Portal:Tamils

The Tamils portal

The Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑː-/ TAM-ilz, TAHM-), 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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Periyar, a head of the Movement in Tamil Nadu

The Self-Respect Movement is a popular human rights movement originating in South India aimed at achieving social equality for those oppressed by the Indian caste system, advocating for lower castes to develop self-respect. It was founded in 1925 by S. Ramanathan, who invited E. V. Ramasamy (also known as Periyar) to head the India against Brahminism movement in Tamil Nadu. The movement was extremely influential not only in Tamil Nadu, but also overseas in countries with large Tamil populations, such as Sri Lanka, Burma, and Singapore. Among Singapore Indians, groups like the Tamil Reform Association, and leaders such as Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani were prominent in promoting the principles of the Self-Respect Movement among the local Tamil population through schools and publications.

A number of political parties in Tamil Nadu, such as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) owe their origins to the Self-Respect Movement; the latter had a breakaway from the DMK in 1972. Both parties are populist with a generally social democratic orientation. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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Jayalalithaa in 2015

Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016), popularly known as Amma, was an Indian politician and actress who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for six terms spanning more than fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. She was the longest-serving General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the first female chief minister to die in office in India. Regarded as one of the most influential politicians of post-independence India, she was also a prominent film actress, appearing in around 140 films between 1961 and 1980 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema, and winning multiple Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South.

Before entering politics, Jayalalithaa rose to prominence as a leading film actress in the mid-1960s, earning recognition for her versatility and classical dance skills. In 1982, she joined the AIADMK, founded by her frequent co-star M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), who was then Chief Minister. She rose swiftly within the party to become its Propaganda Secretary and was elected to the Rajya Sabha. After MGR's death in 1987, she outmanoeuvred the rival faction led by his widow V. N. Janaki to emerge as the party's sole leader. (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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