Nawab, is a Royal title indicating a sovereign ruler, in many ways comparable to the western titles of King. Nawab usually refers to males and literally means Viceroy. The primary duty of a Nawab was to uphold the sovereignty of the Mughal emperor along with the administration of a certain province.

The State of Malerkotla was a princely state in the Punjab region during the era of British India. The last ruler of Malerkotla signed the accession to join the Indian Union on 20 August 1948. Its rulers belonged to a Pathan dynasty, and its capital was in Malerkotla. The state belonged to the Punjab States Agency.