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Unlike many Ethnic Group s, Tamils were not governed by a single political entity during most of their history; Tamilakam , the traditional name for the Tamil lands, was politically united for only a brief period, between the 9th and 12th centuries, under the Chola Empire . The Tamil identity is primarily linguistic, although in recent times the definition has been broadened to include emigrants of Tamil descent who Maintain Tamil Cultural Traditions , even if they no longer regularly speak the language. Tamils are ethnically, linguistically and culturally related to the other Dravidian People s of the Indian Subcontinent . HISTORY Pre-historic period ]] Classical period Imperial and post-imperial periods . The Tamil kings were patrons of the arts, and built many ornate temples.]] The western Tamil lands became increasingly politically distinct from the rest of the Tamil lands after the Chola and Pandya empires lost control over them in the 13th century. They developed their own distinct language and literature, which increasingly grew apart from Tamil, evolving into the modern Malayalam Language by the 15th century."Malayalam first appeared in writing in the vazhappalli inscription which dates from about 830 AD." 14 who ruled Ettayapuram .]]No major empires arose thereafter, and Tamil Nadu was for a while ruled by a number of different local chiefs, such as the Nayak s of the modern Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh regions. From the 17th century onwards, European Powers began establishing settlements and trading outposts in the region. A number of battles were fought between the British , French and Danish in the 18th century, and by the end of the 18th century most of Tamil Nadu was under British rule. Tamils in Sri Lanka See Also: History of Sri Lanka Jaffna Kingdom Sri Lankan Tamils ]] There is little consensus on the history of the Tamil-speaking parts of Sri Lanka prior to the Chola period. Some Sinhala Historian s argue that there was no organised Tamil presence in Sri Lanka until the invasions from Southern India in the 10th century, whereas many Tamil historians contend that Tamils are the original inhabitants of the island and they were called Araipadi and Elapadi. The historical evidence is not conclusive either way. The historical record does establish that the Tamil kingdoms of India were closely involved in Sri Lankan affairs from about the 2nd century BCE.de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.30–32. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1Mendis, G.C. (1957, 3rd ed. 1995). ''Ceylon Today and Yesterday'', pp.24–25. Colombo, Lake House. ISBN 955-552-069-8 There is evidence of early Tamil traders in Anuradhapura . Tamil adventurers invaded the island as far back as 100 BCE.15 Tamil wars against Sri Lanka culminated in the Chola annexation of the island in the 10th century, which lasted until the latter half of the eleventh century.de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', p.46, 48, 75. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1Mendis, G.C. (1957, 3rd ed. 1995). ''Ceylon Today and Yesterday'', pp.30–31. Colombo, Lake House. ISBN 955-552-069-8Smith, V.A. (1958). ''The Oxford History of India'', p.224. Oxford, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195612973 The decline of Chola power in Sri Lanka was followed by the re-establishment of the Polonnaruwa monarchy in the late eleventh century.de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', p.76. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 In 1215, the Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty established an independent Jaffna Kingdom de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.100–102. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 in the Jaffna peninsula and parts of northern Sri Lanka. The Arya Chakaravarthi expansion into the south was halted by Alagakkonara ,de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.102–104. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 a man from a family of Malayali merchants who had become the chief minister of the Sinhalese king Parakramabahu V (1344–1359). Alagakkonara built a fortress at Kotte ,de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.103. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 and held the Arya Chakravarthi army there while he defeated the invading fleet at Panadura, southwest of Kotte . A descendant of Alagakkonara (Tamil ''Alagakonar'') later became King of the Sinhalese,de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.104. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 but this line was deposed by the Ming admiral Cheng Ho ( Zheng He ) in 1409. The Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty ruled over large parts of northeast Sri Lanka until 1619, when it was conquered by the Portuguese . The coastal areas of the island was then taken by the Dutch , and in 1796 these became part of the British Empire . Modern period British colonists consolidated the Tamil territory in southern India into the Madras Presidency , which was integrated into British India . Similarly, the Tamil parts of Sri Lanka joined with the other regions of the island in 1802 to form the Ceylon colony. They remained in political union with India and Sri Lanka after their independence, in 1947 and 1948 respectively. When India became independent in 1947, Madras Presidency became the Madras State, comprised of present-day Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh , northern Kerala , and the southwest coast of Karnataka . The state was subsequently split along Linguistic lines. In 1953, the northern districts formed Andhra Pradesh. Under the States Reorganization Act in 1956, Madras State lost its western coastal districts. The Bellary and South Kanara districts were ceded to Mysore State , and Kerala was formed from the Malabar District and the former Princely State s of Travancore and Cochin . In 1968, Madras State was renamed '' Tamil Nadu ''. There was some initial demand for an independent Tamil state following the adoption of the federal system.16 However, the Indian Constitution granted significant autonomy to the states, and protests by Tamils in 1963 led to the government adopting a new policy called the "three language formula". This has led to Tamils in India becoming increasingly satisfied with the federal arrangement, and there is very little support for secession or independence today. In Sri Lanka, however, the unitary arrangement led to a growing belief among some Tamils of discrimination by the Sinhalese majority. This resulted in a demand for Federalism , which in the 1970s grew into a movement for an autonomous Tamil country. The situation deteriorated into Civil War in the early 1980s. A ceasefire in effect since 2002 broke down in August 2006 amid shelling and bombing from both sides. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Indian Tamils Most Indian Tamils live in the state of Tamil Nadu . Tamils are the majority in the Union Territory of Pondicherry , a former French colony. Pondicherry is a Subnational Enclave situated within Tamil Nadu. There are also Tamil communities in other parts of India. Most of these have emerged fairly recently, dating to the colonial and post-colonial periods, but some—particularly the Hebbar and Mandyam Tamils of southern Karnataka , the Tamils of Palakkad in Kerala , and the Tamils of Pune , Maharashtra —date back to at least the medieval period. Sri Lankan Tamils See Also: Sri Lankan Civil War Sri Lankan Tamils Hill Country Tamils woman working on a tea plantation in upcountry Sri Lanka.]] There are today two groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The first are the '' Sri Lankan Tamils '', who either descend from the Tamils of the old Jaffna Kingdom or who migrated to the East coast. The second are the ''Indian Tamils'' or '' Hill Country Tamils '', who are descendants of Bonded Labourers sent from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work in Tea plantations.de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.177, 181. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 Ceylon Tamils mostly live in the Northern and Eastern provinces and in the capital of Colombo, whereas hill-country Tamils largely live in the central highlands.17 The Hill Country Tamils and Ceylon Tamils historically have seen themselves as separate communities. In 1949, the United National Party Government, which included G. G. Ponnambalam , a leader of the Tamil Congress and of the Sri Lankan Tamils , stripped the ''Indian Tamils'' of their nationality, including their right to vote. Prominent Tamil political leaders such as S. J. V. Chelvanayakam and his Tamil opposition party opposed this move.18 Under an agreement between the Sri Lankan and Indian governments in the 1960s, around 40% of Hill Country Tamils were granted Sri Lankan nationality, and many of the remainder were repatriated to India .de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', p.262. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 However, the ethnic conflict has led to the growth of a greater sense of common Tamil identity, and the two groups are now more supportive of each other.Suryanarayan, V. (2001). "In search of a new identity" , ''Frontline'' 18(2). By the 1990s most Indian Tamils had received Sri Lankan citizenship.de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', p.262. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-1 There is also a significant Tamil-speaking Muslim population in Sri Lanka . Unlike Tamil-speaking Muslims from India, however, they do not identify themselves as ethnic Tamils and are therefore usually listed as a separate ethnic group in official statistics.de Silva, C.R. (1987, 2nd ed. 1997). ''Sri Lanka - A History'', pp.3–5, 9. New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House. ISBN 81-259-0461-119 Tamil emigrant communities See Also: Tamil diaspora Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora Significant Tamil emigration began in the 18th century, when the British colonial government sent many poor Tamils as Indentured Labourers to far-off parts of the Empire , especially Malaya , South Africa , Fiji , Mauritius and the Caribbean . At about the same time, many Tamil businessmen also immigrated to other parts of the British Empire, particularly to Burma and East Africa .20 Many Tamils still live in these countries, and the Tamil communities in Singapore , Reunion Island , Malaysia and South Africa have retained much of their culture and language. Many Malaysian children attend Tamil schools, and a significant portion of Tamil children in Mauritius and Reunion are brought up with Tamil as their first language. In Singapore, Tamil students learn Tamil as their second language in school, with English as the first. To preserve the Tamil Language , the Singapore government has made it a national language despite Tamils comprising only about 10% of the population, and has also introduced compulsory instruction of the language for Tamils. Other Tamil communities, such as those in South Africa and Fiji, no longer speak Tamil as a first language, but still retain a strong Tamil identity, and are able to understand the language, while most elders speak it as a first language.21 A large emigration also began in the 1980s, as Sri Lankan Tamils sought to escape the ethnic conflict there. These recent emigrants have most often fled to Australia , Europe , North America and Southeast Asia .22 Today, the largest concentration of Tamils outside southern Asia is in Toronto , Canada .23 Many young Tamil professionals from India have also immigrated to Europe and the United States in recent times in search of better opportunities. These new immigrant communities have established Cultural Associations to protect and promote Tamil culture and language in their adopted homes. CULTURE See Also: Tamil culture Language and literature Main articles : Tamil Language , Tamil Literature representing the Tamil language as a goddess; The caption on the pedestal reads ''Tamil Annai'' ("Mother Tamil").]]Tamils have strong feelings towards the , it is a Dravidian Language , unrelated to the Indo-European Languages of northern India. The language has been far less influenced by Sanskrit than the other Dravidian languages, and preserves many features of Proto-Dravidian , though modern-day spoken Tamil in Tamil Nadu, freely uses Loanword s from Sanskrit and English .24 Tamil Literature is of considerable antiquity, and was recognised as a Classical Language by the Government Of India . , by Tiruvalluvar , The Five Great Tamil Epics , and the works of Auvaiyar . Modern Tamil literature is diverse. It includes Indian Nationalism , in the works of Subramanya Bharathi ; historical romanticism, by Kalki Krishnamurthy ; radical and moderate Social Realism , by Pudhumaipithan and Jayakanthan ; and Feminism , by Malathi Maithri and Kutti Revathi . Sujatha , an author whose works range from Romance Novel s to Science Fiction , is one of the most popular modern writers in Tamil. Sri Lankan Tamil literature has produced several works reflecting the civilian tragedy caused by decades of war. There is also an emerging Diaspora literature in Tamil. There are a number of regional dialects in use by the Tamil people. These dialects vary among regions and communities. Tamil dialects are mainly differentiated by the disparate phonological changes and sound shifts that have evolved from Old Tamil. Although most Tamil dialects do not differ significantly in their vocabulary, there are a few exceptions. The Dialects Spoken In Sri Lanka retain many words that are not in everyday use in India , and use many other words slightly differently. The dialect of the Iyer s of Palakkad has a large number of Malayalam loanwords, has been influenced by Malayalam syntax, and has a distinct Malayalam accent. The Sankethi , Hebbar , and Mandyam dialects, the former spoken by groups of Tamil Iyers , and the latter two by Vaishnavites who migrated to Karnataka in the 11th Century , retains many Vaishnavite religious and spiritual values. Although not a dialect, the Tamil spoken in Chennai infuses English words, and is called '' Madras Bashai '' (Madras language). Visual art and architecture See Also: Tamil visual arts Most traditional Tamil art is religious in some form and usually centres on Hinduism , although the religious element is often only a means to represent universal—and, occasionally, Humanist —themes.Coomaraswamy, A.K., ''Figures of Speech or Figures of Thought'' The most important form of Tamil painting is Tanjore Painting , which originated in Thanjavur in the Ninth Century . The painting's base is made of cloth and coated with Zinc Oxide , over which the image is painted using dyes; it is then decorated with semi-precious stones, as well as silver or gold thread.25 A style which is related in origin, but which exhibits significant differences in execution, is used for painting Mural s on temple walls; the most notable example are the murals on the Meenakshi Temple , of Madurai .26 Tamil art, in general, is known for its stylistic elegance, rich colours, and attention to small details. of the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai .]] |
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