Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Shetty

Indian surname from coastal Karnataka From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remove ads

Shetty (Tulu: [ʃeʈːi]) (also spelled setty or chetty) is a Mercantile community originating from the coastal Karnataka state of India[1][2] The name Belived to derives from the Prakrit word Seṭhī (Devanagari: सेठी), and then Śeṭ (Devanagari: शेट) or Śeṭī (Devanagari: शेटी).[3] meaning "chief" or "leader of merchants", which later developed into "Shetty".[4][5][6] as per modern historians like Kamath its derived from the Sanskrit word Śreṣṭha.[7] Historically, Shetty's are believed to have been originally Jains before the 16-17th century and active as Jain Merchants.[8] Later, many families significantly converted to Hinduism, reportedly due to socio-political changes.[9][10]

Remove ads

Community background

Although Shetty implies mercantile origins, the Bunt community- among whom it's most common -was historically agrarian and land owning rather than primarily trading.[11] The surname is associated with Jainism before the 16-17th century in Tulu region, reflecting their historical role as merchant-patrons influencing broader coastal society.[12][13] The Bunts, including Shetty lineages, are believed to descend from the medieval The Alupa dynasty - who were originally Jains, ruled the coastal Karnataka.[14][15]

Remove ads

Historical Shetty merchants

Epigraphic records from the Hoysala period (11th-14th century) mention several Jain merchants with the title Shetty who sponsored temples, trade guilds, and religious endowments.

  • Narasimha Shetty - A wealthy Jain merchant from Belur, recorded in a 13th-century inscription as a donor to the Chennakesava temple complex.[16]
  • Mallinatha Shetty - A pepper and betel nut trader from coastal Karnataka, who endowed land to a Jain basadi in Halebidu during the reign of Veera Ballala II.[17]
  • Paduvala Shetty - Member of the Ayyavole 500 merchant guild, active in maritime trade with the Arabian coast, and a patron of Jain monks.[18]

These figures highlight the mercantile influence of Shettys during the height of Hoysala power.

Remove ads

People with the name

Remove ads

References

Bibliography

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads