Portal:Tamils

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The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar (Tamil: தமிழர், romanized: Tamiḻar, pronounced [t̪amiɻaɾ] in the singular or தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, [t̪amiɻaɾɡaɭ] in the plural), Tamilians, or simply Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑː-/ TAM-ilz, TAHM-), are an ethnolinguistic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, to the union territory of Puducherry, and to Sri Lanka. The Tamil language is one of the world's longest-surviving classical languages, with over 2000 years of Tamil literature, including the Sangam poems, which were composed between 300 BCE and 300 CE. People who speak Tamil as their mother tongue and are born in are considered Tamils.

Tamils constitute 5.9% of the population in India (concentrated mainly in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), 15% in Sri Lanka (excluding Eelam Moors), 7% in Malaysia, and 5% in Singapore.

From the 4th century BCE, urbanisation and mercantile activity along the western and eastern coasts of Tamilakam -- what is today Kerala and Tamil Nadu -- led to the development of four large Tamil empires, the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, and velirs and a number of smaller states, all of whom were warring amongst themselves for dominance. The Jaffna Kingdom, and vanni chieftaincies inhabited by Eelam Tamils, was once one of the strongest kingdoms of Sri Lanka and controlled much of the north of the island. (Full article...)

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A postcard image of a Sri Lankan Tamil woman, 1910.

Sri Lankan Tamils (Tamil: இலங்கை தமிழர், ilankai tamiḻar or ஈழத் தமிழர், īḻat tamiḻar), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, form the plurality in the Eastern Province and are in the minority throughout the rest of the country. 70% of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka live in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Modern Sri Lankan Tamils descend from residents of the Jaffna Kingdom, a former kingdom in the north of Sri Lanka and Vannimai chieftaincies from the east. According to the anthropological and archaeological evidence, Sri Lankan Tamils have a very long history in Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since at least around the 2nd century BCE. (Full article...)

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General images

Image 1Distribution of Tamil speakers in South India and Sri Lanka (1981). (from Tamils)
Image 2The Tamil Chola Empire at its height, 1030 CE (from Tamils)
Image 3Expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil children in traditional clothes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 4Celebrations of Murugan by the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Paris, France (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 5A Malbar temple in Réunion. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 6The Mahishasuramardhini cave bas relief at Mahabalipuram from 7th century CE (from Tamils)
Image 7Meenakshi Amman temple, dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, tutelary deity of Madurai city (from Tamils)
Image 8Tamil girls dressed in traditional attire, ca. 1870, Tamil Nadu, India. (from Tamils)
Image 9 Virampatnam jewelry from funerary burial, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 10Grey pottery with engravings, Arikamedu, 1st century CE (from Tamils)
Image 11A Megalithic burial jar from north-western Sri Lanka, 5th-2nd century BCE, similar to South Indian and Deccan jars of the time. (from Tamils)
Image 12The Brihadeshswar Temple at Thanjavur, also known as the Great Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I (from Tamils)
Image 13Bharatanatyam dancers (from Tamils)
Image 14Batu Caves temple built by Tamil Malaysians in c. 1880s. (from Tamils)
Image 15Aiyanar, guardian folk deity of Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 16Tamil girls in Malaysia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 17Erwadi durgah in Ramanathapuram district is a major pilgrimage shrine of the Tamil Muslims. (from Tamils)
Image 18Tamil woman in traditional attire, c. 1880, Sri Lanka. (from Tamils)
Image 19One 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 20Sage Agathiyar, one of the contributors of Old Tamil literature. (from Tamils)
Image 21The Om symbol in Tamil script (from Tamils)
Image 22 Map of ancient oceanic trade, and ports of Tamilakam (from Tamils)
Image 23The 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 24Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Brickfields, Malaysia. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 25The golden Vimana over the sanctum at Srirangam midst its gopurams, its gable with Paravasudeva image. (from Tamils)
Image 26Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 27A 400 years old hero stone in Salem depicting bull-taming sport Jallikattu. (from Tamils)
Image 28Murugan Temple, Sydney (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 29Tamiḻakam during Sangam Period (from Tamils)
Image 30Sri Kamakshi Ambaal temple in Hamm, Germany (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 31Two Tamil girls who follow Vaishnavaite Hinduism (from Tamils)
Image 32 Souttoukeny jewelry, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 33Tamil people in Medan, Indonesia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 34Krishna with his consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama and his mount Garuda, Tamil Nadu, India, late 12th-13th century (from Tamils)
Image 35Katar, Tamil dagger which was popular throughout South Asia (from Tamils)
Image 36Megalithic sarcophagus burial from Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 37The hall in front of Ranganayaki's shrine, Srirangam, where Kambar is said to have recited his works on Kamba Ramayanam (from Tamils)

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Veerapandiya Kattabomman on a 1999 stamp

Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankurichi in Tamil Nadu, India. He fought the British East India Company and was captured by the British with the help of the ruler of the kingdom of Pudukottai, Vijaya Raghunatha Tondaiman, and at the age of 39 he was hanged at Kayathar on 16 October 1799. (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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