Udai Manikya I
1567–1572
Gopi Prasad
1572
Hira Mahadevi[1]
- Joy Manikya I
- Ratnavati
c. 1400–1431
c. 1400–1431
1431–1462
1462–1487
1487
1488
1489
1490–1515
1515–1520
1520–1530
1530–1532
1532–1563
1563–1567
1567–1573
1573–1577
1577–1585
1586–1600
1600
1600–1623
1623–1626
1626–1660
1660–1661
1661–1667
1661–1673
1673–1685
1685–1693
1693–1695
1695–1712
1712–1714
1714–1725
1725–1729
1729
1729–1739
c. 1739–1744
c. 1744–1746
c. 1744
1746
1746–1748
1740s/1750s
1750s–1760
1760–1783
1785–1806
1806–1809
1809–1813
1813–1826
1826–1829
1829–1849
1849–1862
1862–1896
1909–1923
1923–1947
1947–1949
1949–1978 (titular)
1978–present (titular)
Life[edit]
Originally named Gopi Prasad, he was of humble origins.[2] He began his career during the reign of Vijaya Manikya II, serving as a gomasta (rent-collector) in Dharmanagar,[3] though was later driven out of this position after having climbed a tree belonging to a Brahmin.[4] Thereafter, he was appointed as a cook in the royal kitchens, then a chowkidar, before ultimately rising to become Commander-in-Chief of the Tripura army. His influence further increased when Vijaya, wishing to ensure the ambitious officer's loyalty, married his own son to the latter's daughter, Ratnavati.[5]
Upon the ascension of his son-in-law, Ananta Manikya, to the throne in 1563, Gopi Prasad expanded his already extensive power,[6] keeping the new king completely under his control.[2] This arrangement proved to be short-lived, when, in 1567, Ananta died under uncertain circumstances. According to differing versions of the Rajmala, this was either the result of a fever or through strangulation on Gopi Prasad's orders.[7][8] Regardless, the latter subsequently claimed royal power and adopted the regnal name Udai Manikya, assuming the erstwhile ruling dynasty's cognomen.[3]
Udai proved to be a talented administrator and renamed the kingdom's capital, changing it from Rangamati to Udaipur after himself. He extensively worked to beautify the city with the construction of buildings, temples and reservoirs, among which were the Chandra Gopinath Temple and the Chandrasagar. He was less successful in warfare however, having become involved in a 5-year-long conflict with Sulaiman Khan Karrani, the Sultan of Bengal, resulting in the heavy loss of money, 40,000 troops and the area of Chittagong.[9][7]
Tradition states that Udai had 240 wives, several of whom, on charges of infidelity,[note 1] he had executed through being trampled by elephants or devoured by dogs. Udai himself was poisoned to death in 1572, after having ingested a pill of quicksilver supplied by a certain woman. He was succeeded by his son Joy Manikya I.[9]