What explains this? To begin with, historically Tambrams occupied the pinnacle of society in the Tamil-speaking region in southern India. As hereditary Hindu priests, they benefited from centuries of literacy, and many were significant landowners as well. Under British rule, the community quickly took to English education. Over time, many Tambrams rose to occupy trusted positions in the colonial government, where they developed a reputation for probity and for being sticklers for rules. Others took to modern professions such as law, engineering and medicine.

In the 20th century, as political and economic upheaval drove Tamil Brahmins from towns and villages to cities, the community developed a cult of learning. M.R. Rangaswami, a California-based technology investor who founded Indiaspora, an advocacy group that seeks strong U.S.-India relations, recalls growing up in Madras (now called Chennai) in the 1960s and 1970s, in a Tamil Brahmin community that revered the mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) rather than the usual movie stars.

Ms. Nooyi credits her success in corporate America to her strict and frugal Tamil Brahmin upbringing in Madras. In a phone interview, she recalls a community for which “education was everything.”

Children weren’t allowed to be even five minutes late for school or to talk back to elders. Grandfathers supplemented homework with extra math problems and spelling tests.

“As a conservative Tamil Brahmin, you could forget about fashion or having a social life,” said Ms. Nooyi. (Guess Kamala Americanized away from that)

“When you weren’t studying, you were focused on classical music and dance, and on reading as much as you possibly could.”

What explains this? To begin with, historically Tambrams occupied the pinnacle of society in the Tamil-speaking region in southern India. As hereditary Hindu priests, they benefited from centuries of literacy, and many were significant landowners as well. Under British rule, the community quickly took to English education. Over time, many Tambrams rose to occupy trusted positions in the colonial government, where they developed a reputation for probity and for being sticklers for rules. Others took to modern professions such as law, engineering and medicine.

In the 20th century, as political and economic upheaval drove Tamil Brahmins from towns and villages to cities, the community developed a cult of learning. M.R. Rangaswami, a California-based technology investor who founded Indiaspora, an advocacy group that seeks strong U.S.-India relations, recalls growing up in Madras (now called Chennai) in the 1960s and 1970s, in a Tamil Brahmin community that revered the mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) rather than the usual movie stars.

Ms. Nooyi credits her success in corporate America to her strict and frugal Tamil Brahmin upbringing in Madras. In a phone interview, she recalls a community for which “education was everything.”

Children weren’t allowed to be even five minutes late for school or to talk back to elders. Grandfathers supplemented homework with extra math problems and spelling tests.

***“As a conservative Tamil Brahmin, you could forget about fashion or having a social life,” *** said Ms. Nooyi. (Guess Kamala Americanized away from that)

“When you weren’t studying, you were focused on classical music and dance, and on reading as much as you possibly could.”

What explains this? To begin with, historically Tambrams occupied the pinnacle of society in the Tamil-speaking region in southern India. As hereditary Hindu priests, they benefited from centuries of literacy, and many were significant landowners as well. Under British rule, the community quickly took to English education. Over time, many Tambrams rose to occupy trusted positions in the colonial government, where they developed a reputation for probity and for being sticklers for rules. Others took to modern professions such as law, engineering and medicine.

In the 20th century, as political and economic upheaval drove Tamil Brahmins from towns and villages to cities, the community developed a cult of learning. M.R. Rangaswami, a California-based technology investor who founded Indiaspora, an advocacy group that seeks strong U.S.-India relations, recalls growing up in Madras (now called Chennai) in the 1960s and 1970s, in a Tamil Brahmin community that revered the mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) rather than the usual movie stars.

Ms. Nooyi credits her success in corporate America to her strict and frugal Tamil Brahmin upbringing in Madras. In a phone interview, she recalls a community for which “education was everything.”

Children weren’t allowed to be even five minutes late for school or to talk back to elders. Grandfathers supplemented homework with extra math problems and spelling tests.

***“As a conservative Tamil Brahmin, you could forget about fashion or having a social life,” ***said Ms. Nooyi. (Guess Kamala Americanized away from that)

“When you weren’t studying, you were focused on classical music and dance, and on reading as much as you possibly could.”