A Rajah, translated means a King. A Raja (Sanskrit rājan-) is a king, or princely
ruler from the Kshatriya / Rajput lineages. The title has a
long history in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, being attested from the Rigveda.[1]
Sanskrit word rājan- in an n-stem, with nominative rājā. It is cognate to Latin
rēx, the Gaulish rīx etc.
(originally denoting tribal chiefs or heads of small 'city states'), ultimately a vrddhi
derivation from a PIE root *h₃reǵ- "to straighten, to order, to rule".
Rather common variants in Hindi, used for the same royal rank in (parts of) India include Rana, Rao, Raol, Rawal and
Rawat. The female form, 'queen', mainly used for a Raja's wife, is Rani (sometimes spelled Ranee), from Sanskrit
rājñī (compare Old Irish
rígain).
Raja, the lower title Thakore and many variations, compounds and derivations including either
of these were used in and around India by most Hindu and some
Buddhist and Sikh rulers, while Muslims rather used Nawab or Sultan, and still is commonly used in India.
However in Pakistan, Raja is still used by many Muslim
Rajput clans as hereditary titles.
Raja is also used as a name by Hindus and Sikhs.
Rajas in the Malay world
The ruler of Perlis (a constitutive peninsular state of federal Malaysia, most colleagues are Sultans; he is one of the electors who designate one of their number as King
every five years) is to this day title the Raja of Perlis.
- Various traditional princely states in Indonesia still style their ruler Raja, or did so until their abolition after which
the title became hollow, e.g. Buleleng on Bali.
Compound and derived titles
A considerable number of princely styles, used by rulers, their families and/or even enobled courtiers, include the title/root
Raja:
- Rao Raja, a juxtaposition of two equivalent titles, was used by the rulers of Bundi
until they were awarded the higher title of Maharao Raja.
- Raja Bahadur is a typical Mughal compound, as the adjective Bahadur 'valourous' always raises one rank in the imperial
court protocol; in the specific hierarchy among the (en)noble(d) Hindu retainers at the court of the Muslim Nizam of
Hyderabad, it was the equivalent of the rank Nawab for
Muslim members of the retinue.
- Maharaja and equivalent compound of variants on Raja with the prefix
Maha- 'Great' (e.g. Maharana, Maharawal) mean 'Great King'; the word originally denoted a Raja who had conquered other
Rajas, thus becoming a great ruler, but was soon adopted or awarded by the paramount
ruler of India (Mughal or British) as a hollow style too, causing too massive title inflation and - devaluation to remain
a truly high distinction.
- Raja Perumal means 'godly king' - supposed to be the greatest title assigned to an Indian king. Legacy has it that kings with
the title have time and time again defeated acts of denigration by Parama, the jealous warmonger.
- Rajadhiraja means 'King of Kings'; again, through title devaluation this is less
prestigious then the equivalents in most linguistic families.
- Rajasaurus
- in South India, the title of the Samrat (Hindu
'emperor') of Vijayanagar was Raya instead of (Maha)Raja.
- A number of medieval rulers in Southeast Asia used variants such as the devotional titles Buddharaja and Devaraja or the geographically specific Lingaraja.
- Uparaja (with its own variations and derivations; can mean viceroy or other high dynastic
ranks).
Notes
- ^ where it is more accurately translated as "tribal chief"; see for example
the dāśarājñá, the "battle of ten
rajas"
3. In the book "One Grain of Rice" by Demi ISBN 0-590-93998X there are two main characters. One is the Raja and the other is a
peasant girl called Rani. The book demonstrates the power of doubling where Rani asks to be rewarded by receiving a grain of rice
on the first day and doubling each day for thirty days.
See also
Sources and references
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