Among
the tribal languages of Central India, almost
extending to the borders of Bengal, distinct
from the Austro-Asiatic family of languages,
many Dravidian languages have been identified. The
northern reaches of this family have been
located in isolated settlements in Nepal
and Pakistan. The Brahui speakers are found
in the hills of Baluchistan, almost on the
borders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
So, the Dravidian family of languages is
a South Asian family of languages in one
sense. About 22 languages are classified
as belonging to the Dravidian family and
on linguistic criteria, sub-division as North,
Central and South Dravidian are made. Tamilars
alone number about 70 million people.
South India
and Sri Lanka have been homelands of the Tamilars,
from the beginning of recorded history. The
region, roughly covered by the modern states
of tamil nadu and Kerala are identified as
ancient tamizakam up to about 10th century
AD. Even though some evidence exists for Tamil
influence , and Tamil presence in Sri Lanka
is noticeable from very early times, strong
Tamil presence and influence in Sri Lanka,
from about the 10th century. In the 19th and
early 20th centuries, Tamilars migrated to
some British colonies in search of employment
and thus there are substantial Tamil populations
in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji and
South Africa. After the World War II, a movement
of Tamil professionals to UK, USA, Australia
and New Zealand is proceeding continuously.
Due to the recent civil war situation
in Sri Lanka, many thousands of Tamilars have settled in
about 20 countries, with large numbers in Canada,
Germany, France, and Switzerland. Within the
Nordic countries, Norway and Denmark have more
Tamilars than Sweden.
The Tamil
people are a South Asian community numbering
more than seventy million and living mostly
in Tamil Nadu state and neighboring areas
in south-eastern India (70 million), in the
north and east of Sri Lanka (three million),
in Malaysia (two million) and in Singapore
(approx two hundred thousand).
Nearly all
Tamils speak the Tamil language, one of the
Dravidian tongues once spoken widely across
the Indian subcontinent but now largely confined
to its southern quarter. Generally speaking,
Tamils have a stronger ethno-linguistic identity
than other Indian language-groups, distinguishing
themselves from other Indian groups speaking
Sanskrit-derived languages.
Tamil Nadu has been a pioneer of peace and knowledge since time immemorial. The visual legacy of the culture of the state is among the most satisfying spectacles in India. Tamil literature is the major source of knowledge about the administration, art, architecture, economic conditions and daily life of the people of those times. Among some of the greatest compositions of the four centuries of the Sangam age are Thirukkural and Ettuthogai. Tamilians learn to appreciate culture from a very young age, and have a deep interest in music, dance and literature. Classical dancing in the form of Bharatnatyam, has its origin in the temples of the South East and continues to be followed with a lot of fervour and dedication in Tamil Nadu. Carnatic music is another art form that has flourished over the ages, producing artists of great repute. |
