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Desai (pronounced [d̪eːsaːi]) is an Indian administrative, princely or honorary title and surname.[1][2]

Etymology

The word is derived from the Sanskrit deśa (country) and svāmī (lord).[3]

Desai as a title

Desai was a title given to feudal lords, and others who were granted a village or group of villages in Maharashtra, and North Karnataka. The title Desai should not be associated with a particular religion or caste, though a Desai would use the title of Rao or Rai or Raje as a suffix to his name denoting he is a king of those villages, The "Desai" title was given by Maratha emperors, Mughal emperors and by the Deccan sultanates.[4]

Desai as a surname

Desai as a surname is used by Gaud Saraswat Brahmin, Deshastha Brahmin,[13] Karhade Brahmin,[14] Marathas, Anavil Brahmin, Khedaval Brahmin, [15] Rabari,[16] Leva Patel,[17] Patidar,[18] Bania and Lingayat communities of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.[19]

Individual people

Notable individuals with the surname Desai include:

Public officers
Arts, sciences and business
Culture & Sports

See also

References

  1. ^ Also, "Mahr. deśāī; in W. and S. India a native official in charge of a district, often held hereditarily; a petty chief." Henry Yule, Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, pp. 292, 306.
  2. ^ "How well do you know about the origins of some Indian Occupational Surnames?". TheBizdom. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=desai[user-generated source]
  4. ^ Raj Kumar (2003). Essays on Modern India. Discovery Publishing House. p. 73. ISBN 9788171416905.
  5. ^ Saraswats in Goa and Beyond. Murgaon Mutt Sankul Samiti. 1998. p. 130.
  6. ^ Syed Siraj ul Hassan (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions, Volume 1. Asian Educational Services. p. 111. ISBN 9788120604889.
  7. ^ Sandhya Gokhale (2008). The Chitpavans: Social Ascendancy of a Creative Minority in Maharashtra, 1818-1918. Shubhi Publications. p. 28. ISBN 9788182901322. Hereditary rights of Karhades were those of Desai, district officer, or Deshmukh, and Sardesai, senior district officer.
  8. ^ V. D. Divekar (1993). South India in 1857 War of Independence. Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust. p. 148.
  9. ^ "SAWANTS OF WADI Coastal Politics in 18th and 19th Centuries". S. K. Mhamai. 1984.
  10. ^ "Anthropological Society of Bombay". Anthropological Society of Bombay. 1909.
  11. ^ "Numismatic Digest". Numismatic Digest. 1997.
  12. ^ Laura Spinney (June 2017). Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World. Random House. ISBN 9781473523920. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  13. ^ Kumar Suresh Singh (2004). People of India: Maharashtra, Part 1. Popular Prakashan. p. 478. ISBN 9788179911006.
  14. ^ The Scheduled Castes, Volume 21. Oxford University Press. 1995. p. 111. ISBN 9780195637427. The Karhade Brahman have their own clan deities like Khalnath, Jogeshwari, Bhavani. They celebrate various festivals like Diwali, Holi, Gudipadva, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. They have surnames like Desai, Dhupkar, Prabhudesai, Bakhle...
  15. ^ Rashmi H. Desai (1963). Indian immigrants in Britain. Oxford University Press. p. 11. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  16. ^ Bela Bhatia (1992). Lush Fields and Parched Throats: The Political Economy of Groundwater in Gujarat. UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU/WIDER). p. 33. Individuals with the Desai surname ( used both by some Patels as well ) have been included in this group for want of information on their precise caste affiliation.
  17. ^ Bela Bhatia (1992). Lush Fields and Parched Throats: The Political Economy of Groundwater in Gujarat. UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU/WIDER). p. 33. Individuals with the Desai surname ( used both by some Patels) have been included in this group for want of information on their precise caste affiliation.
  18. ^ Donald S. Rothchild (1973). Racial Bargaining in Independent Kenya: A Study of Minorities and Decolonization. Institute of Race Relations London. p. 45. The Patidars, distinguished by such caste surnames as Patel, Amin, and Desai, were originally landholders in Gujarat.
  19. ^ Studies in Indian place names, Volume 4. Geetha Book House. 1984. p. 125. These surnames are reminiscent of the Maratha rule over Karnataka. Thus we have surnames like Desai, Deshmukh, Deshpande, Inamdar, Jagirdar, Kulkarni, Patil, etc. These families held different posts under the Maratha administration.
  20. ^ "Members Bioprofile".
  21. ^ List of members of the 7th Lok Sabha#Karnataka
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