Ceylon Tamil

people

Also known as: Sri Lankan Tamil

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June 24, 2026

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The term "Ceylon Tamil" refers to a specific group of Tamils residing in Sri Lanka. Tamils are a people originating from southern India who speak the Tamil language, a member of the Dravidian language family. In Sri Lanka, Tamils constitute a significant minority group, with two main divisions: Sri Lankan Tamils, who are long-settled descendants from southeastern India, and Indian Tamils, who are more recent immigrants brought by the British as plantation workers.12

Historically, Tamils have a rich cultural heritage, with early achievements in sea travel, commerce, and literature. They have also been involved in significant political developments in Sri Lanka, including a prolonged demand for an independent Tamil state, which led to a separatist war. This conflict, primarily involving the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), resulted in tens of thousands of deaths before the LTTE's military defeat in 2009.134

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Sri Lanka
Ethnic composition
…Tamil segment comprises two groups—Sri Lankan Tamils (long-settled descendants from southeastern India) and Indian Tamils (recent immigrants from southeastern India, most of whom were migrant workers brought to Sri Lanka under British rule). Slightly more than one-eighth of the total population belongs to the former group. Muslims, who trace…
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…Tamil segment comprises two groups—Sri Lankan Tamils (long-settled descendants from southeastern India) and Indian Tamils (recent immigrants from southeastern India, most of whom were migrant workers brought to Sri Lanka under British rule). Slightly more than one-eighth of the total population belongs to the former group. Muslims, who trace…
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Tamil
The so-called Ceylon Tamil, constituting approximately two-thirds of them, are concentrated in the northern part of the island. They are relatively well educated, and many of them hold clerical and professional positions. The so-called Indian Tamil of Sri Lanka were brought there by the British in the…
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The so-called Ceylon Tamil, constituting approximately two-thirds of them, are concentrated in the northern part of the island. They are relatively well educated, and many of them hold clerical and professional positions. The so-called Indian Tamil of Sri Lanka were brought there by the British in the…
Read More