A raja is a king or prince in India and other parts of South Asia. The word comes from ancient Sanskrit and has been used for thousands of years to describe rulers of kingdoms, both large and small. In historical India, a raja might rule over a territory as vast as several modern states or as small as a single city and its surrounding villages.

Rajas lived in palaces, collected taxes from their subjects, commanded armies, and made laws for their kingdoms. The most powerful rajas sometimes took the title maharaja, which means “great king.”

During the period of British colonial rule in India, many rajas continued to govern their traditional territories under British oversight. When India gained independence in 1947, these royal titles lost their official power, though some families still carry the title as a mark of heritage and respect.

You might encounter rajas as characters in stories set in historical India, like Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, where the ruins of a raja's lost city play an important role in Mowgli's adventures. The word reminds us that India's history stretches back thousands of years, filled with countless kingdoms and dynasties.