Maratha titles
Jagirdars, Istamuradars & Mankaris
) of the state.The following list includes a brief about the
in general.Titles used by the Maratha Royals
The titles used by royalty, aristocracy and nobility of the Maratha Empire
- Chhatrapati: Chhatrapati is an Indian royal title most equivalent to a King or an Emperor. It means the 'Lord of the Parasol'[1] and is a title conferred upon the founder of Maratha Empire, Chhatrapati Shivaji. The title is also used by Shivaji's descendants.
- Maharaj: The English equivalent of Maharaj is great king. It is a title first conferred upon Chhatrapati Shivaji's father Shahaji Raje Bhosale.
- Maharani: The English equivalent of Maharani is great queen. It is a title first used by Tarabai, as regent of marathas empire .
- Raje: The English equivalent of Raje is Your Majesty. It is a title first conferred upon Chhatrapati Shivaji's grandfather Maloji Raje Bhosale
- Kshatriya Kulavantas: It means 'The Head of the Kshatriya varna' and was a title first given to Chhatrapati Shivaji at the time of his coronation[2]
- Sinhasanadhishwar: It means 'the enthroned King' and was a title first given to Chhatrapati Shivaji at the time of his coronation[2]
- Peshwa: It is a word of Persian origin and means 'Foremost' or 'the first minister'[3] or 'Premier' (or Prime Minister). It was a title given to the prime ministers of the Maratha Empire
- Peshwin: The wife of a Peshwa[4]
- Chitnis: It means the Personal Secretary and high-ranking minister of the Chhatrapati, usually from the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu community.
(Chitnis)
- Daria Sarang: It means the Chief or Admiral of the Maratha Navy[5]
- Senakhaskhel: It means the Commander of the armies of the state (Maratha Army). It is a designation created by Rajaram I.
- Shamsher Bahadur: It is a title conferred upon the Maharajas of Baroda (the Gaekwads) and means a distinguished swordsman[6]
- Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Alija Bahadur: It is a title used by the Maharajas of Indore (the Holkars). For example, Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Alija Bahadur H.H. Yashwant Rao Holkar[7]
- Raj Rajeshwar: It means 'king of kings' and is a title conferred upon the Holkar (Maratha) Maharajas.[8]
- Rajadhiraj: It means 'King of Kings'. For example, it was conferred upon H.H. Rajadhiraj Jijasinghraje Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh)
- Maharajadhiraj: It means 'Great King of Kings'.[9] For example, it was conferred upon H. H. Maharajadhiraj Rajeshwar Sawai Tukoji Rao Holkar Bahadur K.G.C.S.I.[10]
- Naib Wakil-i-Mutlaq: It means Deputy Regent of Mughal affairs. It was a title conferred upon Shrimant Maharaja Mahadaji Shinde (Scindia) by the Mughals.[11]
- I'timad-al-Daula: It means Trusted of the State. It was title conferred to Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) family by Mughals, since the family was important asset for throne of Delhi.
- Shikke-i-Bhaudar: This title was given to Gharge-Desai Deshmukh's by Delhi Sultanate and was continued by Mughal Empire because the family held the traditional royal rights to issue coins behalf of Delhi Throne.
- Amir-al-Umara: It means the Head of the Amirs and was a title conferred upon Shrimant Maharaja Mahadaji Shinde (Scindia) by the Mughals, since he helped the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II, ascend the throne of Delhi.[11]
- Shrimant: It is a title used by Maratha royals and nobles. It was also used in recent times to formally address well achieved members of society or upperclass men in 'Shrimant' Bajirao Peshwa aka Baji Rao I or 'Shrimant' Dnyaneshwar Agashe.
- Sardar: It is a title used by the most senior Mahratta nobles,[12] for example Shrimant 'Sardar' Ranoji Rao Scindia Bahadur, Subedar of Malwa
- Sawai: 'Sawai' in Marathi means 'a notch above the rest'. For example, it was a title conferred upon His Highness Shrimant Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa aka Madhu Rao II Narayan
- Pant Pratinidhi: It means a vicegerent; title borne by a distinguished Maratha family.[8]
- Nawab: It is a title used by the Nawabs of Banda (a vassal of Maratha polity), such as the Nawab of Banda, Ali Bahadur, the grandson of Shreemant Bajirao I[17]
- Mughal emperors and by the Deccan sultanates.[18] In Maharashtra, the title Desai is conferred to feudal lords and village council members. Most of them are either Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Deshastha Brahmins,[19] Karhade Brahmins and Maratha (caste).[20][21]
Desais were the rulers of
Sindhudurg) in Maharashtra.[22]
[23]
[24]
Desai, or a loftier compound, was a rare title for rulers of a few Savantvadi State
from 1627 until the adoption of "Raja Bahadur" in 1763.
Titles given by the British
- His Highness Mir Mahbub Ali Khan[26]
- His Highness: It is a title created by the British Empire in India and was conferred upon Indian nobles. For example, it was bestowed upon His Highness Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda
- Knight Grand Commander (GCIE): It is a title created by the British and is a part of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. For example, it was bestowed upon His Highness Colonel Sir Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj G.C.I.E, G.C.S.I, G.C.V.O Maharaja of Kolhapur[27]
- Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO): It is a title created by the British and is a part of The Royal Victorian Order. For example, it was bestowed upon His Highness Colonel Sir Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj G.C.I.E, G.C.S.I, G.C.V.O Maharaja of Kolhapur[27]
- Kaiser-i-Hind (KIH): It was first instituted by Queen Victoria on 10 April 1900 and is literally translated to mean 'Emperor of India'.[28] For example, it was conferred upon His Highness Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the Maratha Maharaja of Baroda
- Knight Grand Cross (GCB): It is the most honourable Order of the Bath and is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. For example, it was conferred upon General His Highness Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Sir Jayajirao Scindia Bahadur, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, GCB, GCSI, CIE, KIH[citation needed]
- Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia: It means the 'Favoured son of the English nation'. For example, it was conferred upon the Maratha Maharajas of Baroda[citation needed]
Other titles
- Rao: It is an honorary title used by men as a suffix to their first name, example Malhar Rao Holkar, the prince of Indore
- Sinh: It is a word derived from the Sanskrit word siḿha, meaning 'lion'.[29] It is used as a suffix to the first name, example Maharaja Pratapsinh Gaekwad[30] or H.H. Meherban Shrimant Raja Vijaysinhrao Madhavrao Patwardhan, Raja of Sangli[citation needed]
See also
- Indian honorifics, Filipino, Indonesian, Malay and Thai titles originated from these
- Indian feudalism
- Maratha
- Maratha Empire
- List of Maratha dynasties and states
- Salute state
- Princely state
- List of people involved in the Maratha Empire
References
- ISBN 978-1-59477-794-3.
- ^ a b "The Fascinating Life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj!". www.culturalindia.net.
- ^ Temple, Sir Richard Carnac (1953-01-01). Sivaji and the rise of the mahrattas. Susil Gupta.
- ISBN 9780199601134.
- ISBN 9788177552874.
- ^ "The COININDIA Coin Galleries: Baroda".
- ISBN 9788170220251.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-87879-54-1.
- ISBN 9788179730423.
- ISBN 9788177552577.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-317-3202-1.
- ISBN 9780415510196.
- ^ Central India (1908). The Central India State Gazetteer Series. Thacker, Spink.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0527-9.
- ISBN 978-0-521-52308-0.
- ISBN 9780195621372.
- ISBN 9780861317493.
- ISBN 9788171416905.
- ISBN 9788120604889.
- ISBN 9788182901322.
Hereditary rights of Karhades were those of Desai, district officer, or Deshmukh, and Sardesai, senior district officer.
- ^ V. D. Divekar (1993). South India in 1857 War of Independence. Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust. p. 148.
- ^ "SAWANTS OF WADI Coastal Politics in 18th and 19th Centuries". S. K. Mhamai. 1984.
- ^ "Anthropological Society of Bombay". Anthropological Society of Bombay. 1909.
- ^ "Numismatic Digest". Numismatic Digest. 1997.
- ^ "No. 22523". The London Gazette. 25 June 1861. p. 2622.
- ^ "Picturing the 'Beloved'". 18 August 2016.
- ^ a b Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati papers. 1997.
- ^ British Military Medals. Kaiser-i-Hind medal Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^
- Saheb: It is an honorary title used by men as a suffix to their first name, example AnnaSaheb Magar, a politician in Maharashtra
- Bai: It is an honorary title used by women as a suffix to their first name, example Rani Laxmibai, the Queen of Jhansi
- Devi: It is an honorary title used by women as a suffix to their first name.
- ISBN 9788122308396.
- ^ Farias, Kranti (1999), The Christian impact in South Kanara, Church History Association of India, p. 279