Cangasambady Chetty Portrait Image
'Cangasabady Chetti, Manufacturer of Cloth, aged 42 years.' From L'Inde Francais by Jean-Jacques Chabrelie Published in Paris, France, 1827 Bibliothèque nationale de France

Sooboo Chetty’s length of handkerchiefs was one of those sent to Paris for the show, although his role in their production is uncertain. Within the caste system people born into families with the name Chetty often worked as merchant traders. This early 19th century portrait of Cangasabady Chetti describes him as a 'cloth manufacturer'. However, the portrait's accompanying text indicates he was actually a professional contractor who travelled to different villages to buy fabric from weavers on behalf of merchants.