In the late nineteenth and twentieth century, prominent Indian religiousleaders such as Svåm= Vivekånanda and Svåm= Çivånanda developed systems of Yoga based on Patañjali’s A‚†å gayoga and called them Råjayoga. They have promoted the Yogas¨tra as the most authoritative source on Råjayoga. In contrast to this, there are modern Indian systems of Råjayoga which have very little to do with Påtañjalayoga, such as the one taught globally by the Brahma Kumaris. It is generally accepted that Råjayoga refers to types of Yoga which are based more on meditation than physical techniques such as postures (åsana), yet very little research has been done to explain why there are variations between modern systems of Råjayoga. Also, the term “råjayoga” (literally, “king-yoga”) implies superiority, usually, over Ha†hayoga, but this raises the question of whether there was ever a justifiable basis for this claim of superiority, which I address here through examining the history of Råjayoga. The history of the term “råjayoga” reveals that it did not derive from Påtañjalayoga. Indeed, it was not until the sixteenth century that this term was used in a commentary on the Yogas¨tra. The earliest definition of Råjayoga is found in the twelfth century, Çaiva Yoga text called the Amanaska, which proclaimed Råjayoga to be superior to all other Yogas and soteriologies prevalent in India at that time. From the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, Råjayoga was mainly used as a synonym for samådhi, yet after the sixteenth century, the textual evidence reveals many attempts to reinterpret the name and connect it with different systems of Yoga. This calls into question the presumption that a Yoga tradition’s survival depends on its success at faithfully preserving ancient teachings. In fact, the prominence of Råjayoga and even the Yogas¨tra in the twentieth century is more a consequence of the role they have played in sanctioning innovation and in promoting the efficacy of meditation within the competitive environment of Hinduism’s diverse soteriological practices