The Tamils ( ), also known by their endonym 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. The Tamil language is one of the longest-surviving classical languages, with over two thousand years of Tamil literature, 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 state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. They also form significant proportions of the populations in Sri Lanka (15.3%), Tamil Malaysians (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 Chera dynasty, Chola dynasty and Pandya dynasty. 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 Pallava dynasty (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 Greater India of the region. Scripts brought by Tamil traders like the Grantha script and , 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.
Due to its long history, the Tamil culture has seen multiple influences over the years and have developed diversely. The Tamil visual art consists of a distinct style of architecture, sculpture and other art forms. Tamil sculpture ranges from stone sculptures in temples, to detailed Chola art. The ancient Tamil country had its own system of music called Tamil Pannisai. Tamil performing arts include the theatre form Koothu, puppetry Bommalattam, classical dance Bharatanatyam, and various other traditional dance forms. Hinduism is the major religion followed by the Tamils and the religious practices include the veneration of various village deities and ancient Tamil gods. A smaller number are also Tamil Christians and Tamil Muslim, and a small percentage follow Tamil Jain and Buddhism. Tamil cuisine consist of various vegetarian and meat items, usually spiced with Indian spices. Historian 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.
Etymology
Tamil is derived from the name of the
Tamil language.
The people are referred to as in Tamil language, which is etymologically linked to the name of the language.
The origin and precise etymology of the word Tamil is unclear with multiple theories attested to it.
suggests that the term
tamiz might have been derived from
tam meaning "self" and "-iz" having the connotation of "unfolding sound". Alternatively, he suggests a derivation of
tamiz <
tam-iz <
*tav-iz <
*tak-iz, meaning "the proper process (of speaking)". Franklin Southworth suggests that the name comes from
tam-miz >
tam-iz meaning "self-speak", or "our own speech".
It is unknown whether the term Tamila and its equivalents in Prakrit such as Damela, Damila, or Tamira was first used as a self designation or by outsiders. The Hathigumpha inscription from Udayagiri in Eastern India dated to the second century BCE,
History
In India
Pre-historic period (before 4th century BCE)
Archaeological evidence suggests the region was first inhabited by hominids over 400 millennia ago.
Artifacts recovered in
Adichanallur by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) indicate
urn burials, dating from back to 1500 BCE.,
which are also described in early Tamil literature.
celts with the
Indus script dated between 15th and 20th century BCE indicate the use of early Harappan language.
Excavations at Keezhadi have revealed a large urban settlement, with the earliest artefact dated to 580 BCE, during the time of urbanization in the Indo-Gangetic plain.
Further epigraphical inscriptions found at Adichanallur use
Tamil Brahmi, a rudimentary script dated to 5th century BCE.
Potsherds uncovered from Keeladi indicate a script which might be a transition between the Indus Valley script and Tamil Brahmi script used later.
Sangam period (3rd century BCE–3rd century CE)
The
Sangam period lasted from 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE with the main source of history during the period coming from the various Sangam literature.
Ancient
Tamilakam was ruled by a triumvirate of monarchical states,
Chera dynasty,
Chola dynasty and
Pandya dynasty.
These kings are referred to as
Vāṉpukaḻ Mūvar (Three glorified by heaven) in the Sangam literature.
The Cheras controlled the western part of Tamilkam, the Pandyas controlled the south, and the Cholas had their base in the
Kaveri delta. They are mentioned in the inscriptions from the
Mauryan Empire dated to third century BCE.
Kalinga inscriptions from the second century BCE refers to a confederacy of the Tamil kingdoms.
The three kings called
Vendhar ruled over several hill tribes headed by the
Velirs chiefs and settlements headed by clan chiefs called
Kizhar.
The rulers of smaller territories were referred to as
Kurunilamannar, with
Purananuru mentioning the names of many such chieftains.
The Sangam period rulers patronized multiple religions including vedic religion, Buddhism and Jainism and sponsored some of the earliest Tamil literature with the oldest surviving work being Tolkāppiyam, a book of Tamil grammar.
Agriculture was an important occupation during the period, and there is evidence that networks of irrigation channels were built as early as the 3rd century BCE. The Sangam literature describe fertile lands and people organised into various occupational groups. The governance of the land was through hereditary monarchies, although the sphere of the state's activities and the extent of the ruler's powers were limited through the adherence to an established order.
The kingdoms had significant diplomatic and trade contacts with other kingdoms to the north and with the Ancient Rome. Roman currency and other epigraphical evidence from South India and Sherd with Tamil writing found in excavations along the Red Sea indicate the presence of Roman commerce with the ancient Tamilakam.
Medieval era (4th–13th century CE)
From the fourth century CE, the region was ruled by the
Kalabhra dynasty, warriors belonging to the
Vellalar community, who were once feudatories of the three ancient Tamil kingdoms.
The Kalabhra era is referred to as the "dark period" of Tamil history, and information about it is generally inferred from any mentions in the literature and inscriptions that are dated many centuries after their era ended.
Around the seventh century CE, the Kalabhras were overthrown by the Pandyas and Cholas.
Though they existed previously, the period saw the rise of the
Pallava dynasty in the sixth century CE under
Mahendravarman I, who ruled parts of
South India with
Kanchipuram as their capital.
The Pallavas were noted for their patronage of architecture.
Throughout their reign, the Pallavas remained in constant conflict with the Cholas, the Pandyas and other kingdoms of
Chalukya dynasty and the
Rashtrakutas. The Pandyas were revived by
Kadungon towards the end of the sixth century CE and with the Cholas in obscurity in
Uraiyur, the Tamil country was divided between the Pallavas and the Pandyas.
The area west of the
Western Ghats became increasingly distinct from the eastern parts.
A new language
Malayalam evolved from Tamil in the region and the socio-cultural transformation was altered further by the migration of
Sanskrit-speaking Indo-Aryans from Northern India in the eighth century CE.
The Cholas were revived in the ninth century CE by Vijayalaya Chola and the last Pallavas ruler Aparajitavarman was defeated by the Chola prince Aditya I.
Vijayanagar and Nayak period (14th–17th century CE)
The Vijayanagara kingdom was founded in .
The Vijayanagara empire eventually conquered the entire Tamil country by and ruled for almost two centuries.
In the sixteenth century, Vijaynagara king
Krishnadeva Raya was forced to intervene in the conflict between their vassals, the Cholas and the Pandyas.
The
Nayak dynasty governor under Raya briefly took control of Madurai before it was restored to the empire.
The Vijayanagara empire was defeated in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by a confederacy of Deccan sultanates.
The Nayaks, who were the military governors in the Vijaynagara empire, took control of the region amongst whom the Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were the most prominent.
They introduced the
Polygar system and re-constructed some of the temples in Tamil Nadu including the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.
Later conflicts and European colonization (17th to 20th century CE)
In the 18th century, the
Mughal Empire administered the region through the Nawab of the Carnatic with his seat at
Arcot, who defeated the Madurai Nayaks.
The
Maratha kingdom attacked several times and defeated the Nawab after the Siege of Trichinopoly (1751-1752).
This led to a short-lived Thanjavur Maratha kingdom.
Europeans started to establish trade centres from the 16th century along the eastern coast. The Portuguese arrived in 1522 followed by the
Dutch people and the
Danes.
In 1639, the British East India Company obtained a grant for land from the Vijayanager emperor and the
French people established trading posts at Pondichéry in 1693.
After several conflicts between the British and the French, the British established themselves as the major power in the eighteenth century CE.
The British regained control of Madras in 1749 through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and resisted a French siege attempt in 1759.
The British East India Company demanded tax collection rights, which led to constant conflicts with the local Polygar and resulted in the Polygar Wars. Puli Thevar was one of the earliest opponents, joined later by Rani Velu Nachiyar and Kattabomman in the first series of Polygar wars.
Failure of the summer monsoons and administrative shortcomings of the Ryotwari system resulted in two severe famines in the Madras Presidency, the Great Famine of 1876–78 and the Indian famine of 1896–97 which killed millions and the migration of many Tamils as bonded laborers to other British countries eventually forming the present Tamil diaspora.
Post Indian Independence (1947–present)
After the Independence of India in 1947, the Madras Presidency became
Madras State, comprising present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of
Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka and
Kerala. The state was further re-organised as a state for Tamils when the boundaries were redrawn linguistically in 1956 into the current shape.
On 14 January 1969, Madras state was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning "Tamil country".
In 1965, Tamils agitated against the imposition of Hindi and in support of continuing English as a medium of communication which eventually led to English being retained as an official language of India alongside Hindi.
After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after Indian independence, the Human Development Index of the Tamils have consistently improved due to reform-oriented economic policies and in the 2000s, the region has become one of the most urbanized states in the country.
In Sri Lanka
Pre-Anuradhapura period (before fifth century CE)
There are various theories from scholars over the presence of Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Historian K. Indrapala states that Tamil replaced a previous language of an indigenous mesolithic population, who later became the Eelam Tamils and the cultural diffusion happened well before the arrival of
Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka. Eelam Tamils consider themselves lineal descendants of the aboriginal Naga and
Yaksha people of Sri Lanka. A
Indian Cobra totem known as
Nakam in the Tamil language is still part of the Tamil tradition in Sri Lanka.
Remains of settlements and megalithic burial sites of people culturally similar to those of present-day Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in modern India have been excavated at Pomparippu on the west coast and in
Kathiraveli on the east coast of the island. These epigraphical evidence have been dated to a period between fifth century BCE and second century CE. Cultural similarities in burial practices in South India and Sri Lanka were dated by archeologists to the beginning of the
Iron Age in the region around twelfth century BCE. There were specific migration routes that extended from South India to the island. These people moved further to the South of the island, and intermingled with the existent people.
Anuradhapura period (4th century BCE to 10th century CE)
Black and red ware potsherds found in Sri Lanka from the early reign of Anuradhapura kingdom, indicate a similar cultural connection with the people of South India.
The
Tamil Brahmi inscriptions on them indicate Tamil clan names such as
Parumakal,
Ay,
Vel,
Utiyan,
Ticaiyan,
Cuda and
Naka, which points to the presence of Tamils in the region.
Excavations in
Poonakari in the north of the island have yielded several inscriptions including the mention of
vela, a name related to
velirs of the ancient Tamil country.
Epigraphical evidence of people identified as Damelas (the Prakrit word for Tamil people) from the second century CE have been found in
Anuradhapura, the capital city of the northern
Rajarata region.
Historical records mention that the three Tamil kingdoms were involved in the island's affairs from second century BCE.
Polonnaruwa and Jaffna kingdom (11th–15th century CE)
The Chola influence lasted until the latter half of the eleventh century CE and the Chola decline was followed by the restoration of the
Polonnaruwa.
In 1215, following Pandya invasions, the Tamil-dominant Aryacakravarti dynasty established the
Jaffna Kingdom on the
Jaffna peninsula and in parts of northern Sri Lanka. In the fourteenth century CE, the Aryacakaravarthi expansion into the south of the island was halted by
Alagakkonara, who belonged to a feudal family from
Kanchipuram that migrated to Sri Lanka in the previous century and converted to Buddhism. He served as the chief minister of the Sinhalese king
Parakramabahu V (1344–59 CE) and his descendant Vira Alakeshwara briefly became the king later before the
Ming Dynasty admiral
Zheng He overthrew him in 1409 CE after which the influence of his family declined. The caste structure of the Sinhalese also accommodated Hindu immigrants from South India, which led to the emergence of new Sinhalese caste groups such as the
Radala, the
Salagama, the
Durava and the
Karava.
Later conflicts and European colonization (16th–20th century CE)
The Aryachakaravarthi dynasty continued to rule over large parts of northeast Sri Lanka until arrival of the Europeans on the island in the sixteenth century CE. Portuguese traders reached Sri Lanka by 1505 CE and the Jaffna kingdom came to the attention of Portuguese due to its presence as a logistical and strategic base for accessing the interior ruled by the
Kandyan kingdom.
King Cankili I resisted contacts with the Portuguese and repelled
Paravas Catholics who were brought from India to the
Mannar Island to take over the lucrative pearl fisheries from the Jaffna kings.
The wrested Mannar during the first invasion in 1560 and killed king Puvirasa Pandaram during the second expedition in 1591. After the conflicts, the Portuguese secured the kingdom in 1619 from the unpopular
Cankili II, who was helped by the Thanjavur Nayaks.
English sailor Robert Knox arrived in the island in 1669 and described the Tamil settlements in the
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon published in 1681.
The Dutch Republic captured the island later and ruled for more than a century. Following the 1795 invasion of the British and the Kandyan Wars, the island came to the control of the British in the early nineteenth century CE.
Post Sri Lankan independence (1948–present)
Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948 and after the colonial rule ended, ethnic tension rose between the Sinhalese, who constituted a majority, and the Tamils.
In 1956, the Sinhala Only Act designated
Sinhala language as the only official language of Sri Lanka, which forced many Tamils to resign as civil servants because they were not fluent in the language. The Tamils saw the act as linguistic, cultural and economic discrimination against them.
Anti-Tamil
in 1956 and 1958 resulted in deaths of many Tamils and further escalated the conflict.
More than a million Indian Tamil plantation workers were made stateless after Sri Lanka refused citizenship to them. In 1964, the Sri Lankan and Indian governments entered into an agreement, based on which, about 300,000 would be granted Sri Lankan citizenship and about 975,000 Tamils would be
to India over a period of fifteen years.
A new Constitution enacted in the 1970s further discriminated against the Tamils and various state-sponsored schemes led Sinhalese settlers into Tamil populated areas. The 1977 anti-Tamil pogrom was followed by a crackdown against the Tamils, which curtailed their rights. Following the declaration of state of emergency in 1981, state-backed Sinhalese mobs turned on Tamils, which led many Tamils to leave the country as refugees resulting in an exodus more than half a million to India and other countries.
Geographic distribution
India
As per the 2011 Census, there were 69 million Tamil speakers, constituting about 5.7% of the Indian population. Tamils formed the majority in the
state of
Tamil Nadu (63.8 million) and the
union territory of Puducherry (1.1 million).
There were also significant Tamil population in other states of India such as
Karnataka (2.1 million),
Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana (0.7 million),
Maharashtra (0.5 million), and
Kerala (0.5 million).
Sri Lanka
Tamils in Sri Lanka are classified into two ethnic groups by the Sri Lankan government: Sri Lankan Tamils, also known as Eelam Tamils, and Indian Origin Tamils, who accounted for 11.2%, and 4.1% of the country's population, respectively, in 2011.
The Sri Lankan Tamils (or Ceylon Tamils) are the descendants of the Tamils of the old Jaffna Kingdom and east coast chieftainships called
. The Indian Tamils (or Hill Country Tamils) are descendants of laborers who migrated from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work on tea plantations. Most Sri Lankan Tamils live in the Northern and Eastern provinces and around
Colombo, whereas most Indian Tamils live in the central highlands.
Historically, both the Tamil ethnic groups have identified themselves as separate communities, although there has been a greater sense of unity since the 1980s.
There also exists a significant Tamil Muslim population in Sri Lanka. However, they are listed as a separate entity under the Moors by the government.
Tamil diaspora
Significant emigration from Indian subcontinent began in the late 18th century, when the Tamils went as indentured labourers and established businesses in other territories under the control of the British empire such as
British Malaya,
Burma,
South Africa,
Fiji,
Mauritius, and the
Caribbean.
The descendants of these Tamils continued to live in these countries, and practice their original culture, tradition and language. They form significant proportion of the population in
Tamil Malaysians (7%) and Singapore (5%).
A significant population also exists in South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, as well as other regions such as the Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.
However, subsequent generations might not speak the language as a
Mother-tongue, but instead as a
Second language or third language.
There is a small Tamil community in Pakistan, notably settled since the partition in 1947.
Culture
Language
Tamil people speak
Tamil language, which belongs to the Dravidian languages and is one of the oldest classical languages.
According to epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, the rudimentary
Tamil Brahmi script originated in South India in the 3rd century BCE.
Though the old Tamil preserved features of
Proto-Dravidian language,
modern-day spoken Tamil uses
from other languages such as
English language.
The existent Tamil grammar is largely based on the grammar book
Naṉṉūl which incorporates facets from the old Tamil literary work
Tolkāppiyam.
Since the later part of the 19th century, Tamils made the language as a key part of the Tamil identity and the language is personified in the form of
Tamil̲taay ("Tamil mother").
Various varieties of Tamil is spoken by the Tamils across regions such as
Madras Bashai,
Kongu Tamil,
Madurai Tamil,
Nellai Tamil, Kumari Tamil and various Sri Lankan Tamil dialects such as Batticaloa Tamil, Jaffna Tamil and Negombo Tamil in Sri Lanka.
Literature
Tamil literature is of considerable antiquity compared to the contemporary literature from other Indian languages and represents one of the oldest bodies of literature in South Asia.
The earliest epigraphic records have been dated to around the 3rd century BCE.
Early Tamil literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as
Tamil Sangams, the earliest of which destroyed by floods.
The Sangam literature was broadly classified into three divisions:
iyal (poetry),
isai (music) and
nadagam (drama).
The early Tamil literature was compiled and classified into two categories:
Patinenmelkanakku ("Eighteen Greater Texts") consisting of the
Ettuttokai ("Eight Anthologies") and the
Ten Idylls ("Ten Idylls"), and the
Patinenkilkanakku ("Eighteen Lesser Texts").
The Tamil literature that followed in the next 300 years after the Sangam period is generally called the "post-Sangam" literature which included the Five Great Epics.
Art and architecture
According to Tamil literature, there are 64 art forms called
aayakalaigal.
The art is classified into two broad categories:
kavin kalaigal (beautiful art forms) which include architecture, sculpture, painting and poetry and
nun kalaigal (fine art forms) which include dance, music and drama.
Architecture
Dravidian architecture is the distinct style of architecture of the Tamils. The large
, which are monumental ornate towers at the entrance of the temples form a prominent feature of
Koil of the Dravidian style.
They are topped by
(
) and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.
There are a number of early rock-cut cave-temples established by the various Tamil kingdoms.
The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, built by the Pallavas in the 7th and 8th centuries has more than forty rock-cut temples, monoliths and
.
The Pallavas, who built the group of monuments in
Mahabalipuram and
Kanchipuram, were one of the earliest patronisers of the Dravidian architectural style.
These gateways became regular features in the Cholas and the Pandya architecture, was later expanded by the Vijayanagara and the
Madurai Nayaks and spread to other parts such as Sri Lanka.
There are more than 34,000 temples in Tamil Nadu built across various periods some of which are several centuries old.
The influence of Tamil culture had led to the construction of various temples outside India by the Tamil dispora.
The
Mugal Empire influence in medieval times and the
British Empire influence later gave rise to a blend of
Hindu,
Islamic and
Gothic Revival styles, resulting in the distinct
Indo-Saracenic architecture with several institutions during the British era following the style.
By the early 20th century, the
Art Deco made its entry upon in the urban landscape.
In the later part of the century, the architecture witnessed a rise in the
modernism concrete buildings.
Sculpture and paintings
Tamil sculpture ranges from stone sculptures in temples, to detailed
bronze icons.
The bronze statues of the Cholas are considered to be one of the greatest contributions of Tamil art.
Models made of a special mixture of
beeswax and
sal tree resin were encased in clay and fired to melt the wax leaving a hollow mould, which would then be filled with molten metal and cooled to produce bronze statues.
Tamil paintings are usually centered around natural, religious or aesthetic themes.
Sittanavasal is a rock-cut
monastery and temple attributed to Pandyas and Pallavas which consist of
and
from the 7th century CE, painted with vegetable and mineral dyes in over a thin wet surface of lime plaster.
Similar murals are found in temple walls, the most notable examples are the murals on the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam and the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur.
One of the major forms of Tamil painting is Thanjavur painting, which originated in the 16th century CE where a base made of cloth and coated with
zinc oxide is painted using dyes and then decorated with semi-precious stones, as well as silver or gold threads.
Music
The ancient Tamil country had its own system of music called
Tamil Pannisai.
Sangam literature such as the
Silappatikaram from 2nd century CE describes music notes and instruments.
A Pallava inscription dated to the 7th century CE has one of the earliest surviving examples of Indian music in notation.
The Pallava inscriptions from the period describe the playing of string instrument
veena as a form of exercise for the fingers and the practice of singing musical hymns (
Thirupadigam) in temples. From the 9th century CE, Shaivite hymns
Thevaram and Vaishnavite hymns (
Tiruvaymoli) were sung along with playing of musical instruments.
Carnatic music originated later which included rhythmic and structured music by composers such
Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and
Shyama Shastri.
is an ancient form of musical story-telling method where narration is interspersed with music played from a string bow and accompanying instruments.
, a combination of various folk musics is sung mainly in Chennai.
There are many traditional instruments from the region dating back to the Sangam period such as parai,
Performance arts
Bharatanatyam is a major genre of Indian classical dance that originated from the Tamils.
It is one of the oldest classical dance forms of India.
There are many
folk dance forms that originated and are practiced in the region. Major folk dance forms include
Karakattam and
Kavadi Aattam which involve dancers balancing decorated pot(s) on their heads and arch shaped wooden sticks on their shoulders respectively while making dance movements with the body.
and
Kummi are usually performed by women while singing songs.
In dances like
Mayilattam, Puravaiattam, and
Puliyattam, dancers dress like
Indian peafowl,
horses and
Bengal tiger respectively and headdresses perform movements imitating the animals.
Other traditional dance forms include the war dance
Oyilattam and
Parai Attam.
Koothu is a form of street theater that consists of a play performance which consists of dance along with music, narration and singing.
Martial arts
Silambam is a martial art involving the usage of a long staff of about in length, often made of wood such as bamboo.
It was used for self-defense and to ward off animals and later evolved into a martial art and dance form.
(or Kuttu varisai) is a martial art specializing in empty-hand techniques and application on vital points of the body.
is a Tamil traditional art of vital points which combines alternative medicine and martial arts, attributed to sage
Agastya and might form part of the training of other martial arts such as silambattam, adimurai or
kalaripayattu.
is the traditional form of combat-wrestling.
Tamil martial arts uses various types of weapons such as valari (iron sickle), maduvu (deer horns), sword (sword) and shield (shield), Urumi (curling blade), spear or vel (spear), savuku (whip), kattari (fist blade), aruval (machete), silambam (bamboo staff), knuckleduster (spiked knuckleduster), dagger (dagger), vil ambu (bow and arrow), tantayutam (mace), Trishula (trident), valari (boomerang), discus (discus) and theepandam (flaming baton).
Modern arts
The Tamil film industry nicknamed as
Kollywood and is one of the largest industries of film production in India.
Independent Tamil film production have also originated outside India in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Canada, and western Europe.
The concept of "Tent Cinema" was introduced in the early 1900s, in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land close to a town or village to screen the films.
The first silent film in South India was produced in Tamil in 1916 and the first Tamil talkie film was
Kalidas, which released on 31 October 1931, barely seven months after the release of India's first talking picture
Alam Ara.
Clothing
Ancient literature and epigraphical records describe the various types of dresses worn by Tamil people.
Tamil women traditionally wear a
sari, a garment that consists of a drape varying from to in length and to in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff.
Women wear colourful
on traditional occasions.
Young girls wear a long skirt called
pavaadai along with a shorter length sari called
dhavani.
The men wear a
dhoti, a long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes which is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist.
A colourful
lungi with typical
batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside.
People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing, and western dress is popular. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas.
Calendar
The Tamil calendar is a
Sidereal time solar calendar.
The
Tamil Panchangam is based on the same and is generally used in contemporary times to check auspicious times for cultural and religious events.
The calendar follows a 60-year cycle.
There are 12 months in a year starting with
Chithirai when the
Sun enters the first
Rāśi and the number of days in a month varies between 29 and 32.
The new year starts following the
March equinox in the middle of April.
The days of week (
kiḻamai) in the Tamil calendar relate to the celestial bodies in the
Solar System:
Sun,
Moon,
Mars, Mercury,
Jupiter,
Venus, and
Saturn, in that order.
Food and hospitality
Hospitality is a major feature of Tamil culture.
It was considered as a social obligation and offering food to guests was regarded as one of the highest virtues.
is the diet staple and is served with sambar, rasam, and
poriyal as a part of a Tamil meal.
find mention in the Sangam literature and the traditional way of eating a meal involves having the food served on a
banana leaf, which is discarded after the meal. Eating on banana leaves imparts a unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy.
Food is usually eaten seated on the floor and the finger tips of the right hand is used to take the food to the mouth.
There are regional sub-varieties namely Chettinadu, Kongunadu, Nanjilnadu, Pandiyanadu and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines.
Medicine
Siddha medicine is a form of traditional medicine originating from the Tamils and is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India.
The word literally means perfection in Tamil and the system focuses on wholesome treatment based on various factors. As per Tamil tradition, the knowledge of Siddha medicine came from
Shiva, which was passed on to 18 holy men known as
Siddhar led by
Agastya. The knowledge was then passed on orally and through palm leaf manuscripts to the later generations.
Siddha practitioners believe that all objects including the human body is composed of five basic elements – earth, water, fire, air, sky which are present in food and other compounds, which is used as the basis for the drugs and other therapies.
Festivals
Pongal is a major and multi-day
harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in the month of
Thai month according to the
Tamil calendar (usually falls on 14 or 15 January).
is known as Tamil New Year which marks the first day of year on the
Tamil calendar and falls on in April every year on the Gregorian calendar.
Other major festivals include
Karthika Deepam,
,
,
and
Vaikasi Visakam.
is a Tamil cultural festival celebrated in the Tamil month of
Tamil calendar and the worship of
Mariamman and
Ayyanar deities are organized during the month in temples across Tamil Nadu with much fanfare.
Other festivals celebrated include
Ganesh Chaturthi,
Navarathri,
Deepavali,
Eid al-Fitr and
Christmas.
Sports
Jallikattu is a traditional event held during the period attracting huge crowds in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape.
It has been practised since Sangam period with the aim of keeping people fit. Proficiency in the sport was considered a virtue while untamable bulls were held as a pride of the owner.
is a traditional contact sport that originated from the Tamils.
is a popular
board game which originated as
Chaturanga in the 7th century CE.
Traditional games like
Pallanguzhi,
Uriyadi,
,
are played across the region.
In modern times,
Cricket is the most popular sport.
Religion
As per the Sangam literature, the
Sangam landscape was classified into five categories known as
thinais, which were associated with a
Hinduism deity:
Murugan in
kurinji (hills),
Thirumal in
mullai (forests),
Indra in
marutham (plains),
in the
neithal (coasts) and
Durga in
palai (desert).
Thirumal is indicated as a deity during the Sangam era, who was regarded as
Paramporul ("the suprement one") and is also known as Māyavan, Māmiyon, Netiyōn, and Māl in various Sangam literature.
While
Shiva worship existed in the Shaivite culture as a part of the Tamil pantheon,
Murugan became regarded as the
Tamil kadavul ("God of the Tamils").
In Tamil tradition, Murugan is the youngest son of Shiva and
Parvati and
Ganesha is regarded as the eldest son, who is venerated as the
Mudanmudar kadavul ("foremost god").
The cult of the mother goddess is treated as an indication of a society which venerated femininity. The worship of Amman, also called Mariamman, is thought to have been derived from an ancient mother goddess, and is also very common.
During the Sangam period, Ashivakam, Jainism and Buddhism also had a significant following.
The Christian apostle, St. Thomas, is believed to have preached Christianity to the Tamils between 52 and 70 CE.
As of the 21st century, majority of the Tamils are adherents of Hinduism.
Notable people
See also
-
List of languages by first written accounts
-
Kumari Kandam
-
Tamil population by cities
-
Tamil population by nation
Notes
Bibliography
External links
-
Tamils – Encyclopædia Britannica entry
