Ratna Manikya I (d. 1487), also known as Ratna Fa, was the
Maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...
of
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
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
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
, resulting in a lasting cultural influence in Tripura.
Dating and chronology
The ''
Rajmala
''Rajmala'' is a chronicle of the Kings of Tripura, written in Bengali verse in the 15th century under Dharma Manikya I.
Overview
The ''Rajmala'' chronicles the history of the Manikya kings of Tripura. While it serves as an invaluable sou ...
'', the royal chronicle of Tripura, describes Ratna as the first of the kingdoms rulers to assume the title of ''Manikya'', with historians initially placing his reign in the latter half of the thirteenth century. However, coins bearing his name were subsequently discovered which instead proved that his rule had continued until at least 1467. This would place it as being after that of
Dharma Manikya I
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.
Ascension
The eldest of the five sons of his ...
, who had reigned the previous decade. This contradicts the narrative provided by the ''Rajmala'', where Dharma is described as being Ratna's great-grandson, as well as proving that the latter could not have been the first to be called ''Manikya''. It is now believed that Ratna was in fact Dharma's son and that the ''Manikya'' cognomen had been associated with the dynasty for a number of generations prior to his ascension.
Ascension
Traditional accounts state that Ratna was the youngest of the eighteen sons of his father, who is named as Dangar Fa (presumably Dharma Manikya). According to legend, Ratna (then known as Ratna Fa) had proven himself to be the worthiest for the throne out of his brothers by passing a test set by their father. The King supposedly had a table set for dinner for the princes, but just as they were about to start eating, thirty hungry dogs were released into the room, despoiling their food. Ratna however, was able to save his meal by throwing rice to the dogs, thus proving his intelligence.
The ''Rajmala'' however, doesn't suggest that Ratna had been shown any special favour by his father. Rather, it states that he was sent as a hostage to the royal court in neighbouring
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. Dangar Fa then had the kingdom divided into seventeen parts and parcelled out to the remaining princes. These actions may have been done to preempt a potential fratricidal war among his sons over the succession, as well as out of a potential fear that Ratna would dominate his brothers in such a conflict. Ratna however, considered this expulsion to be an act of conspiracy against him and began working to gain the throne.
![Coin of Ratnamanikya I with dragon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Coin_of_Ratnamanikya_I_with_dragon.jpg)
Through his charisma and intelligence, he is said to have gained the affection of the Sultan of Bengal (who chronological evidence identifies as being
Rukunuddin Barbak Shah
Ruknuddīn Bārbak Shāh ( bn, রোকনউদ্দীন বারবক শাহ, fa, ; r. 1459–1474) was the son and successor of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah. Initially appointed as the governor of Satgaon during the reign of his fa ...
). With the latter's military aid, he launched an assault against Tripura, defeating its armies and taking the throne. Ratna then had his seventeen brothers imprisoned while his father was expelled from the kingdom, later dying in exile. The ''Rajmala'' continues that Ratna later revisited Bengal and in gratitude for the Sultan's help, he presented to him an elaborately caparisoned elephant and a ruby (''manikya'') as gifts. In response, the Sultan awarded him the title of ''Manikya'', which supposedly from then on became a dynastic cognomen.
Reign
Upon his ascension to the throne, Ratna began an extensive administrative reform of his new kingdom, modelling the changes on his observations of the government of Bengal. The previously unproductive feudal system was reorganised and the government became more complex, with greater numbers of civil servants being employed to maintain it. The
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
and
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
languages were introduced into the administration in light of the closer ties to Bengal and resources were delegated to the improvement of agriculture.
Particularly influential were Ratna's experiences with Bengali Hindus, which resulted in him requesting Barbak Shah to send some to live in Tripura. Four thousand families were dispatched, settling in the ancient capital
Rangamati
Rangamati (Bengali: রাঙ্গামাটি;) is the administrative headquarter and town of Rangamati Hill District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The town is located at 22°37'60N 92°12'0E and has an altitude of . The distr ...
, as well as Ratnapur, Yasopur and Hirapur. These were professionals, cultivators and artisans employed to bring the administrative and economic state of Tripura in-line with that of Bengal. Among them were
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
s,
Vaidya
Vaidya (Sanskrit: ), or vaid is a Sanskrit word meaning "traditional practitioner of Ayurveda", an indigenous Indian system of alternative medicine. Senior practitioners or teachers were called ''Vaidyarāja'' ("physician-king") as a mark of respe ...
s and
Kayastha
Kayastha (also referred to as Kayasth) denotes a cluster of disparate Indian communities broadly categorised by the regions of the Indian subcontinent in which they were traditionally locatedthe Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas of North India, the C ...
s. Two members of the latter group, Khandava Ghosha and Pandita Raja, rose to become respected members of Ratna's council of ministers on account of their merit. These cultural influences began a process of acculturation, serving to gradually transform Tripura from its previous semi-tribal state.
This Bengali influence was further felt in the currency, with Ratna being the first monarch to mint coins, mimicking the weight and fabric of those struck by the Sultans of Bengal, whilst also providing evidence of the religious conditions at the time. Though the ''Rajmala'' references Ratna's devotion to the Hindu deities
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
and
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
, this numismatic evidence also alludes to his worship of
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
and
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
through the titles and legends he employed. Other coins also mention his veneration of the ''
Chaturdasha Devata'' (fourteen deities). All of this indicates that Ratna patronised all sects equally and, alongside records of his charitable deeds (
Dāna
Dāna (Devanagari: दान, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Dānam) is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of generosity, charity (practice), charity or giving of alms in Indian philosophies.
In Hindui ...
), show his attempt to adhere to the ideal of a Hindu ruler as advised in the
Puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
and
Smriti
''Smriti'' ( sa, स्मृति, IAST: '), literally "that which is remembered" are a body of Hindu texts usually attributed to an author, traditionally written down, in contrast to Śrutis (the Vedic literature) considered authorless, that ...
. Historian Ramani Mohan Sarma concludes that, in reference to Tripuri society as a whole, this displayed "the final transformation of the Mongoloid (Bodo) pantheon of an important section of the Indo-Mongoloids into the orthodox Hindu pantheon of the Paranas".
Death and legacy
Ratna's reign is believed to have ended around 1487, concluding a period of peace and progress. It has been viewed as one of the most glorious eras in Tripura's history. Though his rule had laid a stable foundation for his dynasty, his death precipitated a period of confusion and anarchy, with army leaders gaining considerable influence. The reigns of his immediate successors were subsequently cut short as a result of military intrigues.
It may also be that Ratna had done harm to the security and sovereignty of Tripura in the long term. It has been argued that by enlisting the aid of Bengal in his bid for the throne, he had opened the floodgates for future incursions by the neighbouring state. His costly gifts to Barbak Shah had revealed the wealth of Tripura to the foreign court, possibly tempting them towards invasion. This may be shown by the multiple raids of
Alauddin Husain Shah
Ala-ud-din Husain Shah ( bn, আলাউদ্দিন হোসেন শাহ (1494–1519)Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). ''The Delhi Sultanate'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.215-20 was an independent late medieval Sultan of Bengal, who ...
in the following decades, as well as subsequent assaults in the 17th century. All these served towards a general corrosion of the power of Tripura's rulers.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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*{{cite book, last=Sur, first=Hirendra Kumar, title=British Relations with the State of Tripura, 1760-1947, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XSouAAAAMAAJ, year=1986, publisher=Saraswati Book Depot
Kings of Tripura
History of Tripura