▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁to ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁they ▁engaged ▁in ▁original ▁transl ations ▁from ▁English ▁to ▁T amil , ▁printing , ▁and ▁publishing , ▁establish ing ▁primary , ▁secondary ▁and ▁t ert i ary ▁educational ▁institutions ▁and ▁providing ▁health ▁care ▁for ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁J aff na ▁Pen ins ula . ▁These ▁activities ▁resulted ▁in ▁many ▁social ▁changes ▁amongst ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁T amil s ▁that ▁surv ive ▁even ▁today . ▁They ▁also ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁att ain ment ▁of ▁a ▁l ops ided ▁liter acy ▁level ▁among ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁relatively ▁small ▁pen ins ula ▁that ▁is ▁c ited ▁by ▁sch ol ars ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁factors ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁recently ▁ended ▁civil ▁war . ▁Many ▁notable ▁educational ▁and ▁health ▁institutions ▁within ▁the ▁J aff na ▁Pen ins ula ▁o we ▁their ▁orig ins ▁to ▁the ▁mission ary ▁activ ists ▁from ▁America . ▁Mission aries ▁also ▁court ed ▁controvers y ▁by ▁publishing ▁negative ▁information ▁about ▁local ▁religious ▁practices ▁and ▁rit uals . ▁ ▁Background ▁information ▁▁ ▁The ▁minor ity ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁T amil - domin ated ▁J aff na ▁Pen ins ula ▁ruled ▁by ▁the ▁J aff na ▁Kingdom , ▁which ▁is ▁hardly ▁, ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁direct ▁juris diction ▁of ▁colonial ▁power ▁from ▁Europe ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 5 9 1 ▁dem ise ▁of ▁Pu vi ra ja ▁P and aram , ▁a ▁local ▁king , ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese