122-561: The KDHP Tea Museum is an industry and history museum situated in Munnar , a town in the Idukki district of Kerala in South India . Tata Tea Museum is its official name, but it's also known as Nullathanni Estate where it is located, or Kannan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP) Tea Museum . The tea estate is owned by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company – the plantation dates back to
244-515: A silambam , a long staff of about 168 cm (66 in) in length, often made of wood such as bamboo. It was used for self-defense and to ward off animals and later evolved into a martial art and dance form. Adimurai (or Kuttu varisai) is a martial art specializing in empty-hand techniques and application on vital points of the body. Varma kalai is a Tamil traditional art of vital points which combines alternative medicine and martial arts, attributed to sage Agastiyar and might form part of
366-631: A Dhamila-vaniya (Tamil trader). Archaeological evidence points to the region being first inhabited by hominids more than 400 millennia ago. Artifacts recovered in Adichanallur by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) indicate megalithic urn burials, dating from back to 1500 BCE. , which are also described in later Tamil literature. Neolithic celts with the Indus script dated between 15th and 20th century BCE indicate
488-533: A book of Tamil grammar. Purananuru describes the public life and various unique cultural practices that existed during the period. The text talks about the Vedic Sacrifices performed by the kings as described in the Vedas and the rituals performed for the dead. Agriculture was an important occupation during the period, and there is evidence that networks of irrigation channels were built as early as
610-478: A flood in 1924, but tourism officials are considering reconstructing the railway line to attract tourists. The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,450 meters (4,760 ft) to 2,695 meters (8,842 ft) above mean sea level . The temperature ranges between 5 °C (41 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in winter and 15 °C (59 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in summer. Temperatures as low as −4 °C (25 °F) have been recorded in
732-532: A form of ritual suicide. The Tamil film industry nicknamed as Kollywood and is one of the largest industries of film production in India. Independent Tamil film production have also originated outside India in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Canada, and western Europe. The concept of "Tent Cinema" was introduced in the early 1900s, in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land close to a town or village to screen
854-401: A garment that consists of a drape varying from 4.6 m (15 ft) to 8.2 m (27 ft) in length and 0.61 m (2 ft) to 1.2 m (4 ft) in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff. Women wear colourful silk sarees on traditional occasions. Young girls wear a long skirt called pavaadai along with
976-458: A new railway which opened in 1909. By 1911, around 16,000 acres of the region was under cultivation. In 1924, a flood swept through Munnar, damaged the road and destroyed the rail track. In its place it was decided to create a ropeway to transport tea. In 1930, this in turn was replaced by a modern road that made transport much easier. By 1952, almost 28,000 acres of land was under cultivation. After Independence , Indian planters took over. In 1964,
1098-494: A period of fifteen years. A new Constitution enacted in the 1970s further discriminated against the Tamils and various state-sponsored schemes led Sinhalese settlers into Tamil populated areas. The 1977 anti-Tamil pogrom was followed by a crackdown against the Tamils, which curtailed their rights. Following the declaration of state of emergency in 1981, state-backed Sinhalese mobs turned on Tamils, which led many Tamils to leave
1220-518: A separate entity under the Moors by the government. However, genealogical evidence suggests that most of the Sri Lankan Moor community are of Tamil ethnicity, and that the majority of their ancestors were also Tamils who had lived in the country for generations, and had converted to Islam from other faiths. Significant emigration from Indian subcontinent began in the late 18th century, when
1342-468: A shorter length sari called dhavani . The men wear a dhoti , a 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes which is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist. A colourful lungi with typical batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside. People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing, and western dress
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#17327876985881464-611: A significant percentage of the members of the Indian National Army (INA), founded by Subhas Chandra Bose . After the Independence of India in 1947, the Madras Presidency became Madras state , comprising present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka and Kerala . The state was further re-organised as a state for Tamils when the boundaries were redrawn linguistically in 1956 into
1586-493: A transition between the Indus Valley script and Tamil Brahmi script used later. The Sangam period lasted from 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE with the main source of history during the period coming from the various Sangam literature . Ancient Tamilakam was ruled by a triumvirate of monarchical states, Cheras , Cholas and Pandyas . These kings are referred to as Vāṉpukaḻ Mūvar (Three glorified by heaven) in
1708-422: A unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy. Food is usually eaten seated on the floor and the finger tips of the right hand is used to take the food to the mouth. There are regional sub-varieties namely Chettinadu, Kongunadu, Nanjilnadu, Pandiyanadu and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines. There are both vegetarian and meat dishes with fish traditionally consumed across the coast and other meat preferred in
1830-740: Is Bodinayakkanur (68 km) in Tamil Nadu and nearest major railway stations in Kerala are at Ernakulam (126 km) and Aluva (110 km). Kerala State Road Transport Corporation ( KSRTC ) bus stand is in walking distance from Aluva Railway Station , and buses are available for Munnar every hour. The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport , which is 110 kilometres (68 mi) away. The Coimbatore and Madurai airports are 165 kilometres (103 mi) from Munnar. The Panchayat of Munnar formed on January 24, 1961,
1952-557: Is a town and hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala . Munnar is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above mean sea level , in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the " Kashmir of South India" and is a popular honeymoon destination. The name Munnar is a combination of the words "Munnu" and "Aaru" in the local languages of Malayalam / Tamil meaning "three rivers", referring to its location at
2074-544: Is a rock-cut monastery and temple attributed to Pandyas and Pallavas which consist of frescoes and murals from the 7th century CE, painted with vegetable and mineral dyes in over a thin wet surface of lime plaster. Similar murals are found in temple walls, the most notable examples are the murals on the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam and the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur. One of
2196-523: Is also displayed at the museum. The museum is about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from the Munnar town, situated in the Nalluthanni Estate . Aluva is the nearest railway station (112 kilometres (69.59 mi)); Cochin International Airport is about 72 kilometres (44.74 mi) away. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation provides buses from different locations to Munnar town. The museum
2318-515: Is an ancient form of musical story-telling method where narration is interspersed with music played from a string bow and accompanying instruments. Gaana , a combination of various folk musics is sung mainly in Chennai. There are many traditional instruments from the region dating back to the Sangam period such as parai , tharai , yazh , and murasu . Nadaswaram , a reed instrument that
2440-423: Is divided into 21 wards for administrative convenience. Coimbatore district lies to the north, Pallivasal to the south, Devikulam and Marayoor to the east, and Mankulam and Kuttampuzha Panchayats to the west. According to the 2011 Census , Munnar Grama Panchayat had a total population of 32,039. 16,061 were males and 15,968 were females, with 7,968 families total residing therein. Children represented in
2562-649: Is evidence of emissaries sent to the Roman Emperor Augustus by the Pandya kings. An anonymous Greek traveler's account from first century CE, Periplus Maris Erytraei , describes the ports of the Pandya and Chera kingdoms in Damirica and their commercial activity in detail. It also describes that the chief exports of the ancient Tamils were pepper , malabathrum , pearls , ivory , silk, spikenard , diamonds , sapphires , and tortoiseshell . From
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#17327876985882684-487: Is often accompanied by the thavil , a type of drum instrument are the major musical instruments used in temples and weddings. Melam is from a group of percussion instruments from the ancient Tamilakam which are played during events and functions. Bharatanatyam is a major genre of Indian classical dance that originated from the Tamils. It is one of the oldest classical dance forms of India. There are many folk dance forms that originated and are practiced in
2806-443: Is open from 9 am to 5 pm); it is closed on Mondays. Address: Tata Tea Museum, Nalluthanni Estate, Munnar, KL-685 612, Idukki district, Kerala. This article related to a museum in India is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a location in Idukki district , Kerala , India is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Munnar Munnar ( IPA: [muːn̪ːɐːr] )
2928-417: Is popular. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas. The Tamil calendar is a sidereal solar calendar . The Tamil Panchangam is based on the same and is generally used in contemporary times to check auspicious times for cultural and religious events. The calendar follows a 60-year cycle. There are 12 months in a year starting with Chithirai when
3050-460: Is the distinct style of architecture of the Tamils. The large gopurams , which are monumental ornate towers at the entrance of the temples form a prominent feature of Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by kalasams ( finials ) and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex. There are a number of early rock-cut cave-temples established by
3172-525: Is unknown whether the term Tamila and its equivalents in Prakrit such as Damela , Damila , or Tamira was first used as a self designation or a by outsiders. The Hathigumpha inscription from Udayagiri in Eastern India dated to the second century BCE, describes a T[r]amira samghata (Confederacy of Tamil rulers), which was in existence for the previous 113 years. Epigraphical evidence from
3294-479: The Velir chiefs and settlements headed by clan chiefs called Kizhar . The rulers of smaller territories were referred to as Kurunilamannar , with Purananuru mentioning the names of many such chieftains. The Sangam period rulers patronized multiple religions including vedic religion , Buddhism and Jainism and sponsored some of the earliest Tamil literature with the oldest surviving work being Tolkāppiyam ,
3416-635: The 2011 Census , there were 69 million Tamil speakers, constituting about 5.7% of the Indian population. Tamils formed the majority in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu (63.8 million) and the union territory of Puducherry (1.1 million). There were also significant Tamil population in other states of India such as Karnataka (2.1 million), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (0.7 million), Maharashtra (0.5 million), and Kerala (0.5 million). Tamils in Sri Lanka are classified into two ethnicities by
3538-644: The British influence later gave rise to a blend of Hindu , Islamic and Gothic revival styles, resulting in the distinct Indo-Saracenic architecture with several institutions during the British era following the style. By the early 20th century, the art deco made its entry upon in the urban landscape. In the later part of the century, the architecture witnessed a rise in the modern concrete buildings. Tamil sculpture ranges from stone sculptures in temples, to detailed bronze icons. The bronze statues of
3660-696: The Cholas and the Pandya architecture , was later expanded by the Vijayanagara and the Nayaks and spread to other parts such as Sri Lanka. There are more than 34,000 temples in Tamil Nadu built across various periods some of which are several centuries old. The influence of Tamil culture had led to the construction of various temples outside India by the Tamil dispora. The Mugal influence in medieval times and
3782-499: The Human Development Index of the Tamils have consistently improved due to reform-oriented economic policies and in the 2000s, the region has become one of the most urbanized states in the country. There are various theories from scholars over the presence of Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Historian K. Indrapala states that Tamil replaced a previous language of an indigenous mesolithic population, who later became
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3904-556: The Indian Independence Movement , many Tamil poets and writers sought to provoke national spirit, notably Bharathiar and Bharathidasan . According to Tamil literature, there are 64 art forms called aayakalaigal . The art is classified into two broad categories: kavin kalaigal (beautiful art forms) which include architecture, sculpture, painting and poetry and nun kalaigal (fine art forms) which include dance, music and drama. Dravidian architecture
4026-706: The Jaffna Kingdom on the Jaffna peninsula and in parts of northern Sri Lanka. In the fourteenth century CE, the Aryacakaravarthi expansion into the south of the island was halted by Alagakkonara , who belonged to a feudal family from Kanchipuram that migrated to Sri Lanka in the previous century and converted to Buddhism. He served as the chief minister of the Sinhalese king Parakramabahu V (1344–59 CE) and his descendant Vira Alakeshwara briefly became
4148-642: The Pampadum Shola National Park to the south and the proposed Palani Hills National Park to the east. These protected areas are especially known for several threatened and endemic species including Nilgiri Thar , the grizzled giant squirrel , the Nilgiri wood-pigeon , elephant , the gaur , the Nilgiri langur , the sambar , and the Neelakurinji (that blossoms only once in twelve years). There has been action to address
4270-661: 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
4392-493: The Sri Lankan government , namely Sri Lankan Tamils , and Indian Origin Tamils who accounted for 11.2%, and 4.1% respectively of the country's population in 2011. The Sri Lankan Tamils (or Ceylon Tamils) are the descendants of the Tamils of the old Jaffna Kingdom and east coast chieftainships called Vannimais . The Indian Tamils (or Hill Country Tamils) are descendants of laborers who migrated from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in
4514-514: The Sun enters the first Rāśi and the number of days in a month varies between 29 and 32. The new year starts following the March equinox in the middle of April. The days of week ( kiḻamai ) in the Tamil calendar relate to the celestial bodies in the solar system: Sun , Moon , Mars , Mercury , Jupiter , Venus , and Saturn , in that order. Hospitality is a major feature of Tamil culture. It
4636-612: The Tamilar , are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic 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
4758-497: The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi , a Dalit outfit from Tamil Nadu , started demanding land for the labourers, started making inroads into Kerala. In 2009, VS Achuthanandan promised his support for providing land to the mainly Tamil Dalit estate labourers. However, the process became very slow and as of 2018, most families still hand no land. The former Kunda Valley Railway in Munnar was destroyed by
4880-749: The 16th century along the eastern coast. The Portuguese arrived in 1522 followed by the Dutch and the Danes . In 1639, the British East India Company obtained a grant for land from the Vijayanager emperor and the French established trading posts at Pondichéry in 1693. After several conflicts between the British and the French, the British established themselves as the major power in
5002-556: The 1880s. The museum opened on 1 April 2004. The tea museum preserves the aspects on the genesis and growth of tea plantations in Kerala 's mountain region in the Idukki district on the Western Ghats at the border to the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu . Tata Tea opened the museum which houses curiosities, photographs and machineries, depicting a turning point that contributed to Idukki's flourishing tea industry . Set up at
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5124-583: The 1980s, as they sought to escape the ethnic conflict there. The largest concentration of Eelam Tamils outside Sri Lanka is found in Canada . Tamil people speak Tamil , which belongs to the Dravidian languages and is one of the oldest classical languages . According to epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan , the rudimentary Tamil Brahmi script originated in South India in the 3rd century BCE. Though
5246-512: The 19th century to work on tea plantations. Most Sri Lankan Tamils live in the Northern and Eastern provinces and around Colombo , whereas most Indian Tamils live in the central highlands. Historically, both the Tamil ethnic groups have identified themselves as separate communities, although there has been a greater sense of unity since the 1980s. There also exists a significant Tamil Muslim population in Sri Lanka. However, they are listed as
5368-411: The 3rd century BCE. The Sangam literature describe fertile lands and people organised into various occupational groups. The governance of the land was through hereditary monarchies, although the sphere of the state's activities and the extent of the ruler's powers were limited through the adherence to an established order. The kingdoms had significant diplomatic and trade contacts with other kingdoms to
5490-612: The 7th century CE has one of the earliest surviving examples of Indian music in notation. The Pallava inscriptions from the period describe the playing of string instrument veena as a form of exercise for the fingers and the practice of singing musical hymns ( Thirupadigam ) in temples. From the 9th century CE, Shaivite hymns Thevaram and Vaishnavite hymns ( Tiruvaymoli ) were sung along with playing of musical instruments. Carnatic music originated later which included rhythmic and structured music by composers such Thyagaraja , Muthuswami Dikshitar , and Shyama Shastri . Villu Paatu
5612-399: The British government: "Two different nations from a very ancient period have divided between them the possession of the island. First the Sinhalese, inhabiting the interior in its Southern and Western parts, and secondly the Tamils who possess the Northern and Eastern districts. These two nations differ entirely in their religion, language, and manners." Irrespective of the ethnic differences,
5734-871: The British had conquered most of the region and established the Madras Presidency with Madras as the capital. On 10 July 1806, the Vellore mutiny , which was the first instance of a large-scale mutiny by Indian sepoys against the British East India Company, took place in Vellore Fort . After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act 1858 , which transferred
5856-538: The British imposed a unitary state structure in British Ceylon for better administration. During the British colonial rule, Tamils held higher positions in the government and were favoured by the British for their qualification in English education. In the northern highlands, the lands of the Sinhalese were seized by the British and Indian Tamils were settled there as plantation workers. Tamils who migrated in
5978-932: The Chola empire reached its zenith and stretched as far as Bengal in the north and across the Indian Ocean. He defeated the Eastern Chalukyas and the Chola navy invaded the Srivijaya Empire in South East Asia. The Cholas had trade links with the Chinese Song Dynasty and across Southeast Asia. The Cholas built many temples with the most notable being the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur. The latter half of
6100-456: The Cholas are considered to be one of the greatest contributions of Tamil art. Models made of a special mixture of beeswax and sal tree resin were encased in clay and fired to melt the wax leaving a hollow mould, which would then be filled with molten metal and cooled to produce bronze statues. Tamil paintings are usually centered around natural, religious or aesthetic themes. Sittanavasal
6222-652: The Cholas, the Pandyas and other kingdoms of Chalukyas of Badami and the Rashtrakutas . The Pandyas were revived by Kadungon towards the end of the sixth century CE and with the Cholas in obscurity in Uraiyur , the Tamil country was divided between the Pallavas and the Pandyas. The area west of the Western Ghats became increasingly distinct from the eastern parts. A new language Malayalam evolved from Tamil in
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#17327876985886344-574: The Eelam Tamils and the cultural diffusion happened well before the arrival of Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka. Eelam Tamils consider themselves lineal descendants of the aboriginal Naga and Yaksha people of Sri Lanka. A cobra totem known as Nakam in the Tamil language is still part of the Tamil tradition in Sri Lanka. Remains of settlements and megalithic burial sites of people culturally similar to those of present-day Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in modern India have been excavated at Pomparippu on
6466-716: The Europeans on the island in the sixteenth century CE. Portuguese traders reached Sri Lanka by 1505 CE and the Jaffna kingdom came to the attention of Portuguese due to its presence as a logistical and strategic base for accessing the interior ruled by the Kandyan kingdom . King Cankili I resisted contacts with the Portuguese and repelled Parava Catholics who were brought from India to the Mannar Island to take over
6588-502: The Ghats in Munnar region. 15 years later, John Daniel Munro noted that much of Munnar's land was suitable for coffee plantations. Munro, Henry Turn and his half-brother AW Turner obtained ownership of the Cardamom Hills from the Raja of Travancore and began clearing forest around Devikulam in 1879. Soon many other Europeans began establishing tea plantations in the area throughout the 1880s. Early plantations had few facilities and were mainly huts of straw. Eventually roads were opened to
6710-426: The Hoysalas later siding with the Pandyas, the Pandyas consolidated control over the region. The Pandya empire reached its zenith in the thirteenth century CE under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I after he defeated the Hoysalas, the Kakatiyas and captured parts of Sri Lanka. The Pandyas ruled from their capital of Madurai and expanded trade links with other maritime empires. Venetian explorer Marco Polo mentioned
6832-424: 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
6954-415: 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 proportion of the population 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
7076-411: The KDHC which owned most tea estates was acquired by Tata and Finlay who started the first instant tea factory in the country. In 1971, the Kerala government wanted to reforest all land in the hills not used for plantations. However, negotiations that followed resulted in Tata keeping most of the land, leaving it with 57,000 acres. To this day, most tea estate labourers are landless. In the early 2000s,
7198-415: The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. In the 18th century, the Mughal empire administered the region through the Nawab of the Carnatic with his seat at Arcot , who defeated the Madurai Nayaks. The Marathas attacked several times and defeated the Nawab after the Siege of Trichinopoly (1751-1752) . This led to a short-lived Thanjavur Maratha kingdom . Europeans started to establish trade centres from
7320-400: The Nallathanni Estate, the museum is a tribute to its pioneers who transformed Munnar into a major tea plantation centre of Kerala , from the rudimentary tea roller from 1905 to a fully automated tea factory. Visitors and tea lovers can see various stages of the tea processing – Crush, tear, curl - and learn about the production of Kerala black tea variants. The power generation plant of
7442-438: The Pandyas as the richest empire in existence. The Pandyas also built a number of temples including the Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai. In the fourteenth century CE, the Pandyan empire was engulfed in a civil war and also faced repeated invasions by the Delhi Sultanate . In 1335, the Pandyan capital was conquered by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan and the short-lived Madurai Sultanate was established. The Vijayanagara kingdom
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#17327876985887564-526: The Portuguese published a Tamil book in old Tamil script named Thambiraan Vanakkam , thus making Tamil the first Indian language to be printed and published. Tamil Lexicon , published by the University of Madras between 1924 and 1939, was amongst the first comprehensive dictionaries published in the language. The 19th century gave rise to Tamil Renaissance and writings and poems by authors such as Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai , U.V.Swaminatha Iyer , Damodaram Pillai , V. Kanakasabhai and others. During
7686-431: The Sangam literature. The Cheras controlled the western part of Tamilkam, the Pandyas controlled the south, and the Cholas had their base in the Kaveri delta. They are mentioned in the inscriptions from the Mauryan Empire dated to third century BCE. Kalinga inscriptions from the second century BCE refers to a confederacy of the Tamil kingdoms. The three kings called Vendhar ruled over several hill tribes headed by
7808-569: The Sevenmallay region of Munnar. Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies it as subtropical highland (Cwb). Munnar is well connected by both National highways, state highways and rural roads. The town lies in the Kochi - Dhanushkodi National highway (N.H 49), about 130 km (81 mi) from Cochin, 31 km (19 mi) from Adimali , 85 km (53 mi) from Udumalpettu in Tamil Nadu and 60 km (37 mi) from Neriyamangalam . Distance from major cities & tourist destinations. The nearest railway station
7930-445: The Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. However, subsequent generations might not speak the language as a mother tongue , but instead as a second or third language . There is a small Tamil community in Pakistan , notably settled since the partition in 1947. Since the 20th century, Tamils have migrated to other regions such as Middle East and the Western World for employment. A large emigration of Sri Lankan Tamils began in
8052-423: The Tamil settlements in the An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon published in 1681. The Dutch captured the island later and ruled for more than a century. Following the 1795 invasion of the British and the Kandyan Wars , the island came to the control of the British in the early nineteenth century CE. Upon arrival in June 1799, Hugh Cleghorn , the island's first British colonial secretary, wrote to
8174-614: 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. Due to its long history, the Tamil culture has seen multiple influences over the years and have developed diversely. The Tamil visual art consists of a distinct style of architecture , scultpure and other art forms. Tamil sculpture ranges from stone sculptures in temples, to detailed bronze icons . The ancient Tamil country had its own system of music called Tamil Pannisai . Tamil performing arts include
8296-439: The Tamils the last surviving classical civilization on Earth, because the Tamils have preserved substantial elements of their past regarding belief, culture, music, and literature despite the influence of globalization . Tamil is derived from the name of the language . The people are referred to as Tamiḻar in Tamil language, which is etymologically linked to the name of the language. The origin and precise etymology of
8418-543: The Tamils went as indentured labourers and established businesses in other territories under the control of the British empire such as Malaya , Burma , South Africa , Fiji , Mauritius , and the Caribbean . The descendants of these Tamils continued to live in these countries, and practice their original culture, tradition and language. They form significant proportion of the population in Malaysia (7%) and Singapore (5%). A significant population also exists in South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, as well as other regions such as
8540-410: The age group of 0-6 were 2,916 (9.1% of the total population), which constitutes 1,478 males and 1,438 females. Munnar Panchayat had an overall literacy rate of 84.85%, substantially lower than the Kerala state average of 94.00%. Male literacy stands at 91.05% and female literacy at 78.64%. Most of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe habitat fragmentation resultant from
8662-416: The animals. Other traditional dance forms include the war dance Oyilattam and Paraiattam . Koothu is a form of street theater that consists of a play performance which consists of dance along with music, narration and singing. Bommalattam is a type of puppetry that uses various doll marionettes manipulated by rods and strings attached to them. Silambattam is a martial dance using
8784-485: The capital at Thanjavur . The Chola influence expanded subsequently with Rajaraja I conquering the entire Southern India and parts of present-day Sri Lanka and Maldives , and increased Chola influence across the Indian Ocean in the eleventh century CE. Rajaraja brought in administrative reforms including the reorganisation of Tamil country into individual administrative units. Under his son Rajendra Chola I ,
8906-569: The confluence of the Muthirapuzha , Nallathanni and Kundali rivers. The region has been inhabited by hunter-gatherer tribals like the Malayarayan and Muthuvan for thousands of years. In the early days, only Tamils and few Malayalis lived there. They were brought as workers in the tea plantations. Tradition states that Colonel Arthur Wellesley , later the Duke of Wellington, was
9028-562: The contemporary literature from other Indian languages and represents one of the oldest bodies of literature in South Asia. The earliest epigraphic records have been dated to around the 3rd century BCE. Early Tamil literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as Tamil Sangams , the earliest of which destroyed by floods. The Sangam literature was broadly classified into three divisions: iyal (poetry), isai (music) and nadagam (drama). The early Tamil literature
9150-423: The country as refugees resulting in an exodus more than half a million to India and other countries. By the 1970s, initial non-violent political struggle for an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka, developed into a violent secessionist insurgency. This led to the bloody Sri Lankan Civil War for more than three decades. The conflict resulted in the deaths of at least 100,000 Tamils in
9272-613: The creation of the plantations. However, some species continue to survive and thrive in several protected areas nearby, including the new Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary , Manjampatti Valley and the Amaravati reserve forest of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to the north east, the Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park to the north,
9394-415: The current shape. On 14 January 1969, Madras state was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning "Tamil country". In 1965, Tamils agitated against the imposition of Hindi and in support of continuing English as a medium of communication which eventually led to English being retained as an official language of India alongside Hindi. After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after Indian independence,
9516-546: The eighteenth century CE. The British regained control of Madras in 1749 through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and resisted a French siege attempt in 1759. The British East India Company demanded tax collection rights, which led to constant conflicts with the local Palaiyakkarars and resulted in the Polygar Wars . Puli Thevar was one of the earliest opponents, joined later by Rani Velu Nachiyar and Kattabomman in
9638-469: The eleventh century saw the union of Chola and Vengi kingdoms under Kulottunga I . The Cholas repulsed attacks from the Western Chalukyas and maintained its influence over the various kingdoms of Southeast Asia. According to historian Nilakanta Sastri , Kulottunga avoided unnecessary wars and had a long and prosperous reign characterized by unparalleled success that laid the foundations of
9760-406: The empire for the next 150 years. The eventual decline of Chola power began towards the end of Kulottunga III 's reign in the thirteenth century CE. The Pandyas again reigned supreme under Maravarman Sundara I and defeated the Cholas under Rajaraja III . Though the Cholas were revived briefly with the aid of Hoysalas , civil war between Rajaraja and Rajendra III weakened them further. With
9882-535: The empire. The Vijayanagara empire was defeated in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by a confederacy of Deccan sultanates . The Nayaks, who were the military governors in the Vijaynagara empire, took control of the region amongst whom the Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were the most prominent. They introduced the palayakkararar system and re-constructed some of the temples in Tamil Nadu including
10004-591: The estate dates back to 1920s; a rail engine wheel of the Kundala Valley Railway that shuttled between Munnar and Top Station by 1924. A section of the museum also houses classic bungalow furniture and office equipment of the Colonial area in Kerala. Tea tasting across different varieties of tea is another attraction here. A 2nd-century burial urn was discovered at the Periakanal tea estate; it
10126-402: The films. The first silent film in South India was produced in Tamil in 1916 and the first Tamil talkie film was Kalidas , which released on 31 October 1931, barely seven months after the release of India's first talking picture Alam Ara . Ancient literature and epigraphical records describe the various types of dresses worn by Tamil people. Tamil women traditionally wear a sari ,
10248-671: The first British person to pass through Munnar during Tipu Sultan 's campaign in Travancore , but this is unsubstantiated. The first survey of the terrain was undertaken by Benjamin Swayne Ward in 1816–1817, who followed Periyar into the Western Ghats and established a camp at the confluence of three rivers, from which the name of Munnar is derived. It was to be nearly 50 years later that Sir Charles Trevelyan , Governor of Madras , instructed Col. Douglas Hamilton to explore
10370-551: The first series of Polygar wars. The Maruthu brothers along with Oomaithurai , formed a coalition with Dheeran Chinnamalai and Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , which fought the British in the Second Polygar War. In the later 18th century, the Mysore kingdom captured parts of the region and engaged in constant fighting with the British which culminated in the four Anglo-Mysore Wars . By the late eighteenth century CE,
10492-518: The fourth century CE, the region was ruled by the Kalabhras , warriors belonging to the Vellalar community, who were once feudatories of the three ancient Tamil kingdoms. The Kalabhra era is referred to as the "dark period" of Tamil history, and information about it is generally inferred from any mentions in the literature and inscriptions that are dated many centuries after their era ended. Around
10614-677: The governance of India from the East India Company to the British crown, forming the British Raj . Failure of the summer monsoons and administrative shortcomings of the Ryotwari system resulted in two severe famines in the Madras Presidency, the Great Famine of 1876–78 and the Indian famine of 1896–97 which killed millions and the migration of many Tamils as bonded laborers to other British countries eventually forming
10736-534: The hill country in the western part of the Madras Presidency , requesting special advice on the feasibility of establishing sanatoria for the British in the South and of developing revenue- earning projects without endangering the environment, as had happened in Ceylon where coffee had destroyed not only the rain forest but also paddy cultivation in the north-central rice bowl of ancient Ceylon. Hamilton climbed throughout
10858-496: The interiors. The Chettinadu cuisine is popular for its meat based dishes and generous usage of spices . The Kongunadu cuisine uses less spices and are generally cooked fresh. It uses coconut , sesame seeds , groundnut , and turmeric to go with various cereals and pulses grown in the region. Nanjilnadu cuisine is milder and is usually based on fish and vegetables. Sri Lankan Tamil cuisine uses gingelly oil and jaggery along with coconut and spices, which differentiates it from
10980-498: The island and led to the flight of over 800,000 refugees. The war ended after the Sri Lankan military offensive in 2009. Since the end of the civil war, the Sri Lankan state has been subject to much global criticism for violating human rights as a result of committing war crimes through bombing civilian targets, usage of heavy weaponry, the abduction and massacres of Sri Lankan Tamils and sexual violence . As per
11102-439: The island. These people moved further to the South of the island, and intermingled with the existent people. Black and red ware potsherds found in Sri Lanka from the early reign of Anuradhapura kingdom , indicate a similar cultural connection with the people of South India. The Tamil Brahmi inscriptions on them indicate Tamil clan names such as Parumakal , Ay , Vel , Utiyan , Ticaiyan , Cuda and Naka , which points to
11224-719: The king later before the Ming admiral Zheng He overthrew him in 1409 CE after which the influence of his family declined. The caste structure of the Sinhalese also accommodated Hindu immigrants from South India, which led to the emergence of new Sinhalese caste groups such as the Radala , the Salagama , the Durava and the Karava . The Aryachakaravarthi dynasty continued to rule over large parts of northeast Sri Lanka until arrival of
11346-403: The language is personified in the form of Tamil̲taay ("Tamil mother"). Various varieties of Tamil is spoken by the Tamils across regions such as Madras Bashai , Kongu Tamil , Madurai Tamil , Nellai Tamil , Kumari Tamil and various Sri Lankan Tamil dialects such as Batticaloa Tamil, Jaffna Tamil and Negombo Tamil in Sri Lanka. Tamil literature is of considerable antiquity compared to
11468-545: The language. The Tamils saw the act as linguistic, cultural and economic discrimination against them. Anti-Tamil pogroms in 1956 and 1958 resulted in deaths of many Tamils and further escalated the conflict. More than a million Indian Tamil plantation workers were made stateless after Sri Lanka refused citizenship to them. In 1964, the Sri Lankan and Indian governments entered into an agreement, based on which, about 300,000 would be granted Sri Lankan citizenship and about 975,000 Tamils would be repatriated to India over
11590-661: 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
11712-480: The lowlands and in Bodinayakanur in western Madras Presidency, planters got provisions from a local headman - Suppan Chetty. He and his son, Alaganan Chetty (later an MLA ) would continue providing supplies to the tea estates in the region. By 1894, 26 estates were established in the hills, but all were facing losses. In 1897, a separate company, Kannan Devan Hills Corporation (KDHC) was registered to operate
11834-467: The lucrative pearl fisheries from the Jaffna kings. The wrested Mannar during the first invasion in 1560 and killed king Puvirasa Pandaram during the second expedition in 1591. After the conflicts, the Portuguese secured the kingdom in 1619 from the unpopular Cankili II , who was helped by the Thanjavur Nayaks. English sailor Robert Knox arrived in the island in 1669 and described
11956-546: The major forms of Tamil painting is Thanjavur painting , which originated in the 16th century CE where a base made of cloth and coated with zinc oxide is painted using dyes and then decorated with semi-precious stones, as well as silver or gold threads. The ancient Tamil country had its own system of music called Tamil Pannisai . Sangam literature such as the Silappatikaram from 2nd century CE describes music notes and instruments. A Pallava inscription dated to
12078-501: The mid-1st millennium BCE in South India. Locals in Sri Lanka adopted the production methods of creating wootz steel from the Cheras and the later trade introduced it to other parts of the world. Since the early Sangam age, war was regarded as an honourable sacrifice and fallen heroes and kings were worshipped with hero stones and heroic martyrdom was glorified in ancient Tamil literature. Defeated kings committed Vatakkiruttal ,
12200-567: The ninteenth century CE to work on tea plantations were later termed as the Indian Tamils . Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948 and after the colonial rule ended, ethnic tension rose between the Sinhalese, who constituted a majority, and the Tamils. In 1956, the Sinhala Only Act designated Sinhala as the only official language of Sri Lanka, which forced many Tamils to resign as civil servants because they were not fluent in
12322-543: The ninth and tenth centuries CE, Pandya and Chola incursions started in the island which culminated with the Chola annexation of the island. The Chola influence lasted until the latter half of the eleventh century CE and the Chola decline was followed by the restoration of the Polonnaruwa monarchy . In 1215, following Pandya invasions, the Tamil-dominant Aryacakravarti dynasty established
12444-547: The north and with the Romans . Roman coins and other epigraphical evidence from South India and potsherds with Tamil writing found in excavations along the Red Sea indicate the presence of Roman commerce with the ancient Tamilakam. Much of the commerce from the Romans and Han China were facilitated via seaports including Muziris and Korkai with spices being the most prized goods along with pearls and silk . There
12566-406: The old Tamil preserved features of Proto-Dravidian language, modern-day spoken Tamil uses loanwords from other languages such as English . The existent Tamil grammar is largely based on the grammar book Naṉṉūl which incorporates facets from the old Tamil literary work Tolkāppiyam . Since the later part of the 19th century, Tamils made the language as a key part of the Tamil identity and
12688-550: The post Sangam era is the Tirukkural , a book on ethics, by Thiruvalluvar . In the beginning of the middle age , Vaishnava and Saiva literature became prominent following the Bhakti movement in 7th century CE with hymns composed by Alwars and Nayanmars . Notable work from the post-Bhakti period included Ramavataram by Kambar in 12th century CE and Tiruppugal by Arunagirinathar in 15th century CE. In 1578,
12810-627: The presence of Tamils in the region. Excavations in Poonakari in the north of the island have yielded several inscriptions including the mention of vela , a name related to velirs of the ancient Tamil country. Epigraphical evidence of people identified as Damelas (the Prakrit word for Tamil people) from the second century CE have been found in Anuradhapura , the capital city of the northern Rajarata region. Historical records mention that
12932-795: The present Tamil diaspora . The Indian Independence movement gathered momentum in the early 20th century with the formation of the Indian National Congress , which was based on an idea propagated by the members of the Theosophical Society movement after a Theosophical convention held in Madras in December 1884. Various Tamils were contributors to the Independence movement including V. O. Chidambaram Pillai , Subramaniya Siva and Bharatiyar . The Tamils formed
13054-404: The problems of property takeovers by the land mafia that have, according to successive governments, plagued the area. In 2011, the government estimated that 20,000 hectares of land had been illegally appropriated and launched a campaign of evictions that had first been mooted in 2007. Tamils The Tamils ( / ˈ t æ m ɪ l z , ˈ t ɑː -/ TAM -ilz, TAHM - ), also known as
13176-412: The region and the socio-cultural transformation was altered further by the migration of Sanskrit -speaking Indo-Aryans from Northern India in the eighth century CE. The Cholas were revived in the ninth century CE by Vijayalaya Chola and the last Pallavas ruler Aparajitavarman was defeated by the Chola prince Aditya I . After the defeat of the Pallavas, the Cholas became the dominant kingdom with
13298-499: The region. Major folk dance forms include Karakattam and Kavadiattam which involve dancers balancing decorated pot(s) on their heads and arch shaped wooden sticks on their shoulders respectively while making dance movements with the body. Kolattam and Kummi are usually performed by women while singing songs. In dances like Mayilattam , Puravaiattam , and Puliyattam , dancers dress like peacocks , horses and tigers respectively and headdresses perform movements imitating
13420-539: The second century BCE mentioning Damela or Dameda from ancient Sri Lanka have been found. In the Buddhist Jataka texts, there is a mention of a Damila-rattha (Tamil dynasty). Greek historian Strabo (first century BCE) mentions that the Roman Emperor Augustus received an ambassador from Pandyan of Dramira . An inscription from Amaravati dated to third century CE refers to
13542-468: The seventh century CE, the Kalabhras were overthrown by the Pandyas and Cholas. Though they existed previously, the period saw the rise of the Pallavas in the sixth century CE under Mahendravarman I , who ruled parts of South India with Kanchipuram as their capital. The Pallavas were noted for their patronage of architecture. Throughout their reign, the Pallavas remained in constant conflict with
13664-581: The tea estates which was later taken over by the American Direct Tea Trading Company Ltd., who owned 26 estates, most with coffee and some with cinchona , almost all in the area except for a few in the lower areas. In 1900, a ropeway was built and eventually monorails were installed for easier transport of goods to the plains. In 1901, P. R. Buchanan took over as General Manager and began the most extensive clearing of jungles for plantations. In 1908, construction started on
13786-550: The theatre form Koothu , puppetry Bommalattam , classical dance Bharatanatyam , and various other traditional dance forms . Hindusim is the major religion followed by the Tamils and the religious practices include the veneration of various village deities and ancient Tamil gods . A smaller number are also Christians and Muslims , and a small percentage follow Jainism and Buddhism . Tamil cuisine consist of various vegetarian and meat items, usually spiced with locally available spices . Historian Michael Wood called
13908-599: The three Tamil kingdoms were involved in the island's affairs from second century BCE. Chola king Ellalan captured the Anuradhapura Kingdom from 205 BCE to 161 BCE. Tamil soldiers from Tamilakam came to Anuradhapura in large numbers in the seventh century CE with the local chiefs and kings relying on them. In the eighth century CE, various Tamil villages collectively known as Demel-kaballa (Tamil allotment), Demelat-valademin (Tamil villages), and Demel-gam-bim (Tamil villages and lands) were established. In
14030-673: The training of other martial arts such as silambattam, adimurai or kalari . Malyutham is the traditional form of combat-wrestling. Tamil martial arts uses various types of weapons such as valari (iron sickle), maduvu (deer horns), vaal (sword) and kedayam (shield), surul vaal (curling blade), itti or vel (spear), savuku (whip), kattari (fist blade), aruval (mchete), silambam (bamboo staff), kuttu katai (spiked knuckleduster), kathi (dagger), vil ambu (bow and arrow), tantayutam (mace), soolam (trident), valari (boomerang), chakaram (discus) and theepandam (flaming baton). Wootz steel used to make weapons, originated in
14152-465: The use of early Harappan language . Excavations at Keezhadi have revealed a large urban settlement, with the earliest artefact dated to 580 BCE, during the time of urbanization in the Indo-Gangetic plain . Further epigraphical inscriptions found at Adichanallur use Tamil Brahmi , a rudimentary script dated to 5th century BCE. Potsherds uncovered from Keeladi indicate a script which might be
14274-463: The various Tamil kingdoms. The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram , built by the Pallavas in the 7th and 8th centuries has more than forty rock-cut temples, monoliths and rock reliefs . The Pallavas, who built the group of monuments in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram , were one of the earliest patronisers of the Dravidian architectural style. These gateways became regular features in
14396-536: The west coast and in Kathiraveli on the east coast of the island. These epigraphical evidence have been dated to a period between fifth century BCE and second century CE. Cultural similarities in burial practices in South India and Sri Lanka were dated by archeologists to the beginning of the Iron Age in the region around twelfth century BCE. There were specific migration routes that extended from South India to
14518-547: The word Tamil is unclear with multiple theories attested to it. Kamil Zvelebil suggests that the term tamiz might have been derived from tam meaning "self" and "-iz" having the connotation of "unfolding sound". Alternatively, he suggests a derivation of tamiz < tam-iz < *tav-iz < *tak-iz , meaning "the proper process (of speaking)". Franklin Southworth suggests that the name comes from tam-miz > tam-iz meaning "self-speak", or "our own speech". It
14640-689: Was compiled and classified into two categories: Patinenmelkanakku ("Eighteen Greater Texts") consisting of the Ettuttokai ("Eight Anthologies") and the Pattuppattu ("Ten Idylls"), and the Patinenkilkanakku ("Eighteen Lesser Texts"). The Tamil literature that followed in the next 300 years after the Sangam period is generally called the "post-Sangam" literature which included the Five Great Epics . Another book of
14762-426: Was considered as a social obligation and offering food to guests was regarded as one of the highest virtues. Rice is the diet staple and is served with sambar , rasam , and poriyal as a part of a Tamil meal. Bananas find mention in the Sangam literature and the traditional way of eating a meal involves having the food served on a banana leaf , which is discarded after the meal. Eating on banana leaves imparts
14884-406: Was founded in 1336 CE . The Vijayanagara empire eventually conquered the entire Tamil country by c. 1370 and ruled for almost two centuries. In the sixteenth century, Vijaynagara king Krishnadeva Raya was forced to intervene in the conflict between their vassals, the Cholas and the Pandyas. The Nayak governor under Raya briefly took control of Madurai before it was restored to
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