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ORIGINS Colombo Chetty are mostly Roman Catholics or Anglicans and are found in almost all niches of the Sri Lankan society. Members trace their origins to Indian traders of various ethinicities from South India. Most traders were Tamil speakers with a smattering of Malayalee or Telugu speakers. Although Indian traders have been visiting and settling down in Sri Lanka for over 2,500 years, Colombo Chetties are descendants of traders who had come to Sri Lanka during the Portuguese colonial era since 1505 CE. These traders converted to Catholic religion and married women of various backgrounds including their own from India , Sri Lankan Tamil , Sinhalese , Portuguese Creoles and later Dutch and English Eurasian Burghers . NO LONGER TAMILS The ethnic identity between Burghers and Colombo Chetties is somewhat blurred. Also Colombo Chetty families married amongst elite Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil familes. Famous Sri Lankan Burghers such as the Ondaatje's trace their family to a Hindu South Indian native doctor and married freely amongst Colombo Chetties. (See Michael Ondaatje ) But till about 75 years ago most were educated in Tamil language and were considered to be a caste of Tamil People . Most early Sri Lankan Tamil pioneers in the colonial civil service, doctors, educators and religious leaders were infact of Colombo Chetty origins. The author of the definitive modern history of the Tamil Jaffna Kingdom was a Colombo Chetty. But currently they no longer speak Tamil at home and are considered to be neither Sinhalese nor Tamil in the official census. As a community they eshew their Tamil identity due to the political climate that discriminates against minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. CURRENT CONDITION As an elite and prosperous group they no longer strictly marry amongst themselves. Further out migration to Australia , England and to Canada has tended to dilute their numbers too. COMMON LAST NAMES Some common Colombo Chetty last names are Cassichetty, Candappa, Fernandopulle, Wanigaratne, Mutucumaru, Emanuelpulle and Sylvesterpulle. It should be noted Pulle is an Sinhalese version of common Tamil name Pillai . Cassichetty is a clan name amongst Telegu /Tamil speaking Ayira Vysya Chetties, a sub caste of Komati of Andhra Pradesh in Tamil nadu. REFERENCES
SEE ALSO PROMINENT COLOMBO CHETTYS
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