Historically, a Kapitan Keling was appointed by European authorities to govern local Indian communities in colonial territories in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, similar to the more widespread office of the "

Kapitan Cina Kapitan Cina, also spelled Kapitan China or Capitan China ( en, Captain of the Chinese; ; nl, Kapitein der Chinezen), was a high-ranking government position in the civil administration of colonial Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo and the ...

" for the Chinese community. " Keling" is a Malay term for people of Indian origin, nowadays considered offensive but was not so regarded historically. Cauder Mohideen was the first Kapitan Keling of

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...

. In 1795, he -along with

Koh Lay Huan Kapitan China Koh Lay Huan (; died 1826) was a wealthy and educated man, who had earlier rebelled against the Manchu-led Chinese Qing Dynasty and fled to Siam and the Malay States, to eventually settle in Penang as its first Kapitan China. He w ...

and other prominent members of the newly founded Penang community - formed the first Committee of Assessors to decide on the municipal rates and collection of taxes.Recipe for rebellion: THE THIRD SPACE By NEIL KHOR and KHALDUN MALIK, The Sunday Star Sunday August 3, 2008
/ref> The name of Kapitan Keling Mosque, founded by Indian Muslim traders in 1801 and still a prominent Penang landmark, preserves the memory of this office.

Notes

Colonial governors and administrators Political history of Malaysia {{India-stub