Chettiar
Chettiar(செட்டியார்)
| Total population |
| 14% population of TamilNadu[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Sivagangai, Salem, Pudukkottai, Theni, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri,Dharmapuri, Chennai, Thiruppur, Trichy, Thanjavur, Karur, Namakkal, Dindigul Districts, Aruppukkottai, Paramakudi |
| Languages |
|
Tamil, Telugu, Kannada
|
| Religion |
|
Hinduism
|
| Related ethnic groups |
|
Dravidian people
|
Chettiar (Tamil: செட்டியார் Ceṭṭiyār), also spelled Chetty, is a title used by various castes in South India especially in Tamil Nadu. In Kannada, it appears as Setty, Shettar and Shettigar, who are Padmashalis in Andhra Pradesh.Chettiars are the most successful and prominent trading community in Tamil Nadu. [2]
In Tamil Nadu, 14% of the population is Chettiar. [3]
Primary usage of title
Chettiar title is used mainly by trading castes of South India. It is also used by the non-trading communities such as the Kummara. The title is equivalent to Vysyas in varna, a popular medieval usage mainly among the North Indians who were engaged in trade of various kinds.
Usage among various occupational
Most of the non-Tamil castes use it as an affix to their profession specific names. Setty represents a trade in Telugu. Telugu, Kannada and Malayali weavers use the title of Chettiar although they are of different castes, but engaged in the same occupation.
Castes using the title
Notable Persons from distinct castes using Chettiar title in Tamil Nadu
Nattukottai Chettiar
- Alagappa Chettiar, philanthropist, Founder of Alagappa University, Karaikudi
- Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar, Founder of Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Thigarajar Textile mills, Bank of Madura, Madurai
- Ramaswami Chettiar, philanthropist and businessman
- Annamalai Chettiar, philanthropist, Founder of Annamalai University, Chidambaram and Founder of Chettinad group of Companies
- M. Ct. Muthiah Chettiar, Indian banker who served as a director of the Indian Bank
- A. R. Lakshmanan, Former Madras High Court Judge
- M. A. Muthiah Chettiar, philanthropist, first Mayor of Chennai
- M. A. M. Ramaswamy, MP, Rajya Sabha, Co-Founder & Present Chairman of Chettinad Group of Companies, Pro-Chancellor for Annamalai University, winner of 500 horse racing classics
- Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar, Founder of AVM Productions
- M. A. Chidambaram, M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is named after him
- A. C. Muthiah, Former President of BCCI
- P. Chidambaram, Home Minister of India
- Angidi Chettiar, Former Vice President of Mauritius
- Kaviarasar Kannadasan, Famous Tamil Poet
- S. P. Muthuraman, Famous Director in Tamil Cinema
- A. L. Vijay, Famous Director in Tamil Cinema
- Vasanth, Famous Director and screenwriter in Tamil Cinema
- Karu Pazhaniappan, Famous Director and screenwriter in Tamil Cinema
- Abirami Ramanathan, President of Theatre Owners Association, Tamil Nadu
- S. Regupathy, Former MP and Former Minister of Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai
- C. T. Chidambaram, Former MLA, Karaikudi constituency
- N. Sundaram, Former MLA, Karaikudi constituency
- N. Subramanian Chettiar, Former MLA, srirangam constituency
- Tamilvanan, Tamil language author and publisher
- M. Saravanan, Film producer.
- Jeeva, Film director
- M. S. Guhan, producer of Tamil films.
- Subbu Panchu Arunachalam, Producer, Actor
Devangar
Senaithalaivar
24 Manai Telugu Chettiar
- Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Former poet in film industry from Udumalaipettai
- K. C. Palanisamy, Former MP and Famous Industrialist, Karur
- V. Jayaraman, politician, Former Minister, MLA, AIADMK, Pollachi
- E. G. Sugavanam, MP, Krishnagiri
- P. Dhanapal, politician and former MLA, Sankari constituency
- Kutraleeswaran, intercontinental swimmer from Chennai.
Pattariyar
Padmasaliyar
- Nalli Chinnasamy Chetti, Founder, Nalli, Chennai
Vaniya Chettiar
References
[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
Notes
Other resources
- Christine Dobson, Asian Entrepreneurial Minorities, Curzon Press UK, 1996. A chapter in the book is devoted to the Chettiars who set up businesses in Burma.
- 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.
External links