Maharishi is derived from a Sanskrit word, maharsi, where 'maha' means great, and 'rsi'' means saint or seer.  

The first known use of the word Maharishi was in the late 1700s, and the first written use was in 1785, in the writings of C. Wilkins.  

The term Maharishi was used in India and became popular in British literature during the 1800s, while India was a British colony.  The famous author John Rudyard Kipling was born in British India and many of his stories and poems were set there.