Introduction
The Sinhalese and Tamils are ethnic groups native to the island of Sri Lanka. Both groups have been living on the island for centuries. Despite this, they have two distinct cultures, languages, and origins. In the past, there have also been wars fought between the two groups for the island.
Sinhalese vs Tamils
Sinhalese people and Tamils inhabit the same island, Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean.
The Sinhalese people reside in the central, Southern and Western regions of Sri Lanka. They have their origins tied to the "Raksha," "Deva," "Yaksha," and "Naga" tribes of "Hela." They follow Theravada Buddhism as their primary faith. The Sinhalese people speak their native language, "Sinhala," which has both written scripts and verbal forms. They have their traditional attire, specific to their culture, the sarong and Kandyan. The Sinhalese people are the majority population on the island, with almost 150 lakhs.
The Tamil people of Sri Lanka reside in the Northern and Eastern regions of the island. A majority of the Tamil population lives in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They originated from the ancient Chola, Pandya, Chera and Pallavas dynasties. Their religious beliefs consist of Hinduism (majority), Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, atheism and Jainism. The Sri Lankan Tamils speak Tamil, a Dravidian language. Their traditional attire consists of saris for women and shirts and lungis for men. There are approximately 20 lakh Tamils in Sri Lanka and almost ten crore Tamils overall.
Difference between Sinhalese and Tamils in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Sinhalese | Tamils |
| Origin | Raksha, Naga, Yaksha, and Deva, the powerful tribes of hela. | Chola, Pallavas, Chera and Pandya dynasty. |
| Geographical Placement | Central, Southern and Western regions of the Sri Lankan island. | Minority living in te Northern and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka. Majority of Tamils reside in Tamil Nadu, India. |
| Language | Sinhala | Tamil |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism | Hinhuism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainnism and Atheism. |
| Traditional Attire | Sarong and Kandyan | Saris for women and shirts and dhoti for men. |
| Population | 150 lakhs approx. | 10 crore approx. |
| Cuisine | Some popular Sri Lankan dishes are Asmi, Gotu Kola Mallum Sambola, Polos, Fish Ambul Thiyal and Kottu. | Popular Tamil food in Sri Lanka are, Jaffna curry, Appam, Murukku, Kiri toffee and Puttu |
| Famous cultural representations | Kavyas, a work of literature. In addition they have unique literature, sculpture, poetry, dancing, etc. | Classical dance (Bharatanatyam), music (carnatic music), cinema (Kollywood) |
More on Sinhalese
The term "Sinhalese" refers to the ethnic people of Sri Lanka. They are also known as "Hela" and "Sinhala" (lion people). Sinhalese account for about 74% of the total population of Sri Lanka.
Origin of Sinhalese people
There is a popular mythology surrounding the origins of the Sinhalese people. The story is that they are the descendants of the followers of Prince Vijaya. Prince Vijaya was a member of the North Eastern Kingdom of India called "Sighapur (presently, Singhur, West Bengal)." He lived during 543-483 B.C. after being banished from his country. He served his exile in, presumably, Sri Lanka.
Based on the genetic studies of Sinhalese people, their origins lie in West Bengal and South India. In addition, they are related to the "Raksha," "Deva," "Yaksha," and "Naga" tribes of "Hela."
Language of Sinhalese
The native language of the Sinhalese is "Sinhala". It has two forms, written and verbal. Sinhala is an Indo-Aryan language. It has another name, "Helabasa."
The Sinhala language developed with the influence of Pali and Sanskrit.
Religions practised by Sinhalese
The Sinhalese people are primarily of the Buddhist faith. Ashoka's son Mahindra brought Buddhism to the Sinhalese people in the 3rd century B.C. The Sinhalese follow a form of Buddhism known as Theravada Buddhism. There are stories about the Sinhalese people saying they have the destiny to protect and preserve the Buddhist faith.
However, due to the influence of British, Portuguese and Dutch people in the country over the years, Christianity is also followed by the Sinhalese. The Christian population is a minority in Sri Lanka but still a significant minority.
Sinhalese Culture
Buddhist festivals and Theravada Buddhism influence the majority of the Sinhalese culture. The Sinhalese culture has a rich history dating back 2600 years. The culture of Sinhalese encompasses sculpture, literature, fine arts, dancing, poetry, folk beliefs, and traditional rituals. One of their famous cultural relics is the Sandesha Kavyas, a work of literature by the Buddhist priests of Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan performing arts have many folk dance forms. One of the popular ones is the Kandyan dancing, performed during state ceremonies and religious rituals. They also have a specific dance form called "devil dancing," specifically performed during exorcisms and healing rituals.
Sports: popular pass time sports are volleyball, football, cricket, bicycle racing and water sports.
Martial Arts: The Sinhalese people also have their own martial arts techniques, known as Angampora. This martial art integrates self-defence, meditation, combat techniques, sport and exercise.
Tourist Spots: Anuradhapura, Kandy, Sigiriya, Adam,s Peak, Polonnaruwa and Kataragama.
Traditional Attire of Sinhalese
The Sinhalese have their own traditional dresses representative of their culture. During formal occasions, they wear a Kandyanand sarong. The Sinhalese men usually add a shirt to their sarong, and the women wear “Osari saree”.
Sinhalese Cuisine
Due to their proximity, Sinhalese food is similar to South Indian cuisine. Sinhalese cuisine consists of a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some of them are as follows,
- Asmi- is a Sri Lankan snack made from rice flour, treacle, cinnamon leaves, and coconut milk.
- Gotu Kola Mallum Sambola- is a salad-like dish made from green vegetables, coconut, green chilli, umbalakada fish, and onions.
- Polos- a spicy dish made from jackfruit, curry leaves, spices, cinnamon, garlic, onion, mustard seeds, lemongrass, and coconut milk.
- Fish Ambul Thiyal- A non-vegetarian dish with fish cut into small cubes.
- Kottu- The dish is prepared with godamba roti (crispy flatbread), vegetables, and various spices.
More on Tamils
The Tamils in Sri Lanka are a minority compared to the entire Tamil population. The majority of the Tamil population resides in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. However, the Sri Lankan Tamils and “Indian” Tamils have not much similarity. They are even categorised under different caste systems. The Sri Lankan Tamils are referred to as “Ceylon Tamils” or “Eelam Tamils.”
Origin of Tamils
The story goes the Sri Lankan Tamil migrated to the island as traders or invaders from the South Indian Chola kingdom. After reaching the island, they resided in the northern and eastern parts.
The origins can be traced back to Chola, Pallavas, Chera, and Pandya dynasties. The Sri Lankan Tamils are predominantly descendants of the Chola Kingdom.
Language of Tamils
The native language of the Tamil people is "Tamil." Tamil is a Dravidian language. It is the official language of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil population of Sri Lanka also use Tamil as their primary language.
Religions practised by Tamils
The dominant belief of the Tamils is Hinduism. The religion includes a variety of deities like Vishnu, Murugan, Siva and Ganapathi. These different deities are worshipped in different forms. There is also a variety of festivals for honouring these deities.
Tamil Culture
The culture and customs followed by the Sri Lankan Tamils are analogous to the traditions of South Indian Tamils.
Tamils have their unique architecture and visual arts to flaunt. The architectural works of the Tamils can be admired in their temples.
The performing arts of the Tamils take two forms, popular and classical. One of the popular dance forms is the Kuthus. The classical dance of the Tamils is Bharatanatyam.
Their musical works also have many forms. One of the musical forms is classical Carnatic music, which contains Ragam and Thalam.
Tamil cinema also has its uniqueness. It is known as Kollywood.
Traditional Attire of the Tamils
The Sri Lankan Tamil women wear a Sari, and the men wear shirts and lungis.
Tamil Cuisine
Sri Lanka has been a home for Tamil people since the second century B.C. Even today proper Tamil food can be found in the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka. Tamil cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. The food is prepared with a variety of local spices. The meals are cooked with a variety of spices imported from south India. Jaffna peninsula, an area in the northern region of Sri Lanka, serves a variety of seafood like crabs, fish, sharks and prawns. The seafood meals contain dried palm fruits and stalks. Some popular Tamil food in Sri Lanka are as follows,
- Jaffna Curry- The main ingredient of this dish is dried red chillies. In addition, it consists of eleven different types of spices like coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, fennel seeds and cardamom. The dish is often paired with goat or seafood.
- Appam- prepared from a combination of fermented rice batter and coconut milk. For a non-native, the food might look like a crispy pancake or a crepe. There are different varieties of appam, egg appam, milk appam, appam made with a bit of toddy and appam prepared with jiggery and coconut cream.
- Murukku- A snack prepared from a combination of rice flour, urad dal flour, and mixed with cumin seeds, chilli powder and salt. The most popular variety of murukku found in Sri Lanka is Manapparai murukku.
- Puttu- A dish prepared with steamed coconut rice. The ingredients are steamed in cylindrical apparatuses. The dish is often paired with palm sugar and banana (sweet version) or paired with chickpea curry, sambal or fried fish (spicy version).
- Kiri Toffee- Kiri toffee is a special variety of sweets made especially for celebrations in Sri Lanka. It is prepared from sugar syrup and sweetened condensed milk.
Political Problems between the Sri Lankan Sinhalese and Tamils
In 1948, Sri Lanka achieved independence from the British colonists. In 1956, the Sri Lankan Sinhalese people began to push for a Sinhala- only act. This decision led to riots between the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sinhalese people. The Sinhalese also showed their discrimination against the island's Tamils in their cultural, political and economic areas. All these acts led to increasing feelings of resentment among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Ultimately in 1972, a militant group of Tamil people arose to fight for their independence on the island. This group later named themselves the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The battles between the LTTE group and the Sinhalese led to many deaths in both groups. In 1983, the LTTE launched a deadly attack on the Sri Lankan army which started the civil war between Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese. Several peace talks were conducted between the groups, but none worked out. The civil war continued from 1983 till 2009 during which both parties launched many offensive attacks on one other. The trademark attack of the LTTE group was the use of suicide bombers. Due to this raging war, many Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to countries like Australia and Canada.
Finally, in 2009, the Sri Lankan government utilised the armed forces to eliminate all forces of the LTTE and their operations. This step proved beneficial, and the LTTE was defeated. However, these acts also raised several allegations about human rights abuses against the Sri Lankan government. The war led to many Sri Lankan Tamils losing their lives or their homes. Some of them had to move into refugee camps in other states. The issue of the rights of the Sri Lankan Tamils is still a diplomatic issue on the island.
Main Differences between Sinhalese and Tamils (in Points)
- Sinhalese people reside in the Central, Southern, and Western regions of Sri Lanka. Tamil people reside in the Northern and Eastern regions of the island. The majority of Tamils live in Tamil Nadu.
- The native language of the Sinhalese people is Sinhala, and the native language of Tamils is Tamil.
- The primary religious faith followed by Sinhalese is Theravada Buddhism. The Tamils follow Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Atheism and Jainism.
- Traditional attire for Sinhalese is the sarong and Kandyan, while the Tamils wear saris (women) and shirts with dhoti (men).
Conclusion
In short, the Sinhalese and the Tamils are the two population groups of Sri Lanka. They have been inhabiting the island for centuries, yet the two groups are vastly different. They differ in many forms like, their cultures, languages, dressing styles and cuisines.
References
- https://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/cms/lib5/CA01000508/Centricity/Domain/1814/Sinhalese%20tamil%20article%20sri%20lanka.pdf
- https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/tamil-food-guide-sri-lanka/
- https://traveltriangle.com/blog/sri-lankan-cuisine/
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka/The-Portuguese-in-Sri-Lanka-1505-1658
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil
