What is "rao"

Rao is a surname used across India, United States, Brazil, Pakistan, Italy and China.

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Rao is the Flan god of Peace, Reason, and Serenity. His holy symbol is a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression, or a simple white heart crafted of metal or wood. His followers are called Raoans.

Råö is a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland, Sweden.

Category:Halland

Rao is a fictional star in the DC Comics Universe. It is the red supergiant (in some continuities, red dwarf) that the planet Krypton orbited.

"Rao" is also later written into the Superman mythology as the name of a Kryptonian deity, the personification of their sun, worshipped as a god of light and life. As such the name was sometimes invoked in the comics as a Kryptonian exclamation.

Rao is a Chinese family name. It can also be spelled as "Jao," "Yow" or "Yaw".

The surname Rao is approximately 2200 years old, and originated in the area near present-day Linfen county in Shanxi province.

Rao is one of the cognate Hindi variations of the (originally Hindu) title Raja(h) (like Rawal and Rawat), used as equivalent royal style in certain princely states, notably of former British India.

It occurred (only?) in few princely states in present India, notably:

• Alipura
• Beri (Bundelkhand Agency) (from c.1780, previously Dewan; till ?1945, then simply restyled Raja)
• Datia (in 182x simply restyled Raja)
• Jhansi
• Jigni
• Kamta Rajaula (previously a jagir called Kamta)
• Kurandvad; since the 1854 split separately used by both the Senior branch and the Junior branch of the same dynasty
• Miraj; since the 1820 split separately used by both the Senior branch and the Junior branch of the same dynasty
• Piploda (since 1888; previously Maharawat, originally Thakur)
• Sangli (in 1932 simply restyled Raja)
• Sirohi (till 1889; then raised Maharao, Hereditary salute of 15-guns; from 1911, Maharajadhiraja Maharao)
• Vijayanagar (till 1934, then raised for the last incumbent to Maharao)

The variation Raol was used in

• Malpur
• Mansa

The compound Rao Raja was used in

• Alwar (till ?1889; later promoted Maharaja)
• ''cfr. infra

The formally higher title Rao Bahadur was used in :

• Khilchipur (Dewans till 1873; restyled to mere Raja in 1927)

The nominally higher title Maharao -equivalent to Maharaja(h)- was used in :

• Bundi, in Rajasthan, Hereditary salutes of 17-guns (19-guns local); style in full Maharao Raja (from 1821, ''previously Rao Raja)
• Kutch (Cutch/Kachh) , Hereditary salute of 17-guns (19-guns local)
• Kota(h), Hereditary salute of 17-guns (19-guns personal)
• '' cfr. supra for cases of promotion