People / group

Sri Lankan Tamils

Also known as Ceylon Tamils, Eelam Tamils

Sri Lankan Tamils are the Tamil-speaking people native to northern and eastern Sri Lanka, with Jaffna as their cultural centre. Mostly Hindu, with a Christian minority, they formed the Jaffna kingdom in the Middle Ages. Tensions with the Sinhalese-dominated state after independence led to the civil war of 1983 to 2009, which drove many into a worldwide diaspora.

Sri Lankan Tamils
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Jaffna Kingdom

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sri Lankan Tamils. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sri-lankan-tamils
MLA
“Sri Lankan Tamils.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sri-lankan-tamils. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sri Lankan Tamils.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sri-lankan-tamils.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sri Lankan Tamils’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sri-lankan-tamils (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻