Mukunda Manikya Explained

Type:monarch
Mukunda Manikya
Succession:Maharaja of Tripura
Reign:1729–1739
Predecessor:Dharma Manikya II
Successor:Joy Manikya II
Spouse-Type:Wives[1]
Issue-Type:issue
Father:Rama Manikya
Birth Name:Chandramani Thakur
House:Manikya dynasty
Death Date:1739
Religion:Hinduism

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

Life

Originally named Chandramani Thakur, he was the youngest of the four surviving sons of Maharaja Rama Manikya.[2] Each of his elder brothers had successively ruled Tripura; under Ratna II's rule, Chandramani had been sent as a hostage to the Mughal viceregal court at Murshidabad, while during the reigns of Mahendra and Dharma II, he was appointed Barathakur and Yuvraj respectively.

When he succeeded Dharma in 1729, Chandramani assumed the regnal name Mukunda Manikya.[3] He proved to be a pious monarch, donating lands to Brahmins and Kshatriyas.[4] He attempted to maintain cordial relations with the Mughals, sending his son Panch Cowrie Thakur as a hostage[5] and informing on a plot to kill the Mughal Faujdar at Udaipur by his cousin Rudramani.

However, in 1739, he was overthrown by the Mughals due to failing to provide Tripura's annual tribute of five elephants.[6] Udaipur was raided and Mukunda, alongside his sons Bhadramani, Krishnamoni and nephew Gangadhar, were arrested. Unable to bear this humiliation, he poisoned himself, with his queen performing sati in his funeral pyre. He was succeeded by Rudramani (afterward known as Joy Manikya II), who was chosen over Mukunda's sons after he drove the Mughals out of Udaipur.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sarma, Ramani Mohan. Political History of Tripura. 1987. 128. Puthipatra. Calcutta.
  2. Book: Roychoudhury, Nalini Ranjan. Tripura through the ages: a short history of Tripura from the earliest times to 1947 A.D.. 1983. Sterling. 30.
  3. Book: Gan-Chaudhuri, Jagadis. Tripura, the land and its people. 1980. Leeladevi. 31. 9788121004480.
  4. Book: DebBarma, Chandramani. Glory of Tripura civilization: history of Tripura with Kok Borok names of the kings. 2006. Parul Prakashani. 25.
  5. Book: Sur, Hirendra Kumar. British Relations with the State of Tripura, 1760-1947. 1986. Saraswati Book Depot. 13.
  6. Book: Chib, Sukhdev Singh. Tripura. 1988. Ess Ess Publications. 978-81-7000-039-6. 14.