Information AboutRaja |
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A Raja (sometimes spelled '''Rajah''') is a King , or princely ruler from the Kshatriya lineages. ''Raja'' comes from the Sanskrit word ''rājan,'' and is cognate to the Latin ''rex'' (root of many royal titles in, mainly Romance, European languages), ''regnum'', ''regis'', the Gallic Rix and Irish ''rí'' etcetera. The title has a long history in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia . Some rulers would give themselves the title as a means to increase prestige among their subjects.
Raja, the lower title Thakore and mainy variations, compounds and derivations including either of these were used in and around India by most Hindu and some Buddhist and Sikh rulers, while Muslims rather used Nawab or Sultan , and still is commonly used in India . However in Pakistan , Raja is still used by the Chibhs, Janjua , Chauhan and Rathore clans as hereditary titles. Major Rajas in India As the theoretical hierarchy of princely titles did not reflect the true importance of the ruling houses' Princely State s, not even at the time of awarding of titles (e.g. raised purely to reward an incumbent's personal merit), the British introduced the alternative ranking by Gun Salute for the over hundred most important Indian (and some other) states, regardless of native princely titles (which they continued to award), but linking the Westers style His Highness to the higher classes of gun salutes. As a result of massive title inflation, by the time of Indian independence only a relatively small numbers of rulers still 'merely' styled Raja remained amongst the elite which had been awarded gun salutes, and only in the lower classes (the highest was 21 guns, no even numbers were used): Hereditary salutes of 11-guns:
Hereditary salutes of 9-guns (11-guns personal): Hereditary salutes of 9-guns:
Personal salute of 9-guns: only The Raja of Bashahr Nepal
Rajas in the Malay world The ruler of Perlis (a constitutive peninsular state of federal Malaysia , most colleagues are Sultans; he is one of the electors who designate one of their number as King every five years) is to this day title the Raja of Perlis.
COMPOUND AND DERIVED TITLES A considerable number of princely styles, used by rulers, their families and/or even ennobled courtiers, include the title/root Raja
OTHER USES Like many titles, Raja often occurs in personal names (just as Latin Rex and English King in Western first - and family names), usually without noble or political significance. For example, Raja Vaidyanathan SEE ALSO
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