INDIAN PERANAKANS : THE CHITTY MELAKA The Melaka Chitty
community, also known as the Malacca Straits-born Hindus or
Indian Peranakans has been in Malacca, Malaysia since the reign
of the Malacca Sultanate in the early 15th. century. Years
before Parameswara the founder of Malacca in 1401 became the
first sultan, Hindu traders had already come to Malacca. Trading
between the West and East had long been established before then.
Due to the distance and weather conditions, traders had to make
several stops along their trading route the Straits of Malacca
and Malacca was seen as the best location. It was exactly the
ideal choice for these traders as it was stragically located and
food supplies were easily available. As Malacca gained its
popularity, more and more traders including the Hindus from the
Corromandel Coast, Southern India thronged its port. Inter-
marriages between the Hindu traders and the Malays, Chinese,
Javanese and Bataks were then unavoidable. Through the process
of assimilation, these traders had