Portal:Tamils

The Tamils portal

The Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑː-/ TAM-ilz, TAHM-), 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 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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Kalidas (pronounced [kaːɭidaːs] transl. The Servant of Kali) is a 1931 Indian biographical film directed by H. M. Reddy and produced by Ardeshir Irani. It is notable for being the first sound film in the Tamil and Telugu languages, and the first sound film to be made in a Dravidian language. It was based on the life of the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, hence its namesake; it featured P. G. Venkatesan in the title role and T. P. Rajalakshmi as the female lead, with L. V. Prasad, Thevaram Rajambal, T. Susheela Devi, J. Sushila, and M. S. Santhanalakshmi in supporting roles.

Kalidas had dialogues in Telugu, with some Tamil songs featured at the beginning, middle, and end, along with some additional dialogue in Hindi. Despite its mythological theme, the film featured songs from much later time periods, such as the compositions of Carnatic musician Tyagaraja, publicity songs of the Indian National Congress, and songs about Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian independence movement. The sound was recorded using German-made technology. Kalidas was shot in Bombay on the sets of India's first sound film Alam Ara (1931) and was completed in eight days. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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Karthik in 2017

Krishnakumar Dinesh Karthik (born 1 June 1985) is a former Indian professional cricketer, coach, and commentator. 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 IPL.

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...)

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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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