maratha
‘state in southwestern India, also in reference to the Scytho-Dravidian race living there’
Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:
E. maharattor, mhahrattah, morattoe, mahratta < Mar. maratha < Skt. maharastrah ‘great country’ < maha- ‘great’ + rastra ‘kingdom’ < raj ‘to rule’ < raa < reg- < Tamil aracaṉ