History of The Term
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The earliest use of the word is found in a Tamil Brahmi inscription as well as in the Sangam literature. The Thiruparankundram inscription found near Madurai in Tamil Nadu and dated on palaeographical grounds to the 1st century BCE, refers to a person as a householder from Eelam (Eela-kudumpikan). The inscription reads,
: erukatur eelakutumpikan polalaiyan "Polalaiyan, (resident of) Erukatur, the husbandman (householder) from Eelam." .The Sangam literature Pattinappalai, mentions Eelattu-unavu (food from Eelam). One of the prominent Sangam Tamil poets is known as Eelattu Poothanthevanar meaning Poothan-thevan (proper name) hailing from Eelam. (Akanaanooru: 88, 231, 307; Kurunthokai: 189, 360, 343; Nattinai: 88, 366) The Tamil inscriptions from the Pallava & Chola period dating from 9th century CE link the word with toddy, toddy taper's quarters (Eelat-cheri), tax on toddy tapping (Eelap-poodchi), a class of toddy tapers (Eelath-chanran). Eelavar is a caste of toddy tapers found in the southern parts of Kerala. The Tamil lexicons Thivaakaram, Pingkalam and Choodaamani, dating from c. 8th century CE, equate the word with Singhalam and with gold. Eela-kaasu and Eela-karung-kaasu are refers to coinages found in the medieval inscriptions of Tamil Nadu.
Since the 1980s the words Eelam and Eelavar have been taken up by the Sri Lankan Tamil resistance movement. In this usage, Eelam refers to Tamil Eelam, an area covering what has been reconstructed by historians as the former Jaffna Kingdom. Eelavar now refers to the future citizens of Tamil Eelam.
Read more about this topic: Eelam
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