Abdul Karim ( – 24 July 2007) was a Bangladeshi historian. He served as the 5th vice-chancellor of the

University of Chittagong The University of Chittagong () also known as Chittagong University (CU), is a public research university located in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It was established on 18 November 1966. It is the fifth oldest university of Bangladesh. Having an area ...

. He was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

in 1995 by the

government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

. He was best known for his works on medieval and early modern Bangladeshi and South Asian history.

Early life

Abdul Karim was born on 1 June 1928 at the village Chanpachari, Banskhali of Chittagong. His father is Syed Waijuddin and mother is Rashida Khatun. He is the youngest of 3 brothers and 1 sister. In 1944, he completed his High Madrasa Examination and in 1946 his Intermediate Arts Examination. He completed his BA from

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

in 1949 and his masters in 1950.

Career

Abdul Karim joined the University of Dhaka as a lecturer in 1951. He was mentored by

Ahmad Hasan Dani Ahmad Hassan Dani (Urdu: احمد حسن دانی) FRAS, SI, HI (20 June 1920 – 26 January 2009) was a Pakistani archaeologist, historian, and linguist. He was among the foremost authorities on Central Asian and South Asian archaeology ...

. He later went to the UK to earn his Ph.D. and finished it in 1958. His dissertation topic was ''Social History of the Muslims in Bengal''. He completed a second PhD from the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. In 1966, he joined

Chittagong University The University of Chittagong () also known as Chittagong University (CU), is a public research university located in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It was established on 18 November 1966. It is the fifth oldest university of Bangladesh. Having an area ...

as chairman of the Department of History. He retired from the university in 1986. He joined the Institute for Bangladesh Studies of the

University of Rajshahi The University of Rajshahi (), also known as Rajshahi University (RU), is a public research university located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is the second oldest and third largest university in Bangladesh. The university's 59 departments are or ...

as a senior fellow and in 2001 was made professor emeritus.

Death

Abdul Karim died in Chittagong on 24 July 2007.

Selected bibliography

* Corpus of the Muslim Coins of Bengal * Corpus of the Arabic and Persian Inscriptions of Bengal * History of Bengal, Mughal Period *

Murshid Quli Khan Murshid Quli Khan ( 1660 – 30 June 1727), also known as Mohammad Hadi (born as Suryanarayana Mishra), was the first Nawab of Bengal, serving from 1717 to 1727. According to some writers, he was born a Hindu in the Deccan Plateau 1670, Mur ...

and His Times * Dhaka, the Mughal Capital * The Rohingyas: A Short Account of their History and Culture * Banglar Itihas * Social History of the Muslims in Bengal (Down to A.D. 1538)

References

20th-century Bangladeshi historians Academic staff of the University of Dhaka Vice-chancellors of the University of Chittagong Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Date of birth missing Place of birth missing Academic staff of the University of Chittagong Alumni of SOAS University of London Academic staff of the University of Rajshahi 2007 deaths People from Banshkhali Upazila {{Bangladesh-academic-bio-stub