Imperial titles
Also called: Samraj, Adhiraja, Rajadhiraja, Maharajadhiraja · Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "The Rise of Empires"; Class 7, Ch 6 "The Age of Reorganisation"; Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"
Meaning
Imperial titles are grand Sanskrit titles that kings used to claim they were above all other kings. Examples are samraj (supreme ruler), adhiraja (overlord), rajadhiraja (king of kings), maharajadhiraja (great king of kings) and chakravartin (universal ruler). Earlier, kings were simply called rajan or maharaja. The Kushanas and then the Guptas took these bigger titles. Some historians argue that kings boasted this way because their real control over the samantas (powerful local lords) was weak. On this view, the titles gave them "a façade of power", meaning the look of power without the full reality.
Example
The early Gupta rulers Sri Gupta and Ghatotkacha were only maharaja. Chandragupta I (c. 320 CE) took the title maharajadhiraja. His son Samudragupta was praised in the Prayaga Prashasti as "without an antagonist on earth".
Don't confuse with
- Samanta: a local lord who paid homage (respect and loyalty) and gave military help to a king. Samantas did not hold these supreme titles.