Titles in India

ruler in Mongol and Turkic cultures, variously describing kings, princes, and governors

thumb|right|alt=The Sanskrit letter Sri|The Sanskrit character in the Devanagari script

Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Emperor. In earlier times the title was ratified and bestowed by the reigning Mughal emperor to semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of subdivisions or princely states in the Indian subcontinent loyal to the Mughal Empire, and then it was became a Royal title like Sultan or Emperor for example the Nawabs of Bengal. Various Nawabs were permitted to maintain this title under the suzerainty of the Maratha Empire.

historic monarch of the Hyderabad State of India

Mahatma (English pronunciation: , , , ) is an honorific used in India. The term is commonly used for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who is often referred to simply as "Mahatma Gandhi" (). Albeit less frequently, this epithet has also been used with regard to such people as Basava (1131–1167), Swami Shraddhanand (1856–1926), Lalon Shah (1772–1890), Ayyankali (1863–1941), and Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890).

thumb|Khwaja Salimullah was a zamindar with the title of [[Nawab. His family's landholdings in Bengal were one of the largest in British India.]] A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a zamindari (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; zamindar is the Persian for landowner. During the British Raj, the British began using it as a local synonym for "estate". Subsequently, it was widely and loosely used for any substantial landed magnates in British India. Zamindars as a cl

In Indian religions and society, an acharya (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ācariya) is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism and secular contexts.

thumb|Prime Minister of Iran|Sardar-I-Azam, Prince [[Abdol Majid Mirza of Qajar Persia .]] right|thumb|Pakistani President Ayub Khan (general)|Ayub Khan and First Lady [[Jacqueline Kennedy with the prized gelding "Sardar".]] right|thumb|List of Ottoman Grand Viziers|Grand Vizier [[Ahmet Tevfik Pasha, the last Ottoman Serdar-ı Azam.]] right|thumb|Serdar (Ottoman rank)|Serdar [[Janko Vukotić of the Principality and Kingdom of Montenegro.]]

thumb|Page from a Rosh Hashanah prayerbook with Hebrew (melekh) in large red text. Malik (; ; ; variously Romanized Mallik, Melik, Malka, Malek, Maleek, Malick, Mallick, Melekh) is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as M-L-K in Northwest Semitic during the Late Bronze Age (e.g. Aramaic, Canaanite, Hebrew).

Singh (IPA: ) is a title, middle name, or surname that means "lion" in various South Asian and Southeast Asian communities. Traditionally used by the Hindu Kshatriya community, it was later mandated in the late 17th century by Guru Gobind Singh (born Gobind Das) for all male Sikhs as well, in part as a rejection of caste-based prejudice and to emulate Rajput naming conventions. As a surname or a middle name, it is now found throughout the world across communities and religious groups, becoming more of a generic, caste-neutral, decorative name—similar to names such as Kumar and Lal.

ancient Indian term used to refer to an ideal universal ruler

thumb|Begum Malika-uz-Zamani, wife of the [[Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.]]

Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of chhatra (parasol or umbrella) and pati (master/lord/ruler).

thumb|300px|Mughal Empire|Mughal ranks included the [[Nawab, Subahdar, Mansabdar, Sawar and Sepoy. Mughal princes were often given the titles of Mir and Mirza]] Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty, Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, and the Mughal era who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin. The Subahdar was the head of the Mughal provincial administration. He was assisted by the provincial Diwan, Bakhshi, Faujdar, Kotwal, Qazi, Sadr, Waqa-i-Navis, Qa

historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent

Dewan (also known as diwan, sometimes spelled devan or divan) designated a powerful government official, minister, or ruler. A dewan was the head of a state institution of the same name (see Divan). Diwans belonged to the elite families in the history of Mughal and post-Mughal India and held high posts within the government.

title

thumb|Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was referred to as the "rais"

Sahib or Saheb () is a term of address originating from Arabic (). As a loanword, Sahib has passed into several languages, including Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Crimean Tatar, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Rohingya and Somali. During medieval times, it was used either as an official title or an honorific. Now, in South and Central Asia, it is almost exclusively used to give respect to someone higher or lower. The honorific has largely been replaced with sir. In the Tibeto-Burman language of Mizo, it is shortened as sâp, ref

The Mansabdar was a military unit within the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar later used in all over in early modern India. The word mansab is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined the rank and status of a government official and military generals. Every civil and military officer was given a mansab, which determined their salaries and allowances.

mughal Empire title

civilian award of the British Raj

Saopha (), also spelled Sawbwa, was the title used by hereditary rulers of Shan states in Upper Myanmar. Chaopha and Chao Fa were similar titles used by the hereditary Tai rulers in mainland Southeast Asia and the Ahom kingdom in India.

Kshatriya royal title

Indo-Iranian honorific term

thumb | right | Tehsildar office in Wardhannapet, Telangana

Formal title for Muslim, Parsi and Jewish subjects of the British Indian Empire

Vaidya (Sanskrit: ), or vaid is a Sanskrit word meaning "doctor, physician". Today it is used to refer to traditional practitioners of Ayurveda, an indigenous Indian system of alternative medicine. Senior practitioners or teachers were called Vaidyarāja ("physician-king") as a mark of respect. Some practitioners who had complete knowledge of the texts and were excellent at their practices were known as Pranaacharya. Some royal families in India had a personal vaidya in attendance and these people were referred to as Rāja Vaidya ("the king's physician").

thumb|right|A Maratha Empire|Maratha Durbar showing the Chief ([[Raja) and the nobles (Sardars, Jagirdars, Istamuradars & Mankaris of the state]] thumb|right|Maratha Soldiers

Reddy (also transliterated as Reddi or Raddi; also known as Reddiar or Reddappa) is a Telugu Hindu caste predominantly found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in South India. They are classified as a forward caste.

Mahant () is a religious superior, in particular the chief of a temple or the head of a monastery in Indian religions.

Muslim dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Hyderabad from 1734 to 1948

Begzada (Kurdish), Beyzade (Turkish), and Begzadići (Slavic), Beizadea (Romanian), Begzadi (female) "Bəyzadə" (Azerbaijani) are titles given within the Ottoman Empire to provisional governors and military generals who are descendants of noble households and occupy important positions within the empire. The term "Beyzade" often appears in Western accounts of the Ottoman Empire as superiors within the society, usually men who held much authority. In Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and some parts of Anatolia and Iraqi Kurdistan, the title of Beyzade was given to Circassian princes who

Titles for honorable people in India.

Senapati ( ; ) is a title in ancient India denoting the rank of General.

honour bestowed during British rule in India

The Maharana ("Great Rana") is a variation on the Indian royal title Rana. Maharana denotes 'great king' or 'high king', similar to the word "Maharaja". The term derives from the Sanskrit title "Mahārāṇaka".

Samanta (Sanskrit: सामंत, IAST: Sāmanta) was a title or position used in the Indian subcontinent primarily from the 4th to the 12th century CE to denote a feudal lord, vassal, or tributary chief. The Sankrit root roughly translates to "neighbor". The institution is considered to be closely associated with the origin and growth of feudalism in ancient and medieval India. Such offices as zamindar, jagirdar, and mansabdar, among others, may be considered rough equivalents to the Samanta in the latter history of India.

Indian honorific title

Mirwaiz (; from Persian mir 'chief' and 'preacher') is a hereditary religious title for the chief cleric or head preacher of the Muslim community in the Kashmir Valley. The title unique to Kashmir, traditionally involved providing religious instructions and leading sermons in major shrines and mosques. Over time, the holders of the title also assumed social, cultural and political roles within Kashmiri society.

Rani () is a female title, equivalent to queen, for royal or princely rulers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It translates to 'queen' in English. It is also a Sanskrit Hindu feminine given name. The term applies equally to a queen regnant as well as a wife of a Raja/Rai or Rana

formal title of respect and honour of British India

South Asian honorific title

name list

thumb|300px|Various "Devanampiya Piyadasi" inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka thumb|300px|"Devānaṃpiyasa Asoka", honorific Devanampiya (Brahmi script: 𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁𑀧𑀺𑀬𑀲𑀅𑀲𑁄𑀓, "Beloved of the God", in the adjectival form -sa) and name of [[Ashoka, in Brahmi script, in the Maski Edict of Ashoka]] thumb|upright=1.5|The full title Devanampiyasa Priyadasi|Piyadasino Asoka[[raja () in the Gujarra inscription.]] thumb|300px|"Devānampiyena" (𑀤𑁂𑀯𑀸𑀦𑀁𑀧𑀺𑀬𑁂𑀦:"Of Devanampiya") in the Lumbini [[Minor Pillar Edict of Ashoka. Brahmi script]] Devanampriya (Devanagari: देवानंप्रिय or देवानम्प

name given to a viceroy or administrator of justice in the Mogul Empire of India

Qiladar (Urdu: قلعہ‌دار) was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in early modern India. During the Mughal Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Persian: کیلدار). The office of Qiladar had the same functions as that of a European feudal Castellan.

thumb|240px| Priyadasi, also Piyadasi or Priyadarshi (Brahmi: 𑀧𑀺𑀬𑀤𑀲𑀺 piyadasi, ), was the name of a ruler in ancient India, namely Ashoka Maurya (3rd century BCE); literally an honorific epithet which means "He who regards others with kindness", "Humane", "He who glances amiably".

Bakshi may refer to:

thumb|right|A 1700 AD map of India, showing the region ruled by the Palaiyakkarar in the south. Palaiyakkarars, or Poligar, Polygar or Palegara (as the British referred to them) in Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were the holders of a small kingdom as a feudatory to a greater sovereign. Under this system, palayam was given for valuable military services rendered by any individual. The word pālayam means domain, a military camp, or a small kingdom. This type of Palayakkarars system was in practice during the rule of Pratapa Rudhra of Warangal in the Kakatiya kingdom. The system was put in plac

Bhat (also spelled Bhatt or Butt, ) is a Brahmin title and a surname used in the Indian subcontinent. Bhat and Bhatt are shortened renditions of Bhatta or Brahmabhatta.

Kaviraj (or Rajkavi, Kaviraja) is a title of honor, which was given to poets and litterateurs attached to royal courts in medieval India. Eminent Charans who were inducted into the royal courts due to their literary merit as royal poets and historians were given the rank of Kaviraja (King of Poets). Such Charans assumed positions of great influence in the medieval polity. Few well known people are Kaviraja Shyamaldas, Kaviraja Bankidas, etc. The descendants of such persons also started using the surname Kaviraj.

means king and is equivalent to Rao or Roy, a princely title used by many Hindu rulers in India