Thakur Deshraj

Thakur Deshraj (1903-1970) was a social worker, journalist, nationalist, freedom fighter and writer. He was from Rajasthan state in India. He was revenue minister in the princely state of Bharatpur. He had six sons Shersingh, Sajjan Singh, Rajjan Singh, Uttam Singh, Shagun Singh, Jai Singh and a daughter Nirmala Devi. Out of his children only Jai Singh is alive.One of his Five grandson Jasveer Singh is currently popular Jat politician of Bharatpur and Dr Sumit Raj Singh is renowned Docotor,other three (Amit Kumar , Chandraveer Singh Dhirendra Singh ) are respectfully stable in their Fields.
He along with his wife Smt. Triveni Devi remained in Jail several times in connection with freedom fighting movement.
He donated major portion of his ancestral land under Bhudan Yagya of saint Binoba Bhave.
Jat Prajapati Maha-Yagya 1934
After successful Jhunjhunu adhiveshan in 1932, a deputation of Jats from Sikar district, under the leadership of Prithvi Singh Gothra met Thakur Deshraj and requested him to do a similar adhiveshan in Sikar also. After long discussions Thakur Deshraj proposed to have a yagya at Sikar. A meeting for discussing this issue was called in Palthana village in October 1933. This was attended by all activists from Shekhawati and one member was invited from each family in Sikar district. About 5000 people gathered in the meeting. The Sikar thikana wanted to make this meeting a failure. For this, the thikanedar sent hundreds of handcuffs loaded on camels along with the police force to terrorize the people taking part in the meeting. Thakur Deshraj addressed the people that
These words energised the audience to continue their struggle with the Jagirdars. A resolution was passed to conduct a seven-day "Jat Prajapat Mahayagya" (Prayer ceremony for the Lord of Universe) in Sikar on the next basant in 1934, to spread the principles of Arya Samaj and create awakening in Shekhawati.
As historian
Deshraj is author of the book on the History of the Jats in Hindi, Jat-Itihasa () published in 1934. He also published local newspapers to promote the farmers to fight for their rights and awakened them to realize the self-respect. He started a newspaper named Rajasthan Sandesh in 1931 for this purpose. He published a series of articles in Jatveer on the acts of oppression on farmers, which awakened them. Later Jatveer paper was also published from Jhunjhunu. The paper Ganesh was published by him from Agra. Deshraj along with Tarkeshwar Sharma circulated hand written newspaper called ‘Gram Samachar’ started in 1929. Later he also published newspaper Kisan. All these papers created a revolutionary change in the farmers. He published History of Jats of Marwar in 1954 and 'Sikh Itihas' in 1954.
As a journalist he wrote about the oppressive measures of the Jagirdars in Shekhawati region in Rajasthan and the Nawabs of Loharu in Haryana. His voice through these news papers reached up to House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Questions were asked in the House of Commons about excesses by Jagirdars on farmers of Shekhawati.

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