Historically, a Kapitan Keling was appointed by European authorities to govern local Indian communities in colonial territories in Southeast Asia, similar to the more widespread office of the "Kapitan Cina" for the Chinese community. "Keling" is a Malay term for people of Indian origin, nowadays considered offensive but was not so regarded historically. The name of Kapitan Keling Mosque, founded by Indian Muslim traders in 1801 and still a prominent Penang landmark, preserves the memory of this office.