A merchant or trader caste in South Indian and Sri Lankan societies, traditionally engaged in commerce and business.
From Tamil/Telugu 'balijā' or 'balija,' derived from 'bal' or 'vaṇij' meaning merchant, representing a specific occupational social categorization in South Asian society.
The balija merchants were crucial to Indian Ocean trade networks for centuries, yet they're often overshadowed in European colonial histories focused on Portuguese and British traders.
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