A list of legendary Tripuri kings is given in the Rajmala chronicle, a 15th-century chronicle in Bengali written by the court pandits of Dharma Manikya I (r. 1431). The chronicle traces the king's ancestry to the mythological Lunar Dynasty. Druhyu, the son of Yayati, became king of the land of Kirata and constructed a city named Trivega on the bank of Kapila river. His kingdom was bounded by the river Tairang on the north, Acaranga on the south, Mekhali on the east, Koch and Vanga on the west.[2] The daughter of the King of Hedamba was married to King Trilochona of Trivega. The King of Hedamba, having no heir, made the eldest son of Trilochona the king of his land.[3] After the death of Trilochona, his second son Daksina became King of Tripura. Daksina shared the wealth of the kingdom among his eleven brothers.[4] Being the eldest son of Trilochona, the King of Hedamba demanded his kingdom from his brothers. In denial, the enraged King of Hedamba attacked Tripura and destroyed the capital. The eleven brothers left Trivega and moved to Khalangma on the bank of river Varavakra and found the capital Khalangma.[5] In the 8th century, the kingdom shifted its capital eastwards along the Surma river in Sylhet, near the present-day town of Kailasahar in northern Tripura.[citation needed]
The religion of the Tipra had 14 deities known as Chaturdasa Devata and is still preserved in the Chaturdasha Temple in Agartala, which is maintained by the Tipra priests known as Chantais, who oversee the festivals of the Kharchi and Ker according to traditions.
History
Chinese chronicles
Twipra is mentioned in Ming Shilu as Di-wu-la. By the early 15th century, its territory was occupied by Da Gu-la, an unidentified state.[6]
Tripura was one of the states that pushed back successive waves of invasions from Turks, Afghans, and Mughals. On many occasions, Tripuris (Tiprasa) also pushed back Burmese and Arakanese invasions from the East. At its height it comprised what is now Tripura, Sylhet division of Bangladesh, Cachar region of Assam state and the Chittagong Hill Tracts of what is now Bangladesh, and even managed to remain free and independent before the British takeover.
The plains of Tripura, however, fell to the attacks from Mughals. The plains territories comprise today's South-East Dhaka and Comilla areas. While the plains areas were thus Islamized, the Hills of Tripura served as a continuous bulwark against penetration to the East. The Tripura Hill Kings were major sponsors of Hindu traditions and customs. In the modern age, they are remembered as one of the longest and most stable dynasties from the Indian East.
Dhanya Manikya (reigned 1463 to 1515) expanded Twipra's territorial domain well into Eastern Bengal. Rangamati was renamed Udaipur after Udai Manikya. The kingdom flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries with kings such as Govinda Manikya putting up a strong defence against the pressure of the Muslim kingdoms to the west. However, the plains areas fell away from Tripura state due to the actions of a renegade Tripuri prince who was backed by Mughal governors of Eastern Bengal plains. After this, plains Twipra became a separate Mughal client kingdom, with the Mughal rulers exerting influence on the appointment of its kings. However, the Mughals could never penetrate the Hills territories to the east.
Bir Chandra Manikya (1862–1896) modelled his administration on the pattern of British India, and enacted reforms including the formation of Agartala Municipal Corporation. The last king was Kirit Bikram Kishore, son of Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarma, who ruled for two years, 1947–1949. In 1949, Tripura became part of the Republic of India. The Tripuri "heir apparent" is Kirat Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma (born 1978), the son of the last king, who is sometimes given the courtesy title of "Maharaja".
Ujjayanta Palace served as the royal seat of Twipra Kingdom from 1901.
Geography
The present political areas which were part of the Twipra Kingdom are:
Tripura is considered one of the oldest princely states in India, with its rulers claiming descent from the Lunar Dynasty of the Mahabharata. This ancient lineage underscores the kingdom's deep-rooted historical significance.
The cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Tripura includes the worship of the Chaturdasa Devata (Fourteen Gods) which is spiritual heritage blending Hinduism and Indigenous practices and The Tripura Sundari Temple which is dedicated to the goddess Tripura Sundari which holds immense religious significance. Festivals like Kharchi Puja and unique dances like Hojagiri reflect the region's vibrant traditions.[10]
Tripura has a significant Buddhist heritage, especially as a center for Tantric Buddhism from the 8th century onwards. Tantric Buddhism, or Vajrayana, focused on esoteric practices and rituals aimed at enlightenment. The region was influenced by figures like Virupa, a key figure in tantric teachings. Archaeological sites like Pilak have uncovered Buddhist artifacts, highlighting Tripura’s role in the spread of Buddhist art and culture.[11]
↑ "Druhyu, the son of Sarmistha, the daughter of Vrsaparvan, became king of the Kirata Land... Druhyu constructed a city in the Trikvega region. His capital was situated on the bank of the River Kapila."(Nath 2020:15)
↑ "The MSL records that the territory of this polity was in the early 15th century occupied by Da Gu-la (Tai-zong 269.3a-b), which suggests an area near Assam, There seems little doubt that it refers to Tripura, which lies south of the Brahmaputra and north of Bengal"(Wade 1994:253)
↑ Parratt, Saroj Nalini Arambam (2005). The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur: the Cheitharon Kumpapa: Original Text, Translation, and Notes. London: Routledge. p.183. ISBN0-415-34430-1.
↑ In 1562, Chilarai attacked the kingdom and took possession of the Barak Valley in which the state of Khaspur was established as a dewani of the Koch kingdom). (Bhattacharjee 1994:71) In the 18th-century, a Kachari king annexed the Hailakandi valley. (Bhattacharjee 1994:72)
Bhattacharjee, J B (1994). "Pre-colonial Political Structure of Barak Valley". In Sangma, Milton S (ed.). Essays on North-east India: Presented in Memory of Professor V. Venkata Rao. New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company. pp.61–85.
Wade, Geoffrey (1994). The Ming Shi-lu (Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty) as a Source for Southeast Asian History -- 14th to 17th Centuries. Hong Kong.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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