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...)

Selected article -

DakshinaChitra ("a picture of the south") is a living-history museum in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, dedicated to South Indian heritage and culture. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south of Chennai. Opened to the public on 14 December 1996, the museum was founded and is being managed by the Madras Craft Foundation (MCF). The MCF was established in 1984. Deborah Thiagarajan, an Indian art historian of American origin, governs the museum. The museum is built on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land taken on a 33-year lease from the Government of Tamil Nadu. Located at Muttukadu, on the East Coast Road connecting Chennai and Pondicherry, the site overlooks Bay of Bengal.

Developed as a heritage village, DakshinaChitra has an array of displays and relocated originals of dwellings depicting the life pattern of people in the states of southern India. The exhibits portray the architecture, art, folk performing-arts and craft of South Indian traditions. The amenities include a research unit, crafts bazaar, playground, an area to hold religious functions, stone workshop, and souvenir kiosks. There are craftsmen who permanently work at DakshinaChitra who demonstrate or explain how they make their wares. Besides workshops are conducted regularly for various crafts by artists who rent the community studio. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images

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

Selected biography -

Official portrait c. 2002

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (/ˈʌbdʊl kəˈlɑːm/ ^ⓘ UB-duul kə-LAHM; 15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007.

Born and raised in a Muslim family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Kalam studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. He was known as the "Missile Man of India" for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, India's second such test after the first test in 1974. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

Topics

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

Tamil Nadu

Related portals

WikiProjects

WikiProject Tamil civilization
WikiProject Tamil Nadu
WikiProject Classical Tamil
WikiProject Chennai
WikiProject Pondicherry

Things to do

Add {{portal|Tamil People}} to the See also section of Tamil People-related articles.
Tag the talk pages of Tamil People-related articles with {{WikiProject Tamil civilization/Welcome}}
Join WikiProject Tamil civilization and list yourself as a Participant in the project.