Rajahstani Titles and Honorifics
by AshtagonThe feminine form of these titles follows the masculine form in brackets, followed by the literal translation.
All of these honorifics are placed before the person’s name. Note that Singh is a family name as well as a title. “Singh Sanjay Singh” is a perfectly fine name for a knight.
Chakravarti (he whose chariot goes forth): The semi-legendary first emperor of Rajahstan is never referred to by name, only by this title. He lived centuries ago, and was the first to unite the land.
Mahārājā Dhirāja (mahārāṇī dhirāṇī; great king of kings): The head of the council of rajahs is honoured with this title.
Mahārājā (mahārāṇī; great king): A maharaja is the temporal ruler of one of the rajahstans.
Mahārājā kumar (mahārāṇī kumara; son of a great king): A prince; the son of a maharaja.
Rājā (rāṇī; king): Although the literal translation is “king”, this title is functionally equivalent to a duke.
Chatra pati (chatra patni): (“parasol lord”) This title is functionally equivalent to count.
Pati (patni; lady) This title is functionally equivalent to baron.
Singh (śernī; lion) This title is used to indicate knighthood. It may also be used informally to address someone who has demonstrated great martial prowess.
Ayya (honourable/worthy): This honorific is used when addressing religious people who have not taken religious vows to become a cleric or monk.
Shri (splendid): This is functionally equivalent to English “mister”, but is gender neutral, and applies to both men and women.
D’vija (d’vijati) (“twice-born”): This honorific is used when addressing clerics and monks. The “second birth” in this title refers to the character’s spiritual awakening.
Guru (gurunī; respectable): This honorific is used for religious scholars who act as advisors to the rajahs and patis.
Pandit (pandita; educated): This honorific is used for experts in their field, whether theatrical performers, master craftsmen, writers, poets, or architects. The common theme is that these people create or transform things; a trader, even a very successful one, would never be a pandit, because they don’t create anything.