Deshkulkarni

Deshpande is a surname native to the Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The surname can be also found in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. Deshpande surname is found among the Deshastha Brahmins, Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) and the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus (CKP).

Etymology

The name Deshpande is believed to be a combination of two words (Desh and Pande). Desh means a country or a territory or a group of villages. Pande means one who maintains records or accounts. So deshpande means one who maintains accounts or records at a territory level or district level.

Deshpande as a title for district revenue records

Deshpande was a historical title given to a person who was appointed as accountant to a territory of land. The title dates back to medieval Deccan sultanates and Maratha Empire era. It was a title conferred on officers responsible for record keeping at Pargana level. The administrative chief of the pargana was called Deshmukh. Their equivalent at village level were Kulkarni (accountant) and Patil (Village chief).
The Deshkpande, in collaboration with the Deshmukh, was responsible for collecting revenue and sitting in the judicial assembly, and to write and keep various records at the district level. As literacy was an essential qualification for the work, the office was generally occupied by literate classes such as brahmins.
The ''deshmukhs'' and ''Deshpandes'' had hereditary lands liable to low rates of land revenues. For deshpande's apart from the collection of land revenue, there was a little outside control over the affairs of the village, which were largely managed by panch or council of leading villagers, including the patil, the kulkarni or village accountant, other village officials and leading land holders.

According to Maharashtra State Gazetteers,

The Deshpande was next to the Deshmukh of the district and hence used to keep the entire accounts of the pargana revenue.They used to maintain a register of lands of pargana showing the owner's of the land and the revenue to be paid by them.Sometimes a Deshpande was also called as Deshkulkarni. It is possible that this term preceded the Deshpande so commonly found in the Berar. The important permanent officers in the village were the Patil or the Mokaddam and the Kulkarni. Sometimes despande's duties were similar to those of the Deshmukh in the paragana i.e., collecting land revenue of the village, maintaining law and order, settling petty disputes etc.

Abolition of Deshpande Watans

The Vatandar system was abolished after the independence of India in 1947, when the government confiscated most of the land of the Deshmukhs, Deshpandes, and Patils. In Maharashtra,

All Patil, Kulkarni, Deshmukh and Deshpande Watans and all inferior village Watans were abolished under the Maharashtra revenue patels (abolition of office) Act 1962, Bombay pargana and Kulkarni Watans Abolition Act 1950 and the Bombay inferior village watans abolition act 1958.

Notable people

*Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande – general in the early Maratha Empire, best remembered for his major role during first and second recapturing attempts of " Kondhana" fort in 1647 and 1656 respectively.
*Baji Prabhu Deshpande, general and commander for Shivaji, known for the Battle of Pavan Khind.
* C. D. Deshpande (1912–1999), an Indian geographer, author, educationist, and writer.
*Nirmala Deshpande, Indian social activist and a Padmashri award winner (2005).
*P. L. Deshpande (known as ''Pu. La. Deshpande''); Marathi writer, playwright, actor, and songwriter.
*Vasantrao Deshpande – Hindustani classical music vocalist, contributed especially to Hindustani classical and Natya Sangeet.
*Ganesh Trimbak Deshpande – Indian writer, scholar; Winner of Sahitya Akademi Award.
*Arvind Deshpande (1932–1987) – Marathi stage actor. Husband of actress Sulabha Deshpande
*Sulabha Deshpande (1937–2016) -Marathi and Hindi stage and film actor and director
*Gururao Deshpande – known as Gayanacharya, Hindustani classical music singer from Karnataka, India; avid reader, an astrologist.
*Rahul Deshpande – Hindustani classical music vocalist, grandson of late Kai. Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande.
*Satyasheel Deshpande – Hindustani classical music vocalist, a disciple of Pt. Kumar Gandharva and son of Vamanrao Deshpande.
*Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande – Hindustani classical music vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana.
* Bala Deshpande – Senior managing director of the venture capital firm, New Enterprise Associates (India) since 2008. NEA is the world's largest venture capital firm.
*Gururaj Deshpande

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