Raaja

Raaja, also spelled Raja or Rajah in many contexts, is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word raja, meaning king or monarch. The term originates in ancient India and has been adopted across South Asian languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, often appearing without diacritics as Raja or Raaja. The root raj means to rule; raja denotes a ruler or sovereign.

In historical contexts, raaja functioned as a formal title for rulers and was used in the naming of monarchs and dynastic lines. In modern usage, raaja/raja also serves as a given name for men in India and among diaspora communities; spellings vary by language and preference, including Raja, Raaja, and Rajah. The spelling Raaja typically signals a longer vowel sound in Tamil or Kannada phonology.

Across literature, cinema, and music, the word appears as a proper name and as part of titles and expressions that evoke leadership or royalty. The term also appears in Southeast Asian languages influenced by Sanskrit and Indian culture, where raja traditionally referred to a king or ruler.