Raj Ratna


Raj Ratna was a title of high honor, a civilian award, which was prevalent in the princely states of India during the British Raj.

History

Raj Ratna awards were given by rulers of the mostly Hindu princely states of India to distinguished citizens of their kingdoms. The title was bestowed with a gold coin medallion.
The second-highest civilian award was the Raj Bhushan, which was given with a silver coin medallion.
The title and awards of Raj Ratna and Raj Bhushan came to an end circa 1949, with the amalgamation of almost all of the princely states into the modern Republic of India. The highest civilian award in modern India is the Bharat Ratna, followed by the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.

Notable people awarded title Raj Ratna