raja

Everyday

1. A king or prince in India or other parts of South and Southeast Asia in the past. tree →
2. A title of honour for an Indian ruler or nobleman. tree →

In the lessons

Comes from Sanskrit «rājan», king; it is related to «Raj», the name for British rule in India (1858–1947), and «maharaja», great king. In old stories and adventure books a raja lives in a palace with elephants and jewels; such pictures are often made up or exaggerated. In history lessons rajas ruled many small Indian states under the British. Phrases: «the Raja of …», «maharaja», «rani» (a raja's wife or a queen).

Examples

• The raja rode through the city on a painted elephant. tree →
• Many small kingdoms in India were ruled by a raja. tree →
• The raja's palace had marble halls and gardens with fountains. tree →
• In the old story, a poor boy brought the raja a clever gift. tree →
• The rani was the raja's wife. tree →
• Our history book showed a photo of a raja meeting British officers. tree →
• I am a great Raja's son. tree →

Note

Countable: a raja, rajas. Two spellings, «raja» and «rajah», both correct. Raja is also a person's name in South Asia; then it is «(a name)». Not to be confused with «Raj» (British rule of India).