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 (literally
Ornament of the Raj), which was given with a silver coin medallion. The titles and awards of
Raj Ratna and
Raj Bhushan came to an end around 1949, with the amalgamation of almost all of the princely states into the
Dominion 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 the title of Raj Ratna==