Historic verdict six days ago: Remove ‘Maharaj’ from your name or the case will be dismissed — Rajasthan High Court directs royal family

Jaipur, Rajasthan

About six days ago, a historic observation by the Rajasthan High Court has sparked discussions among royal families across the country.In an old case filed by members of the Jaipur royal family, Justice Mahendra Kumar Goel ruled that the petitioners must remove the titles ‘Maharaj’, ‘Yuvraj’ or ‘Rajkumari’ from their names within a week — otherwise, the 24-year-old case will be dismissed.

Justice Goel’s observation was clear:

“There are no kings, and there is no monarchy. The country now functions under democracy. Therefore, it is not acceptable for anyone’s name in court records to include titles like ‘Maharaj’ or ‘Rajkumari’.”

Rajasthan High Court issues a landmark order directing Jaipur royal family members to drop titles like ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Rajkumari’ from their names, reaffirming India’s democratic ethos.

The High Court’s directive came during a hearing on a municipal property tax dispute filed by the heirs of the late Jagat Singh and Prithviraj Singh of the Jaipur royal family.

Justice Goel ordered that a revised petition must be submitted by October 13, failing which the case will be considered automatically dismissed.

Earlier, in January 2022, the Jaipur Bench of the High Court had raised a similar objection and sought explanations from both the central and state governments. This latest order, however, has been issued in a much stricter tone.