Tarafdar

Tarafdar (spelling variations: Taraphdar, Taraphder, Tarafder) is a surname found in the states of West Bengal and Karnataka in India and in parts of Bangladesh. Historically, "Tarafdar" title was given by Afghan (pre-Mughal era) kings, though few of the later Indian kings adopted this methodology.

Tarafdars were given lands "Tarafs" to manage. The land management included collecting taxes, both normal and agricultural taxes (Lagaan). A Tarafdar maintained all the accounts and handled all the monetary/financial transactions for his land.

The title was a prestigious position, so descendants continued claiming it, and it turned into a surname.

In Bengali, Tarafdars were known as "Khajanchi".

Tarafdar is a surname in Iran and in Turkey. In Persian, "Taraf" means "direction" and "dar" means "have" literally "to have a directin". Actually the combination means "in favor of"; e.g. "Tarafda:r e sb" means "In favor of sb". In Turkish it indicates someone who is a joiner of organizations.