The Chettiars also Chetty, Chetti, Setty, Chitty, Shetty and Shettigar is a title, commonly used by people of South Indian origin in India and abroad. It is usually derived from trading social groups. A map of South India, its rivers, regions and water bodies. ... In sociology, a group is usually defined as a collection consisting of a number of people who share certain aspects, interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members of the group and share a common identity. ...

Origin of the word

It is commonly belived to be derived from the title for traders in Prakrit, namely Shresta. However, not all agree with its Indo-Aryan lingusitic origins and think root of the word could be of Dravidian linguistic origin^[1]. Prakrit (Sanskrit prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति), original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual, i. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... Dravidian may refer to: Dravidian languages, including the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages spoken especially in southern India and Sri Lanka. ...

Similar title usage in South Asia

A similar title Seth is used amongst Gujarati speakers. In Kannada and Tulu it is Shetty, Shettar and Shettigar. In Sinhalese it is Hetty. In Nepal amongst Newari residents of Kathmandu it is Shresta. Gujarati can mean two distinct things: The Gujarati language is a language spoken in India and Pakistan, mostly in and around the Gujarat state. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Tulu is one of the minor languages of India with under 2,000,000 speakers. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Newar are the indigenous ethnolinguistic group of Nepals Kathmandu valley. ... Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमाडौं) is the capital city of Nepal and it is also the largest city in Nepal. ...

Primary usage of title

As noted many castes of different ethnic origins use the title today. The foremost one in Tamil nadu is Natukotai Chetties who are ethinically Tamil and originally hailed from Nattukotai region. Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... The Nagarathars are a Chettiar Community that originated in Cauvery Poompatinam under the Chola kingdom of India. ... The Tamil people are an ethnic group from South Asia with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ...

Other castes in Tamil Nadu using this are ethnic minority Telugu speaking Ayira Vysyas' a subsect of Komati Settys from Andhra Pradesh and also 24 Manai Telugu Chettiars. An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) belongs to the Dravidian language family but with ample influence from the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... The Komati River is a river in South Africa and Swaziland. ... Andhra Pradesh : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, Hindi: आंध्र प्रदेश; Āndhra Prādesh), is a state in South India but is also debated as Central India as well. ...

Usage among various castes

Though typical Chetty is conceived to be a trader, various social groups(non-merchant) sport this surname. In Tulu Nadu, Shettys are part of landed castes. Dakshina Kannada, also called South Kannada, South Kanara, or South Canara, is a district of Indias Karnataka state. ... Bunt is a Dravidian, Tulu/Kannada speaking class found mainly in Southern coastal Karnataka. ...

In Karnataka and Kerala, Shettigar, Chettiar or Chetty is used by members belonging to weavers' caste. However, most of Chetties are supposed be part of Edagai caste which included many depressed or lower castes. Karnātakā (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ, Hindi: कर्नाटक) (IPA: //) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Kerala ((?); Malayalam: കേരളം, — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ...

Old records even talk about porters also being identified as Chetties^[2]. Probably, Chetty encompassed a broad social spectrum previously, before caste system narrowed it down. Look up Porter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Porter - a person who carries objects Porter - a style of beer Porter - one of the minor orders of the Roman Catholic ministry / a doorkeeper or gatekeeper Porter- mexican indie band Porter - the railroad occupation. ...

Most of the non-Tamil castes use it as an affix to their profession specific names. Telugus use it as in Komati Setty where Komati represents a name of the group and Setty represents trading. Kannada and Malayali weavers use it as in Devanga Chetty or Sali Chetty, where Devanga and Sali represent the name of the group. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Malayali is the Malayalam word used to denote a person from the state of Kerala. ... [Devanga] is a sub-cast in Hindu religion. ... Saliya (or Chaliyan or sali or sale) is a Malayali weavers caste found mostly in Northern Kerala and Southern coastal Karnataka. ...

Other castes using the title

• Kongu Chettiar
• Kuruhini Chetty
• Moundadan Chetty
• Sozhia Chetty
• Telugupatty Chetty^[3]

See also

• Tamil diaspora
• Colombo Chetty
• Malacca Chitty
• Nagarathar
• Saliyar

The Tamil diaspora is a term used to denote people of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan Tamil origin who have settled in many parts of rest of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Reunion, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, French Caribbean islands, Europe, Australia and North America // Early... // Origins Colombo Chetty are a formerly endogamous Sri Lankan social group or caste. ... The Chitty caretaker of the Chitty museum. ... The Nagarathars are a Chettiar Community that originated in Cauvery Poompatinam under the Chola kingdom of India. ... Saliya (or Chaliyan or sali or sale) is a Malayali weavers caste found mostly in Northern Kerala and Southern coastal Karnataka. ...

External links

• Caste and Capitalism in Colonial India : The Nattukottai Chettiars, A Research by David W. Rudner submitted to University of California
• Nagarathar History Researched and Compiled by PL. Chidambaram
• OBITUARY REFERENCES (R.Ramanathan Chettiar)Available in the Indian Parliament website 20th December 1995
• Classic Chettinad: Home Alone by Outlook traveler Dt: JUL 2004
• Centenary celebrations of Dr Sir Rajah Muttiah Chettiar by "Daily life" Dt , Nov 25
• History of a trading community by "The Hindu" Dt 06/08/2002
• Life Sketch of SIR M.Ct. Muthiah Chettiar 1887-1929 in Hindu high school
• Rituals & Customs - Tamil Chettiar on Shaadi online
• A note about Chettiar origin Saiva neri website
• Sri Lankan Nagarathar Genealogy Website
• They leverage on easy access to credit by financial express Dt April 12,2004
• History of Chettiars Researched

References

• ↑  Rajeswary Brown (1993) Chettiar capital and Southeast Asian credit networks in the inter-war period. In G. Austin and K. Sugihara, eds. Local Suppliers of Credit in the Third World, 1750-1960. (New York: St. Martin's Press).

• ↑  David Rudner (1989) Banker's Trust and the Culture of Banking among the Nattukottai Chettiars of Colonial South India. Modern Asian Studies 23 (3), 417-458.

• ↑  Heiko Schrader (1996) Chettiar Finance in Colonial Asia. Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie 121, 101-126.

• ↑  Chetty in Hobson-Jobson dictionary

• ↑  Tamil Nadu List of Most Backward Classes (G.O. Ms. No. 100 BC and MBCW Dept dated 24-11-97)