Wikipedia
Chandrakar (or Chandraker) is one of the many surnames used by people belonging to Chandravansh,Chandranahu (Subcaste) or Kurmi (Caste) community. Chandrakars are Chandravanshi. They usually live in various parts of Chhattisgarh, India. Traditional or primary occupation of people belonging to this community is zamindari,agriculture and husbandry.
Chandravansh Chandravanshi is one of the types of Kshatriyas. [James Tod] places it in the list of Thirty Six Royal Races.
Krishna was born in Chandravansh. Several Kshatriya communities/clans claim descent from Chandra. One of Brahma's son was Ādī, whose son was Chandra (Soma), from whom started Chandravansh. Thakur Deshraj writes that those who follow the Lunar calendar for time calculation are Chandravanshi kshatriyas.
According to the historian 'Ram Lal Hala' the word Jat is derived from word 'Yat'. There was a king named 'Yat' or Yata in Chandravanshi clan who was ancestor of Lord Krishna. The Jats are descendants of King Yat. 'Yat' later changed to 'Jat'.
Krishna belonged to this branch of the Chandravanshi of Vrishnis from whom he got the name Varshneya.
The Scythian writer Abul Gazi has called himself a Chandravanshi Jat. He also writes that the mother of Scythian community was the daughter of Aila or Ailya Devi.
According to Thakur Deshraj , The Chandravanshi Aryans of India had habitations in Iran which were known as Jatali. He has referred General Cunningham who has mentioned the presence of Yayati Vanshi Jats in Jatali. Yayati was son of Nahusha. This province got the name Jatali being the habitation of Jats. The language of these Jats is Jadgali (alternate names, Jatgali, Jatki, Jat)
Maharaja Bhoj was son of Druhyu, the Chandravanshi Jatvansh King Yayati.
The Chandravanshi kshatriyas use Chandrakar,Chandravanshi as surname in regions of Chattisgarh,India and Madhya Pradesh,India.
In past,Chandrakars had aquisition of large areas of lands. Some were zamindars,Some were lord of group of villages. Chandrakar's are denoted by 'DAU' as prefix with respect this tradition is still followed.
Notable people with this surname include:
- Chandu Lal Chandrakar, politician/journalist. Member of the Lok Sabha from the Durg Constituency
- Ram Lal Chandrakar, Indian independence activist and ex-MLA/Minister in M.P
- Vasudev Chandrakar, Indian independence activist and ex-MLA/Minister in M.P
- Maksudan Lal Chandrakar, ex-MLA, Mahasamund
- Agni Chandrakar, an ex MLA of Mahasamund
- Ajay Chandrakar, Cabinet Minister, Panchayat and Rural Development,Health Minister of C.G.
- Pratima Chandrakar, ex MLA.