maharaja

Maharaja is a traditional title used by rulers in the Indian subcontinent. The word combines Sanskrit maha, meaning "great," with raja, meaning "king," and is often translated as "great king" or "high king." It denotes a ruler of significant status, usually over a princely state or a large territory within a state system.

Throughout medieval and early modern India, numerous dynasties—Rajput, Maratha, and others—as well as rulers within Mughal and later British realms, used the title. Some maharajas governed sizable kingdoms and enjoyed degrees of sovereignty in relation to higher imperial authorities; others held largely subordinate powers under suzerain empires. The title could be combined with others, such as maharajadhiraja (great king of kings) or maharana (great lord), and women could hold the feminine form, maharani.

In the colonial era, the British recognized many maharajas as rulers of princely states and accorded them ceremonial privileges, including ranks in the gun-salute system. The exact powers and privileges varied by state and period.

Following independence, official recognition of princely titles and privy purses declined, and most legal privileges ended by the mid-20th century. Today, maharaja remains a historical designation; some former royal families continue to use the titles socially or ceremonially, while their former territories are part of the Republic of India or other modern states.