Karmakar

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Karmakar (Bengali: কর্মকার) is a Bengali Hindu caste spread throughout West Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh. The Karmakars are traditionally blacksmiths by trade.They are one of the fourteen castes belonging to 'Nabasakh' group.[1] They are recognized as Other Backward Class and also Forward Caste (General) by the Government of West Bengal.[2]

History

The Karmakars used to be blacksmiths by profession. Over time, the Karmakars have produced engineering masterpieces.[citation needed] In 1637, Janardan Karmakar (Blacksmith) of Sylhet built the great gun of Murshidabad, the Jahan Kosha Cannon 'Destroyer of the World', which is 18' in length and weighs around 7 tons.[3][4][5] Another grand cannon named Dal Madal Kaman was built by Jagannath Karmakar in 1565 for the kingdom of Mallabhum.[6]In the late 18th century, Panchanan Karmakar pioneered the Bengali printing industry by inventing a movable type punch marked Bengali scripts.[7][citation needed]

Notables

See also

References

  1. ^ Sanyal, Hitesranjan (1981). Social Mobility in Bengal. Papyrus. p. 115.
  2. ^ "Anagrasarkalyan | Backward Classes Welfare Department". anagrasarkalyan.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  3. ^ Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Humanities, Volumes 36-38 Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 1991
  4. ^ The Land of the rupee Bennett, Coleman, 1912, the University of Michigan
  5. ^ District Census Handbook, West Bengal: Birbhum India. Superintendent of Census Operations, West Bengal, Bisweswar Ray, Superintendent, Government Printing, the University of Michigan
  6. ^ Dasgupta, Biswas & Mallik 2009, p. 55.
  7. ^ "Flower power resurrects Carey legacy". timesofindia.com. The Times Of India Kolkata. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2012.

Bibliography