Maharana

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A title given to certain Hindu rulers, especially princes of Rajput dynasties in northwestern India such as Mewar
2. The honorific used for a great king or sovereign prince in parts of India, particularly among the Rajput warrior clans
3. A royal title borne by sovereign lords of some Indian states, notably the rulers of Mewar in Rajasthan

Etymology: "Maharana" is an alternative form of "maharaja," a title borrowed into English from Hindi, where "mahārājā" combines "mahā-," meaning "great," with "rājā," meaning "king" or "ruler." The compound therefore means something like "great king," and it was used for the sovereign rulers of many princely states in the Indian subcontinent. The earliest English record of the title dates to 1698, when it appeared in writing about the Indian princes whom European traders and officials were coming to know. The "maharana" spelling reflects a different Hindi form of the same title, one often associated with the rulers of Mewar in Rajasthan, though English writers have used the two spellings interchangeably.

Synonyms: maharaja, rajah