Raja

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A Rajah or Raja is a Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu word that translated means a Monarch. A Raja (Sanskrit rĝjan-) is a monarch, or princely ruler from the Kshatriya / Rajput lineages. The title has a long history in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, being attested from the Rigveda. It can also be used as a name for non-royal Indians.

Sanskrit word rĝjan- is an n-stem, with nominative rĝjĝ. It is cognate to Latin rēx, the Gaulish rīx etc. (originally denoting tribal chiefs or heads of small 'city states'), ultimately a vrddhi derivation from a PIE root *h₃reǵ- "to straighten, to order, to rule".

Rather common variants in Hindi, used for the same royal rank in (parts of) India include Rana, Rao, Raol, Rawal and Rawat. The female form, 'queen', mainly used for a Raja's wife, is Rani (sometimes spelled Ranee), from Sanskrit rĝjñī (compare Old Irish rígain) or Thai Rajanee (Queen).

Raja, the lower title Thakore and many variations, compounds and derivations including either of these were used in and around India by most Hindu Muslim and some Buddhist and Sikh rulers, while Muslims also used Nawab or Sultan, and still is commonly used in India.

However in Pakistan, Raja is still used by many Muslim Rajput clans as a hereditary title.

Raja is also used as a name by Hindus and Sikhs.