IT TURNS OUT TAMIL PEOPLE CAME TO THE PENINSULA BEFORE MALAYS
By: Hamly Hadi
(History Observer)
Tamil people arrived on the peninsula in the 11th century, while Malays arrived in the 15th century, in 1402 AD.
The relationship between Tamils and what is now Malaysia dates back more than 2,000 years. The ancient Tamil poem, Paṭṭiṉappālai (Tamil: பட்டினப் பாலை), refers to the region of modern Malaysia as Kaalagam (Tamil: காழகம்).
Tamil literature from the 10th and 11th centuries refers to the modern Malaysian state of Kedah as Kadaram (Tamil: கடாரம்).
Before British colonization, Tamils were already present in the archipelago much earlier, particularly during the powerful South Indian Chola kingdom in the 11th century. The Pallava dynasty of Tamil Nadu spread Tamil culture and the Tamil script to Malaysia. The Tamil Maharaja Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty attacked Srivijaya in the 11th century.
The Malay Peninsula had a strong Tamil culture by the 11th century, and Tamil merchant guilds were established in several locations. At that time, Tamils were one of the most important trading groups in maritime Asia. Although most of these immigrants to Southeast Asia have assimilated into the majority Malay ethnic group, some communities, such as the Chetty Malaka, are remnants of these early Tamil migrants.***
Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, December 26, 2025
References:
1. Studies in Southeast Asian Art: Essays in Honor of Stanley J. O’Connor by Stanley J. O’Connor, Nora A. Taylor, p. 196
2. Sneddon, James (2003). The Indonesian Language: Its history and role in modern society. Sydney: University of South Wales Press Ltd. p. 73.
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