Sarkar is a surname among the people of the Indian subcontinent. It was an honorific title given to landlords/zamindars of East India, irrespective of their religious affiliation, under the Mughal Empire and even in Sher Shah's reign, as part of the erstwhile Persian nobility. At present there are Sarkar families in different parts of West Bengal, India as well as in Bangladesh. The term is used in both Bengali Hindu and Muslim communities.
The Persian connotation of the word refers to 'chieftain', 'lord', or 'superintendent'. In modern Bengali and Hindi, however, Sarkar refers to government/governance.
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 79.0% of all known bearers of the surname Sarkar were residents of West Bengal, India and 19.8% were residents of Bangladesh. In India, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average in the following states and union territories:
- Tripura (1:29)
- West Bengal (1:55)
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1:99)
- Assam (1:207)
Notable people
Notable people with the family name of Sarkar include:
Academics
- Benoy Kumar Sarkar (1887–1949), Indian social scientist, professor, and nationalist
- Jadunath Sarkar (1870–1958), Indian aristocrat and historian
- Dr. Nilratan Sarkar (1861 – 1943), an Indian medical doctor, educationist, philanthropist and swadeshi entrepreneur.
- Lotika Sarkar (1923–2013), Indian feminist, social worker, educator and lawyer
- Mahendralal Sarkar (1833–1904), Indian doctor, social reformer, and propagator of scientific studies
- Maqbular Rahman Sarkar (1928–1985), Bangladeshi academic and tenth vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University
- Palash Sarkar (born 1969), Indian mathematician and academic
- Peary Charan Sarkar (1823–1875), Indian educationist and textbook writer
- Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (1921–1990), Indian social and spiritual philosopher
- Sahotra Sarkar (born 1962), Bengali-American philosopher of science and conservation biologist
- Sameer P. Sarkar, British psychiatrist
- Satyabrata Sarkar (born 1928) Indian biologist
- Soumodip Sarkar (born 1965), Indian economist and management researcher
- Sucharit Sarkar (born 1983), Indian mathematician
- Sumit Sarkar (born 1939), Indian historian
- Susobhan Sarkar (1900–1982), Indian historian and academic
- Tanika Sarkar, Indian historian
- Sisir Kumar Sarkar (born 1953), Indian scientist
- Tapan Sarkar (1948–2021), Indian-American electrical engineer
Literature
- Akshay Chandra Sarkar (1846–1917), Indian poet, editor and literary critic
- Arunabh Sarkar (born 1941), Bangladeshi poet, and literary Editor
- Jatin Sarker (born 1938), Bengali writer
- Subodh Sarkar (born 1958), Bengali poet
Politicians
- Abdullah Sarkar (1942–2013), Bangladeshi politician and former member of parliament
- Ajit Sarkar (1947–1998), Indian politician, member of Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- Amal Kumar Sarkar (fl. 1901–1966), Chief Justice of India
- Dilip Sarkar (Tripura politician) (1958–2019), Indian politician
- Hemanta Kumar Sarkar (1896–1952), Indian writer, linguist and politician
- Jagannath Sarkar (1919–2011), Indian Communist leader, freedom fighter, and writer
- Manik Sarkar (born 1949), Chief Minister of Tripura from 1998 to 2018
- Matilal Sarkar (born 1941), Indian politician from the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- Muhammad Jamiruddin Sarkar (born 1931), Bangladeshi barrister and politician
- Nalini Ranjan Sarkar (1882–1953), Indian businessman, industrialist and politician
Sportspeople
Footballers
- Anupam Sarkar (born 1985), Indian footballer from West Bengal
- Gautam Sarkar (born 1950), Indian footballer
- Krishna Rani Sarkar (born 2001), Bangladeshi footballer
- Tirthankar Sarkar (born 1993), Indian footballer
Cricketers
- Soumya Sarkar (born 1993), Bangladeshi cricketer
- Sourav Sarkar (born 1984), Indian cricketer
- Hannan Sarkar (born 1982), Bangladeshi test cricketer
- Uttam Sarkar (born 1986), Bangladeshi cricketer
- Satya Sarkar, Indian cricketer from Assam
- Beas Sarkar (born 1979), Indian cricketer
Journalists
- Ash Sarkar (born 1992), British journalist and political activist
- Ashok Kumar Sarkar (1912–1983), eighth editor-in-chief and owner of Anandabazar Patrika and the ABP Group
- Aveek Sarkar (born 1945), Indian newspaper owner, editor-in-chief of Anandabazar Patrika and The Telegraph
Entertainers
- Badal Sarkar (1925–2011), Indian dramatist and theatre director
- Bijoy Sarkar (1903–1985), Baul singer, lyricist and composer
- Joy Sarkar (born 1972), Indian music director and songwriter
- Laboni Sarkar (born 1962), Bengali film and television actress
- Payel Sarkar (born 1985), Indian film and television actress
- Pradeep Sarkar (born 1955), writer and director
- Priyanka Sarkar (born 1990), Bengali film and television actress
- Sohini Sarkar (born 1986), film and television actress
Gurus
- Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (1921–1990), Indian Guru of Ananda Marga
See also
References
- ^ Hanks, Patrick (8 May 2003). Dictionary of American Family Names. ISBN 0-19-977169-3.
- Melville, Charles (25 February 2021). Safavid Persia in the Age of Empires: The Idea of Iran Vol. 10. ISBN 978-0-7556-3379-1.
- Lorea, Carola (August 2016). Folklore, Religion and the Songs of a Bengali Madman: A Journey between Performance and the Politics of Cultural Representation. ISBN 978-90-04-32471-8.
- "সরকার". English & Bengali Online Dictionary & Grammar. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- "Sarkar Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". Forebears. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
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