Karmakar
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Karmakar (Bengali: কর্মকার) is a Bengali Hindu caste spread throughout West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh. The Karmakars are traditionally blacksmiths by trade. In West Bengal, they are generally categorized under Forward Caste (General category) in most contexts. However, in some areas or for specific government schemes, they are also listed under OBC (Other Backward Classes).
History
[edit ]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.[1] [2] [3] Another grand cannon named Dal Madal Kaman was built by Jagannath Karmakar in 1565 for the kingdom of Mallabhum.[4] In the late 18th century, Panchanan Karmakar pioneered the Bengali printing industry by inventing a movable type punch marked Bengali script.[5] [citation needed ]
Notables
[edit ]- Radhu Karmakar (1919–1993), cinematographer and film director
- Prokash Karmakar (1933–2014), artist
- Romuald Karmakar (b. 1965), French & German film director
- Joydeep Karmakar (b. 1979), sports shooter
- Prasanta Karmakar (b. 1980), swimmer
- Dipa Karmakar (b. 1993), gymnast
- Panchanan Karmakar (d. 1804), inventor of the Bangla Font
- Tamalika Karmakar (b. 1970), actress and national award winner
- Kalidas Karmakar (b. 1946), noted artist and Ekushey Padak laureate
- Vidyadhar Karmakar (b.1925), actor
References
[edit ]- ^ Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Humanities, Volumes 36-38 Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 1991
- ^ The Land of the rupee Bennett, Coleman, 1912, the University of Michigan
- ^ District Census Handbook, West Bengal: Birbhum India. Superintendent of Census Operations, West Bengal, Bisweswar Ray, Superintendent, Government Printing, the University of Michigan
- ^ Dasgupta, Biswas & Mallik 2009, p. 55.
- ^ "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
[edit ]- Dasgupta, Gautam Kumar; Biswas, Samira; Mallik, Rabiranjan (2009), Heritage Tourism: An Anthropological Journey to Bishnupur, A Mittal Publication, p. 55, ISBN 978-8183242943
