Thimilar
{{Short description|A Sri Lankan Tamil caste traditionally involved in artisanal fishing found in Sri Lanka}}
{{Infobox caste|caste_name=Thimilar|classification=|languages=Tamil|religions=Christianity, Hinduism|related=Tamils, Sri Lankan Tamils|subdivisions=}}Thimilar (Tamil: திமிலர்) is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste found in the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and globally among the Tamil diaspora. They are traditional artisanal fishers primarily engaged in shallow-water fishing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/cul/jaffna_castes.htm|title=WWW Virtual Library Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka Caste System|website=www.lankalibrary.com|access-date=2017-03-05}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yI4cAAAAMAAJ|title=Early Settlements in Jaffna: An Archaeological Survey|last=Ragupathy|first=Ponnampalam|date=1987|publisher=Thillimalar Ragupathy|pages=208|language=en}} In Eastern Sri Lanka are they also involved in cattle cultivation.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z-hPnQAACAAJ|title=Ethnic Identity and Marginality Among the Coast Veddas of Sri Lanka|last=Dart|first=Jon Anderson|date=1985|publisher=University of California, San Diego|pages=83|language=en}}
Historically, they have also been known as Sindhu nāttar (people of Sindh), following their own myth origins.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MTh4pixlifYC|title=Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka|last=McGilvray|first=Dennis B.|date=2008-05-07|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0822341611|pages=75, 76, 375|language=en}}
Etymology
The word Thimilar is derived from the word thimil, a Tamil word for boat, and the honorific suffix -ar, thus Thimilar is literally translated as Boatmen.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OccLAAAAIAAJ|title=Jaffna, Sri Lanka 1980|last=Holmes|first=Walter Robert|date=1980-01-01|publisher=Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society of Jaffna College|language=en}} The Akanaṉūṟu of the Sangam literature, mentions Thimilan, as a boat using fisherman.{{Cite web|url=http://tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=98&artid=37786|title=TamilNet|last=TamilNet|website=tamilnet.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-05}}
History
{{See also|History of Eastern Tamils#Local sources}}
The Vaiyapadal mentions the Sindhu Natar, a name of the Thimilar, as one of the communities inhabiting the Jaffna Peninsula.{{Cite book|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php/%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A3_%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D|title=Yāḻppāṇa Irācciyam|last=Sitrampalam|first=Dr. S.K|publisher=Department of History|location=University of Jaffna|pages=152}} They are mentioned in the Mattakallappu Manmiyam as one of the fishing tribes living in the eastern part of Sri Lanka, who lost a battle to the Mukkuvar who were in alliance with the Pathans.{{Cite book|title=Folk Traditions and Songs of Batticaloa District|last=Subramaniam|first=Suganthy|publisher=Kumaran Publishing|year=2006|isbn=0-9549440-5-4|pages=99}} Place names in the Batticaloa region are derived from the battle such as Sathurukondan (meaning "were enemy was killed", referring to the execution of the Thimilar chief) and Pathiyai-thookia-palai (where the Thimilar chieftess was hanged).{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lvjsAAAAMAAJ|title=Land, human rights & the eastern predicament|last=(Jaffna)|first=University Teachers for Human Rights|date=1993|publisher=UTHR (Jaffna), University of Jaffna, Thirunelvely|pages=89|language=en}}
See also
References
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