About Tamils

I was looking through the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica a couple of days ago, and couldn't resist looking up their article on Tamils. It was rather.... interesting :shock:. You can see it was written in a time when people thought differently.

I reproduce below the second paragraph of the introduction for some light-hearted entertainment. :)

Quote:

---

The Tamils proper are smaller and of weaker build than Europeans, though graceful in shape. Their physical appearance is described as follows: - a pointed and frequently hooked pyramidal nose, with conspicuous nares, more long than round; a marked sinking in of the orbital line, producing a strongly defined orbital ridge; hair and eyes black; the latter, varying from small to middle-sized, have a peculiar sparkle and a look of calculation; mouth large, lips thick, lower jaw not heavy; forehead well-formed, but receding, inclining to flattish, and seldom high; beard considerable, and often strong; colour of skin very dark, frequently approaching to black.

The Tamils have many good qualities - frugality, patience, endurance, politeness - and they are credited with astounding memories; their worst vices are said to be lying and lasciviousness. Of all the South-Indian tribes they are the least sedentary and the most enterprising. Wherever money is to be earned, there will Tamils be found, either as merchants or in the lower capacity of domestic servants and labourers. The tea and coffee districts of Ceylon are peopled by about 950,000; Tamils serve as coolies in the Mauritius and the West Indies; in Burma, the Straits, and Siam the so-called Klings are all Tamils.

---

really interesting :roll: :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crazy

really interesting :roll: :)

---

Uh, yeah! :roll: :|

Interesting Mr.Podalangai..

Upto me history is mostly influenced by influencial power centres (governments,influential politicians,religious leaders etc..).So reading books of true researchers would give us idea about the real happenings.Unfortunately our history textbooks are all manipulated.. :roll:

On Tamils and ancient Tamils , my brother had told me the hypothetical theory of 'Lemuria'. After googling it i found out one of this interesting link:

http://www.crystallotus.com/Lemuria/Index.htm

It would be interesting to read that..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nms

Interesting Mr.Podalangai..

Upto me history is mostly influenced by influencial power centres (governments,influential politicians,religious leaders etc..).So reading books of true researchers would give us idea about the real happenings.Unfortunately our history textbooks are all manipulated.. :roll:

On Tamils and ancient Tamils , my brother had told me the hypothetical theory of 'Lemuria'. After googling it i found out one of this interesting link:

http://www.crystallotus.com/Lemuria/Index.htm

It would be interesting to read that..

---

There was actually a VERY INTERESTING thread on Lemoria aka Kumari Kandam in the Old Hub...:D That thread might have been transfered to the new hub...I'm not sure.

The Theory is Fascinating. :)

PS: I found that Passage from Britannica quite Offensive. :roll: Am I the only one who felt that way, because everyone said it was interesting but never said it was offensive. :roll:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Surya

PS: I found that Passage from Britannica quite Offensive. :roll: Am I the only one who felt that way, because everyone said it was interesting but never said it was offensive. :roll:

---

I thought it was blatantly obvious that I was just being ironic / tongue in cheek in calling it "interesting".

I found it hilariously funny, actually. I didn't think there was anything offensive about it. If anything, it says a lot about the time and milieu in which that article was written.

Although, after reading some of the comments in the "Sex and Indian Mentality" thread I'm starting to think that bit about "lasciviousness" might not be too far off the mark...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by podalangai

Although, after reading some of the comments in the "Sex and Indian Mentality" thread I'm starting to think that bit about "lasciviousness" might not be too far off the mark...

---

Actually I wasn't offended at all about the bit about lasciviousness, I think all the News abt men and women killing their spouces for affairs around the globe and in tamil nadu tells us that in that area, we're no different than any other race or group of people that exist on the face of the earth. :) but the bit abt being Physically Weaker than Europeans :banghead: and the whole extreamly narrow and generalized view of the Physical Description of Tamils. :wink: Other than that Tamils being Hard Workers and all wasn't too bad.

Yes! :) It does say a lot about the time and mileu in which it was written.

Podalai.. I dont think that entry from Brittanica was out of popular notion. Encyclopedia authors merely quote from existing texts and I guess the first para was taken from some anthropological survey. Britishers were involved in quite a few surveys of the tribes and native people in India. I myself have seen an anthropological book on South Indian people written by a British surveyor during late 19th century, whose descriptions vaguely resembles the one given above.

So, it is more possible that the authors just quoted some text from books available at that time rather than writing it out of their first hand knowledge or opinions. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by podalangai

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Surya

PS: I found that Passage from Britannica quite Offensive. :roll: Am I the only one who felt that way, because everyone said it was interesting but never said it was offensive. :roll:

---

I thought it was blatantly obvious that I was just being ironic / tongue in cheek in calling it "interesting".

---

:exactly: Same w/ the rest of us who said so.! :)

this catalogue reminds me of "the shameful side of geographical history"...environmental determinism:

"The fundamental argument of the environmental determinists was that aspects of physical geography, particularly that of climate, influenced the psychological mind-set of individuals, which in turn defined the behaviour and culture of the society that those individuals formed.

For example, tropical climates were said to cause laziness, relaxed attitudes and promiscuity, while the frequent variability in the weather of the middle latitudes led to more determined and driven work ethics."(wikipedia)

though i have read a handful of catalogues of the African, African American slave and mulatto, chinese and mexican I had not had the chance to read the catalogue of our own people....I have been quite curious to know what that might be...so thank you Podalangai sir for that :) (Tusen takk!..haha that's ALL i know in Norwegian :P )