The Origin Of The Tamil Community In Sri Lanka

The Origin Of The Tamil Community In Sri Lanka

There is little evidence to suggest that there was a separate Tamil kingdom in the North of Sri Lanka till the thirteenth century, though there were Tamil people living in that part of the country. All evidence point to the fact that this area was under the rule of Sinhalese kings up until the time of Parakramabahu the great. In fact the Tamil kingdom came into existence only in the thirteenth century following the the death of king Parakramabahu the great. From then on the north part of the country seemed to have been an independent kingdom under the successors of Magha of Khalinga. Tamil kings reigned from the thirteenth century onwards. The Tamil kingdom originated With Magha of Kalinga. It is established by the fact that the
kings of Jaffna like those of Khalinga's claimed descent from Ganga Vamsa. Their flag like that of Kalinga had on it a recumbent bull with the crescent and the sun. Nevertheless With the coming of the Portuguese the independence of the Jaffna kingdom was to be short lived. They clashed with the Tamil kings over questions of trade and the treatment of their catholic priests. In 1591 the king of Jaffna was defeated by the Portuguese and the Tamil kingdom became a Portuguese fortitude.