Desai was a title given to feudallords, 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, or a loftier compound, was a rare title for rulers of a few princely states, notably - Raja Sar Desai in the Maratha Savantvadi State from 1627 until the adoption of "Raja Bahadur" in 1763.
Desai Shri in Patdi (the former Viramgam State), in Eastern Kathiawar, where Desai was also the name of the ruling family, which belongs to the Desai clan of Kadwa Patidar.
In Gujarat, Desai is honoured to Anavil Brahmin, Khedaval Brahimins, Vaishnav Vanik and Rabari and Patidars caste people. The title was also given to feudal lords and revenue collectors[12]
Bhimsen Venkatrao Desai - Politician; Member of the 7th and 8th Lok Sabha representing the Raichur constituency of Karnataka[20][21][circular reference]
Shamburaj Shivajirao Desai- State Minister Of Home Affairs, Maharashtra, Currently Serving His 4th Term As MLA in Maharashtra Assembly
^The Scheduled Castes, Volume 21. Oxford University Press. 1995. p. 111. ISBN9780195637427. 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...
^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.
^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.
^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.
^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.
