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Kerala: A center of cultural exchange (Chinese interaction)
Tuesday, 5 June 2007 - 10:09 AM SL Time |  | |
Introduction
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Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, ethnicity and culture; this common area was known as Tamilakam.
Kerala became a linguistically separate region by the early 14th century.
The ancient Chera Empire, whose court language was Tamil, ruled Kerala from their capital at Vanchi and was the first major recorded kingdom in Kerala.
Allied with the Pallavas, they continually warred against the neighboring Chola and Pandya kingdoms.
Chera King and trade
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The Chera kings` dependence on trade meant that merchants from West Asia established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala.
Many, especially Jews and Christians, also escaped persecution establishing the Nasrani Mappila and Muslim Mappila communities.
Chinese had a long tradition of trade relationship with Kerala.
Chinese influence
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Chinese influence in Kerala culture is very visible.
For example, The Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi in the City of Kochi are fixed land installations for an unusual form of fishing.
Some suppose that the nets were introduced by the Chinese explorer Zheng He.
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I will stop writing about mutual influence on each others, Chinese on Keralite and vise versa, because I think that the picture could speak for me (well, who will read it anyway). :)
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Source(s)
Various |
AstroLTTE
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5 Jun 2007 03:30:16 GMT Report for Abuse
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Kerala is similar to Sri Lanka in many ways... food, living style etc.... but the people i met from Kerala are rough type and they them self told me never trust Mallu people........ the funny thing is the guy who told me like that the once who cheated me......
Edited By - AstroLTTE - 5 Jun 2007 04:03:45 GMT |
Sritharan
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5 Jun 2007 03:48:09 GMT Report for Abuse
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Astro,
Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhalese have the Kerala influence. Jaffna Tamil has the influence of Malayalam language and Kerala food. Eastern Tamil and Some Sinhalese dress like Keralite ladies, top blouse and sarong.
Mallu people
Who are these 'Mallu People'? |
AstroLTTE
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5 Jun 2007 04:02:37 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sri,
Those Kerala people called them selves they r Mallu's.. Malayali.......Short form is Mallu.... |
zaharan
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5 Jun 2007 04:25:46 GMT Report for Abuse
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the people i met from Kerala are rough type and they them self told me never trust Mallu people
Astro,
You are right and even some them are very selfish as well.
Who are these 'Mallu People
Sri,
According to a Keralite guy, they hate being called as 'Mallu' |
Sritharan
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5 Jun 2007 04:33:10 GMT Report for Abuse
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...they hate being called as 'Mallu'
It is probably like being called African American as 'Nigger'. |
snax
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5 Jun 2007 04:40:07 GMT Report for Abuse
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I also had some 'friends' from Kerala in my University, they were so selfish and boisterous they annoyed everyone.
Edited By - snax - 5 Jun 2007 04:41:23 GMT |
pharoah
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5 Jun 2007 05:50:56 GMT Report for Abuse
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Have you been to Kerala?
I have not, The boat rides down the backwaters seems like a nice trip
Kerala state has one of the highest literacy rates in India |
KURAL
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5 Jun 2007 10:49:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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It's a very interesting stuff !
The trade relationship between Kerala and China is explained here by the Kerala Govt.
www.kerala.gov.in/kercalmarch06/pg22-26.pdf
But Sritharan how came you to the conclusion that Sri lankan Tamils have gastronomy and language influence from Kerala ??
Yes Malayalam looks like Tamil as its root is Tamil, but how to come to conclusion that this language influenced the Tamil language in Sri lanka ??
And how to come to conclusion that Kerala influenced our gastronomy when we know Kerala's gastronomy is himself inspired by the Tamil gastronomy ? Kerala foods are lesser spicy (hot) than his neighbor state, and more lesser than the Sri Lankan Tamil's gastronomy which is surely one of the most spicy (hot) gastro on the world!
Edited By - KURAL - 5 Jun 2007 10:56:21 GMT |
Sritharan
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5 Jun 2007 15:48:35 GMT Report for Abuse
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Pharoah,
Have you been to Kerala?
I have not!
Some people jokingly suggested to me that if you spend a few weeks in Sri Lanka's South Negombo/Puttalam areas, you may come close to Kerala's atmosphere. So, I should try that first. |
Sritharan
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5 Jun 2007 16:39:50 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sritharan how came you to the conclusion that Sri lankan Tamils have gastronomy and language influence from Kerala ??
There are a few studies that concentrate on relationship between Sri Lankan Tamil and South Indians, which has included TamilNadu and Kerala.
I guess that Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka had been colonized by people from various parts of Tamilakam by times to times. Keralites were great mariners and they were the integral parts of any Tamil King's navy.
Sri Lanka could have received a chunk of population from Tamilakam West (Kerala/Chera country), Tamilakam East (Chola/Pandiya countries) and center.
Puttu:
A typical Kerala breakfast may be puttu. Puttu is a culinary specialty in Sri Lanka and Kerala. You can't get puttu in TamilNadu.
Cocount and cocount oil:
Coconut and Coconut Oil is an essential ingredient in most of the food items and is liberally used. TamilNadu food lacks in cocount usage, specially in the milk form.
Vella Appam:
A kind of pancake made of rice flour fermented with a small amount of toddy (fermented sap of the coconut palm). TamilNadu does not make appam in this way.
Kuti/Kurichi system:
In Batticalo Kuti is found among all the major caste groups. It refers to the matrilineal clans system. Matrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's mother's lineage.
Kurichiyas of Kerala is based on matriline. We all can notice that in Northern part of Sri Lanka we use word 'KURICHI' and Eastern part of Sri Lanka we call it 'KUTI'. Both are same.
In Jaffna (as I am familiar with it), married man goes to his wife house and he lives with his in-laws. The land and house which have been inherited to my mother and her sister (my aunt) came from my grad-mother and it came from her mother and so on.
In TamilNadu, wife goes to husband house and lives with her in-laws.
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Sri
Edited By - Sritharan - 5 Jun 2007 17:23:55 GMT |
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