Man Singh Ji Jagarwal, popularly known as Manji, was a prominent Rajpurohit leader from Bagra, a historic Jagir in the Marwar region. Bagra was originally the Jagir of the Jagarwal Rajpurohits, later passing into the possession of the Digari Rajpurohits, and eventually coming under the control of the Champawat Rathores.

Inspired by Shri Jai Narayan Vyas and Kisan Kesari Baldev Ram Mirdha, Man Singh Ji became actively involved in both the Marwar Farmer's Movement and the Indian Freedom Movement against British rule.

"This is not a time to retreat until the better times return." – Man Singh Ji Jagarwal (Manji)

He worked closely with leaders such as Jai Narayan Vyas, Mathura Das Mathur, Baldev Ram Mirdha, Nathuram Mirdha, and Narsingh Kachhawaha, participating in the activities of both the Marwar Lok Parishad and the Marwar Kisan Sabha.

In urban areas, Jai Narayan Vyas began an agitation against oppression under the banner of Marwar Lok Parishad, founded on 16 May 1938. This movement was supported by the Indian National Congress.

Notable participants in the Marwar Lok Parishad included:

• Shiv Dayal Dave and Jorawar Singh Oswal of Nagaur

• Rajpurohit Manji Jagarwal of Bagra (Jalore)

• Kishanlal Sahu, Manak Chand Konari, and Sari Mal of Kuchaman City

• Tulsiram of Didwana

• Srikishan Pandit of Kolia

• Sukhdev Dipankar of Ladnu

During the agitation for the abolition of Jagirs in Rajasthan, Man Singh Ji took part in Marwar’s famous Kisan Sammelan / Satyagraha at Dabra, a village in Nagaur District, in March 1947. This event, known as the Dabda Kand (Marwar's Jallianwala Bagh Kand), became a historic symbol of farmer resistance.

The farmers of Marwar, particularly in Jagir areas, faced severe exploitation before independence. Without tenancy laws, cultivators could be evicted at the will of the Jagirdar. Often, 50% of the produce was taken, along with numerous lags (cesses) and forced labour, with 64 kinds of begars recorded.

Large Jagirdars had judicial powers, private police forces, and revenue staff, which kept farmers in subjugation. Education was scarce, and policies of divide and rule kept rural society fractured.

Against this backdrop, leaders like Jai Narayan Vyas and Baldev Ram Mirdha mobilized the masses under Marwar Lok Parishad (1938) and Marwar Kisan Sabha (1940). Man Singh Ji Jagarwal was a key participant from Bagra, representing both his community and the oppressed rural classes.

Man Singh Ji Jagarwal is remembered in oral traditions and family records as a fearless leader who stood for justice, farmers’ rights, and independence. His life bridged the feudal history of Bagra Jagir with the political awakening of Marwar’s rural society.

Sources:

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by Ravi Ranjan & M.K. Singh

• Wikipedia

• Family records of the Manji Jagarwal family

• Oral traditions of the region