). History of mediaeval Bengal. G. Bharadwaj.
  • Roychoudhury, Nalini Ranjan (1983). Tripura through the ages: a short history of Tripura from the earliest times to 1947 A.D. Sterling.
  • Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1978). "Manikya Administration". Journal of the Asiatic Society. XX. Asiatic Society.
  • Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Calcutta: Puthipatra.