Kumar
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Kumar (from Sanskrit meaning boy, (unmarried) youth) is an Indian title, given name or family name. As a title it can mean son of a Rājā, prince, or heir apparent and enters in princely compound titles. As a name it can mean prince or youth. It also refers to Skanda, the Hindu god of war.
Like many terms suitable to denote patronymic descent and many lofty titles, it features in numerous personal names, without aristocratic or titular meaning.
However this page is devoted to its use as a princely title (for males) or component of such titles in the Hindu tradition.
Usage in the Hindu Princely states of former British India
The following cases in specific Princely states are just examples:Cooch
- The sons of the ruling Maharaja: Maharaj Kumar Shri (personal name) Narayan. (Narayan being the name of the dynasty)
- The grandsons of the ruling prince, in the male line: Raj Kumar Shri (personal name) Narayan.
Jammu and Kashmir
- The Heir Apparent of the ruling Maharaja: Maharaj Kumar Shri Yuvaraj (personal name) Singhji Bahadur.
- The younger sons of the ruling prince: Maharaj Kumar Shri (personal name) Singh Sahib.
Savantwadi
The Heir Apparent of the Sir Desai (ruler) of Savantwadi was styled Yuvraj Kumar Shrimant (personal name) Raje Sahib Bhonsle. (Bhonsle is the name of the dynasty)Travancore
The Heir apparent (surviving brother or nephew, under the Marumakkathayam law of matrilineal inheritance, according to male primogeniture) of the ruling Maharaja of Travancore was styled: Maharaj Kumar (personal name) Varma, Ilaya Raja of Travancore; the sons of the ruler: Sri (personal name) Tampi.Usage in the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal
In the Hindu kingdom of Nepal,- Kumar itself is the usual title (meaning prince in Nepali, which never uses it for 'mere' commoner descendants) bestowed on the son-in-law of a Sovereign (the King is styled Maharajadhiraja)
- Adhirajkumar 'son of the ruler of rulers', or Prince, is the usual title borne by the sons of a sovereign, his brothers, and paternal uncles.
- Maharaj Adhirajkumar]] is the usual prefix for the son of a King holding the rank and title of Sri Chautaria.
- Rajkumar 'royal son' is the title borne by the sons of a Raja (Hindu ruler of lower rank) and by the sons of a Nepalese King by a lesser wife or concubine.
- Yuvarajkumar 'Young Prince', is the usual title for the younger sons of the Crown Prince.
Lambjang and Kaski
- "a" class sons of the 'ruling' Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Maharaj Kumar (given name) Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, while other male descendants of the Maharaja, in the male line: Kunwar (given name) Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.
Religious Hindu usage
Also a name of Skanda, the god of war.Other use
- Kumar is the name a clan of (all, even un-titled) Chetris who claim descent from the Rānās of Mewar (ancestral predecessors of the Maharānās of Udaipur,Rajastan).
Sources and references
- [Platt's dictionary of Classical Hindi & Urdu]
- [RoyalArk- see each present country (or subpage per former country/dynasty); here Nepal]
- [Turner Nepali dictionary]
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