1850.] or Chronicles of Tripurd 541 



was destined to succeed him, he one day after fasting directed that the 

 person in charge of the fighting cocks should keep them fasting, while 

 he and his sons were at dinner, on a signal given the thirty cocks were 

 let loose and proceeded to touch the dinner which in consequence be- 

 came defiled, but the youngest, Ratnafah, threw some rice to the cocks, 

 this prevented their coming and touching his food, and so decided that 

 he was the most quick witted. He was sent after his father's death to 

 travel, and went to Gaur, where he resided several years and was treated 

 with great respect ; returning with the aid of Mohammadan troops, he 

 conquered the kingdom and beheaded his brother. This occurred pro- 

 bably in A. D. 1279, when Togral invaded Tripura. Shortly after he 

 obtained from the king of Gaur 4,000 troops to garrison his chief places 

 and the title of Manik, which the Rajas of Tripura have retained ever 

 since. 



Dharma Manik the 1 04th Raja travelled as a fakir through various 

 places ; when at Benares his future exaltation was signified by a snake 

 twined round his body with his head reared over his person. This 

 is considered by the Hindus a presignification of future sovereignty ; 

 they derive the practice from the period when Bhagavan or Krishna 

 slept in the Khiroda Samudra on the back of the snake Ananta who 

 covered him with his expanded hood. Shortly after this, a deputa- 

 tion from Tripura arrived at Benares, where they found the prince 

 dressed as a fakir ; they stated that the Raj& having died of small-pox, 

 the troops would not allow the youngest son to be chosen in preference 

 to the eldest, and he was appointed Raja, A. D. 1407, with the unani- 

 mous consent of the people. " He soon sought the road to heaven" 

 by presenting lands to the Brahmans, the titles to which were registered 

 on copper-plates. After a peaceful reign of thirty-two years he died. 

 Under his patronage the first part of the Raj Mala or history of Tripura 

 kings was composed. His younger son was raised to the throne A. D. 

 1439, but was soon murdered by a faction, and his brother was elected 

 king ; the generals having always exercised great influence in the choice 

 of a Raja. By the advice of a priest, who told him leprous limbs ought 

 to be cut off, he feigned sickness and being visited by the commanders 

 he had them killed by soldiers who lay in wait in his palace. The fate 

 of these generals, in the penalty they suffered for their imperious and 

 intriguing conduct, resembled that of the Janizzaries of the Turkish 



4 A 



