maharana

Maharana is a royal title historically used by the rulers of Mewar, a historic kingdom in the region of present-day Rajasthan, India. The word combines Sanskrit maha, meaning “great,” and rana, meaning “king” or “ruler,” and denotes a grand or supreme ruler.

The title gained prominence in the 16th century among the Sisodia Rajput rulers of Mewar. After Chittor Fort faced decisive pressure from the Mughal empire, the capital was moved to the city of Udaipur by Udai Singh II around 1559. From that time, the rulers of Mewar bore the title Maharana rather than Rana, signaling a status of high sovereignty within the Rajput confederacy. The office was closely tied to the region’s political and cultural leadership, centered on Udaipur and its surrounding fortifications.

One of the best-known bearers of the title is Maharana Pratap (c. 1540–1597), renowned for his steadfast resistance to Mughal expansion under Akbar and for the Battle of Haldighati in 1576. The lineage continued through subsequent maharanas who governed through periods of shifting alliances with the Mughal empire and later with the British during the era of princely states. They patronized architecture, arts, and temples, and oversaw the maintenance of the royal heritage, including the City Palace complex in Udaipur.

Following India's independence in 1947, the princely state of Mewar was integrated into the Indian union, and the rulers' political authority ended. The title Maharana survives as a ceremonial designation within the royal lineage, and the family continues to hold estates and preserve heritage properties such as those associated with the City Palace in Udaipur.