Editing Chettiar (section)

== Economic and cultural contributions ==

=== Commerce and finance ===
The Nattukottai Chettiars established a sophisticated banking system, introducing financial instruments like the [[hundi]] (promissory note) and developing credit networks that extended from colonial India to [[Burma]] (Myanmar), [[Malaysia]], and [[Singapore]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Rudner |first=David |year=1989 |title=Banker's Trust and the Culture of Banking among the Nattukottai Chettiars of Colonial South India |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=417–458|doi=10.1017/S0026749X00009501 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kudaisya |first=Medha M. |year=2009 |title=Chinese and Indian Business: Historical Antecedents |editor1-first=Medha M. |editor1-last=Kudaisya |editor2-first=Chin-Keong |editor2-last=Ng |publisher=BRILL |location=Leiden |isbn=9789004172791 |chapter=Marwari and Chettiar Merchants. 1850s-1950s: Comparative Trajectories |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQJfjnWly5wC&pg=PA85}}</ref> Their financial expertise earned them a reputation as the "bankers of the East" during the [[British Raj]].

=== Agriculture and textiles ===

In addition to their achievements in commerce, several Chettiar subgroups were engaged in agriculture and textile production. The '''Vellalar Chettiars''' (vellan Chettis) were historically known as agrarian landlords and also involved in trading and merchanting,<ref>{{cite book |title=Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2 |author=Thurston, Edgar |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56743/page/n415/mode/1up?view=theater&q=vellalan+chetti |year=1909 |publisher=Government Press |pages=415}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Rudner, David |title=The Chettiar Entrepreneurial Community in Colonial South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dziNBAAAQBAJ&dq=Vellalan+chetti&pg=PA702 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |year=2014 |page=702|isbn=978-1-78308-315-2 }}</ref> while others, like the '''Devanga Chettiars''', excelled in weaving fine textiles.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thurston |first=Edgar |year=1909 |title=Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56743/page/n415/mode/1up?view=theater&q=vellalan+chetti |pages=415 |publisher=Government Press}}</ref> The Kandangi sari, a traditional handloom product, is an enduring symbol of their craftsmanship.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ganesan |first=R. |year=2007 |title=Textiles and Handicrafts of Tamil Nadu |publisher=Kaveri Books |isbn=9788174790665}}</ref>

=== Philanthropy and religion ===

The Chettiars are celebrated for their philanthropic endeavors. They funded schools, hospitals, and temples, many of which remain significant cultural landmarks. Prominent temples such as the [[Karpaka Vinayakar Temple|Pillaiyarpatti Temple]] and the [[Shanmughanathar Temple, Kunnakudi|Kundrakudi Temple]] in Tamil Nadu are linked to Chettiar patronage.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hardgrave |first=Robert L. |year=1969 |title=The Nadars of Tamilnad: The Political Culture of a Community in Change |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=igswDwAAQBAJ&q=chettiar+temple+patronage |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520014196}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ramaswamy |first=Sumathi |year=2004 |title=The Lost Land of Lemuria: Fabulous Geographies, Catastrophic Histories |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X1EfAQAAIAAJ&q=pillaiyarpatti+temple+chettiars |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520240311}}</ref> Their generosity extended beyond India, contributing to infrastructure and religious institutions in Southeast Asia.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Rajeswary |year=1993 |title=Chettiar Capital and Southeast Asian Credit Networks in the Inter-War Period |editor1-first=Gareth |editor1-last=Austin |editor2-first=Kaoru |editor2-last=Sugihara |publisher=St. Martin's Press |chapter=Local Suppliers of Credit in the Third World, 1750-1960 |isbn=9780312084179}}</ref>