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A Brief History of the World
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Maharaja
1994
Rules assistance for Maharaja
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 240 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Maharaja
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Maharaja is a board game released in 1994 for 3–5 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Rex A. Martin and Craig Sandercock and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Based on the highly successful Britannia, which dealt with the migrations of peoples into the British Isles from the Romans to the Normans, Maharaja employs much the same system, transferred to a different geography and time period. The map depicts the Indian sub-continent from the foothills of the Himalayas to the island of Sri Lanka (aka Ceylon, Serendib). The time period covered runs from the Aryan invasions of 1500 BC to the establishment of the British Raj in the mid-1800s. Re-published in French as Maharadjah by Descartes (with new box cover).
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- Descartes Editeur
Questions and answers
Maharaja supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Maharaja is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Maharaja for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Maharaja has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Maharaja belongs to these categories: Wargame, Medieval, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Maharaja are: Rex A. Martin and Craig Sandercock. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Maharaja as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.