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The Nattukottai Chettiars were the most prominent traditional business community from the Tamil region. Their enterprising spirit led many of them to seek their fortunes overseas, facing many setbacks and successes along the way, conditioned by contemporary historical circumstances.

Trust, alongside risk and courage, was central to the entire saga of the Chettiar wealth generation. The lynchpin of their overseas business was the unique intra-community banking structure they developed. Over time, the breakdown of the old business and social networks led to a great deal of transformation and diversification within the community.

In a sense, their story is a thread that connects south India, Burma and Southeast Asia across the Bay of Bengal. It is equally one that spans the British imperial era and that of the modern nation state.

#bookreview

History Optional? Let’s Crack It in the Next 80 Days.

Join us for HISTORY DURBAR 2.0 - an open session for UPSC 2025 aspirants.

📌 What’s inside:
• 80-Day Strategy for History Optional - UPSC Mains 2025
• Meet India’s top History faculty: Nikhil Sir & Vishal Sir
• Learn the craft of high-scoring answer writing
• Strategy to score 300+ marks
• Understand what UPSC really expects

Mode:Online-Offline
🗓️ 30th May 2025 | 6 PM
🎯 Registration is FREE
🔗 https://forms.gle/xpc2NTqEJ9mSYNrg8

Hello students,

These are the solutions to Mapping questions asked by UPSC earlier in History Optional. Since 2013 till 2024.

We have used the official upsc maps of each year directly to give the feeling.

The site identification we believe is largely correct. In case where we are not sure (about 2 or 3 places in 220 sites asked in 11 years), we have said 'possibly'.

Along with the release of our Mapping book and Mapping Modular course, we think this would add a great value to students preparation.

https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-mapping-pyqs-solution/

After PMP and MMP, here we come with LMP...!! It was long in the making. Finally it is here... we are not hopeful but sure that it will be extremely helpful to students who have done their GS Foundation already or trying to do self study and need targeted help and discipline.

(I think ab hame GS Foundation ka bhi naamkaran GMP kar dena chahiye, for the sake of consistency. What do you think?)

https://youtu.be/MlDW9QqVyww?si=f3NAArRNYP1xSunN

How did I miss this book? It was published in 2023...

I totally agree...

Look at the wall of books.... what a beauty. Simple, elegant and bewitching. I can't take my eyes off her.

Zindagi me ek ghar ho. Jisme ek diwar aisi ho.

This is not what teachers mean when they say "make short notes for quick revision". 😂😂

Today, I got to meet Magsaysay Award winner (2016) Bezwada Wilson sir of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA). Extremely interesting and lively interaction went on for more than an hour.

In GS2 we tend to study social problems in a very theoretical manner. Knowing this as a lived reality, to transform life of the people, was deeply touching.

Inspiring personality. Inspiring work.

With Dr. Ayyaz Tamboli sir, IAS 2009 Chattisgarh cadre.

His work among the tribals of central India is extremely inspiring and exceptional. He managed to ensure that good quality medical services are available in the remote tribal locations succesfully. It is now global case study and among the best practices of governance.

I wanted to meet him for long time. He is posted in Delhi for quite some time but it was today that the meeting could happen.

I am very glad. A fanboy moment.

This is one reason I always felt that history of Delhi is overrated. Many people in Delhi feel ki sari history jo hai yahi pe hai. Sare monuments, sari virasat....

In such mindset, yahaki chhoti chhoti ghatna bhi national hoti hai... aur rest of India ki badi badi ghatnaye bhi regional hoti hai. Bhai, go and see the country first.

Decentralization sirf polity me nahi, mindset me chahiye, and for that it should first happen in History. Our "regional" history needs to be given proper place in our history book.

With the students of northeast India at LevelUp IAS.

Most of them are from remote tribes in Arunachal and now staying in Delhi and preparing for civil services.

I have been to Arunachal in 2015. It was 10 years ago. That visit was almost a month long and was designed to help students preparing for APPSC.

Knowing first-hand what beautiful land, people, food, culture and weather they have to leave behind, when coming to a mega city like Delhi, I salute their indomitable spirit.

LevelUp IAS will continue to have special bond with the northeast.

I will be live today on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/live/_NOre4VBN6w

Meeting in Delhi... with both Vivek sir and Savita taai of JP, along with many senior officers with illustrious career in the government India. Let me mention only two.

Prashant Lokhande sir (IAS 2001) presently at the desk of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in the Ministry of Home Affairs is doing perhaps one of the most stressful and important jobs in India today.

Anand Patil sir (IAS 1997), presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education. He is leading the change in all Indian schools trying to address Mental Health challenge.

Always inspirational. I hope and pray that our students at LevelUp IAS also give us opportunity of such inspirational meetings, exchange of ideas, sharing of experiences and of course, photo-ops one day.

I strongly recommend that all those who are going to write Mains in 2025 and are afraid of Culture part, should watch this 90 mins. It will be definitely useful.

https://www.youtube.com/live/_NOre4VBN6w