Chhatrapati

Chhatrapati is a royal title historically used by the rulers of the Maratha Confederacy in western India, particularly in present-day Maharashtra. The term is derived from Sanskrit and is often interpreted as “lord of the umbrella” or “emperor,” symbolizing sovereignty and royal authority.

The title was popularized by Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha state. Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati in 1674 at Raigad Fort, marking a formal assertion of Maratha sovereignty and inaugurating a hereditary line within the Bhonsle dynasty. Successors such as Sambhaji and Rajaram I continued to use the title, while the family faced changing fortunes amid conflicts with the Mughal Empire and later British forces. The practical political authority of the Chhatrapatis fluctuated over the 17th and 18th centuries, culminating in the decline of Maratha power in the early 19th century.

Following the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the political role of the Chhatrapatis diminished, but the title persisted as a ceremonial and cultural honor within certain royal lineages. In modern times, Chhatrapati denoting royalty remains a symbol of historical and regional identity in Maharashtra. The name is also widely associated with prominent cultural and institutional landmarks, such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, a major railway station in Mumbai, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, a major museum. These institutions reflect the enduring legacy of the Chhatrapati as a historical emblem rather than a contemporary political office.