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The Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑː-/ TAM-ilz, TAHM-), also known as the Tamilar, are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, to the union territory of Puducherry, and to Sri Lanka. The Tamil language is one of the world's longest-surviving classical languages, with over 2000 years of Tamil literature, including the Sangam poems, which were composed between 300 BCE and 300 CE.

Tamils constitute 5.9% of the population in India (concentrated mainly in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), 15% in Sri Lanka (excluding Eelam Moors), 7% in Malaysia, and 5% in Singapore.

From the 4th century BCE, urbanisation and mercantile activity along the western and eastern coasts of Tamilakam -- what is today Kerala and Tamil Nadu -- led to the development of four large Tamil empires, the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, and velirs and a number of smaller states, all of whom were warring amongst themselves for dominance. The Jaffna Kingdom, and vanni chieftaincies inhabited by Eelam Tamils, was once one of the strongest kingdoms of Sri Lanka and controlled much of the north of the island. (Full article...)

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Imperial coin of Emperor Rajaraja I (985–1014). Uncertain Tamilnadu mint. Legend "Chola, conqueror of the Gangas" in Tamil, seated tiger with two fish.

The Chola dynasty (Tamil: [t͡ʃoːɻɐr]) was a Tamil dynasty originating from southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE during the reign of Ashoka of the Maurya empire. The Chola empire was at its peak and achieved imperialism under the Medieval Cholas in the mid-9th century CE. As one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam, along with the Chera and Pandya, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territories until the 13th century CE.

The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River. They ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the latter half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. They unified peninsular India south of the Tungabhadra River and held the territory as one state for three centuries between 907 and 1215 CE. Under Rajaraja I and his successors Rajendra I, Rajadhiraja I, Rajendra II, Virarajendra, and Kulothunga Chola I, the empire became a military, economic and cultural powerhouse in South Asia and Southeast Asia. (Full article...)

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General images

Image 1Tamil girls dressed in traditional attire, ca. 1870, Tamil Nadu, India. (from Tamils)
Image 2A Megalithic burial jar from north-western Sri Lanka, 5th-2nd century BCE, similar to South Indian and Deccan jars of the time. (from Tamils)
Image 3Batu Caves temple built by Tamil Malaysians in c. 1880s. (from Tamils)
Image 4Aiyanar, guardian folk deity of Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 5Bharatanatyam dancers (from Tamils)
Image 6The golden Vimana over the sanctum at Srirangam midst its gopurams, its gable with Paravasudeva image. (from Tamils)
Image 7Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 8The hall in front of Ranganayaki's shrine, Srirangam, where Kambar is said to have recited his works on Kamba Ramayanam (from Tamils)
Image 9A Malbar temple in Réunion. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 10Tamil people in Medan, Indonesia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 11The Mahishasuramardhini cave bas relief at Mahabalipuram from 7th century CE (from Tamils)
Image 12The Brihadeshswar Temple at Thanjavur, also known as the Great Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I (from Tamils)
Image 13Celebrations of Murugan by the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Paris, France (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 14Tamiḻakam during Sangam Period (from Tamils)
Image 15Distribution of Tamil speakers in South India and Sri Lanka (1981). (from Tamils)
Image 16Katar, Tamil dagger which was popular throughout South Asia (from Tamils)
Image 17Tamil girls in Malaysia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 18Expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil children in traditional clothes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 19 Map of ancient oceanic trade, and ports of Tamilakam (from Tamils)
Image 20Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Brickfields, Malaysia. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 21 Souttoukeny jewelry, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 22Murugan Temple, Sydney (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 23One 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 24Sri Kamakshi Ambaal temple in Hamm, Germany (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 25Megalithic sarcophagus burial from Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 26Krishna with his consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama and his mount Garuda, Tamil Nadu, India, late 12th-13th century (from Tamils)
Image 27The Om symbol in Tamil script (from Tamils)
Image 28The Tamil Chola Empire at its height, 1030 CE (from Tamils)
Image 29A 400 years old hero stone in Salem depicting the bull-taming sport Jallikattu. (from Tamils)
Image 30Two Tamil girls who follow Vaishnavaite Hinduism (from Tamils)
Image 31The 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 32Tamil woman in traditional attire, c. 1880, Sri Lanka. (from Tamils)
Image 33 Virampatnam jewelry from funerary burial, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 34Grey pottery with engravings, Arikamedu, 1st century CE (from Tamils)
Image 35Sage Agathiyar, one of the contributors of Old Tamil literature. (from Tamils)
Image 36Meenakshi Amman temple, dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, tutelary deity of Madurai city (from Tamils)
Image 37Erwadi durgah in Ramanathapuram district is a major pilgrimage shrine of the Tamil Muslims. (from Tamils)

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Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam (Tamil: செல்வராசா பத்மநாதன்; alias Selvarasa Pathmanathan, Kumaran Pathmanathan, or simply KP; born 6 April 1955) is a former prominent member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Pathmanathan was on Interpol's most wanted list for various charges including arms smuggling and criminal conspiracy. He is also wanted by India's law enforcement agencies in connection with the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and for violation of the Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act. He was arrested on 5 August 2009. Pathmanathan was released from prison on 17 October 2012, when the complaints against him by Sri Lanka were withdrawn. (Full article...)

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