Chettiar merchants have been trading with Southeast Asia since before the Malacca Sultanate was founded in 1401. Originally from the Tamil Nadu state in Southern India, many Chettiar traders eventually set up second homes in the archipelago. Called “Chinai Vedu” or “Little House” in Tamil, these residences tended to house second families, creating the strong Chettiar community in Malacca today. Whatever you do, however, don’t get the Chettier, sometimes called the Chetty, confused with the Chitty; while both are Tamil-speaking South Indian mercantile groups that created settlements in Malaysia, they are different peoples with very different cultures, and should you confuse that e and i, members of either group won’t hesitate to let you know so. Read Less