
The Pandyas sent at least two ambassadors to the Roman Emperor Augustus. In Karur (Tamil Nadu), archaeologists found a large number of coins of Ancient Rome and Egypt. They even traded with many other countries, including places in Europe. Three royal families emerged in the lands of the Tamil people: the dynasties of the Cholas, Cheras, and the Pandyas.Īt that time, agriculture and trading were two main economic activities of Tamil people. Archived at the Wayback Machine The classical period Recent excavations at these sites have also provided samples of early Tamil writing, dating back to at least 5000 BC ( The Hindu, 2005).

The style of burials is same as described in classical Tamil literature.

Archaeologists have found many burial places of megalithic era. In Tamil Nadu, the earliest presence of Tamil people dates back to around 10000 BC on wards. Historians confirmed with the scripts and names of towns of Indus that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization were Tamil. Some connect them with the Elamite people of ancient Iran. No one is sure about the exact origins of the Tamil people. The history of Tamil people has three broad time periods as described below. They now also include descendants of Tamil speaking people even when they no longer speak Tamil language. In recent times, they have broadened the definition of Tamil people. Tamil people identify themselves with their language, Tamil and their rich culture and literature.

Tamil people, are not closely related to people in the Middle East and Europe, except the Romani people. Some of them are Brahui people, Kannadigas, Malayalis, Telugu people and Tuluvas. Other peoples are related to the Tamil people by language, culture, and ancestry. The remaining Tamil people live in many other places. Of that, there are about 63,000,000 in India about 3,600,000 live in Sri Lanka about 2,900,000 live in Malaysia and about 430,000 live in Singapore. The Tamil people number around 74 million in the world. Traditionally, they have been living in the southern parts of India, and the northeastern parts of Sri Lanka.

The Tamil people are an ethnic group from South Asia.
