Tamilakam

Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Maritime contacts Sangam period Tamilakam Cheras Spice trade Ays Ezhil Malai Confluence of religionsMamankam festival Calicut Venad - Kingdom of QuilonValluvanad Kolattunadu CochinArakkal kingdom Minor principalities Age of Discovery Portuguese period Dutch period Rise of Travancore Mysorean invasion British PeriodBattle of TirurangadiMalabar DistrictNorth MalabarSouth Malabar Battle of Quilon Communism in KeralaLakshadweep Economy Architecture "Tamiḻakam" is a portmanteau of a word and suffix from the Tamil language, namely Tamiḻ and -akam.

[6] The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, as well as Ptolemy's writings, mention the term "Limyrike" which corresponds to the Malabar Coast of south-western India.

The Roman map Tabula Peutingeriana includes a place named "Damirica" (or "Damirice") and because this sounds like "Tamil," some modern scholars have equated it with Limyrike, considering both to be synonyms of "Tamilakam".

[9] According to the Tolkāppiyam preface, "the virtuous land in which Tamil is spoken as the mother tongue lies between the northern Venkata hill and the southern Kumari.

"[10] The Silappadikaram (c. 2nd century CE) defines the Tamilakam as follows:[11] The Tamil region extends from the hills of Vishnu [Tirupati] in the north to the oceans at the cape in the south.

The Vealirs (Vēḷir) were minor dynastic kings and aristocratic chieftains in Tamiḻakam in the early historic period of South India.

Other: Although the area covered by the term "Tamilakam" was divided among multiple kingdoms, its occurrence in the ancient literature implies that the region's inhabitants shared a cultural or ethnic identity, or at least regarded themselves as distinct from their neighbours.

In 145 BCE Elara, a Chola general[43] or prince known as Ellāḷaṉ[44][non-primary source needed] took over the throne at Anuradhapura and ruled for forty-four years.

[46][47] Hinduism (Vaishnavism, Kaumaram, Shaktism, Shaivism,[48]), Dravidian folk religion, Jains and Buddhists have coexisted in Tamil country since at least the second century BCE.