Rawal (also spelled Raval) or Raol is a regional variation of the Hindi princely ruler title Raja/Radjah (literally 'king') used in some princely states in

Rajputana Rājputana (), meaning Land of the Rajputs, was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the entire present-day States of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, parts of the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and adjo ...

and Western India (notably

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

), and is now also used as a caste designation or surname by several communities in Southern Asia. The term "Rawal" derives from the Sanskrit title "Rājakula". The related term Maharawal, which derives from the Sanskrit title "Mahārājakula", means "Great Rawal".

Notable people with Rawal (title)

Rawal Jaisal Rawal Jaisal Bhati (1113–1168) was the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer, ruling from 1156 to 1168 CE. Jaisal was a Rajput chief of the Bhati clan who lived during the 12th century, Jaisal rose to power in 1143 by defeating ...

, founder of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer. * Bappa Rawal, founder of the

kingdom of Mewar The Kingdom of Mewar was an independent Hindu 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 dynasty, foll ...

. * The

Nambudiri The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Namboothiri, Namboodri, Namboori, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the ...

priests of the Badrinath and

Kedarnath Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86.5 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarters. Kedarnath is the most remote ...

were given the title of "Rawal" by the king of Garhwal in 1776 * Raval (also known as Rawal or Raval Yogi), an Indian caste categorized among the Other Backward Classes * Rawal, a gotra of Rajputs found in India, Pakistan and Pakistani and Indian diaspora; its members claim to be the original rulers of

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

The Ranking of Brotherhoods: The Dialectics of Muslim Caste among Oversees Pakistanis
by Pnina Werbner pages 103 to 145 in Muslim Communities of South Asia by T N Madam Manohar publications 1995 page 127

References

{{authority control Heads of state Noble titles Royal titles Titles in India Indian court titles Titles of national or ethnic leadership Filipino royalty Hindi words and phrases

Notable people with Rawal (title)

See also

References