Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of chhatra (parasol or umbrella) and pati (master/lord/ruler).
Usage examples
Sangita Raga-Kalpa-druma (1842) by Krishnananda Vyasa contains dhrupad lyrics in which Tansen addresses Man Singh Tomar ( 1486-1516), the ruler of Gwalior, as a Chhatrapati: "छत्रपति मान राजा, तुम चिरंजीव रहौ जौलो ध्रुव मेरू तारो".
The 1644 CE Rajsitapur inscription, issued by Amarasimha I of Jhalavad, uses the epithet Chhatrapati for the Mughal emperor Shahjahan.
The Maratha ruler Shivaji adopted the title Chhatrapati at the time of his coronation in 1674. His descendants - the members of the House of Bhonsle - also used the title, as the rulers of the Maratha Confederacy and the princely states of Satara and Kolhapur.
See also List of Maratha rulers House of Bhonsle Maratha Empire Maratha Maratha titles
Notes
References V. S. Kadam, 1993. Maratha Confederacy: A Study in Its Origin and Development. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi. D. B. Kasar, Rigveda to Rajgarh: Making of Shivaji the Great. Manudevi Prakashan, Mumbai.