SatelliteimageofTamilNaduandSriLanka,showingtheAdam'sBridgereef,aremnantofthelandbridgebetweenextremepeninsularIndiaandSriLanka.[SatelliteImagecourtesy:NASA,VisibleEarth]CētuorAdam'sBridge,linkingthePaampanandMannaarislandsofIndiaandSriLanka.[SatelliteImagecourtesy:WikimediaCommons]Knowledge Books MistreatTamil History [TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2008, 07:34 G MT] The presentation ofthe History ofEezham Tamils, in some ofthe international reference material such as Britannica Concise Encyclopedia and The World Factbookby the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has become a matter ofserious concern for Tamils all over the world. When the discipline ofhistory itselfis being deconstructed in the portals ofknowledge ofthe postmodern era on one hand, these international sources ofinformation are still harping on colonial brand ofOrientalism, by basing history on myths.Culture Columnist Akazhaan Many readers have been emailing excerpts from such publications to TamilNet for quite sometime. Some of the relevant passages are cited below: Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:“TheSinhalesepeopleareprobablytheresultofaboriginalinhabitants mixingwithIndo AryanswhobeganmigratingfromIndiac.the5thcenturyBC.TheTamilswerelaterimmigrants fromDravidianIndia,migratingoveraperiodfromtheearlycenturies ADtoc.1200. Buddhismwasintroducedduringthe3rdcenturyBC.AsBuddhismspread, theSinhalesekingdomextendeditspoliticalcontrolovertheislandbutlostittoinvadersfromsouthernIndiainthe10thcentury. Between1200and1505,SinhalesepowergravitatedtosouthwesternSriLanka, whileasouthernIndiandynastyseizedpowerinthenorthandestablishedtheTamilkingdominthe14thcentury.”CIA, The WorldFactBook: “ThefirstSinhalesearrivedinSriLankalateinthe6thcenturyB.C.probablyfromnorthernIndia.BuddhismwasintroducedinaboutthemidthirdcenturyB.C., andagreatcivilizationdevelopedatthecitiesofAnuradhapura (kingdomfromcirca200B.C.tocircaA.D.1000)andPolonnaruwa(fromabout1070to1200). Inthe14thcentury, asouthIndiandynastyestablishedaTamilkingdominnorthernSriLanka. ThecoastalareasoftheislandwerecontrolledbythePortugueseinthe16thcenturyandbytheDutchinthe17thcentury. TheislandwascededtotheBritishin1796, becameacrowncolonyin1802, andwasunitedunderBritishruleby1815.AsCeylon, itbecameindependentin1948;itsnamewaschangedtoSriLankain1972. TensionsbetweentheSinhalesemajorityandTamilseparatists eruptedintowarin1983. Tensofthousands havediedintheethnicconflictthatcontinues tofester. Aftertwodecadesoffighting, thegovernmentandLiberationTigersofTamilEelam(LTTE)formalizedacease fireinFebruary2002withNorwaybrokeringpeacenegotiations. ViolencebetweentheLTTEandgovernmentforcesintensifiedin2006andthegovernmentregainedcontroloftheEasternProvincein2007. InJanuary2008, thegovernmentofficiallywithdrewfrom theceasefire, andhasbegunengagingtheLTTEinthenorthernportionofthecountry.”