George Town’s Chulias and Their Forgotten Legacy

THE TAMIL MUSLIM community in George Town, also known as Chulias, arrived from Kedah, the main destination for Muslim traders coming from the Coromandel Coast of South India. The Chulias conducted an extensive volume of trade across the Indian Ocean, and were seen in many maritime and river ports along the Strait of Malacca. They also held key positions in the Malay Court. By the 18th century, they were handling much of Kedah’s trade.