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When British trading posts were established in the Indian subcontinent in the 17th century, English speakers were immersed in the rich languages of the region, and Europeans quickly began adopting local words into their own vocabularies. By the end of the 1700s, Hindi contributions to our language ran from ayah (a term for a nurse or maid) to zamindar (a collector of land taxes or revenues). When English speakers borrowed raj around 1800, they used exactly the same spelling and meaning as its Hindi parent (the Hindi word in turn traces to an older term that is related to the Sanskrit word for "king"). Other words of Hindi descent that are now common in English include chintz, pundit, bungalow, veranda, seersucker, and bandanna.

Examples of raj in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some Indians, such as upper-caste urbanites, were loyal to the raj — British rule over India — and fought enthusiastically for the Allies, but the vast majority volunteered because they were offered land, a stable salary and steady meals. — Maria Abi-habib, New York Times, "The Forgotten Colonial Forces of World War II," 1 Sep. 2020 There can be very little doubt that many of the labour law provisions in India are excessively intrusive, effectively help neither the workers nor the employers, and instead have strengthened license-inspector-raj and rent-seeking. — Saurabh Bhattacharjee, Quartz India, "Reckless waiver of labour laws will be counter-productive for the Indian economy," 13 May 2020 The decline of the stepwell began with the British raj, which insisted baolis were unhygienic havens of vermin and disease. — The Economist, "India’s magnificent stepwells are relics of a nuanced history," 13 July 2019 The raj’s administrators were blind to their role in socialising and as subterranean caravanserais. — The Economist, "India’s magnificent stepwells are relics of a nuanced history," 13 July 2019 Theaters, dance halls, cafes, racecourses and other businesses came along to keep the upholders of the raj entertained. — Payal Dhar, Washington Post, "Keep your cool in India by visiting one of the country’s hill stations," 5 July 2019 The Treasury has proposed to set up a regulatory raj for the U.S. financial system at the same time India is embracing deregulation. — Peter J. Wallison, WSJ, "The Trump Treasury’s Disturbing Regulatory Turn," 6 Dec. 2017 Slovak Paradise National Park (also called Slovensky raj) is loaded with user-friendly amenities and covered with signage and hiker assists. — The Washington Post, The Denver Post, "Overlooked by tourists, Slovakia is a worthy European destination," 5 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'raj.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.