Mandal, also spelled Mondal or Mondol, is an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

that was used for local chieftains in present-day

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. The title was usually hereditary and so, in modern times, the term is a common surname for both males and females.

Meaning

The word "mandal" has various meanings depending upon the context, such as circle, orb, disc, ring, sphere, globe, orbit, province, assemblage or zone. A

mandal A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative c ...

was an administrative circle under a district or revenue division, similar to a tehsil, in many parts of

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

. Originally this honorary title was given to the

Administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...

of provincial government. 'Mukhiya' or headman of a village was also conferred with this title. Sometimes this designation meant the person who as a representative of the

Zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

used to distribute land and also collect the revenue.

Class and community

For the upper classes in

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

, family surnames date from the arrival of the British in the eighteenth century or earlier. Gregory Clark found Mandal as one of the common surnames among petitioners to the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

courts. Sudarshana Bhaumik noted Mandal was one of the titles among Aguri feudal lords. In some parts of Bengal, especially in

Bankura Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district. Etymology It comes from the old Austric word ráŕhá or ráŕho which means “land of red soil”.P.R. Sarkar Rarh - ...

, few

Brahmins Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

use Mondal surname. Lokeshwar Basu noticed Mandal surname among a section of

Kayastha Kayastha (or Kayasth) denotes a cluster of disparate Indian communities broadly categorised by the regions of the Indian subcontinent in which they were traditionally locatedthe Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas of North India, the Chandraseniya Ka ...

and

Suvarna Banik Suvarna Banik or Subarnabanik (), also called Bene, is a Bengali mercantile caste dealing in gold and silver. During the late 18th century, merchants of the caste became prominent in trade. In spite of their inferior ritual rank, they were the mos ...

. Mondal surname is commonly found among trading and peasant communities like

Baishya Saha Baishya Saha () or Saha, is a Bengali Hindu trading caste traditionally known to have the occupation of grocers, shopkeepers, dealers, moneylenders, and farmers. Origin Śauṇḍik (vintner) finds mention in one image inscription of Pāla per ...

Mahishya Mahishya (IAST: Māhiṣya) is a Bengali Hindu traditionally agrarian caste, and formed the largest caste in undivided Bengal. Mahisyas were, and still are, an extremely diverse caste consisting of all possible classes in terms of material con ...

Sadgop Sadgop (), also spelled as Sadgope, is a Bengali Hindu Yadav (Gopa) caste. People of India Bihar Volume XVI Part Two edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 827 to 831 Seagull Books Traditionally they are engaged in cultivation. Since late mediaev ...

, Tili and some OBC castes. Mandal is also a Scheduled Castes surname, many from which has now become "social elite", according to Clark. It is also in vogue among Bengali

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

and some

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

. In Bihar,

Dhanuk The Dhanuk is an ethnic group found in India. In Bihar where they are significantly present, they have been categorised as the "lower backwards", along with several other castes constituting 32% of the state's population. In recent times they h ...

Gangota Gangotri or Gangota is a community from Bihar. Most are cultivators or landless agricultural labourers, while some of them hold lands. Their name is said to be derived from the Ganges, near where many of the community have settled. They are the de ...

Kurmi Kurmi is traditionally a non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar and Jharkhand. The Kurmis came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, ...

Kushwaha Kushwaha (sometimes Kushvaha), is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris ...

and

Yadav Yadavs are a grouping of non-elite, peasant-pastoral Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern states l ...

communities, and in Orissa some Karan use this surname.

Notable people

* Abhijit Mondal (born 1978), Indian footballer * Abhra Mondal (born 1986), Indian goalkeeper coach * Abu Saeed Muhammad Omar Ali Mandal (1919–2012), Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and translator *

Ananta Mandal Ananta Mandal (born 5 February 1983) is an Indian artist. He has been recognized with international and national honours for his watercolour, oil, and acrylic paintings. He lives and works in Mumbai, India. Early life and education Ananta Ma ...

, Indian artist *

Anil Kumar Mandal Anil Kumar Mandal is an Indian ophthalmologist and a consultant at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. Known for his research on glaucoma, Mandal is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences. The Council of Scientific a ...

, Indian ophthalmologist and

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Shanti or Shanthi may refer to: In Sanskrit * Inner peace, a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress * Kshanti, one of the paramitas of B ...

winner * Anil Mandal, Nepalese Cricketer, first batsman to score an International Century * Anil Mondal, Indian

weightlifter Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

, competed at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

and the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

Anubrata Mondal Anubrata Mondal (born 1 April 1960), also known as Kesto Mondal, is an Indian politician, who belongs to All India Trinamool Congress. He is known to be a close aide of Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. He is currently serving as ...

, Indian politician *

Arnab Mondal Arnab Kumar Mondal (born 25 September 1989) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre back. Career Born in Garden Reach, a neighborhood based in Kolkata, West Bengal, Mondal joined the youth team of Mohammedan at the age of 17 ...

(born 1989), Indian footballer * Arunoday Mondal, Indian physician,

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

awardee, popularly known as "Sundarbaner Sujan" *

Bina Mondal Bina Mondal is an Indian politician. She was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Swarupnagar as a member of the Trinamool Congress The All India Trinamool Congress (; AITC), simply known as Trinamool Congress, is an India ...

, Indian politician * Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal (1918–1982), Indian parliamentarian who headed the Mandal Commission * Chitra Mandal, Indian chemical biologist * Chitra Sen nee Mandal, Indian actress *

Deepak Mondal Deepak Kumar Mondal (born 12 October 1979) is an Indian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. A graduate of the Tata Football Academy, An Arjuna Award winner, he was one of India's most prominent right backs for over a d ...

, Indian footballer and

Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards given for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjun ...

winner *

Dilip Mondal Dilip Mondal is an Indian politician Member of Legislative Assembly from Bishnupur, South 24 Parganas (Vidhan Sabha constituency), South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. He won the election, in 2011 being an All India Trinamool Congress candidate and ...

, Indian politician and state minister * Eugenia Mandal, Polish social psychologist * Gopal Mandal, Bihari politician * Habibur Rehman Mondal (born 1986), Indian professional footballer * Hira Mondal (born 1996), Indian footballer * Jafar Mondal, goalkeeper for

Churchill Brothers FC Churchill Brothers Futebol Clube de Goa (simply known as Churchill Brothers) is an Indian professional football club based in Margao, Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League, alongside the Goa Professional League (reserves). Founded in 1 ...

* Joyita Mondal, India's first transgender judge and social worker from West Bengal *

Junior Mondal Lewis Clive Scoble (born 27 March 1997), known as Junior Mondal, is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or striker for club Spennymoor Town. He began his career with Middlesbrough but never appeared for their first team ...

, English professional footballer * Kamal Hasan Mondal (born 1982), Indian cricketer * Khitish Chandra Mondal, Bangladeshi politician and former minister * Lal Behari Dey Mandal, Indian author and Journalist *

Lata Mondal Lata Mondal (; born 16 January 1993) is a Bangladeshi cricketer who plays for the Bangladesh national women's cricket team. She plays as a right-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler. Early life and background Mondal was born on 16 Janua ...

(born 1993), Bangladeshi cricketer *

Manas Kumar Mandal Manas K Mandal is a cognitive neuropsychologist serving as the distinguished visiting professor at Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur. Research areas Mandal specializes in the areas of neuropsychology and cognitive sciences. His re ...

, Indian psychologist * Mohammad Hossain Mondol (1935–2018), director-general of

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) () is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, that conducts research on all crops except rice, jute, sugarcane, and tea for which there are separate institutes. The central re ...

* Monidipa Mimi Mondal, Indian speculative fiction writer * N. Mandal, Indian film director *

Nibir Mandal Nibir Mandal (born 1963) is an Indian structural geologist and a professor of Geological Sciences at Jadavpur University. He is known for his studies on the evolution of geological structures and is an elected fellow of Indian Academy of Science ...

, Indian geologist and

winner * Phanishwar Nath Mandal (1921–1977), one of the most influential writers of modern Hindi literature * Pratima Mondal (born 1966), Indian politician *

Rabin Mondal Rabin Mondal, born as Rabindra Nath Mondal, (1929 – 2 July 2019) was an Indian painter from Howrah, West Bengal. He was an Indian artist who was a founding member of the Calcutta Painters. He lived and worked in relative obscurity until retro ...

, Indian artist and founding member of Calcutta painters * Rash Bihari Lal Mandal, Indian

and politician * Ripon Mondol (born 2003), Bangladeshi cricketer * Samir Mondal (born 1952), Indian painter, credited with revival of watercolor painting *

Sanchari Mondal Sanchari Mondal is an Indian actress who works in Bengali-language TV serials and films, notable for playing Irabati in '' Joyee'' which was broadcast on Zee Bangla. She has also appeared in the television serials, ''Goyenda Ginni'' as Disha, ''B ...

, Indian actress *

Satya Narayan Mandal Satya Narayan Mandal (Nepali: सत्यनारायण मंडल) is a Nepalese politician and the former party leader of Province No. 2. He was a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) till 2022 general el ...

, Nepalese politician and former minister * Sayan Mondal (born 1989), Indian cricketer *

Soma Mondal Soma Mondal (born 1963) is an Indian businesswoman, who served as a Chairperson of Steel Authority of India from 1 January 2021 to 30 April 2023. Currently, she is a member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) constituted by the Go ...

, first ever female chairperson of

Steel Authority of India Limited Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is an Indian Public sector undertakings in India, public sector steel manufacturing corporation based in New Delhi. It is the largest Government of India, government-owned steel producer, with an annual pr ...

Shashwati Mandal Shashwati Mandal (b. 1971) is a Hindustani classical music vocalist. She is an exponent of the Gwalior gharana. Early life and training Shashwati was born in Gwalior in a family of musicians. Her maternal grandfather Pt. Balabhau Umdekar 'Kundal ...

, Hindustani Classical music vocalist * Shivnandan Prasad Mandal, Freedom fighter and politician * Shyama Prasad Mandal, Indian orthopaedic surgeon and

awardee * Shyamal Mondal, Indian politician and former minister of state *

Sujit Mondal Sujit Mondal is an Indian Popular film director and Screenplay writer in Bengali cinema.He is popular for Family Drama. From 2009, he started directing Bengali feature films with '' Saat Paake Bandha''. His also directed Franchise of '' Paglu 2 ...

, Indian film director * Swadhin Kumar Mandal, Indian Chemist and

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology Shanti or Shanthi may refer to: In Sanskrit * Inner peace, a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress * Kshanti, one of the paramitas of B ...

awardee

Families

* Family of President Ziaur Rahman Mandal of Bangladesh * Bawali Mondal Family, a major

family from

24 Parganas 24 Parganas (Pron: pɔrɡɔnɔs; abbr. 24 PGS), or sometimes Twenty Four Parganas, is a former district in the Indian state of West Bengal, headquartered in Alipore. On 1 March 1986, the district was bifurcated into two separate districts namel ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

* Murho zamindar family, an Ahir (Yadav) zamindar family from

Bhagalpur Bhagalpur, historically known as Champapuri, Champa Nagari, is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern bank of the Ganges river. It is the Bihar#Government and administration, third largest city of Bihar by population and ...

Fictional characters

Tara Mandal Tara Mandal is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Ayesha Dharker. She made her first appearance as Tara during the episode broadcast on 15 September 2008. Tara is introduced as the daughter of Prem ...

, character in the British soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

References