Tamil inscriptions in Sri Lanka

Tamil inscriptions in Sri Lanka date from the centuries before Christ to the modern era. The vast majority of inscriptions date to the centuries following the 10th century AD, and were issued under the reigns of both Tamil and Sinhala rulers alike. Out of the Tamil rulers, almost all surviving inscriptions were issued under the occupying Chola dynasty, whilst one stone inscription and coins of the Jaffna Kingdom have also been found.

Most inscriptions are of a Hindu or Buddhist nature, or record the exploits of merchants, soldiers, officials and kings.

The longest Tamil inscription in the island is from the Lankatilaka Vihara, for which historian K. Indrapala states the following:

""The status of the Tamil language in the Sinhalese kingdom in the pre-colonial period would be an eye-opener to many. Where necessary, Sinhalese kings or other authorities used the Tamil language for their epigraphic records. In the fourteenth century, a record inscribed in Sinhala on the walls of the Lankatilaka Temple was provided with a full Tamil translation on the same walls, as if setting an example to future rulers of the country. This Tamil inscription, incidentally, is the longest Tamil epigraph in the island.""

Tamil letters and words in Prakrit inscriptions
(The following Prakrit inscriptions are included for completion as they are related to Tamils)

Polonnaruwa period (1070–1215 AD)
Following the expulsion of the Cholas, Vijayabāhu I retained their administrative structure and made significant changes only at the top. The reference to a register of Tamil clerks (Demaḷa lesdaru pota) in Vijayabāhu's Panakaduva Copper Plate inscription points to his employment of Tamil officers in the administration. Possibly many of them continued in service from the time of Chola rule.

Fragmentary inscription from Anurādhapura museum
(The following three Sanskrit inscriptions have been included for completion, as they were issued by Tamils.)