A great king or prince in India; a sovereign ruler of a princely state. The title denotes the highest rank among Indian royalty, literally meaning 'great king'.
From Sanskrit महाराज (mahārāja), a compound of महा (mahā) meaning 'great' and राज (rāja) meaning 'king' or 'ruler'. The word entered English through Hindi महाराजा (mahārājā) during the British colonial period when the East India Company and later the British Crown dealt with numerous princely states ruled by maharajas. The feminine form is महारानी (mahārānī) or maharani.
While 'raja' just means king, adding 'maha-' (great) created a title so impressive that it became synonymous with fabulous wealth and luxury in English! The Maharaja of Mysore's golden throne and the Maharaja of Patiala's jewelry collection became legendary symbols of Indian opulence.
Maharaja (male king) has a gendered counterpart in maharani (female queen). English usage often defaults to the male form even for rulers of any gender.
Use maharani for female rulers, or specify the ruler's gender explicitly.
["monarch","ruler","sovereign"]
History of Indian governance included powerful queens and female rulers whose titles were often anglicized or erased in colonial English.
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