Yashodhar Manikya
Maharaja of Tripura
Reign1600–1618
PredecessorIshwar Manikya
SuccessorMughal interregnum
Born1551/52
Died1623 (aged 72)
Mathura, Mughal Empire
HouseManikya dynasty
FatherRajdhar Manikya I
ReligionHinduism
Kingdom of Tripura
Part of History of Tripura
Maha Manikyac. 1400–1431
Dharma Manikya I1431–1462
Ratna Manikya I1462–1487
Pratap Manikya1487
Vijaya Manikya I1488
Mukut Manikya1489
Dhanya Manikya1490–1515
Dhwaja Manikya1515–1520
Deva Manikya1520–1530
Indra Manikya I1530–1532
Vijaya Manikya II1532–1563
Ananta Manikya1563–1567
Udai Manikya I1567–1573
Joy Manikya I1573–1577
Amar Manikya1577–1585
Rajdhar Manikya I1586–1600
Ishwar Manikya1600
Yashodhar Manikya1600–1623
Interregnum1623–1626
Kalyan Manikya1626–1660
Govinda Manikya1660–1661
Chhatra Manikya1661–1667
Govinda Manikya1661–1673
Rama Manikya1673–1685
Ratna Manikya II1685–1693
Narendra Manikya1693–1695
Ratna Manikya II1695–1712
Mahendra Manikya1712–1714
Dharma Manikya II1714–1725
Jagat Manikya1725–1729
Dharma Manikya II1729
Mukunda Manikya1729–1739
Joy Manikya IIc. 1739–1744
Indra Manikya IIc. 1744–1746
Udai Manikya IIc. 1744
Joy Manikya II1746
Vijaya Manikya III1746–1748
Lakshman Manikya1740s/1750s
Interregnum1750s–1760
Krishna Manikya1760–1783
Rajdhar Manikya II1785–1806
Rama Ganga Manikya1806–1809
Durga Manikya1809–1813
Rama Ganga Manikya1813–1826
Kashi Chandra Manikya1826–1829
Krishna Kishore Manikya1829–1849
Ishan Chandra Manikya1849–1862
Bir Chandra Manikya1862–1896
Birendra Kishore Manikya1909–1923
Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya1923–1947
Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya1947–1949
1949–1978 (titular)
Kirit Pradyot Manikya1978–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)

Yashodhar Manikya (d. 1623), also known as Jashodhar Manikya, was the Maharaja of Tripura from 1600 to 1618. His reign is considered to be the nadir of the kingdom's history, with the temporary overthrowing of the monarchy and the region's incorporation into the Mughal Empire.[1]

Early reign

The son and heir of Rajdhar Manikya I, Yashodhar was not able to immediately claim the throne upon his father's death in 1600; the kingdom's nobles were hesitant in supporting his ascension due to the inauspicious horoscope at the time of his birth. He eventually took the throne after fighting off his kinsman Ishwar Manikya, who had claimed power in the meantime, as well as attempts by pretenders such as Dharma Manikya (supported by the rival Arakan Kingdom) and Virabhadra Manikya.[2][3]

Like Rajdhar, Yashodhar was a devout ruler who continued the spread of Vaishnavism in the kingdom which had begun under the former's reign. As with his father, he had little interest in administration and warfare, resulting in the weakening of royal power and the decline of the army.[4] However, there are records of some military campaigns during his reign. This included conflict with the Arakanese king Hussein Shah as well as raids against the Bhulua Kingdom, which ultimately resulted in the latter's destruction.[5]

Mughal conquest

In 1618, Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang, the Mughal governor of Bengal, launched a land and sea assault on Tripura, with the intention of incorporating the kingdom into Bengal. Alongside a formidable naval fleet, two land forces were dispatched, consisting of 1000 cavalry, 60,000 infantry and 200 war-elephants. The Tripura army was quickly overwhelmed, with the capital Udaipur being captured. Yashodhar, along with his wives, fled into the jungle but were soon taken captive and escorted to Dhaka.[6]

Though he was offered the return of his throne on the condition of providing tribute to the Mughal emperor, Yashodhar refused.[7] He was kept in Mughal custody for the remainder of his life, first being imprisoned in Varanasi and then in Mathura. It was there that he died in 1623, while meditating, at the age of 72.[8][6][9] Tripura remained under the control of the Mughal empire until the ascension of Yashodhar's distant kinsman Kalyan Manikya in 1626.[10]

References

  1. ^ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1948). The History of Bengal. Vol. II. University of Dacca. p. 243.
  2. ^ Singh, Jai Prakash (1980). Coinage of Bengal and Its Neighbourhood. Numismatic Society of India, Banaras Hindu University. p. 34.
  3. ^ Choudhury, Vasant (1996). "The Arakanese Governors of Chittagong and Their Coins". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Humanities. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. 41: 151.
  4. ^ Das, Ratna (1997). Art and Architecture of Tripura. Tribal Research Institute, Government of Tripura. p. 16.
  5. ^ Sarma, Raman Mohan (1987). Political History of Tripura. Puthipatra. p. 91.
  6. ^ a b Chib, Sukhdev Singh (1988). This beautiful India: Tripura. Ess Ess Publications. p. 11. ISBN 978-81-7000-039-6.
  7. ^ Chaudhuri, Dipak Kumar (1999). The Political Agents and the Native Raj: Conflict, Conciliation, and Progress, Tripura Between 1871 to 1890. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-81-7099-666-8.
  8. ^ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1974). History of mediaeval Bengal. G. Bharadwaj. p. 362.
  9. ^ Saigal, Omesh (1978). Tripura: Its History And Culture. Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. p. 36.
  10. ^ Sarma (1987, p. 96)
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