In many Indian languages, Raj literally means Prince or Royalty.

The word is often used to refer to the British Raj: the period of direct colonial rule of India by the British Empire.

Etymology

Raj is a particularly striking example of a word with a common Indo-European root with many words related to rulers or ruling in European languages. For example:

• Old High German: richi (Modern German: Reich)
• Old English: rice (Modern English: rich, regent)
• Proto-Indo-European: *reg
• Latin: regalis, regere, rex
• Old Prussian: reiks
• Old Norse: rike (as in medieval Norwegian Gårdarike, or Modern Swedish: Rike).

See also the list of words of disputed pronunciation