Chhatrapati

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).

Usage examples

Sangita Raga-Kalpa-druma (1842) by Krishnananda Vyasa contains dhrupad lyrics in which Tansen addresses Man Singh Tomar ( 1486-1516), the ruler of Gwalior, as a Chhatrapati: "छत्रपति मान राजा, तुम चिरंजीव रहौ जौलो ध्रुव मेरू तारो".

The 1644 CE Rajsitapur inscription, issued by Amarasimha I of Jhalavad, uses the epithet Chhatrapati for the Mughal emperor Shahjahan.

The Maratha ruler Shivaji adopted the title Chhatrapati at the time of his coronation in 1674. His descendants - the members of the House of Bhonsle - also used the title, as the rulers of the Maratha Confederacy and the princely states of Satara and Kolhapur.

See also

• List of Maratha rulers
• House of Bhonsle
• Maratha Empire
• Maratha
• Maratha titles

Notes

References

• V. S. Kadam, 1993. Maratha Confederacy: A Study in Its Origin and Development. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi.
• D. B. Kasar, Rigveda to Rajgarh: Making of Shivaji the Great. Manudevi Prakashan, Mumbai.