Who is the 'Maharaj' that Ratanji meets in Shirdi, and is this a reference to Gajanan Maharaj?

The 'Maharaj' that the Parsi merchant Ratanji meets in Shirdi is Sai Baba, not Gajanan Maharaj. The account in Chapter 14 explicitly details Ratanji's journey to Shirdi to meet Sai Baba on the advice of Das Ganu. Upon arriving, he "went to the Masjid for darshan and prostrated at Sai's feet." The text then immediately uses the honorific title, stating, "Seeing Maharaj, the heap of merit, love surged within him." Ratanji also uses this title in his prayer. The name Gajanan Maharaj does not appear in these source chunks. Therefore, within the context of Chapter 14, 'Maharaj' is a title of deep respect used exclusively for Sai Baba.