Tripura Merger Agreement

The State of Tripura was one of the ancient princely states of India. According to the Rajmala (the Chronicles of Kings), Tripura was ruled continuously by as many as 184 Tripuri Kings with sovereign and independent status prior to its merger with the Indian Union in 1949, after the death of the last ruling King, Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman. His successor, Kirit Bikram, was thirteen years old at the time of the merger. King Bir Bikram had died in 1947, after which a Council of Regency was formed to run the administration under the presidency of Queen Kanchan Prava Devi, the mother of Kirit Bikram Debbarma.

Within a few months after the unnatural demise of King Bir Bikram Kishore, Tripura faced a great crisis, with threats from internal as well as external forces. Queen Kanchanprabha Devi, as president of the Council of Regency, came under severe pressure to opt to join the Indian Union. On the advice of the Government of India, she dissolved the Council of Regency and became the sole Regent on 12 January 1948. More than a year later, on 9 September 1949, she signed the 'Tripura Merger Agreement', and with effect from 15 October 1949 Tripura became part of Indian Union. It was thereafter administered by the Chief Commissioner as a 'C' Category State.

AGREEMENT made this ninth day of September 1949, between the Government-General of India and His Highness the Maharaja of Tripura.

WHEREAS in the best interests of the State of Tripura as well as the Dominion of India it is desirable to provide for the administration of the said State by or under the authority of the Dominion Government:—

It is hereby agreed as follows:—

The Maharaja of Tripura cedes to the Dominion Government full and exclusive authority, jurisdiction and powers for and in relation to the governance of the State and agrees to transfer the administration of the State to the Dominion Government on the fifteenth day of October 1949 (herineafter referred to as the said day).

The Maharaja shall with effect from the said day be entitled to receive from revenues of the State annually for his privy purse the sum of Rupees Three lakhs and thirty thousand only [R330,000] free of taxes. This amount is intended to cover all the expenses of the Ruler and his family, including expenses on account of his personal staff, maintenance of his residences, marriages and other ceremonies etc. and will neither be increased nor reduced for any reason whatsoever. The said sum may be drawn by the Maharaja in four equal installments in advance at the beginning of each quarter from the State Treasury or at such other treasury as may be specified by the Government of India.

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