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 source of information for the region, its historical accuracy in some aspects has been doubted. The text is split up into six parts, written over the course of several centuries under the patronage of different Tripura monarchs. It was initially commissioned by Dharma Manikya I in 1458, who bestowed the task upon the royal priest Durlabhendra and two Brahman pandits, Sukheshwar and Baneshwar. Their work formed the first part of the text and covered the traditional period of Tripura's history and incorporated various mythological accounts. Subsequent portions were composed during the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries under Amar Manikya, Govinda Manikya, Krishna Manikya and Kashi Chandra Manikya respectively. The entire revised text was finally compiled by Durgamoni Uzir during the reign of Krishna Kishore Manikya in the mid-19th-century.

Royal genealogy

The Rajmala presents a list of 149 kings of Twipra as of 1431. The first king of the chronicle is Chandra, the Moon himself; the seventh is Druhyu, one of the sons of Yayati, a Lunar dynasty in mythology. The 46th king is called Tripur (Tripura) as a kind of mythological eponymous ancestor of the Sanskritic name of the kingdom. The list of historical kings begins with the 145th king, Ratna Fa (fl. 1280). He was the first to assume the title Manikya and as such can be considered the founder of the Manikya Dynasty.

Mythological or legendary kings

45. Dharma Manikya 146. Dhwaja Manikya 147. Dev Manikya
46. Indra Manikya 149. Vijay Manikya 150. Ananta Manikya
47. Uday Manikya 152. Jay Manikya 153. Amar Manikya
48. Rajdhar Manikya 155. Jasodhar Manikya 156. Kalyan Manikya
49. Govinda Manikya 158. Chatra Manikya 159. Ramdev Manikya
50. Ratna II 161. Narendra Manikya 162. Mahendra Manikya
51. Dharma II 164. Mukunda Manikya 165. Jay Manikya
52. Indra II 167. Vijay II 168. Krishna Manikya
53. Rajdhar Manikya 170. Ramganga Manikya 171. Durga Manikya
54. Kasicandra Manikya 173. Krishnakisor Manikya 174. Isan Manikya
55. Birchandra Manikya 176. Radhakisor Manikya 177. Birendra Kisor Manikya
56. Bir Bikram Kisor Manikya 179. Kirit Bikram Kisor Manik

Historical kings