Portal:Tamils

The Tamils portal

The Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑːmɪlz/ TAM-ilz, TAH-milz), also known by their demonym Tamilar, are a Dravidian ethnic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. Tamil is one of the longest-surviving languages, with over two thousand years of written history, dating back to the Sangam period (between 300 BCE and 300 CE). Tamils constitute about 5.7% of the Indian population and form the majority in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. They also form significant proportions of the populations in Sri Lanka (15.3%), Malaysia (7%) and Singapore (5%). Tamils have migrated world-wide since the 19th century CE and a significant population exists in South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, as well as other regions such as the Southeast Asia, Middle East, Caribbean and parts of the Western World.

Archaeological evidence from Tamil Nadu indicates a continuous history of human occupation for more than 3,800 years. In the Sangam period, Tamilakam was ruled by the Three Crowned Kings of the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas. Smaller Velir kings and chieftains ruled certain territories and maintained relationship with the larger kingdoms. Urbanisation and mercantile activity developed along the coasts during the later Sangam period with the Tamils influencing the regional trade in the Indian Ocean region. Artifacts obtained from excavations indicate the presence of early trade relations with the Romans. The major kingdoms to rule the region later were the Pallavas (3rd–9th century CE), and the Vijayanagara Empire (14th–17th century CE).

The island of Sri Lanka often saw attacks from the Indian mainland with the Cholas establishing their influence across the island and across several areas in Southeast Asia in the 10th century CE. This led to the spread of Tamil influence and contributed to the cultural Indianisation of the region. Scripts brought by Tamil traders like the Grantha and Pallava scripts, induced the development of many Southeast Asian scripts. The Jaffna Kingdom later controlled the Tamil territory in the north of the Sri Lanka from 13th to 17th century CE. European colonization began in the 17th century CE, and continued for two centuries until the middle of the 20th century. (Full article...)

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Colonial era Map of the Jaffna kingdom c. 1619

The Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom occurred after Portuguese traders arrived at the rival Kotte kingdom in the southwest of modern Sri Lanka in 1505. Many kings of Jaffna, such as Cankili I, initially confronted the Portuguese in their attempts at converting the locals to Roman Catholicism, but eventually made peace with them.

By 1591, the king of Jaffna Ethirimanna Cinkam was installed by the Portuguese. Although he was nominally a client, he resisted missionary activities and helped the interior Kandyan kingdom in its quest to get military help from South India. Eventually, a usurper named Cankili II resisted Portuguese overlordship only to find himself ousted and hanged by Phillippe de Oliveira in 1619. The subsequent rule by the Portuguese saw the population convert to Roman Catholicism. The population also decreased due to excessive taxation, as most people fled the core areas of the former kingdom. (Full article...)

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General images

Image 1A Malbar temple in Réunion. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 2Murugan Temple, Sydney (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 3Tharai and Thappattai, traditional music instruments (from Tamils)
Image 4The northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka with majority Tamil population (from Tamils)
Image 5Painting of Madras with Fort St. George by Jan Van Ryne (1754) (from Tamils)
Image 6Distribution of Tamil speakers in South India and Sri Lanka (1981) (from Tamils)
Image 7Tamilakam during Sangam period (from Tamils)
Image 8A megalithic burial jar from north-western Sri Lanka, 5th-2nd century BCE, similar to the ones found in South India. (from Tamils)
Image 9Expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil children in traditional clothes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 10A Bharatanatyam performance (from Tamils)
Image 11Rock cut monuments in Mahabalipuram built by the Pallavas in 7th-8th century CE (from Tamils)
Image 12Tamils decorate their homes with colorful Kolams. (from Tamils)
Image 13The New York City Metropolitan Area, including Central New Jersey, as well as Long Island and Staten Island in New York, is home to the largest Tamil American population. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 14Krishna with Rukmini and Satyabhama and his mount Garuda (12th–13th century CE) (from Tamils)
Image 15Major trade routes and cities in the 1st century CE as per Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (from Tamils)
Image 16Kanchipuram silk saris worn by women on special occasions. (from Tamils)
Image 17Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Brickfields, Malaysia. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 18One of the most popular overseas branches of Chennai-based Saravanaa Bhavan, the world's largest Indian vegetarian restaurant chain, is located in Edison, New Jersey, U.S. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 19Sri Kamakshi Ambaal temple in Hamm, Germany (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 20The Chola Empire at its greatest extent, during the reign of Rajendra Chola I in 1030 (from Tamils)
Image 21Tamil written in Tamil script (from Tamils)
Image 22A traditional meal served on a banana leaf (from Tamils)
Image 23Jallikattu, a traditional bull taming event (from Tamils)
Image 24The large gopuram is a hallmark of Dravidian architecture (from Tamils)
Image 25Tamil people in Medan, Indonesia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 26Tamil girls in Malaysia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 27Extent of the Pandyas in 13th century CE (from Tamils)
Image 28Celebrations of Murugan by the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Paris, France (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 29A 12th century statue of Agathiar, a poet from the first Sangam period (from Tamils)
Image 30Silambam is an old martial art originating in Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 31Aiyyanar, guardian folk deity of the Tamils (from Tamils)
Image 32Extent of Jaffna kingdom (from Tamils)
Image 33Distribution of Tamils (2013) (from Tamils)

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Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam MP (Tamil: சாமுவேல் ஜேம்ஸ் வேலுப்பிள்ளை செல்வநாயகம், romanized: Cāmuvēl Jēms Vēluppiḷḷai Celvanāyakam; 31 March 1898 – 26 April 1977) was a Ceylonese lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament. He was the founder and leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and a political leader of the Ceylon Tamil community for more than two decades. Chelvanayakam has been described as a father figure to Ceylon's Tamils, to whom he was known as "Thanthai Chelva" (father Chelva).

Born into an expatriate Ceylon Tamil family in Malaya, Chelvanayakam moved to Ceylon while still young. He worked as a teacher before studying law at Ceylon Law College and qualifying as lawyer. A successful career in civil law saw him becoming a King's Counsel and being offered a position on the Supreme Court, which he rejected. As a young lawyer Chelvanayakam was not involved in politics but when the British established the Soulbury Commission to look into constitutional reform in Ceylon he and other Tamil people formed the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) to represent Tamil interests. He was elected to Parliament in 1947 to represent Kankesanthurai, a constituency he would represent until his death, except for a period between 1952 and 1956. Chelvanayakam left the ACTC over the party's decision to join the government and in 1949 founded his own party, ITAK, also known as the Federal Party. (Full article...)

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Tamil People

Tamil People Countrywide: India • Sri Lanka • Canada • Malaysia • Singapore • South Africa • England

Related Ethnic Groups: Brahui • Gond • Kannadiga • Khonds • Kodava • Oraon • Malayali • Telugus • Tuluvas

Related indigenous Groups: Badagas • Toda • Kuruba

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