Created by Ekdalian
Last edited August 11, 2026

Karmakar (Bengali: কর্মকার) is a Bengali Hindu caste spread throughout West Bengal. The Karmakars are traditionally blacksmiths by trade.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

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.[2][3][4] Another grand cannon named Dal Madal Kaman was built by Jagannath Karmakar in 1565 for the kingdom of Mallabhum.[5]In the late 18th century, Panchanan Karmakar pioneered the Bengali printing industry by inventing a movable type punch marked Bengali scripts.[6][citation needed]

Notables[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Sanyal, Hitesranjan (1981). Social Mobility in Bengal. Papyrus. p. 115.
  2. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Humanities, Volumes 36-38 Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 1991
  3. The Land of the rupee Bennett, Coleman, 1912, the University of Michigan
  4. District Census Handbook, West Bengal: Birbhum India. Superintendent of Census Operations, West Bengal, Bisweswar Ray, Superintendent, Government Printing, the University of Michigan
  5. Dasgupta, Biswas & Mallik 2009, p. 55.
  6. "Flower power resurrects Carey legacy". timesofindia.com. The Times Of India Kolkata. Retrieved 9 February 2012.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]