The Maharana ("Great Rana") is a variation on the Indian royal title
Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
Films
* Rana (2012 film), an Indian Kannada-language action drama
* Rana, a 1998 Telugu-language action film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy
* R ...
. Maharana denotes '
great king' or '
high king
A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor. Similar titles include great king and king of kings. The high kings of history usually ruled over lands of cultural unity; thus ...
', similar to the word "
Maharaja
Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
".
The term derives from the Sanskrit title "Mahārāṇaka".
Usage at the time of independence
Salute state
A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Scouting ...
s
The gun salutes enjoyed by the states that acceded to the Dominion of India on 14 August 1947, included the following Maharanas:
*Hereditary salute of 19-guns (21-guns local): the Maharana of
Udaipur State
The Kingdom of Mewar was an independent Hindu Monarchy, kingdom that existed in the Rajputana region of the Indian subcontinent and later became a dominant state in medieval India. The kingdom was initially founded and ruled by the Guhila dyna ...
(Mewar)
*Hereditary salute of 13-guns the Maharana of
Rajpipla
Rajpipla is a town and a municipality in the Narmada district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
It was the capital of the former Kingdom of Rajpipla.
Name
Bhil population gave it the name Rajpipla for the ruler resided first under a pipal t ...
*Hereditary salute of 11-guns: the Maharana of
Barwani
Barwani or Badwani () is a municipality, municipal town in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, India, that is situated near the left bank of the Narmada River. It is the administrative headquarters of Barwani district and has also served as th ...
Hereditary salutes of 9-guns:
*The Maharana of
Danta
*The Maharana of
Wadhwan
Wadhwan, also spelled Vadhwan, is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located on the banks of the Bhogavo River, around 3 km from Surendranagar and 111 km from Ahmedabad, Wadhwan is a ...
*The Maharana of
Sant
Some of the rulers were granted increased gun salutes after the independence, e.g. the above-listed Maharana of Mewar (Hindu; at Udaipur, Maharajpramukh in Rajasthan) was raised to first place in the Order of Precedence, displacing the
Nizam
Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
of Hyderabad and Berar (Muslim), and all 9-gun states were permitted the use of the style of
Highness
Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjec ...
.
Compound ruler titles
*The Maharana Raj Sahib of
Wankaner
Wankaner is a city and a municipality in Morbi district in the State of Gujarat. Until 2013, Wankaner was part of the Rajkot district.
Etymology
The city was named after its location on the Machhu River, "Wankaner" translating to "riverbend" ...
- Hereditary salute of 11-guns
*The Maharana Sahib of
Dharampur
References
{{Reflist
Heads of state
Royal titles
Noble titles
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
*
Indian feudalism
Titles in India