Tripura Historical Documents (An Old and Rare Book)

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Tripura stands between Assam and Bengal. Due to heavy rainfall, it is rich in natural flora and fauna. Its climate, landscape, demography, agriculture and folk-culture are almost similar to those of Assam and Bengal.

Tripura is an old Kingdom ruled for centuries by a single Kshatriya dynasty which draws its ancestral relations with the Lunar dynasty of the Mahabharata. So long as Bengal was ruled by the Palas and the Senas, etc. Tripura was free from fear of external attack. Radical change came since 1204 A.D. and Tripura was first attacked in 1240 A.D. by Hiravanta Khan. Tripura was attacked and invaded more than twentyfive times by the Afghans, the Turks, the Pathans and the Mughals. A crack developed between the plains portion and the hill portion of Tripura. The fertile plains portion adjacent to eastern Bengal was ultimately annexed to Bengal. It was the greatest loss of Tripura. During the British period of the Indian administration, that uncertain period of crisis and calamity came to an end. Things took a different turn. The time of troubles was followed by a period of peace.

An important aspect of Tripura is that the whole of its history is not covered by the history of the printing press. In other words, the whole of its history is not recorded. Only a part of its old history is to be found in stone inscriptions and land grants written in Sanskrit.

The next important source is a royal chronicle called Sri Rajmala written partly in Bengali verse and partly in Bengali prose. In addition, there are some other important works written in Bengali. From the early mediaeval period, the Kings of Tripura patronised and recognised the Bengali language. So most of the historical documents are written in Bengali.

The third important source would have been the Afghan-Turkish- Mughal records; but as sword is mightier than pen with them, records of that long and eventful period are very scanty.

The fourth source yields a bumper crop. The British relations with Tripura previde comprehensive records. The communications between the two Governments would take place mostly in writing. The main subjects of correspondence were disputed succession, investiture, kuki raids, demarcation of boundary, appointment of political agent, survey and settlement, Chakla Roshnabad, administrative and social reforms, extradition, sepoy mutiny and world wars, etc.