The Manikya dynasty was the ruling house of the Twipra Kingdom and later the princely Tripura State, what is now the Indian state of Tripura. Ruling since the early 15th century, the dynasty at its height controlled a large swathe of the north-east of the Indian subcontinent. After coming under British influence, in 1809 they transitioned from feudal monarchs into rulers of a princely state, though the Manikyas maintained control of the region until 1949, when it ascended in union with India.

History The Rajmala, the chronicle of the kings of Tripura, traces the Manikyas descent from Druhya, a son of the legendary Lunar dynasty monarch Yayati. An unbroken line of 144 (likely mythological) Tripura monarchs is subsequently listed up to the ascension of one Ratna Fa, who is stated to have become the first Manikya after being granted the cognomen by the Sultan of Bengal. However, it is now believed that the Rajmala had been mistaken in the genealogy and chronology of the initial Manikya rulers. Numismatic evidence suggests that the first historical Manikya was in fact Maha Manikya, a Tripuri chief who founded the kingdom after establishing dominance over neighbouring tribes in the early 1400s. This monarch then took the title "Manikya" in honour of a historic victory over Bengal, with the name being inherited by his descendants.

Maha Manikya's early successors achieved considerable military success, conquering territory in Bengal, Assam and Burma. Tripura reached its zenith in the 16th century under such prominent kings as Dhanya Manikya and Vijaya Manikya II, with its lands stretching from the Garo Hills in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. As monarchs of a Hindu kingdom, the Manikyas developed a rivalry with the successive Muslim rulers of Bengal, coming into conflict with Sultans, governors and Nawabs before being brought under Mughal suzerainty in the early 17th century. As Mughal power waned, the antagonism with Bengal re-erupted, which drove the Manikyas to first approach the British for aid. In 1761, Tripura succumbed to British influence, becoming a princely protectorate, though control of the region remained under the Manikya dynasty.

In 1870, Bir Chandra Manikya ascended the throne and began a series of political reforms to his kingdom, modelling his government on the British system. A lover of the culture of Bengal, Bengali was adopted by the court under his rule and he developed a friendship with the poet, Rabindranath Tagore. After Tripura was briefly incorporated into the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam at the beginning of the 20th century, the last Manikya monarch, Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore, chose to come under the jurisdiction of the predominantly Hindu Dominion of India in 1947. The final ascension of Tripura into the modern Indian nation was signed by his widow, Kanchan Prava Devi, in place of the minor Kirit Bikram Kishore, bringing to an end five centuries of Manikya rule.

List of rulers

Rulers of the Manikya dynasty (1400 – 1949)NameReign startReign endClaimNotes Maha Manikya 1400 1431 Dharma Manikya I 1431 1462 Son of Maha Manikya Ratna Manikya I 1462 1487 Son of Dharma Manikya I Pratap Manikya 1487 1487 Son of Ratna Manikya I Vijaya Manikya I 1488 1488 Possibly son of Pratap Manikya Mukut Manikya 1489 1489 Son of Ratna Manikya I Dhanya Manikya 1490 1515 Son of Ratna Manikya I Dhwaja Manikya 1515 1520 Son of Dhanya Manikya Deva Manikya 1520 1530 Son of Dhanya Manikya Indra Manikya I 1530 1532 Son of Deva Manikya Vijaya Manikya II 1532 1563 Son of Deva Manikya Ananta Manikya 1563 1567 Son of Vijaya Manikya II Udai Manikya I 1567 1573 Father-in-law of Ananta Manikya Claimed the throne following the death of his predecessor, briefly supplanting the ruling dynasty with his own line. Joy Manikya I 1573 1577 Son of Udai Manikya Amar Manikya 1577 1586 Son of Deva Manikya Restored the Manikya dynasty after killing his predecessor. Rajdhar Manikya I 1586 1600 Son of Amar Manikya Ishwar Manikya 1600 1600 Possibly son of Amar Manikya or Rajdhar Manikya I Yashodhar Manikya 1600 1618 Son of Rajdhar Manikya I Monarchy temporarily overthrown by the Mughal Empire. Kalyan Manikya 1626 1660 Descendant of Maha Manikya From a cadet branch of the dynasty. Elected as monarch after Mughal interregnum. Govinda Manikya 1660 1661 Son of Kalyan Manikya First reign Chhatra Manikya 1661 1667 Son of Kalyan Manikya Govinda Manikya 1667 1676 Son of Kalyan Manikya Second reign Rama Manikya 1676 1685 Son of Govinda Manikya Ratna Manikya II 1685 1693 Son of Rama Manikya First reign Narendra Manikya 1693 1695 Grandson of Govinda Manikya Ratna Manikya II 1695 1712 Son of Rama Manikya Second reign Mahendra Manikya 1712 1714 Son of Rama Manikya Dharma Manikya II 1714 1725 Son of Rama Manikya First reign Jagat Manikya 1725 1729 Great-grandson of Chhatra Manikya Dharma Manikya II 1729 1729 Son of Rama Manikya Second reign Mukunda Manikya 1729 1739 Son of Rama Manikya Joy Manikya II 1739 1744 Great-great-grandson of Kalyan Manikya First reign Indra Manikya II 1744 1746 Son of Mukunda Manikya Udai Manikya II Son of Dharma Manikya II Briefly laid claim to the throne during a power struggle between his relatives. Joy Manikya II 1746 1746 Great-great-grandson of Kalyan Manikya Second reign Vijaya Manikya III 1746 1748 Brother of Joy Manikya II, great-great-grandson of Kalyan Manikya Lakshman Manikya ? ? Grandson of Dharma Manikya II Ruled as a puppet-monarch under Shamsher Gazi for three years before the latter took the throne for himself. Krishna Manikya 1760 1783 Son of Mukunda Manikya Rajdhar Manikya II 1785 1806 Grandson of Mukunda Manikya Rama Ganga Manikya 1806 1809 Son of Rajdhar Manikya II First reign Durga Manikya 1809 1813 Son of Lakshman Manikya Rama Ganga Manikya 1813 1826 Son of Rajdhar Manikya II Second reign Kashi Chandra Manikya 1826 1829 Son of Rajdhar Manikya II Krishna Kishore Manikya 1829 1849 Son of Rama Ganga Manikya Ishan Chandra Manikya 1849 1862 Son of Krishna Kishore Manikya Bir Chandra Manikya 1862 1896 Son of Krishna Kishore Manikya Radha Kishore Manikya 1896 1909 Son of Bir Chandra Manikya Birendra Kishore Manikya 1909 1923 Son of Radha Kishore Manikya Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya 1923 1947 Son of Birendra Kishore Manikya Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya 1947 1949 Son of Bir Bikram Kishore ManikyaTitular (1949 – 1971) Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya 1949 1971 (title abolished) Son of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya

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