TAMIL CULTURAL INFLUENCES IN MALAYSIA

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TAMIL CULTURAL INFLUENCES IN MALAYSIA

• BSED I F
• Group I

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE TAMILS

• They occupied the South Indian State of Tamil
  Nadu Southern tip of India referred to as
  river with a sweet water, not salty
• They are part of the large Dravidian group a
  major component of the populations of India
• Is the oldest of all the languages under the
  Dravidian family
• They were the most important trading peoples of
  maritime Asia
• 3 Kinds of Craft
• Light coasting boats
• Larger vessel
• Ocean-going vessel The trade relations of Tamil
  merchants had with the ports of Malaya led to
  emergence of Indianized kingdoms Gangga Negara,
  Old Kedah, Srivijaya 1500 years ago

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3 THEORIES REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION OF INDIAN
CULTURE TO SOUTHEAST ASIA - MALAYSIA
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I. THE KSHATRIYA or ARISTOCRAT THEORY

• States that the Indian Emperors colonized
  Southeast Asia
• There was no much proof of any Indian king as
  having had direct political control over any
  regime in Southeast Asia
• The Indianized countries of Southeast Asia were
  never political dependencies of India, but rather
  CULTURAL COLONIES

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II. THE BRAHMIN or SACERDOTE THEORY

• States that the Indian culture was spread through
  the religious activities of the Brahman priest
  who entered the region as spiritual leaders
• There are archeological evidences such as
  inscriptions and icons shiva and different
  deities coming from the Tamil country

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III. THE VAISYA or TRADERS/PROLETARIAT THEORY

• States that the spread of Indian culture was
  through the efforts of the traders

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• Of the 3 theories , only the Brahmin theory has
  been accepted by a vast numbers of historians

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INSCRIPTION IN MALAY PENINSULA

• Takuapa inscription
• Tambralinga inscription
• Tanjore inscription
• Borneo inscription
• Kedah inscription
• Ligor inscription

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TAKUAPA INSCRIPTION

• It is short inscription indicating that an
  artificial lake Avani-naranam was dug by
  Nangur-udaiyan a military fief in Nangur,
  famous for his abilities as a warrior, the lake
  was place under the protection of the members of
  the Manikkiramam a merchant guild living in a
  military camp

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TAMBRALINGA INSCRIPTION

• There is a bronze image of ganesha bearing in a
  tamil inscription MAJAPISIDESA

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TANJORE INSCRIPTION

• In the ancient city of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu are
  inscription dating from 1030 AD which mentions
  the victory of Rajendra Chola I over Southeastern
  countries
• In other inscription dated 1070 AD, the king of
  Kamboja Java sent a chariot to the Chola king
  to seek his help and save his kingdom

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THE VICTORY OF RAJENDRA CHOLAN I AND OTHER
TANJORE INSCRIPTIONS
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BORNEO INSCRIPTION

• In Kutei island of Borneo, 7 inscriptions have
  been found. They all relate to the Kundungan
  clans rule over Borneo, his princely family
  migrated from Tamil Nadu to Borneo to established
  a kingdom
• All thes inscrptions are both written in Sanskrit
  and Tamil

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KEDAH INSCRIPTION

• An inscribed stone bar, rectangular in shape ,
  bears the ye-dharma formula in South Indian
  characters of the fourth century AD.Proclaiming
  the buddhist character of the shrine Pallava
  inscription
• An inscription in Sanskrit left by Kulothunka
  Cholan I,it shows the commercial contacts the
  Chola empire had with Malaya

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LIGOR INSCRIPTION

• Refers to the trade relationship between the
  Tamil country and Malaya

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TAMIL ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPT

• A manuscript which shows that Tamils were active
  in spreading Islam in Malaya. This ancient folio
  dated 1192 WARUSHAM SHABAN MASAM 4 TIRAM , a
  prayer booklet containing 15 pages, written in 2
  idioms Tamil and Malay

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TAMIL INFLUENCES IN MALAYSIA

• Name of places
• Language
• Religion
• Culture

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NAME OF THE PLACES

• Malaya and Malayu/Melayu
• Is a combination of 2 Tamil words, Malay or Malai
  hill and ur meaning hilltown
• The word Malaysia means Mountains of Asia

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Pattani

• Northern part of Malaysia, Pattani in Tamil means
  pea

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Manigramam

• Gem- like town, Trading center of Tamil

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Tondi

• Occurs in the Tamil epic Silappdikaram
• There are 3 Tondi, one in Chera empire, the other
  one is Pandayan empire and the third Tondi in the
  Malay peninsula

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Takkolam

• A Tamil word for piper cubeba

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Kedah or Kadaram

• West coast of Malaysia
• Known as kadaram in tamil. Kadaram-kondan
  conqueror of Kadaram

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Northern part of Malay peninsula

• Mayirudinggam
• Mappappalam
• Mewilimbwnggam
• Madamalingam

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TAMIL WORDS in MALAY
TAMIL MALAY ENGLISH
akka kakak elder sister
kadai kedai shop
kappal kapal ship
katikam ketika minute
muthirai mutiara pearl
nagaram negara country
purva purba ancient
raja raja king
suniyam Sunyi empty/silence
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RELIGION

• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Islam

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HINDUISM

• I. Shivism
• Oldest of the 4 sect of Hinduism
• Believe in Shiva as the supreme god

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• II. Vishnu
• Believes in Rama and Krishna as supreme god

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BUDDHISM

• Believes in Siddhartha Gautama the awakened one

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ISLAM

• Believes to Allah as the one true god and
  Mohammad as his last prophet

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CULTURE

• Customs
• Festivals

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CULTURE

• Marriage Customs

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FESTIVALS

• Thaipusam
• a religious festival dedicated to the Tamil
  deity Murugan

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INSCRIPTIONS
TAKUAPA
TAMBRALINGA
TANJORE
KEDAH
BORNEO
LIGOR
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INFLUENCES

• NAME OF PLACES
• LANGUAGES
• RELIGION
• Hinduism-Buddhism-Islam
• CULTURE
• Customs-Festivals