|
The Tamils (/ΛtΓ¦mΙͺlz,ΛtΙΛ-/ 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 (3rdβ9th century CE), and the Vijayanagara Empire (14thβ17th 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...) Selected article - show anotherThere are literary, archaeological, epigraphic and numismatic sources of ancient Tamil history. The foremost among these sources is the Sangam literature, generally dated to 5th century BCE to 3rd century CE. The poems in Sangam literature contain vivid descriptions of the different aspects of life and society in Tamilakam during this age; scholars agree that, for the most part, these are reliable accounts. Greek and Roman literature, around the dawn of the Christian era, give details of the maritime trade between Tamilakam and the Roman Empire, including the names and locations of many ports on both coasts of the Tamil country. Archaeological excavations of several sites in Tamil Nadu and Kerala have yielded remnants from the Sangam era, such as different kinds of pottery, pottery with inscriptions, imported ceramic ware, industrial objects, brick structures and spinning whorls. Techniques such as stratigraphy and paleography have helped establish the date of these items to the Sangam era. The excavated artifacts have provided evidence for existence of different economic activities mentioned in Sangam literature such as agriculture, weaving, smithy, gem cutting, building construction, pearl fishing and painting. (Full article...) General images
Selected biography - show anotherKrishnakumar Dinesh Karthik (born 1 June 1985) is an Indian cricket commentator, coach and former international cricketer. Karthik played for the India national cricket team and also captained Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket. He is currently the mentor and batting coach for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and London Spirit in The Hundred. Karthik made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2004. He was the 4th Indian batsman to play 300 T20 matches. Karthik was a member of the team that won both the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Karthik is also the first Indian ever to win a Player of The Match award in a T20 International, having done so in 2006. Known for his six hitting ability, aggressive batting style, longevity and ability to finish games strong, Karthik was viewed as a crucial asset in the IPL and the India national cricket team for almost two decades. (Full article...) CategoriesSelect [βΊ] to view subcategories
Select [βΊ] to view subcategories
Category Tamil not found
TopicsTamil People Countrywide: India β’ Sri Lanka β’ Canada β’ Malaysia β’ Singapore β’ South Africa β’ England Related Ethnic Groups: Brahui β’ Gond β’ Kannadiga β’ Khonds β’ Kodava β’ Oraon β’ Malayali β’ Telugus β’ Tuluvas Related indigenous Groups: Badagas β’ Toda β’ Kuruba
See also: List of Tamil people, Tamil script, Tamil Script Code for Information Interchange Related portalsWikiProjectsThings to do
Associated WikimediaThe following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
Discover Wikipedia using portals |
 |
VOOZH | about |
.jpg){kind=link}
.png){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
