Chulias

The term "Chulia" refers to Tamil Muslim immigrants from the Coromandel Coast of southern India, who began arriving in Singapore in the 1820s. ‘Chulia’ is said to be a corruption of the word ‘Chola’, the kingdom from which the Chulias migrated. The term ‘Kling’, used to refer to both Indians and Tamil Muslims, might have originated from the Kalinga connection. The exact origins of these terms remain unclear. In the Town Plan of 1822, devised by Stamford Raffles, which apportioned enclaves according to ethnic and religious identities, a “Chuliah Campg”, referring to Chulia kampong, upstream of the Singapore River, was marked out for the community of about 1,000 Tamil Muslims (see the red circled location in the map). In present-day Singapore, Chulia Kampong is believed to be the location of Cross Street in Chinatown. It is reported that they were intentionally housed in the bustling port area so that their lighterage services could be readily engaged. 

‘Chulia Street,’ named after the Chulias, came into existence in 1922, when ‘Kling Street’ was renamed after the Indian Association of Singapore objected to using the derogatory term ‘kling’. Religious institutions such as the Jamae Mosque, Al-Abrar Mosque and the Nagore Dargah, all gazetted as national monuments, are architectural landmarks that stand testament to the contributions of the Chulias to the cultural and religious domains in Singapore.



For more information
“From the Coromandel Coast to the Straits: Revisiting Our Tamil Heritage.” Roots.sg. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/From-the-Coromandel-Coast-to-the-Straits
“The multiple sites of the Chulia community.” Singapura Stories. 20 May 2021. http://singapurastories.com/2021/05/the-multiple-sites-of-the-chulia-community/ 
Singapore Press Holdings. Mr Justice Ambrose at Supreme Court, Singapore. 19 May 1958. National Archives of Singapore. https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/maps_building_plans/record-details/f9926418-115c-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad 
Singapore Survey Department. Pan of the Town of Singapore by Lieut Jackson. 1828. National Archives of Singapore. https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/maps_building_plans/record-details/f9926418-115c-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad 
Savage, Victor R., and Brenda S. A. Yeoh. The Singapore River: A Social History, 1819–2002. Singapore: Singapore University Press, 2004
Tschacher, Torsten. “Between Mosque and Market: Tamil Muslims in Singapore.” In Sojourners to Settlers: Tamils in Singapore, edited by Arun Mahizhnan and Nalina Gopal, 215–236. Singapore: Indian Heritage Centre and Institute of Policy Studies, 2019

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.