Tripura

Tripura one of the' seven states in the north-eastern part of India. It is bounded on the north, west, south and south-east by Bangladesh. The Tripura raj existed as an independent kingdom for centuries and according to legend its territory was extended from the Garo Hills down to the Bay of Bengal. The kingdom was first partially annexed by Tughral Khan, the ruler of Bengal (1268-1281). Sultan husain shah conquered larger part of plain Tripura in 1513. The whole of Tripura was conquered by the Mughal governor ibrahim khan (1689-1698) who made it a vassal kingdom under the Mughal Empire. During the regime of murshid quli khan, the Tripura raja was declared a zamindar for his plain land territory which was named as Pargana Roushanabad.

The Manikya kings of Tripura were recognised as a vassal king for the Hill Tripura. Pargana Roushanabad was formed with an area now constituting largely the Bangladesh districts of Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Comilla and Feni. Comilla was the zamindari headquarters of the raja. The zamindari part of the Tripura raja became the core of the new district of Tippera created in 1790. Since then the nomenclature of 'Tippera' continued until it was renamed as Comilla in 1960.

The former princely state of Tripura was ruled by Maharajas of Manikya dynasty which claimed its descent from the ancient Hindu kings. After the partition of India in 1947, an agreement of merger of Tripura with the Indian Union was signed by the Regent Maharani on 9 September 1947, and the administration of the state was actually taken over by the government of India on 15 October 1949. Tripura became a Union Territory without legislature with effect from 1 November 1956 and a ministry was installed there on 1 July 1963. On 21 January 1972 Tripura attained statehood.

The total area of the present state of Tripura is 10,492 sq km. Almost 84% of its international border is with Bangladesh (839 km.). Its topographical feature is 60% hilly terrain, 60% forest, 52.76% forest cover, 36% reserve forest, 30% operational holdings. The pargana Roushanabad, zamindari of the Tripura raja, became the part of East Bengal after the partition of India. With the abolition of the zamindari system in 1950, the Tripura raja lost the zamindari right in accordance with the provisions of the East Bengal State Aquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950.

As per 1991 census, total population of the State of Tripura is 27,57,205; rural population 23,35,484, urban population 4,21,721; male 14,17,931 and female 13,39,275, density of population 262 per sq km; sheduled castes 16%, tribal people 31% (19 tribes), other backward communities 46% (35 in central list). Literacy 60.44%; major language Bangla and Kakborak. [Sirajul Islam]