Deshwali


The Deshwali, or sometimes pronounced Deswali are a Rajput community found in the state of Rajasthan in India. A small number of Deshwali are found in the city of Hyderabad, Jharkhand.

History and origin

The community get their name from word desh, which is the local Marwari language means land and wali, which is Persian means lord, literally the word Deshwali means a feudal lord. The community are Rajput. They were soldiers in the army of Prithvi Raj Chauhan. They were perfect warrier. Have part of Jat regiment in indian army. Deshwali community live in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. Deshwali in Madhya Pradesh live in Indore, Barnagar, Ratlam. Deshwali in Rajasthan live in Nagour, Ajmer, Tonk, Bhilwara, Kota, Baran, Jhalawar, Bundi, Udaipur & Jaipur districts. They speak the Marwari dialect, with many having great knowledge.

Present circumstances

The Deshwali are generally an endogamous community. They have no system of gotras, and practice both parallel and cross-cousin marriages. The community consists of large to medium-sized farmers, and like other Rajput groups in Rajasthan, have been affected by the abolishment of the Jagirdari system. A small number of Deshwali are sharecroppers and landless agricultural labourers. A few are also engaged in petty business, and the community has seen a growth in education and the start of urbanization. The Deshwali are Sunni and continue to pay special reverence to Moinuddin Chishti, the Sufi saint of Ajmer. They are relatively more orthodox than the Merat and Cheetah, neighbouring Muslim Rajput communities.
In addition to the Deswalis in India, there is also community of Deshwali found in the city of Hyderabad and adjoining rural areas. They maintain close relations with the Qaimkhani and Khanzada, two neighbouring Rajasthani communities found in Sindh.