Rainier \ren-'ya,\ English \ra-'nir\ III orig. Rainier-Louis-Henri- Maxence-Bertrand de Grimaldi (b. May 31, 1923, Monaco—d. April 6, 2005, Monaco) Prince of Monaco (1949-2005), 31st in a line of hereditary rulers. He intensified, expanded, and diversified Monaco’s enterprises, including its industry. Through land reclamation from the sea, he expanded the principality’s territory by one-fifth. His most significant political reform was the promulgation of a new constitution, based on modem principles without repudiating tradition. His wedding to Grace Kelly in 1956 attracted worldwide attention.
Rainier \r3-'nir\, Mount Mountain, west-central Washington state, U.S. At 14,410 ft (4,392 m), Mount Rainier is the highest point in the Cascade Range and in the state. The mountain is actually a dormant vol¬ cano that last erupted some 150-175 years ago; it covers 100 sq mi (260 sq km) and is surrounded by the largest single-mountain glacier system in the continental U.S., with 41 glaciers radiating from the broad summit. It forms the centre of Mount Rainier National Park, which was established in 1899 and comprises 368 sq mi (953 sq km). It is a popular tourist and recreation area.
Rainy Lake Narrow lake astride the Canadian-U.S. border, between Minnesota and southwestern Ontario. Rainy Lake is about 50 mi (80 km) long and has an area of 360 sq mi (932 sq km). Its shores are irregular and deeply indented, and it contains more than 500 islands. The region is the site of several Indian reservations and is popular for hunting, fishing, and canoeing.
Rajang \'ra-jaq\ River or Rejang Vra-jaq\ River Chief river, cen¬ tral Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It flows southwest and west into the South China Sea and is about 350 mi (565 km) long. It is navigable for about 80 mi (130 km) to Sibu by oceangoing vessels and has a wide, swampy delta. Several market towns are along its banks.
Rajasthan Vra-jo-.stanX State (pop., 2001 prelim.: 56,473,122), north¬ western India. Bordered by Pakistan and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it covers an area of 132,139
sq mi (342,239 sq km); its capital is Jaipur. Archaeological evidence shows continuous human habitation for about 100,000 years. In the 7th—11th centuries ad, several Rajput dynasties arose, reaching their height in the 16th century. The emperor Akbar brought the Rajput states into the Mughal Empire. In the 19th century, the British came into control of the region. After Indian independence (1947), the area was organized as the Union of Rajasthan, then reorganized in 1956. It is dominated by the Aravalli Range and the Thar Desert. Predominantly an agricultural and pastoral state, it is the largest producer of wool in India.
Rajneesh Vroj-.nesh, raj-'nesh\, Bhagwan Shree orig. Chandra Mohan Jain (b. Dec. 11, 1931, central India—d. Jan. 19, 1990, Pune) Indian spiritual leader. A teacher of philosophy, he lectured throughout India and established an ashram in Pune (Poona). He preached an eclec¬ tic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, individual devotion, and sexual free¬ dom while amassing vast personal wealth. By the early 1970s he had attracted 200,000 devotees, many from Europe and the U.S. He lived with a community of followers in Oregon from 1981 to 1985, when he was deported from the U.S. for immigration fraud. He spent his last years in Pune, where he reestablished his ashram.
Rajput \'raj-,put\ Any member of a caste of landowners located mainly in central and northern India. The Rajputs are organized in patrilineal clans and number about 12 million. They regard themselves as descen¬ dants or members of the Kshattriya (warrior ruling) class, though in fact they vary greatly in status. After the fall of the Gupta dynasty, invaders and indigenous peoples in northwestern India were probably integrated, the leaders in both groups becoming Kshattriyas. The Rajputs became important politically in the 9th-10th centuries, and for centuries they pre¬ vented complete Muslim domination of Hindu India. They eventually accepted Mughal overlordship and, in 1818, British suzerainty.
Rajputana V.raj-po-'ta-noN Region of northwestern India that now com¬ prises Rajasthan state and small sections of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The Aravalli Range crosses the southern part of the region from north¬ east to southwest. The northwestern part is largely the Thar desert, but to the southeast the country is very fertile. The Rajput states came under British protection by treaties in 1818; most of the area was formed into Rajasthan state in 1948.
Rakaia River \ro-'kI-3\ River, eastern central South Island, New Zealand. Rising in the glaciers of the Southern Alps, it flows east and southeast for 90 mi (145 km) before entering Canterbury Bight of the Pacific Ocean through a delta west of Banks Peninsula.
Rakoczi family Yra-kot-se\ Noble Magyar family prominent in 17th- century Hungary. Its members included Gyorgy I (1593-1648), who as prince of Transylvania (1630—48) allied himself with Sweden against the Habsburgs and won religious freedom for Protestants in Hungary. His son Gyorgy II (1621-1660), prince of Transylvania (1648-60), joined Swe¬ den in attacking Poland (1656) but was forced to retreat; he was killed in battle by the invading Turks, who restored Turkish control over Transyl¬ vania. Gyorgy’s son Ferenc I (1645-1676) became a Catholic and joined Croatia in an unsuccessful revolt against Habsburg rule in Hungary. His son Ferenc II (1676-1735), prince of Transylvania (1704-11), led a Hun¬ garian uprising for independence from the Habsburg empire (1703) that was initially successful, but his forces were defeated by the Austrians in
Raleigh Vro-le, 'ra-le\ City (pop., 2000: 276,093), capital of North Caro¬ lina, U.S. It was selected as the state capital in 1788 and was laid out in 1792. It is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for food stores. Manufactures include tex¬ tiles, electronic equipment and computers, and processed foods. Along with Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh is part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle—an area of cultural, scientific, and educational insti¬ tutions that includes Duke University and the University of North Carolina.
Raleigh, Sir Walter (b. 1554?, Hayes Barton, near Budleigh Salter- ton, Devon, Eng.—d. Oct. 29, 1618, London) English adventurer and favourite of Elizabeth I. He joined his half brother Humphrey Gilbert on a piratical expedition against the Spanish (1578) then fought against the Irish rebels in Munster (1580). His outspoken views on English policy in Ireland caught the attention of Elizabeth I, who made him her favourite at court. In 1584 he sent an expedition to explore the coast north of Florida, which he named Virginia, and to establish an unsuccessful colony at Roanoke Island. He was knighted by Elizabeth in 1585. Out of favour
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rally ► Ramatirtha I 1587
at court from c. 1592, he led an unsuccessful expedition up the Orinoco River in search of gold, which he described in The Discoverie of Guiana (1596). When Elizabeth died (1603), he was accused of plotting to depose James I and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Released in 1616, he led another unsuccessful expedition to search for gold in Guyana. When his men burned a Spanish settlement, he was rearrested by James and executed, at the demand of the Spanish ambassador, under Raleigh’s original sentence for treason.