Identity tracking

Without reading like a tutorial, The Tamils gives a comprehensive account of the community's history and culture

- T.C.A. RAGHAVAN

The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community By Nirmala Lakshman Published by Aleph Book Company pages 464; price ₹999

What defines Tamil identity? In trying to provide a satisfactory answer, Nirmala Lakshman takes a deep dive into two and a half millennia of Tamil history and culture. This 'portrait of a community' is a bird's eye view of the historical evolution of the geographical space we identify today as Tamil Nadu. The Pandyas, the Pallavas and the magnificent Cholas almost inevitably dominate the first half of the book. The impact they left on temple architecture, iconography, congregational religion and the crystallisation of a caste hierarchy are essential ingredients of the Tamil personality in the centuries that follow.