Ananta Manikya

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Ananta Manikya
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign1563–1567
Predecessor Vijaya Manikya II
Successor Udai Manikya
Died1567
ConsortRatnavati
House Manikya dynasty
Father Vijaya Manikya II
Religion Hinduism
Kingdom of Tripura
Part of History 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 I 1567–1573
Joy Manikya I 1573–1577
Amar Manikya 1577–1585
Rajdhar Manikya I 1586–1600
Ishwar Manikya 1600
Yashodhar Manikya 1600–1623
Interregnum1623–1626
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 c.1739–1744
Indra Manikya II c.1744–1746
Udai Manikya II c.1744
Joy Manikya II 1746
Vijaya Manikya III 1746–1748
Lakshman Manikya 1740s/1750s
Interregnum1750s–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
Birendra Kishore Manikya 1909–1923
Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya 1923–1947
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)

Ananta Manikya (d. 1567) was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1563 to 1567. A weak monarch in comparison to his predecessor, he spent his reign under the control of his influential father-in-law. He died after only a few short years of rule, potentially at the latter's hands.

Life

Despite being born the second son of Maharaja Vijaya Manikya II, Ananta was named heir apparent by his father, his elder brother Dangar Fa having been sent to live at the court of Mukunda Deva of Odisha. The reason for this unusual succession is disputed, with the former either having been viewed as possessing the greater physical strength to rule or being born with a more auspicious horoscope. [1] [2]

Following Vijaya's death in 1563, Ananta inherited an extensive and well-consolidated kingdom. [3] Described by historian Dambarudhar Nath as having been "an unworthy son of a worthy father", he proved himself to be a poor monarch, being entirely under the power of his father-in-law, the Commander-in-Chief Gopi Prasad. [4] [1] [5]

According to the Darrang Raj Vamsavali, a Koch royal chronicle, the Koch king Nara Narayan and his brother Chilarai invaded Tripura around this period. The ruler of Tripura at this point, tentatively identified as Ananta, is stated to have suffered a devastating defeat at their hands, losing up to 18,000 soldiers. However, the authenticity of this text is controversial, leading to the events narrated being viewed with some scepticism. [4] [1]

Ananta reigned only briefly, dying in 1567. The manner of his death is uncertain, with different versions of the Rajmala either stating that it was the result of fever or that he was strangled on the orders of Gopi Prasad. [6] [7] Regardless, the latter afterwards claimed the throne, adopting the name Udai Manikya. Ananta's wife Ratnavati, the new king's daughter, attempted to perform Sati on his funeral pyre, though was prevented from doing so by her father. She was later appeased by being named queen of Chandipur. [8]

Related Research Articles

Manikya dynasty

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 1761 they transitioned from feudal monarchs into rulers of a princely state, though the Manikyas maintain control of the region until 1949, when it ascended in union with India.

Pratap Manikya was a Maharaja of Tripura during the late 15th century.

Vijaya Manikya I was the Maharaja of Tripura briefly during the late 15th century.

Ratna Manikya I

Ratna Manikya I, also known as Ratna Fa, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1462 to the late 1480s. Though he had gained the throne by overthrowing his predecessor, Ratna's reign was notable for the peace and prosperity it had entailed in the region. He extensively reformed and modernised the government and closely allied it with neighbouring Bengal, resulting in a lasting cultural influence in Tripura.

Dharma Manikya I, also known as Dangar Fa, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1431 to 1462. His reign was notable for its territorial expansions as well as for his religious and cultural contributions.

Maha Manikya, 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.

Vijaya Manikya II, also spelt Vijay or Bijoy, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1532 to 1563. Succeeding to the throne at a young age, Vijaya proved himself to be a formidable military leader, initiating a series of conquests into several surrounding kingdoms, including the powerful Bengal Sultanate. During Vijaya's reign, the might and influence of Tripura reached its zenith, leading to him being viewed as one of its greatest monarchs.

Deva Manikya, 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.

Mahendra Manikya was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1712 to 1714.

Narendra Manikya was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1693 to 1695.

Mukunda Manikya was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1729 to 1739.

Ratna Manikya II was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1685 to 1693 and again from 1695 to 1712.

Rajdhar Manikya I, 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.

Ishwar Manikya was briefly the Maharaja of Tripura at the close of the 16th century.

Udai Manikya I, also known as Gopi Prasad, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1567 to 1572. Though from a lowly background, he later rose to become one of the most powerful figures in the kingdom. Following the death of the previous monarch, his son-in-law, Udai took royal power himself, for a time supplanting the ruling dynasty with his own line.

Joy Manikya I was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1573 to 1577.

Amar Manikya was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1577 to 1586.

Joy Manikya II was the Maharaja of Tripura during the mid-18th-century. He originally gained the throne through popular approval for his military hostility to the Mughal Empire. However, Joy spent much of his reign warring against various relations to maintain his grip on it, in particular with his cousin Indra Manikya II.

Indra Manikya II was the Maharaja of Tripura during the mid-18th-century. His reign was spent struggling for control of the kingdom with his relative Joy Manikya II.

Udai Manikya II was the Maharaja of Tripura briefly during the mid-18th-century, having laid claim to the throne during a power struggle between his relatives Joy Manikya II and Indra Manikya II.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roychoudhury, Nalini Ranjan (1983). Tripura through the ages: a short history of Tripura from the earliest times to 1947 A.D. Sterling. p. 21.
  2. Singh, Jai Prakash (1980). Coinage of Bengal and Its Neighbourhood. Numismatic Society of India, Banaras Hindu University. p. 34.
  3. Sarma, Ramani Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Puthipatra. p. 73.
  4. 1 2 Nath, Dambarudhar (1989). History of the Koch Kingdom, C. 1515-1615. Delhi: Mittal Publications. pp. 63–64. ISBN   978-81-7099-109-0.
  5. Sarma (1987 , p. 74)
  6. Roychoudhury (1983 , p. 22)
  7. Sarma (1987 , p. 6)
  8. Sarma (1987 , p. 75)