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Tamilization is the cultural expansion of theTamil people native to the southern part ofIndia and the northern and eastern part ofSri Lanka.[1][2]
The Tamils traditional homeland according toSangam period sources covered the modern statesTamil Nadu,Kerala,Puducherry,Lakshadweep and southern parts ofKarnataka andAndhra Pradesh, although ancient Tamil settlement were also found inSri Lanka (Sri Lankan Tamils) andMaldives (Giravarus). However, between the 2nd century BC and the 14th century AD, Tamil trader colonies were established in many parts ofWest Asia,South-East Asia andEgypt apart from the islands of the Indian Ocean.
During British rule, large numbers of Tamils from theMadras Presidency were transported toMalaya,Singapore,Mauritius,Seychelles,South Africa, Central Sri Lanka, Reunion,Trinidad and Tobago,Fiji andGuyana to work as indentured labourers in sugar plantations. There was also a large mercantile class inBurma, Sri Lanka,South-East Asia and the Persian Gulf countries.
The first colonies of Tamil-speaking people outside the Indian mainland were founded in Sri Lanka. While there has been evidence of pre-historic Tamil settlements in Sri Lanka, the earliest records of a Tamil presence in the island date from about 185 BC, when the legendary CholakingEllalan invaded and conquered Sri Lanka. Migration accelerated between the 5th and 14th centuries AD, when thePallava, Chola andPandya kings mounted large-scale expeditions to conquer the island. The presence of a large number of Tamil mercenaries in the island by the 11th century CE is indicated by theVelakkara Revolt. The migrations rapidly decreased after the attack of the Pandya kingdom by the Delhi Sultanate's Muslim generalMalik Kafur in about 1317, though cultural and commercial contact between the southern Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka continued. TheNayaks of Kandy had matrimonial alliances with theThanjavur Nayak kingdom. Following the conquest of the Kandy kingdom by theEast India Company in 1795, the British ruled the island as a part of Madras Presidency till 1803, when a separate administration was set up. Starting from the middle of the 19th century, the British transported large numbers of Tamils to work as indentured labourers in the hills of central Sri Lanka.
As of 2012, Tamil speakers constituted 25 percent of the total population of Sri Lankan population with large concentrations in the northern, north-eastern and central parts of the island.[3] There has been uninhibited exchange of vocabulary between Tamil andSinhala. Tamil is one of the official languages of Sri Lanka.
De-Tamilization refers to disappearance of Tamil culture and language. By the end of 13th century, the power of Tamil dynasties likePandyans,Cheras andCholas slowly declined inTamilakam. TheTamil language disappeared in westernTamilakam (Kerala), which led to the rise ofMalayalam, the people's language.[4]
The state backed De-Tamilization orSinhalisation ofSri Lanka was a major factor in contributing to the ethnic polarization towards the outbreak of theSri Lankan civil war.[5]
Tamilisation of bangalore
Tamilisation of southern sri lanka