Sri Lankan Chetties (, ) also known as Colombo Chetties, are an ethnicity in the island of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. Before 2001, they were classified as a

Sri Lankan Tamil Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, form the plurality in the Eastern Province a ...

caste, but then after 2001, they were classified as a separate ethnic group in the 2001 census. They are now collectively referred to as the Colombo Chetties. They were said to have migrated from India under Portuguese rule and were given special rights and representation during colonial rule. In modern times, the Chetties have been assimilated either into Sinhala or Tamil resp.

Vellalar Vellalar is a group of Caste system in India, castes in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several endogamous castes such as the numerically strong Arunattu Vellalar, Chozhi ...

society. Most Chetties grow in Sinhala backgrounds. ''Hetti'' is another term used in this context, referring to the present generation of Chetties who do not have any relation to India but are solely from Sri Lanka.

Etymology

The word is thought to have been derived from the

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

word ''Etti'', an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

title bestowed on the leading and noble people.

History

They settled mostly in western

, especially in the ports of

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

from the 16th century to mid 17th century, during the rule of the Portuguese and Dutch. The Chetties of Western Sri Lanka converted to various forms of Christianity during the colonial era:

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

under Portuguese rule, as well as to

Anglicanism Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and

Reformed Christianity Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian ...

under

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

and Dutch rule, respectively. Marriages between Sinhalese (Sinhala people) and Chetties are very common and therefore many were Sinhalised. The Chetties of Northern Sri Lanka especially in Jaffna were mainly absorbed by the Vellalar caste, although, some still remain separate. A high number of Chetties still live in Nallur, which is known for the inhabitation of high castes, whereas even a road is commemorated for them.The Exile Returned: A Self-Portrait of the Tamil Vellahlahs of Jaffna, Sri Lanka by S. Ratnajeevan H Hoole Representatives of the ''Colombo Chetty Association'' stressed out their distinctiveness, appealing for forming a separate ethnic group. The Chetties were notably also from 1814 to 1817 listed as a separate ethnic group. Historically an elite and generally wealthy ethnicity, they no longer strictly marry amongst themselves. In addition, migration to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

has tended to dilute their numbers.

Notable people

*Major General Anton Muttukumaru, the first native Ceylonese to serve as the Commander of the Ceylon Army * Tyron D. S. Silvapulle PWV, RWP. RWP * Simon Casie Chetty * Jeyaraj Fernandopulle

References

;Sources * Casiechitty S, The Castes, Customs, Manners and Literature of the Tamils. Colombo: Ceylon Printers, 1934. * Pulle Tissera Shirley - History of The Colombo Chetties - 2000 * Thurston E, Castes and Tribes of Southern India ;Notes

External links

Dutch Burgher/Sri Lankan Chetty Combined Genealogy list
{{Indian diaspora Chetties Chetties Chetties Sri Lankan Tamil castes Sri Lankan people of Indian descent Indians in Sri Lanka

Etymology

History

Notable people

See also

References

External links