Deshmukh: Difference between revisions

'''Deshmukh''' ({{IAST|Dēśamukh}}), ({{lang-mr|देशमुख}}, {{lang-kn|ದೇಶ್ಮುಖ್}}, {{lang-te|దేశముఖ్}}) is a historical title conferred to the rulers of a {{IAST|Dēśamukhi}}. It is used as a surname in certain regions of India, specifically in the states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Karnataka]], [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]] whose family received it as a title.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|title=Healer: Dr Prathap Chandra Reddy and the Transformation of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MxFMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT578|page=578|author=Pranay Gupte|date = 15 December 2013|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn = 9789351185666|access-date=15 December 2013}}</ref>

In Sanskrit, ''Desh'' means land, country and ''mukh'' means head or chief; thus, ''deshmukh'' means "the head" of a district.<ref>J. G. Duff, A history of Mahratta Vol 1, p. 39</ref>

|title=Hyderabad State Administration|isbn=9781136466717|last1=Kurian|first1=Alka|date=21 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Healer: Dr Prathap Chandra Reddy and the Transformation of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MxFMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT578|page=578|author=Pranay Gupte|publisher=Penguin UK|date=15 December 2013|isbn = 9789351185666|quote=Deshmukh was a historical title given to a person who was granted a territory of land in certain regions of India, specifically Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.}}</ref> The granted territory was usually referred to as the '''Dēśamukhi'''. The Deshmukh was in effect the ruler of the territory, as he was entitled to a portion of the collected taxes. It was also his duty to maintain the basic services in the territory, such as police and judicial duties. It was typically a [[hereditary]] system. The title of Deshmukh provided the titled family with revenues from the area and the responsibilities to keep the orders.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite book|title=Indian Village|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LjFEDwAAQBAJ|page=contents|publisher=Routledge Publications|access-date=30 October 2017|author=S.C.Dube|date = 30 October 2017|isbn = 9781351209212}}</ref>

*In [[Andhra Pradesh]], especially in the [[Guntur district|Guntur]] and [[Krishna district|Krishna]] districts, the title "Deshmukh" was used by [[Deshastha Brahmin]] Zamindars.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indo-British Review, Volume 10|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zp5RAQAAIAAJ|publisher=Indo-British Historical Society|year=1983|page=44|quote=Indeed, the official titles of the Zamindars of Guntur had been Desmukh ( Executive-Collector), Mannavar (Head of Police), and Despandi (Chief Accountant); moreover, two of the five zamindari families were Desastha.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=State and Society: A Reader in Comparative Political Sociology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P5gzTp13AXQC&pg=PA116|page=116|author=Coenraad M. Brand|publisher=University of California Press|year=1973|isbn = 9780520024908}}</ref>

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*Dr.[[Gopalrao Khedkar]] (Deshmukh). 1900- 1970 was the first President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.  

*[[Shivajirao Shankarrao Deshmukh]] [[Member of Parliament]] [[Parbhani]]