Hubbry Logo
Sri Lankan ChettiesSri Lankan ChettiesMain
Open search
Sri Lankan Chetties
Community hub
Sri Lankan Chetties
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Sri Lankan Chetties
Sri Lankan Chetties
Sri Lankan Chetties
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Sri Lankan Chetties (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා චෙට්ටි, romanized: Śrī laṁkā Ceṭṭi, Tamil: இலங்கை செட்டி, romanized: Ilaṅkai Ceṭṭi) also known as Colombo Chetties, are an ethnicity in the island of Sri Lanka.[1] Before 2001, they were classified as a Sri Lankan Tamil caste, but then after 2001, they were classified as a separate ethnic group in the 2001 census.[2][3] 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.[4]

Key Information

In modern times, the Chetties have been assimilated either into Sinhala or Tamil resp. Vellalar society.[5] 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

[edit]

The word is thought to have been derived from the Tamil word Etti, an honorific title bestowed on the leading and noble people.[6]

History

[edit]
See also: Chettiar
A Sri Lankan Chetty of 19th century

They settled mostly in western Sri Lanka, especially in the ports of Colombo from the 16th century to mid 17th century, during the rule of the Portuguese and Dutch.[7][8] The Chetties of Western Sri Lanka converted to various forms of Christianity during the colonial era: Roman Catholicism under Portuguese rule, as well as to Anglicanism and Reformed Christianity under British rule and Dutch rule, respectively.[9] Marriages between Sinhalese (Sinhala people) and Chetties are very common and therefore many were Sinhalised.[10][11] The Chetties of Northern Sri Lanka especially in Jaffna were mainly absorbed by the Vellalar caste, although, some still remain separate.[5] 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.[12]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
2001 10,800—    
2011 6,075−43.8%
Source:Department of Census
& Statistics[13]
Data is based on
Sri Lankan Government Census.

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.[4]

Historically an elite and generally wealthy ethnicity, they no longer strictly marry amongst themselves. In addition, migration to Australia, England, United States of America and Canada has tended to dilute their numbers.[citation needed]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sri Lankan Chetties

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Sri Lankan Chetties, also known as Colombo Chetties, constitute a small Tamil-speaking ethnic minority in , originating from South Indian castes such as the Tana Vaisya who migrated during the colonial period under Portuguese, Dutch, and British rule. Numbering approximately 6,000 individuals according to the national census, they are predominantly concentrated in the Western Province, particularly , and are recognized as a distinct group separate from and Indian-origin communities due to their historical roles in intra-Asian networks, banking, and moneylending. Primarily Hindu with a minority following , the Chetties historically maintained endogamous practices and economic prominence, though their community has faced assimilation pressures and amid Sri Lanka's post-independence ethnic dynamics. Their defining characteristics include a legacy of financial acumen that contributed to colonial commerce and civil litigation records, reflecting extensive connections, without notable political controversies but with ongoing debates over census categorization and cultural preservation.

Origins

Etymology

The term "Chetties," as applied to the Sri Lankan , derives from "Setthi," "Situ," or "Etti," denoting a , trader, or banker, which underscores their traditional occupation in . This nomenclature aligns with the term sethi and Sinhalese equivalents hetti or situ, both historically referring to affluent traders within the island's economic networks. The designation traces to South Indian mercantile castes such as the Chettiars or Komatis, associated with the varna of trading nobility described in ancient , particularly the Tana Vaisya subgroup originating from regions near Coorg and Benares in . In colonial documentation from the (16th century) and Dutch (17th–18th centuries) administrations, "Chetties" specifically connoted these merchant groups, distinguishing them from general Tamil or Sinhalese designations by emphasizing their specialized role in coastal trade and moneylending rather than agrarian or labor castes. Prior to the 2001 census, Sri Lankan Chetties were administratively categorized under the broader Sri Lankan Tamil ethnicity, but the formally recognized them as a distinct ethnic group, reflecting terminological evolution toward acknowledgment of their unique caste-based identity. This shift highlighted the term's enduring merchant-specific implications, separate from linguistic or regional Tamil affiliations.

Ancestral Background

The Sri Lankan Chetties descend from the Tana Vaisya , a mercantile group whose earliest known ancestors inhabited northern and northwestern , including regions near Coorg in present-day and Benares () in , prior to southward migrations driven by historical pressures. These migrations positioned their forebears in southern Indian locales such as and , where they integrated into broader trading networks as Komati Chettiars or Arya Vysyas, subgroups within the Vaisya varna traditionally associated with commerce. Historical records attest to their specialization in intra-Asian from medieval periods onward, focusing on high-value like spices, textiles, and precious metals through organized systems. Epigraphic evidence from South Indian inscriptions, dating to the 8th–13th centuries CE, references merchant guilds such as the Ainnurruvar (Five Hundred Lords of the Country) and Manigramam, in which Chettiar-like traders participated, facilitating across the and well before European maritime expansion. These guilds maintained autonomy, including armed escorts for caravans and diplomatic ties with regional rulers, underscoring the Chetties' pre-colonial economic prominence rooted in verifiable institutional frameworks rather than unsubstantiated lore. Cultural practices, including , Hindu rituals centered on deities like Ayyanar, and endogamous norms, reflect unbroken continuity with these South Indian merchant castes, preserving -specific customs amid regional adaptations in . Such lineage emphasizes empirical ties to verifiable Indian caste histories over mythic origins, with guild charters and temple donations serving as primary attestations of their commercial heritage.

Historical Migration and Settlement

Arrival During Colonial Era

The migration of Chetties to during the colonial era commenced with the establishment of Portuguese control in 1505, which opened coastal trade routes and monopolies on commodities such as and elephants, attracting South Indian merchants seeking commercial expansion. Mass influxes occurred under rule (1505–1658), as Chetties, originating from merchant communities in regions like in , leveraged established family and networks to relocate for prospects rather than displacement. These networks facilitated voluntary settlement, with Chetties acting as intermediaries in transactions between European traders and local Sinhalese elites, particularly in ports where direct European-local dealings were limited by cultural and linguistic barriers. Under Dutch rule (1658–1796), following their capture of key coastal enclaves like in 1656, further waves arrived, drawn by the VOC's emphasis on exports and regulated systems that favored reliable Indian partners. Dutch records from the mid-17th century, including interactions during Rajasinha II's era (1629–1687), document Chetties' roles in facilitating , with settlements concentrating in western coastal areas such as 's Pettah district, where they handled imports and exports without evidence of coercion. This period saw Chetties, primarily from Tamil-speaking subgroups with roots in South Indian trading castes like the Nagarathars, establishing domiciles through ties, enabling sustained into the colonial mercantile framework. Empirical accounts from colonial interactions highlight their utility as cultural and economic bridges, predating formal British censuses that later enumerated them distinctly in 1814.

Patterns of Settlement and Adaptation

Sri Lankan Chetties concentrated their settlements in urban coastal areas of western , particularly the ports of and , where they arrived as traders during the 16th and 17th centuries under and Dutch colonial rule. administrative records, such as the tombo surveys from 1613–1615, document their presence in , including near Fort and Hetti Veediya. The British census of 1814 recognized them as a distinct , with further enumeration in 1871 recording 3,114 individuals, predominantly male and centered in urban . Smaller pockets extended to North Western Province locales like Dankotuwa, Thoppuwa, Welihena, and , reflecting a primarily urban orientation with limited rural dispersion. Social adaptation emphasized pragmatic integration over isolation, with Chetties forming endogamous clusters to preserve communal identity while selectively pursuing intermarriages with Sinhalese, Tamil, and Burgher families to secure economic partnerships and local alliances. Historical examples include unions with elite Sinhalese lineages, such as an ancestor of former President marrying into a Sinhalese family, facilitating name and broader societal embedding. This selective , combined with conversions to during colonial eras, enabled assimilation into dominant social structures without eroding core ethnic distinctions, as affirmed by their separate classification in censuses and formal recognition as an ethnic group in 1984. Linguistic adaptation involved proficiency in both Tamil, their ancestral language, and Sinhala, prevalent in settlement areas, allowing fluid interactions across ethnic divides; community members often employed interchangeable usage in daily and record-keeping contexts. During British rule, English supplemented these for professional advancement, underscoring a multilingual responsive to colonial and local majorities. Overall, these patterns prioritized economic viability and social cohesion, evidenced by sustained presence in trade hubs and inter-community ties documented in colonial land grants and demographic surveys.

Economic and Social Role

Traditional Merchant Activities

The Nattukottai Chettiars, comprising the core of Sri Lankan Chetties, dominated merchant banking and money-lending in Ceylon from the late through the early 20th, providing short-term essential for local and that European institutions largely shunned due to toward indigenous borrowers. Their operations, documented in British colonial ledgers and the 1934 Ceylon Banking Commission Report, extended to financing export-oriented sectors, including spices and gems, with Chettiar firms acting as intermediaries in Indo-Ceylon routes established under Dutch monopolies but liberalized post-1796. This niche enabled capital flows without reliance on colonial subsidies, as Chettiars mobilized funds independently to support commodity exports amid economic transitions like the 1840s coffee boom. Caste guilds, structured around kinship and temple-affiliated partnerships (nagar kovil), underpinned their banking networks, allowing pooled remittances from and to accumulate —estimated at 14% self-financed by 1930—and distribute risks across hundreds of family firms. This system fostered commerce hubs in urban centers like Pettah's Sea Street, where Chettiar pawn-broking and gold trade concentrated financial activity, enhancing liquidity for planters and merchants during volatile commodity cycles without state intervention. By the early , such networks had amassed assets including 50,000 acres of land valued at 30 million rupees by 1934, directly bolstering Ceylon's economy through unsecured lending to smallholders. Their value-creating role stemmed from causal mechanisms like enforceable clan-based contracts and asymmetries exploited via regional ties, yielding resilience evident in sustained operations through the downturn, unlike less adaptive local financiers. Colonial records affirm this productivity, with Chettiars financing up to tea and rubber transitions by mid-19th century, contributing to GDP growth via multiplication absent from formal banking until their mid-century emergence.

Community Organization and Customs

The Sri Lankan Chetties organized their communities around patriarchal units, with the father or eldest son serving as the responsible for decision-making in household and commercial matters. These units often encompassed extended kin, facilitating joint oversight of enterprises, where businesses were treated as collective assets to ensure intergenerational continuity rather than individualistic division. Historical practices in the , as reflected in colonial-era documentation, emphasized undivided of trading concerns to sons capable of demonstrating , prioritizing practical competence over equal partition. Marriage customs centered on parental arrangements, typically within the community's subcaste divisions—such as the seven subgroups of the Tana Vaisya —to safeguard specialized mercantile and networks. This preserved trading acumen through direct transmission, with sons undergoing apprenticeships under paternal guidance to master , , and market assessment skills, fostering a merit-oriented where proven ability elevated status within and community lines. Dispute resolution occurred via informal councils of respected elders, functioning akin to panchayats in analogous Indian traditions, where resolutions hinged on contractual equity and economic pragmatism to minimize disruptions to trade relations. Such mechanisms underscored causal linkages between social cohesion and commercial viability, with influential arbitrators emerging from those exhibiting superior in prior dealings.

Religious Practices

Core Beliefs and Hinduism

The Sri Lankan Chetties, deriving from the Nattukottai Chettiar mercantile caste of Tamil Nadu, maintain adherence to Saiva Siddhanta as their foundational Hindu doctrine, a non-dualistic yet devotional Shaivite system emphasizing Shiva's grace for the soul's release from bondage through ritual worship and ethical discipline. This philosophy, codified in Tamil Agamas and Meykandar's 13th-century texts, prioritizes temple-based lingam veneration by initiated priests over speculative metaphysics, aligning with the community's emphasis on structured devotion amid commercial mobility. Endowments to temples underscore this continuity, with the Kailasa Nathan Kovil and Ganesh shrine in Captain Gardens receiving a 5.5-acre in 1817 from Sivan Poothaparar, while the Muttuvinayakara Temple on was funded by Nattukottai Chettiars in 1856 for and rites. These sites host daily abhishekam () rituals using milk, bilva leaves, and ash, drawn from South Indian templates to ensure purity in worship spaces that doubled as community anchors during 19th-century trade expansions. Core observances include vegetarian strictures and protocols rooted in Agamic injunctions against impurity, empirically facilitating avoidance in peripatetic banking—evident in the caste's avoidance of meat to preserve ritual eligibility for puja and deal-sealing oaths. Festivals like Nonbu (Thai Pongal), marked by sunrise rice boiling and Sun salutations on January 14-15 per Tamil almanacs, tie agrarian thanksgiving to mercantile cycles, with community pujas invoking prosperity from as harvest yields underpinned collateral in rice belts.

Influences from Conversion and Syncretism

Some Sri Lankan Chetties, particularly those engaged in trade along the western coast, underwent conversions to Roman Catholicism during the Portuguese era (1505–1658), with records indicating that such shifts facilitated access to colonial trade networks and legal protections unavailable to non-converts. These conversions were often partial, as missionary accounts and family histories note that converts like early Chetty figures retained Hindu rituals in private, such as ancestor veneration and caste-specific marriage customs, prioritizing economic pragmatism over full doctrinal adherence. Primary evidence from Portuguese decrees, such as the 1542 royal edict granting subject status and trade incentives to Catholic converts, underscores voluntary motivations tied to rather than widespread , which lacks substantiation in Chetty-specific baptismal logs or ethnographies. Under subsequent Dutch (1658–1796) and British (1796–1948) administrations, additional Chetty families adopted , including , with 18th- and 19th-century records documenting conversions among merchant elites in who built churches while preserving endogamous practices akin to their Hindu origins. This pattern reflects causal links to colonial , where alignment with ruling powers enhanced credit access and land grants, yet community structures like exclusivity persisted post-conversion, as seen in family genealogies maintaining Chetty-specific alliances. Ethnographic observations from the early describe syncretic festivals in Chetty enclaves, blending Christian saints' days with Hindu deity processions, such as adapted Ganesh worship during Catholic feasts, illustrating adaptive hybridity without evidence of . Retention of Hindu elements amid Christian affiliation highlights pragmatic adaptation, with no primary missionary logs indicating mass coercion among Chetties; instead, incentives like tax exemptions for converts in Portuguese-held ports drove selective shifts, preserving core social cohesion through covert syncretism. This contrasts with broader island-wide patterns, where Chetty merchants' focus on favored alliances over ideological purity, as corroborated by colonial trade ledgers linking to mercantile concessions.

Demographics and Contemporary Status

Population and Distribution

The Sri Lankan Chetties were officially recognized as a distinct ethnic group in the 2001 , prior to which they had been subsumed under the broader Sri Lankan Tamil category, leading to undercounting of their specific demographic profile. The 2012 of Population and , the most recent comprehensive enumeration, recorded a total population of 5,595 individuals for the Sri Lanka Chetty group, comprising about 0.03% of the national total of approximately 20.4 million. This figure aligns with independent estimates placing the community at around 6,800, underscoring their status as one of 's smallest recognized minorities. Demographic distribution is heavily skewed toward urban areas in the Western Province, where the vast majority—over 95%—reside, centered in and its environs due to longstanding mercantile ties. Marginal populations exist in the Northern and , with 348 and 193 individuals respectively reported in provincial breakdowns. Low fertility rates within the "other" ethnic category, including Chetties, stood at 2.4 in 2011 data preceding the census, contributing to stagnation or decline amid broader and assimilation trends. Emigration during the , particularly amid economic and political upheavals, has resulted in small remnants in the and , though these communities remain unenumerated in official Sri Lankan statistics and are estimated to be negligible relative to the domestic population. No full has been conducted since , but the absence of reported growth suggests continued demographic pressures from intermarriage and urban integration.

Socioeconomic Position and Challenges

The Sri Lankan Chetties, primarily concentrated in urban areas like , have transitioned from historical mercantile roles to contemporary professions including , retail , and small-scale , maintaining a stable middle-class position amid broader economic shifts. This adaptation reflects self-reliant trajectories, with community members leveraging and networks to navigate market openings following Sri Lanka's 1977 , which introduced competition but also opportunities in diversified trade and services. Post-independence policies, such as the 1956 and subsequent university standardization measures favoring the majority Sinhalese ethnicity, imposed barriers to higher education and public sector employment for minority groups like the Chetties, who were previously categorized under until their distinct recognition in 2001. The 1983-2009 exacerbated economic disruptions through inflation, supply chain interruptions, and indirect displacements affecting urban minorities, yet Chetties demonstrated resilience via entrepreneurial pivots into resilient sectors like wholesale and professional services, avoiding dependency on state aid. Assimilation pressures, including intermarriage and linguistic shifts toward Sinhala, coexist with efforts by the Colombo Chetty Association—established in 1919—to preserve cultural identity through events and advocacy for merit-based access to opportunities, countering quota-driven distortions without framing challenges as perpetual victimhood. This association promotes community cohesion and economic self-sufficiency, emphasizing internal mutual aid over external grievances.

Notable Individuals

Prominent Figures in Business and Politics

Simon Casie Chetty (1807–1860), born in Kalpitiya to a Chetty family, became the first Ceylonese civil servant in , serving as Mudaliyar and later as a member of the until his resignation in 1845. He also acted as District Judge in and authored the Ceylon Gazetteer (1834), a key reference on the island's geography and administration, while authoring works in Tamil and demonstrating fluency in ten languages during a 36-year public career. In business, Abraham Peter Casie Chetty emerged as a leading figure in the early , pioneering ventures in the liquor and rubber sectors across Ceylon, , and . He served as President of the Ceylon Merchants' Chamber in , influencing trade policies during World War II-era disruptions. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle (1953–2008), a Colombo Chetty, held multiple ministerial portfolios including Highways and Posts under President , while earlier serving as Chief Minister of North Central Province from 1999 to 2004. He advocated for Chetty community recognition as a distinct ethnic group in Sri Lanka's census frameworks post-1978 constitutional changes. Dominic Mary John Corea (1890–1959) led Dodwell and Company, a major import-export firm in Colombo, expanding Chetty involvement in global trade networks during the interwar period. As President of the Colombo Chetty Association, he funded community welfare initiatives, including the establishment of Maw Sevana home for the elderly in 1950s. Major General Anton Muttukumaru (1908–2001), of Chetty maternal descent, commanded the Ceylon from 1955 to 1959 as the first native officer in that role, overseeing post-independence military reorganization amid ethnic tensions. His tenure emphasized professionalization without partisan alignment.

References

  1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/D9826706895727C691F368B8EC71DA43/S0165115321000152a.pdf/classifications_at_work_social_categories_and_dutch_bureaucracy_in_colonial_sri_lanka.pdf
  2. https://noolaham.net/project/126/12593/12593.pdf
  3. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/20802
  4. http://203.94.94.83:8041/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport/FinalReportE.pdf
  5. https://colombochetties.com/our-community/
  6. https://nakkeran.com/index.php/2020/09/24/14175the-history-of-the-colombo-chetties-of-sri-lanka/
  7. https://archive.roar.media/english/life/culture-identities/sri-lankas-lesser-known-minorities-the-chetties
  8. https://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/cch2007.htm
  9. http://kermeey.blogspot.com/2005/01/colombo-chettys.html
  10. https://www.classicsrilanka.com/blog/2021/10/29/the-chetties-one-of-sri-lankas-lesser-known-minorities/
  11. https://lakpura.com/pages/sri-lankan-chetties
  12. https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/postDetail.php?id=196174216674_10153610948746675
  13. https://www.academia.edu/44754283/Medieval_Merchant_guilds_and_their_dimensions
  14. http://troindia.in/journal/ijcesr/vol2iss5/101-104.pdf
  15. https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/the-merchants-of-deccan-3638789
  16. https://mahawansa.wordpress.com/2005/10/07/the-history-of-the-colombo-chetties-of-sri-lanka-by-shirley-pulle-tissera/
  17. https://es-la.facebook.com/196174216674/photos/a.212955701674.174468.196174216674/10153610948746675/
  18. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Sri-Lanka/Drift-to-the-southwest-1255-1505
  19. https://factsanddetails.com/south-asia/Srilanka/History_Srilanka/entry-7944.html
  20. https://tamilandvedas.com/2023/11/06/nagarathar-chettiyar-communitys-contribution-to-hindu-culture-in-sri-lanka-part-1-post-12679/
  21. https://colombochetties.com/history-of-the-chetty-community/
  22. https://thuppahis.com/2013/07/14/the-colombo-chetties-of-sri-lanka-three-essays/
  23. https://thuppahis.com/2020/03/23/census-categorization-and-the-bharathas-and-colombo-chetties/
  24. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309732194_ROLE_OF_NATTUKOTTAI_CHETTIARS_IN_THE_FINANCIAL_HISTORY_OF_SRI_LANKA
  25. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2865614
  26. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2863214_code2192283.pdf?abstractid=2863214&mirid=1
  27. https://www.scribd.com/document/52838532/History-of-the-Nattukottai-Chettiars
  28. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307953372_Rise_And_Fall_Of_Nattukottai_Chettiars_In_Sri_Lanka
  29. https://econfaculty.gmu.edu/pboettke/workshop/Spring2011/Nair.pdf
  30. https://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/natchetty.html
  31. https://www.persee.fr/doc/ehess_0079-4074_1988_ant_29_1_1281
  32. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42981618.pdf
  33. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/sri-lankan-culture/sri-lankan-culture-family
  34. https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/Sri%20Lanka%20Study_2.pdf
  35. https://www.academia.edu/32563854/Dispute_Resolution_and_Justice_System_in_Caste_Panchayats_Reference_with_Present_Scenario
  36. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-science-history/article/transition-of-credit-organizations-caste-bankers-in-colonial-india/C89BA7AD6C5D1DE792AC4F813BBC7524
  37. http://sttemplelibrary.com/uploads/From_Madras_to_Burma_The_Nattukottai_Chettiars_and_Development_1852-1939.pdf
  38. https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/march-1994/1994-03-saiva-siddhanta0a/
  39. https://academic.oup.com/book/7988/chapter/153331298
  40. https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2016/04/05/hindu-temples-in-british-ceylon/
  41. https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/download/10083/6539/11771
  42. https://tamilandvedas.com/2023/11/07/nagarathar-chettiyar-communitys-contribution-to-hindu-culture-in-sri-lanka-part-2-post-no-12683/
  43. https://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/?p=14731
  44. https://www.worldheritageofportugueseorigin.com/2015/06/20/the-portuguese-cultural-imprint-on-sri-lanka/
  45. https://www.infolanka.com/org/srilanka/cult/26.htm
  46. https://www.wisdomlib.org/history/book/sri-lanka-at-the-crossroads-of-history/d/doc1461047.html
  47. http://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/cch2007.htm
  48. https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2023/09/19/repression-of-buddhism-in-sri-lanka-by-portuguese/
  49. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2863214
  50. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php
  51. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2012Visualization/htdocs/index.php?action=Map&indId=10&usecase=indicator
  52. https://srilanka.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Census-2012.pdf
  53. https://factsanddetails.com/south-asia/Srilanka/Ethnic_Groups_and_Minorities_Srilanka/entry-7986.html
  54. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/
  55. https://colombochetties.com/
  56. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325723877_Strengthening_District_Administration_In_Plural_Communal_Context_An_Analysis_On_The_Potential_Impact_Of_Establishing_A_Kalmunai_Administrative_District_In_Sri_Lanka
  57. https://www.ft.lk/news/Colombo-Chetty-Association-elects-new-Ex-Co/56-782562
  58. https://colombochetties.com/prominent-chetties/
  59. https://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/gen7016.html
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.