Maharaja

The word Mahārāja is Sanskrit for "great king" or "high king". Many languages have borrowed the word 'Maharaja', these languages include Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi and Gujarati. Its use is mainly for important rulers. The female equivalent is Mahārāni, meaning great queen. She can be the wife of a Maharaja or a ruler herself.

Originally, only the rulers of empires such as the Mauryans and Guptas were Maharajas. In later centuries, even rulers of relatively small kingdoms used the title. During the British Raj, there were more than 600 princely states, each with their own ruler, many of whom took on lofty titles such as Maharaja despite only ruling small estates.

In 1971, the government of Indira Gandhi officially ended the recognition and privileges afforded to princely titles such as Maharaja. However, some still claim these titles ceremonially.

This short article can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.