From Monarchy to Democracy: Political Integration and Nation-Building in Tripura after 1949
Author(s): Barun Tripura, Prof. (Dr.) Shravan Kumar Singh
Publication #: 2606006
Date of Publication: 04.12.2025
Country: India
Pages: 1-12
Published In: Volume 11 Issue 6 December-2025
Abstract
The integration of Tripura into the Indian Union in 1949 represents a significant episode in India’s post-independence state-building process. While the formal merger of princely states was largely achieved through constitutional negotiation, the long-term political and social implications of integration varied across regions. This study examines the integration of Tripura within the broader framework of postcolonial nation-building, federalism, and borderland politics. It analyzes how the transition from monarchical rule under the Manikya dynasty to democratic governance reshaped institutional structures, electoral dynamics, and centre–state relations. The paper further investigates the profound demographic transformation triggered by large-scale migration from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), which significantly altered Tripura’s ethnic composition and generated new forms of identity-based political mobilization. By evaluating the establishment of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) under the Sixth Schedule, the study highlights the role of constitutional accommodation in managing ethnic diversity and mitigating conflict. Drawing upon historical records, census data, and secondary scholarship, the analysis demonstrates that integration was not a singular legal event but a dynamic and adaptive process shaped by demographic change, institutional innovation, and democratic participation. The findings suggest that Tripura’s experience offers an instructive example of negotiated federalism in a plural society, where political stability has been achieved through a combination of constitutional flexibility, inclusive governance, and socio-economic development.
Keywords: Tripura; Princely State Integration, Migration and Demographic Change, TTAADC, Nation-Building.
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