Tamils

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Tamils
தமிழர்
Dravidians
தமிழ் (Tamil)
Personதமிழர் Tamiḻar
Peopleதமிழர்கள் Tamiḻarkaḷ
Languageதமிழ் Tamiḻ
Countryதமிழ்நாடு Tamiḻ Nāṭu
(hist.) தமிழகம் Tamiḻakam
(hist.) ஈழம் Īḻam

The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar (Tamil: தமிழர், romanized: Tamiḻar, pronounced [t̪amiɻaɾ] in the singular or தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, [t̪amiɻaɾɡaɭ] in the plural), Tamilians,[8] or simply Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑː-/ TAM-ilz, TAHM-),[9] are a 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,[10][11] 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 Tamil clans 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),[note 3] 7% in Malaysia, and 5% in Singapore.

From the 4th century BCE,

Jaffna Kingdom, inhabited by Eelam Tamils
, was once one of the strongest kingdoms of Sri Lanka and controlled much of the north of the island.

Tamils were noted for their

Pallava traders and religious leaders travelled to Southeast Asia and played an important role in the cultural Indianisation of the region. Scripts brought by Tamil traders to Southeast Asia, like the Grantha and Pallava scripts, induced the development of many Southeast Asian scripts such as Khmer, Javanese, Kawi, Baybayin, and Thai
.

Tamil visual art is dominated by

Chola period, have become notable symbols of Hinduism. A major part of Tamil performing arts is its classical form of dance, the Bharatanatyam, whereas the popular forms are known as Koothu. Classical Tamil music is dominated by the Carnatic genre, while gaana and dappankuthu are also popular genres. Tamil is an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore. In 2004, Tamil was the first of six to be designated as a classical language of India.[19]

The vast majority of Tamil people are

Christians and Muslims, and a small Jain community survives from the classical period as well. A smaller number are Buddhists. Tamil cuisine is informed by varied vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, usually spiced with locally available spices. English historian and broadcaster Michael Wood called the Tamils the last surviving classical civilization on Earth, because the Tamils have preserved substantial elements of their past regarding belief, culture, music, and literature despite the influence of globalization.[22]

Etymology

It is unknown whether the term Tamiḻar and its equivalents in

Amaravati (located in present-day Andhra Pradesh) is an inscription referring to a Dhamila-vaniya (Tamil trader) datable to the 3rd century CE.[23]

In the

Roman Emperor Augustus of Rome received at Antioch an ambassador from a king called Pandyan of Dramira.[citation needed] Hence, it is clear that by at least 300 BCE, the ethnic identity of Tamils was formed as a distinct group.[23] Tamiḻar is etymologically related to Tamil, the language spoken by Tamil people. Southworth suggests that the name comes from tam-miz > tam-iz - "self-speak", or "our own speech".[24] Zvelebil suggests an etymology of tam-iz, with tam meaning "self" or "one's self", and "-iz" having the connotation of "unfolding sound". Alternatively, he suggests a derivation of tamiz < tam-iz < *tav-iz < *tak-iz, meaning in origin "the proper process (of speaking)".[25]

History

In India

Prehistoric period

Possible evidence indicating the earliest presence of Tamil people in modern-day Tamil Nadu are the

Thoothukudi District[26][27][full citation needed] which conform to the descriptions of funerals in classical Tamil literature.[28]

Various legends became prevalent after the 10th century CE regarding the antiquity of the Tamil people. According to

Iraiyanar Agapporul, a 10th/11th century annotation on the Sangam literature, the Tamil country extended southwards beyond the natural boundaries of the Indian peninsula comprising 49 ancient nadus (divisions). The land was supposed to have been destroyed by a deluge. The Sangam legends also alluded to the antiquity of the Tamil people by claiming tens of thousands of years of continuous literary activity during three Sangams.[29]

Classical period

Grey pottery with engravings, Arikamedu, 1st century CE

Ancient Tamils had three monarchical states, headed by kings called "Vendhar" and several tribal chieftainships, headed by the chiefs called by the general denomination "Vel" or "Velir".

Eṭṭuttokai also shed light on ancient Tamil people.[32][page needed] The kings and chieftains were patrons of the arts, and a significant volume of literature exists from this period. The literature shows that many of the cultural practices that are considered peculiarly Tamil date back to the classical period.[33]

Vedic Sacrifices

Given your fury, which of these then is greater in number
—your once eager enemies shamed and despairing after brandishing
their long spears that throw shadows and their beautiful shields
embossed with iron against the power of your swift vanguard
with its shining weapons, or else the number of spacious sites
where you have set up
Yupam (columns) after performing many
sacrifices prescribed by the Four Vedas and the books of ritual,
fine sacrifices of an excellence that will not die away
and charged with a fame that is difficult to achieve,
oblations that rose rich in ghee and all the other elements
of the sacrifice? For you, which is greater in number, O greatness!

Purananuru 15, Translator: George L. Hart[34]

Culture and tradition of old tamils can be well known by the text Purananuru which mainly talks about public life and explains how people lived in Ancient Tamil Nadu. The text states that several kings believed that Vedic Sacrifices help in upholding righteousness and brings happiness to the country.[35][36][37][38][39][40] Vedas were considered as the book of Righteousness and did not speak about materialism and Cruelness.[41] The text also explains death rituals and concept of Re-birth. after a person is dead all his family and friends weep and cry, if a husband is dead the wife hits her chest and cries and the bangles break.[42][43] Only men go to cremation ground and the women clean the house and apply cow dung to the front yard of the house.[44] The son or some other relative give the body to the person who performs Ritual rights, further the person performs good rituals with the family members to the corpse and finally gives rice to the corpse, The text explains the significance of rice fed by the person to the corpse, and later the body is burnt.[45][46][47] If the wife dies the men feels so sad and also feels to die, he does not want to sleep on the bed of rock and instead sleep in the bed of fire and same rituals are performed.[48] People who perform good deeds in this birth gets a better birth in his next life,[49][50][51] if a king was so good and generous, The king of Heaven Indra who holds the Vajra welcomes him to Heaven with pleasure.[52] If a person lives a normal life he goes to the world of dead (Probably Pitru Lokam).[53] After all the rituals a Nadukal is kept for the dead king and is worshiped by people.[54] Some poets consider Nadukal as the only god.

Agriculture was important during this period, and there is evidence that networks of

tortoiseshell.[59]

The classical period ended around the 4th century CE with invasions by the

  • Megalithic sarcophagus burial from Tamil Nadu
    Megalithic sarcophagus burial from Tamil Nadu
  • Virampatnam jewelry from funerary burial, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu
    Virampatnam jewelry from funerary burial, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu
  • Souttoukeny jewelry, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu
    Souttoukeny jewelry, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu
  • Map of ancient oceanic trade, and ports of Tamilakam
    Map of ancient oceanic trade, and ports of Tamilakam
  • Tamiḻakam during Sangam Period
    Tamiḻakam during Sangam Period

Economy, trade and maritime

The Tamil country is strategically located in the

sea trade route
.

Imperial and post-imperial periods

The golden Vimana over the sanctum at Srirangam midst its gopurams, its gable with Paravasudeva image.

The names of the three dynasties, Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras, are mentioned in Tamil

Satavahana Dynasty
.

Mahabalipuram
from 7th century CE

These early kingdoms sponsored the growth of some of the oldest extant

Rashtrakutas who ruled from Gulbarga. Krishna III, the last great Rashtrakuta king, consolidated the empire so that it stretched from the Narmada River to the Kaveri River and included the northern Tamil country (Tondaimandalam) while levying tribute on the king of Ceylon.[73]

The Tamil Chola Empire at its height, 1030 CE

Under

Nilakanta Sastri, Kulottunga avoided unnecessary wars and had a long and prosperous reign characterized by unparalleled success that laid the foundation for the well being of the empire for the next 150 years.[81]

The eventual decline of Chola power in South India began towards the end of Kulottunga III's reign. It was accentuated by the resurgence of Pandyas under

Maravarman Sundara Pandya (1216-1238 CE)[76] The waning Chola fortunes resulted in a three-way fight for the Tamil regions between the Pandyas, the Hoysalas and the Kakatiyas. Even the Kadava chief, Kopperunjinga, rebelled against his Chola overlord, Rajaraja III, and asserted his independence.[citation needed] The Hoysalas played a divisive role in the politics of the Tamil country during this period. They thoroughly exploited the lack of unity among the Tamil kingdoms and alternately supported one Tamil kingdom against the other thereby preventing both the Cholas and Pandyas from rising to their full potential. During the period of Rajaraja III, the Hoysalas sided with the Cholas and defeated the Kadava chieftain Kopperunjinga and the Pandyas and established a presence in the Tamil country. Rajendra Chola III who succeeded Rajaraja III was a much better ruler who took bold steps to revive the Chola fortunes. He led successful expeditions to the north as attested by his epigraphs found as far as Cuddappah.[82] He also defeated two Pandya princes one of whom was Maravarman Sundara Pandya II and briefly made the Pandyas submit to the Chola overlordship. The Hoysalas, under Vira Someswara, were quick to intervene and this time they sided with the Pandyas and repulsed the Cholas in order to counter the latter's revival.[83]

Tamil history turned a new leaf with the advent of the warrior prince, Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I. In the ensuing wars for supremacy, he emerged as the single most victorious ruler and the Pandya kingdom reached its zenith in the 13th century during his reign. Jatavarman Sundara Pandya first put an end to Hoysala interference by expelling them from the Kaveri delta and subsequently killed their king Vira Someswara in 1262 AD near Srirangam. He then defeated Kopperunjinga, the Kadava chieftain, and turned him into a vassal. The Pandya then turned his attention to the north and annexed Kanchi by killing the Telugu chief Vijaya Gandagopala. He then marched up to Nellore and celebrated his victories there by doing the virabisheka(anointment of heroes) after defeating the Kakatiya ruler, Ganapati. Meanwhile, his lieutenant Vira Pandya defeated the king of Lanka and obtained the submission of the island nation.[84] In the 14th century, the Pandyan empire was engulfed in a civil war and also had to face repeated invasions by the Delhi Sultanate. In 1335, Madurai, the Pandyan capital, was conquered by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan and a short-lived Madurai Sultanate was established, but was captured in 1378 by the Vijayanagara Empire.

Throughout the 15th century, the Vijayanagara Empire was the dominant power of South India.In the early 16th century (about 1520 CE), Virasekhara Chola, king of Tanjore rose out of obscurity and plundered the dominions of the then Pandya prince in south. The Pandya who was under the protection of the Vijayanagara appealed to the emperor and the Raya accordingly directed his agent (Karyakartta) Nagama Nayaka who was stationed in the south to put down the Chola. Nagama Nayaka then defeated the Chola but to everyone's surprise the once loyal officer of Krishnadeva Raya defied the emperor for some reason and decided to keep Madurai for himself.[85] Krishnadeva Raya is then said to have dispatched Nagama's son, Viswanatha who defeated his father and restored Madurai to Vijayanagara.[86] The fate of Virasekhara Chola, the last of the line of Cholas is not known. It is speculated that he either fell in battle or was put to death along with his heirs during his encounter with Vijayanagara.[87] Later when the Vijayanagara empire crumbled and fell after the Battle of Talikota in 1565 CE, the Nayaks who had once been viceroys asserted their independence and ruled independently from Madurai and Thanjavur.[88]

The area west of the Western Ghats became increasingly politically distinct from the Eastern parts ruled by Chola and Pandya Dynasties[89] Kerala was until 9th century, culturally and linguistically part of Tamilakam, with the local Koduntamil evolving to Malayalam.[90] This socio-culturally transformation was altered through Sanskrit-speaking Indo-Aryan migration from Northern India in the 8th century.[91]

In Sri Lanka

A Megalithic burial jar from north-western Sri Lanka, 5th-2nd century BCE, similar to South Indian and Deccan jars of the time.[92]

There is little scholarly consensus over the presence of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.[93] One theory is that cultural diffusion well before Sinhalese arrival in Sri Lanka led to Tamil replacing a previous language of an indigenous Mesolithic population that became the Eelam Tamils.[94]

According to their tradition, Eelam Tamils are lineal descendants of the aboriginal

Naga and Yaksha people of Sri Lanka. The "Nakar" used the cobra totem known as "Nakam" in the Tamil language, which is still part of the Hindu Tamil tradition in Sri Lanka today as a subordinate deity.[95]

Pre-Anuradhapura period

Settlements of people culturally similar to those of present-day Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in modern India were excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu on the west coast and in Kathiraveli on the east coast of the island, with villages established between the 5th century BCE and 2nd century CE.[96][97] Cultural similarities in burial practices in South India and Sri Lanka were dated by archeologists to the 10th century BCE. However, Indian history and archaeology have pushed the date back to the 15th century BCE, and in Sri Lanka, there is radiometric evidence from Anuradhapura that the non-Brahmi symbol-bearing black and red ware occurs at least around the 9th or 10th century BCE.[98]

Anuradhapura period

Early South Indian type

Elara invaded the island around 145 BCE.[105] Tamil soldiers from what is now South India were brought to Anuradhapura between the 7th and 11th centuries CE in such large numbers that local chiefs and kings trying to establish legitimacy came to rely on them.[106] By the 8th century CE there were Tamil villages collectively known as Demel-kaballa (Tamil allotment), Demelat-valademin (Tamil villages), and Demel-gam-bim (Tamil villages and lands).[107]

Polonnaruwa period to the Kandyan period

In the 9th and 10th centuries CE, Pandya and Chola incursions into Sri Lanka culminated in the Chola annexation of the island, which lasted until the latter half of the 11th century CE, after which Chola influence declined in Sri Lanka.

Ming admiral Zheng He overthrew him in 1409 and took him as a captive to China, after which his family declined in influence. The Aryachakaravarthi dynasty continued to rule over large parts of northeast Sri Lanka until the Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna Kingdom in 1619. The coastal areas of the island were taken over by the Dutch and then became part of the British Empire in 1796. The English sailor Robert Knox described walking into the island's Tamil country in the publication An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon, annotating some kingdoms within it on a map in 1681.[113] Upon the arrival of European powers from the 17th century, the Tamils' separate nation was described[by whom?] in their areas of habitation in the northeast of the island.[114]

The caste structure of the majority Sinhalese has also accommodated Hindu immigrants from South India since the 13th century CE. This led to the emergence of three new Sinhalese caste groups: The "Radala" the Salagama, the Durava and the Karava.[115][116][117] The Hindu migration and assimilation continued until the 18th century.[115]

British occupation & contemporary Sri Lanka

British colonists consolidated the Tamil territory in southern India into the Madras Presidency, which was integrated into British India. Similarly, the majority Tamil speaking parts of Sri Lanka joined with the other regions of the island in 1802 to form the Ceylon colony until it gained independence in 1948 with both Sinhalese and Tamil populations.

Irrespective of the ethnic differences, the British imposed a unitary state structure in British Ceylon for better administration.[118][full citation needed] During the British colonial rule, many Tamils held higher positions than the Sinhalese in the government, because they were favoured by the British for their qualification in English education. In the Eelam highlands the lands of the Sinhalese were seized by the British and Indian Tamils were settled there as plantation workers.[119] After the British colonial rule in Sri Lanka ended, ethnic tension between the Sinhalese and the Eelam Tamils rose. The Sinhalese, constituting a majority of the country, resented the minority Tamils having huge power in the island. In 1948, about 700,000 Indian Tamil tea plantation workers from Sri Lanka were made stateless and deported to India. In 1956, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka passed the Sinhala Only Act, an act where Sinhala replaced English as the only official language of Sri Lanka. Due to this, many Tamils were forced to resign as civil servants/public servants because they were not fluent in Sinhala.[120] The Eelam Tamils saw the act as linguistic, cultural and economic discrimination against them.

After anti-Tamil

war crimes against the civilian Eelam Tamil people during the final months of the Eelam War IV phase in 2009, when the leader of the Tigers, Prabhakaran, was killed.[124]
The war led to the flight of over 800,000 Eelam Tamil refugees, many going to the UK and India.

Geographic distribution

India

Tamil girls dressed in traditional attire, ca. 1870, Tamil Nadu, India.

Most Tamils in India live in the state of

subnational enclave situated within Tamil Nadu. Tamils account for at least one-sixth of the population in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[citation needed
]

There are significant Tamil communities in other parts of India. Most of these have emerged fairly recently, dating to the colonial and post-colonial periods, but some date back to the medieval period.[

Sri Lanka

Distribution of Tamil speakers in South India and Sri Lanka (1981).

There are two groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka: the

Sri Lankan government.[127][128]

Most Sri Lankan Tamils live in the Northern and Eastern provinces and in the capital Colombo, whereas most Indian Tamils live in the central highlands.[128] Historically both groups have seen themselves as separate communities, although there has been a greater sense of unity since the 1980s.[129]

Under the terms of an agreement reached between the Sri Lankan and Indian governments in the 1960s, about 40 percent of the Indian Tamils were granted Sri Lankan citizenship, and many of the remainder were

repatriated to India. By the 1990s, most Indian Tamils had received Sri Lankan citizenship.[130]

Tamil diaspora

Tamil woman in traditional attire, c. 1880, Sri Lanka.
Batu Caves temple built by Tamil Malaysians in c. 1880s.

Significant Tamil emigration began in the 18th century, when the British colonial government sent many middle-class and poor Tamils as

Burma, South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. At about the same time, many Tamil businessmen also migrated to other parts of the British Empire, particularly to Burma and East Africa.[131]

Many Tamils still live in these countries, and the Tamil communities in

Reunion Island, Malaysia, Myanmar and South Africa have retained much of their original culture, tradition and language. Many Malaysian children attend Tamil schools, and a significant portion of Tamil children are brought up with Tamil as their first language. In Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion, Tamil students learn Tamil as their second language in school. In Singapore, to preserve the Tamil language, the government has made it an official language despite Tamils comprising only about 5% of the population, and has also introduced compulsory instruction of the language for Tamils. Other Tamil communities, such as those in South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Pakistan, Martinique, and the Caribbean no longer speak Tamil language 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.[132][dubious ] There is a very small Tamil community in Pakistan, notably settled since the partition in 1947.[133]

A large emigration also began in the 1980s, as Eelam Tamils sought to escape the ethnic conflict there. These recent emigrants have most often moved to Australia, Europe, North America and southeast Asia.[134][page needed] Today, the largest concentration of Eelam Tamils outside Sri Lanka can be found in Toronto.[135]

Culture

Language and literature

Sage Agathiyar, one of the contributors of Old Tamil literature.
The hall in front of Ranganayaki's shrine, Srirangam, where Kambar is said to have recited his works on Kamba Ramayanam

Tamils have strong attachment to the Tamil language, which is often venerated in literature as Tamil̲an̲n̲ai, "the Tamil mother".

Proto-Dravidian, though modern-day spoken Tamil in Tamil Nadu freely uses loanwords from Sanskrit and English.[138] Tamil literature is of considerable antiquity, and underpins the decision to recognize Tamil as a classical language by the government of India. Classical Tamil literature, which ranges from lyric poetry to works on poetics and ethical philosophy, is remarkably different from contemporary and later literature in other Indian languages, and represents the oldest body of secular literature in South Asia.[139][page needed
]

Martial traditions

Various martial arts including

martyrdom was glorified in ancient Tamil literature. The Tamil kings and warriors followed an honour code similar to that of Japanese samurai and committed suicide to preserve honor. The forms of martial suicide were known as Avipalli, Thannai, Verttal, Marakkanchi, Vatakkiruttal and Punkilithu Mudiyum Maram. Avipalli was mentioned in all the works except Veera Soliyam. It was a self-sacrifice of a warrior to the goddess of war for the victory of his commander.[143][full citation needed] The Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka reflected some elements of Tamil martial traditions which included worship of fallen heroes (Maaveerar Naal) and practice of martial suicide. They carried a suicide pill around their neck to escape captivity and torture.[144][full citation needed
]

Katar, Tamil dagger which was popular throughout South Asia

Wootz steel originated in South India and Sri Lanka.[145][dead link][146] There are several ancient Tamil, Greek, Chinese and Roman literary references to high-carbon Indian steel since the time of Alexander's India campaign. The crucible steel production process started in the sixth century BCE at Kodumanal in Tamil Nadu, Golconda in Andhra Pradesh, in Karnataka and in Sri Lanka. It was exported globally, with the Tamils of the Chera Dynasty producing what was termed "the finest steel in the world",[by whom?] i.e. Seric Iron to the Romans, Egyptians, Chinese and Arabs by 500 BCE.[147][148][page needed][149] The steel was exported as cakes of steely iron that came to be known as "Wootz".[150]

The Tamilakam method was to heat black magnetite ore in the presence of carbon in a sealed clay crucible inside a charcoal furnace. An alternative was to smelt the ore first to give wrought iron, then heated and hammered to be rid of slag. The carbon source was bamboo and leaves from plants such as

200 BCE Tamil trade guild in Tissamaharama, in the South East of Sri Lanka, brought with them some of the oldest iron and steel artefacts and production processes to the island from the classical period.[dubious ][154][155] The Arabs introduced the South Indian/Eelam wootz steel to Damascus, where an industry developed for making weapons of this steel. The 12th century Arab traveller Edrisi mentioned the "Hinduwani" or Indian steel as the best in the world.[145] Another sign of its reputation is seen in a Persian phrase – to give an "Indian answer", meaning "a cut with an Indian sword".[156] Wootz steel was widely exported and traded throughout ancient Europe and the Arab world, and became particularly famous in the Middle East.[156]

Traditional weapons

The Tamil martial arts also includes various types of weapons.

Visual art and architecture

Krishna with his consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama and his mount Garuda, Tamil Nadu, India, late 12th-13th century[157]
Rajaraja Chola I

Most traditional 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.[158][page needed][need quotation to verify]

The most important form of Tamil painting is

Brihadeeswarar temple of Tanjore.[160]

Tamil sculpture ranges from elegant stone sculptures in temples, to bronze icons with exquisite details.[161] The medieval Chola bronzes are considered to be one of India's greatest contributions to world art.[162][163] Unlike most Western art, the material in Tamil sculpture does not influence the form taken by the sculpture; instead, the artist imposes his/her vision of the form on the material.[164] As a result, one often sees in stone sculptures flowing forms that are usually reserved for metal.[165][page needed]

Music

Ancient Tamil works, such as the

Thevaadiyar.[168]

Performing arts

Bharatanatyam dancers

Notable Tamil dance styles are

In its religious form, the Karakattam dance is performed in front of an image of the goddess

Mariamma.[169] The kuravanci is a type of dance-drama, performed by four to eight women. The drama is opened by a woman playing the part of a female soothsayer of the Kurava tribe (people of hills and mountains), who tells the story of a lady pining for her lover. The Therukoothu, literally meaning "street play", is a form of village theater or folk opera. It is traditionally performed in village squares, with no sets and very simple props.[170] The performances involve songs and dances, and the stories can be either religious or secular.[171] Tamil Nadu also has a well developed stage theatre tradition, which has been influenced by western theatre. A number of theatrical companies exist, with repertoires including absurdist, realist, and humorous plays.[172]

Film and theatre arts

Theatrical culture flourished among Tamils during the classical age. Tamil theatre has a long and varied history whose origins can be traced back almost two millennia to dance-theatre forms like Kotukotti and Pandarangam, which are mentioned in an ancient anthology of poems entitled the Kalingathu Parani.

Jayalalithaa
, have had a background in the Tamil film industry.

Sports in Tamil Nadu

A 400 years old hero stone in Salem depicting bull-taming sport Jallikattu.

The people of Tamil Nadu play traditional sports and sports from other countries. Tamil Nadu has some notable players in each sport.

  • Jallikattu: a bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu that is over 2,000 years old and an integral part of Tamil culture. In ancient times, two bull-taming and bull-racing sports were pursued, called Manjuvirattu and Yeruthazhuval, with the aim of keeping people's temperament fit and ready for war at any time. Each has its own techniques and rules. Proficiency in these sports was one of the criteria for marrying girls of a warrior family. There were traditions where the winner would be chosen as bridegroom for their daughter or sister. On the other hand, the untamable bulls were held as a pride of the owner/village and used for breeding the cows. Unlike western bullfighting, bulls and warriors participated in the sport year after year. The sport, popular amongst warriors in the classical period,[176][177] survives in parts of Tamil Nadu, notably Alanganallur near Madurai, where it is held once a year around the time of the Pongal festival.
  • Kabaddi: a traditional sport that originated in Tamil Nadu.[178]
  • Mattu Vandy Elgai Panthayam (Reckla Race): bullock cart racing is mostly celebrated in southern Tamil Nadu.
  • Silambam (Staff fencing): a martial art originated in the ancient Tamilakam. In 1978, the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu Olympic Federation recognized Silambam as a traditional sport, but it was not recognized by the Sports Ministry of India and Indian Olympic Association.[179]

Tamil cuisine

Tamil cuisine includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Some Tamils are vegetarian because of religious reasons.

Eelam Tamil specialty is Kottu Roti, available in most Eelam Tamil restaurants in the country and abroad[citation needed
].

Genetics

Tamils, who primarily inhabit the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka, have a unique genetic heritage shaped by various historical migrations and interactions.[182] Genetic studies have provided us with fascinating insights into the Tamil population's genetic makeup, revealing several areas of interest. For instance, Tamils are primarily of Dravidian origin, with their genetic makeup characterized by a Dravidian component that sets them apart from other South Asian populations.[183]

Linguistic studies have identified the Dravidian language family, which includes Tamil, as distinct from the Indo-Aryan languages of northern India. Genetic research has sought to correlate language and genetics, finding a correspondence between linguistic and genetic diversity. Genetic research has also revealed subdivisions within the Tamil population, such as genetic distinctions between Tamil Brahmins and non-Brahmin Tamils.[184] Tamil Brahmins have a North Indian genetic component due to their migration, while non-Brahmin Tamils have a distinct genetic makeup.[185]

Some studies have indicated that Tamils share genetic ancestry with other Dravidian-speaking populations, such as the Telugu people and Kannadigas of South India. Genetic studies have distinguished between Tamil populations in India and Sri Lanka,[186] showing some genetic differences due to historical migrations and adaptations. Tamil Nadu's history includes interactions with various cultures and migrations, such as Indo-Aryan migrations, interactions with trade and colonial powers, and more. These have left genetic imprints on the Tamil population, making them a unique and intriguing group to study.

Religion

Religion in Tamil Nadu (2011)[187]

  Hinduism (87.58%)
  Christianity (6.12%)
  Islam (5.86%)
  Jainism (0.12%)
  Others (0.33%)

Catholicism and Anglicanism. Tamils have been following these great religious traditions in different periods with different tendencies. During the Sangam period religions like Ashivakam, Jainism and Buddhism also had a significant following.[188]

Two Tamil girls who follow Vaishnavaite Hinduism

Ancient Tamil grammatical works,

Vaali who are major deities in Hinduism today. Mercantile groups from Tamilakam and Kerala introduced Cholapauttam, a syncretic form of Buddhism and Shaivism in northern Sri Lanka and Southern India. This religion was transmitted through the Tamil language. The religion lost its importance in the 14th century when conditions changed for the benefit of Sinhala/Pali traditions.[189]

Meenakshi Amman temple, dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, tutelary deity of Madurai city

The cult of the

Amman, Mariamman, Durgai, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali and Saptakanniyar are venerated in all their forms.[190][page needed] The temples of the Sangam days, mainly of Madurai, seem to have had priestesses to the deity, who also appear predominantly as goddesses.[citation needed] In the Sangam literature, there is an elaborate description of the rites performed by the Kurava priestess in the shrine Palamutircholai.[191]
About 88%[192] of the population of Tamil Nadu were Hindus in 2001.

Erwadi durgah in Ramanathapuram district is a major pilgrimage shrine of the Tamil Muslims.

In Tamil Nadu,

Christians (predominantly adherents of the Catholic and Indian Orthodox Churches) and Muslims accounted for 6% and 5.8% respectively in 2001.[192] The majority of Muslims in Tamil Nadu speak Tamil,[193] with less than 10% of them reporting Urdu as their mother tongue.[194] Tamil Jains now number only a few thousand.[195] Atheist, rationalist, and humanist philosophies are also adhered by sizeable minorities.[196]

The Om symbol in Tamil script

The most popular Tamil deity is Murugan; he is known as the patron god of the Tamils and is also called "Tamil Kadavul" (Tamil God).

Thirumal
, Sivan, Pillaiyar, and the other Hindu deities.

Muslims across Tamil Nadu

Shafi'i fiqh schools while the Tamil Muslims in Sri Lanka follow the Shadhili school. Rowthers are Tamil tribe who reverted to Islam by Preacher Nathar Shah. While others, Marakkayar, Labbai, and Kayalar clans, are Tamil Muslim clans that trade with the Arab world during the reigns of the Movendars.[202]

Aiyanar, guardian folk deity of Tamil Nadu
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu

Among the ancient Tamils the practice of erecting memorial stones (

bas relief panels, friezes, and figures on carved stone.[citation needed
]

The most important Tamil festivals are

]

In rural Tamil Nadu, many local deities, called

Saivate tradition of Hinduism is significantly represented amongst Tamils, more so among Eelam Tamils, although most of the Saivate places of religious significance are in northern India. The Alvars and Nayanars, who were predominantly Tamils, played a key role in the renaissance of Bhakti tradition in India. In the 10th century, the philosopher Ramanuja propagated the theory of Visishtadvaitam.[207] Kambaramayanam is the Tamil version of the Hindu epic Ramayana, which was written by the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. The Tamil version is smaller than the original Ramayana written by Valmiki. It is not a translation but tells the story in a different perspective.[citation needed
]

Tamil Jains constituted around 0.13% of the population of Tamil Nadu in 2001.[192] Many of the classical Tamil literature works were written by Jains.[208][full citation needed] According to George L. Hart, the legend of the Tamil Sangams or literary assemblies was based on the Jain sangham at Madurai.[209]

Notable Tamil people

See also

Notes

  1. mother tongue, but instead as a second or third language
    .
  2. ^ Note: The Singapore Tamil population data excludes Tamils who were unable to speak and those in one-person households and households comprising only unrelated persons.
  3. Sri Lankan government lists a substantial Tamil-speaking Muslim population as a distinct ethnicity. However, much of the available genealogical evidence suggests that the Sri Lankan Moor community are of Tamil ethnicity, and that the majority of their ancestors were also Tamils who had lived in the country for generations, and had simply converted to Islam from other faiths.[13][14][15] It is also evidenced by the fact that Sri Lankan Moors were not a self-defined group of people and neither did the 'Moor' identity exist before the arrival of Portuguese colonists.[citation needed
    ]

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Sources

Further reading

External links

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