Colombo Chetties
Encyclopedia
Colombo Chetty, also known as Colombo Chetties, Colombo Chittis or Colombo Hetties, are a formerly endogamous Sri Lanka
n social group or caste
.
speakers with a smattering of Malayalee or Telugu
speakers. Although Indian traders have been visiting and settling down in Sri Lanka for more than 2,500 years,
According to Aserappa (1930), the earliest ancestors of the Chetties were likely to have dwelt in various regions of the Indian sub-continent (identifying locations such as Varnasi, Gersoppa Falls and Coorg. He takes the view that after the conquest of parts of the North by Mahmud of Ghazni (971-1030), that many Hindu nobles migrated to Negapatam, Tinnavelly and Tanjore (Thanjavur), the latter remaining as a Marathi principality. He further states that it was during the period in which they were in Malabar and the Coramandel coasts that they began to visit the island of Sri Lanka, prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, for purposes of trade.
Citing the Mahavamsa Vol III, Aserappa describes Chetty settlers as having migrated to Sri Lanka from various places, settling on the island at different times. The earliest record is of Epologama Hetti Bandara and Modattawa Chetty who accompanied seven sons of King Mallawa to the island, bearing gifts and being rewarded by the King with titles and villages such as Keleniya, Toppu, Ballagalla, Botalla and Hettimulla.
Nissanka Alagakonara (minister of the King Vickramabahu III) is said to have been a Chetty-Setti who migrated to Sri Lanka from Kanchipuram, in the wake of Muslim invasions. He translated his wealth, accumulated through mercantile activities, into political power in the Kingdom of Gampola. Alagakomara, Kumara Alakesvara (half-brother to King Buwanekabahu V) and Vira Alakesvara controlled the area of Sri Jayawardenepura in succession from the mid 14th C until 1411, when he was abducted by the visiting Chinese Admiral Zheng He. The Sinhalese warrior Sapumal Kumaraya was Sembha Perumal, a member of the Chetty or Setthi community, he was king of Jaffna for 16 years and later crowned King of Kotte in 1556.
and Colombo Chetties is somewhat blurred. Many Colombo Chetty families trace themselves to Hindu
South Indian roots in the 17th C. The famous Ondaatje Family is descended from a physician of the Court of Tanjore, Michael Jurie Ondaatje (see below) whose descendants married freely amongst Colombo Chetties - though the family later acquired a Burgher ethnic admixture. (See Michael Ondaatje
.) But until about 75 years ago most were educated in English with Tamil as the second language and were grouped by the British under the broad term "Malabars", a term which at the time was meant to include the Tamil people
of the Colony of Ceylon. However, Colombo Chetty families married into both elite Sinhalese
and Sri Lankan Tamil families.
Most early Sri Lankan pioneers in the colonial civil service, doctors, educators and religious leaders were in fact of Colombo Chetty origins. The author of the definitive modern history of the Tamil Jaffna Kingdom
was a Colombo Chetty. But in modern times they speak English, rather than Tamil, at home and are considered to be neither Sinhalese nor Tamil in the official census.
, England
and Canada
has tended to dilute their numbers.
and Malayali
title Pillai. Cassichetty is a clan name amongst Telugu
or Tamil speaking Komati Setties of Andhra Pradesh
origin in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n social group or caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
.
Origins
Colombo Chetty are mostly Roman Catholics or Anglicans and are found in almost all niches of Sri Lankan society. The Colombo Chetties known historically as Sethi, Situ or Sitano started migration to Lanka during and after the Vijayan period, their original places of inhabitance being North East India in areas in or close to Coorg and Benares. Historians mention the presence of chetties during the arrival of Prince Vijaya, they are also prominently mentioned and played a significant role in the Arrival of the sacerd Bo sapling and also the advent of Buddhism to Lanka, in all probability they were the original Buddhists of Sri lanka, The accounts as written by Prof H Ellawala narrate that the seven princes who were brothers of Queen Videshi Devi were sons of Devasatthi of Avanthi and were the uncles of Prince Mahinda and Princess Sangamitta. The Lambakarna Dynasty which ruled Sri lanka for over 350 years beginning with King Vasaba and up to King Mahasen were descendents of one of these sethhi princes, namely Prince Sumitta. The greatest dayakaya of the Buddha known to all as Anathapindika was a sethi by the name of Sethhi Sudatta; however several Colombo Chetties migrated to Sri Lanka in the Portuguese and Dutch period often became members of the Dutch Reformed Church, few if any of that faith remain today. Members trace their origins to mercantile groups (belonging to the Tanya-Vaishya or mercantile varna in India with mames such as Setti and Chetty) of various ethnicities from India. Most were TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
speakers with a smattering of Malayalee or Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
speakers. Although Indian traders have been visiting and settling down in Sri Lanka for more than 2,500 years,
According to Aserappa (1930), the earliest ancestors of the Chetties were likely to have dwelt in various regions of the Indian sub-continent (identifying locations such as Varnasi, Gersoppa Falls and Coorg. He takes the view that after the conquest of parts of the North by Mahmud of Ghazni (971-1030), that many Hindu nobles migrated to Negapatam, Tinnavelly and Tanjore (Thanjavur), the latter remaining as a Marathi principality. He further states that it was during the period in which they were in Malabar and the Coramandel coasts that they began to visit the island of Sri Lanka, prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, for purposes of trade.
Citing the Mahavamsa Vol III, Aserappa describes Chetty settlers as having migrated to Sri Lanka from various places, settling on the island at different times. The earliest record is of Epologama Hetti Bandara and Modattawa Chetty who accompanied seven sons of King Mallawa to the island, bearing gifts and being rewarded by the King with titles and villages such as Keleniya, Toppu, Ballagalla, Botalla and Hettimulla.
Nissanka Alagakonara (minister of the King Vickramabahu III) is said to have been a Chetty-Setti who migrated to Sri Lanka from Kanchipuram, in the wake of Muslim invasions. He translated his wealth, accumulated through mercantile activities, into political power in the Kingdom of Gampola. Alagakomara, Kumara Alakesvara (half-brother to King Buwanekabahu V) and Vira Alakesvara controlled the area of Sri Jayawardenepura in succession from the mid 14th C until 1411, when he was abducted by the visiting Chinese Admiral Zheng He. The Sinhalese warrior Sapumal Kumaraya was Sembha Perumal, a member of the Chetty or Setthi community, he was king of Jaffna for 16 years and later crowned King of Kotte in 1556.
Independent identity
The ethnic distinction between BurghersBurgher people
The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers...
and Colombo Chetties is somewhat blurred. Many Colombo Chetty families trace themselves to Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
South Indian roots in the 17th C. The famous Ondaatje Family is descended from a physician of the Court of Tanjore, Michael Jurie Ondaatje (see below) whose descendants married freely amongst Colombo Chetties - though the family later acquired a Burgher ethnic admixture. (See Michael Ondaatje
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
.) But until about 75 years ago most were educated in English with Tamil as the second language and were grouped by the British under the broad term "Malabars", a term which at the time was meant to include the Tamil people
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
of the Colony of Ceylon. However, Colombo Chetty families married into both elite Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
and Sri Lankan Tamil families.
Most early Sri Lankan pioneers in the colonial civil service, doctors, educators and religious leaders were in fact of Colombo Chetty origins. The author of the definitive modern history of the Tamil Jaffna Kingdom
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
was a Colombo Chetty. But in modern times they speak English, rather than Tamil, at home and are considered to be neither Sinhalese nor Tamil in the official census.
Current condition
As an elite and prosperous group they no longer strictly marry amongst themselves. In addition, migration to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
has tended to dilute their numbers.
Common last names
Some common Colombo Chetty last names are Alles, Anandappa, Cassichetty, Candappa, Fernandopulle, Sangaramoorthypulle, Savundranayagam, Mickem Perumal, Babapulle, Ondaatje, Pulle Tissera, Mutucumaru, Emanuelpulle, Rodrigopulle, Tissera,Tavarayan and Sylvesterpulle. It should be noted that Pulle is a Sinhalese version of the common TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
and Malayali
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
title Pillai. Cassichetty is a clan name amongst Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
or Tamil speaking Komati Setties of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
origin in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Prominent Colombo Chetties
- Authors
- Rohan Candappa Canadian Author
- Michael OndaatjeMichael OndaatjePhilip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
OCOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Canadian novelist and poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, perhaps best known for his Booker Prize winning novel adapted into an Academy-AwardAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning film, The English PatientThe English Patient (film)The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture...
- Corporate and mercantile leaders
- Reggie CandappaReggie CandappaReggie Candappa is a Sri Lankan media personality and founder chairman of Sri Lanka's biggest advertising agency, Grant McCann Erickson.-Biography:Reggie was born in 1919 to father A.R...
Founder Chairman Grant McCann EricksonGrant McCann EricksonGrant McCann Erickson is a leading Sri Lankan advertising agency and part of the McCann Worldgroup which has offices in over 130 countries and almost eight decades of multinational experience.-History:... - Neela MarikkarNeela MarikkarNeela Marikkar is the Chairperson of the Grant McCann Erickson, a leading Communications Group in Sri Lanka in partnership with Mccann Worldgroup, USA.-Biography:Neela is a daughter of the legendary Sri Lankan media personality Reggie Candappa....
Chairperson Grant McCann EricksonGrant McCann EricksonGrant McCann Erickson is a leading Sri Lankan advertising agency and part of the McCann Worldgroup which has offices in over 130 countries and almost eight decades of multinational experience.-History:... - Christopher OndaatjeChristopher OndaatjeSir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE is a Sri Lankan-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and Olympian. He lives in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
OCOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate... - Shirley P Tissera JP - Company Director, CEO, Board member of the Global Fund to fight AIDS/TB/ Malaria (GFATM) in Geneva, switzerland.
- Reggie Candappa
- Entertainers and sports people
- Niranjan Casie Chetty Sri Lankan tennis star