Raja Sir. Annamalai chettiyar (The King of Chettinad) the Founder of Annamalai University

R S Santhi; P Venkatesan

R S Santhi Assistant Professor & Research Scholar, Department of History, Seethalakshmi Achi College for Women, Pallathur, Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu, India
P Venkatesan Associate Professor and Head, Department of History, Alagappa Government Arts College, Karaikudi

Keywords: Nagarathar, Zamindar, Chettiyar Community, Annamalai Chettiyar, The Chettinadu, Nattukottai Nagarathar Sangam

Abstract

Tne Single Community, outside the Marava of Sivagangai, responsible for the brand value of Sivagangai is the community of Nattukottai Chettiyar alias Nagarathar. Like the Banyas of the North, the community of Chettiyar are in the banking business.During the period of the pre-independent India, these merchant families consistently advanced loans to the Zamindar of Sivagangai and helped them to meet their financial obligations to British East India Company. No wonder it was the same Chettiyar Community which distinguished themselves in the promotion of educational Institutions, maintenance of temples etc. Annamalai Chettiyar would belonging to the same chettiyar community would rank as the out standing example who deviating from the traditional business of finance and emerging as the captain of Industry and Philanthro Educationalist and turned Chidambaram into the abode of Saraswathi¹.