sarkar (administrative division)

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

Sarkar ({{langx|hi|{{Nastaliq|सरकार}}}}, {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|سركار}}}}, {{langx|pa|ਸਰਕਾਰ}}, {{langx|bn|সরকার}} also spelt Circar){{cite EB1911|wstitle=Circar|volume=6|page=380}} is a historical administrative division,{{cite book |last=Akhter |first=Nasrin |year=2012 |chapter=Sarkar |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sarkar |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}} used mostly in the Mughal Empire. It was a division of a Subah or province. A sarkar was further divided into {{anchor|Mahal}}Mahallas or Parganas.

The Sarkar system was replaced in the early 18th century by the Chakla system.{{cite book |last=Akhtar |first=Shirin |year=2012 |chapter=Chakla System |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Chakla_System |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}