▁g enders ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁colonial ism ▁in ▁around ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁CE , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁positive ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁hom osex ual ▁sex ▁in ▁the ▁medical ▁journal ▁Kam as ut ra ▁or ▁in ▁various ▁literary ▁works . ▁ ▁Pre - S ang am ▁ ▁Though ▁evidence ▁of ▁human ▁habit ation ▁goes ▁back ▁mill enn ia ▁to ▁various ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁sites ▁attributed ▁to ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁res ide ▁in ▁modern - day ▁T amil ak am , ▁the ▁definit ive ▁start ▁of ▁T amil ▁language ▁history ▁is ▁usually ▁thought ▁to ▁begin ▁at ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁T amil - B rah mi ▁becoming ▁the ▁ling ua ▁fran ca ▁region ▁- ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁around ▁ 6 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁ ▁The ▁Ind us ▁Valley ▁Civil ization ▁is ▁often ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁pre - T amil ▁( or ▁pre - D rav id ian ) ▁ancient ▁settlement ▁and ▁has ▁left ▁its ▁legacy ▁on ▁modern - day ▁T amil ▁culture ▁through ▁the ▁D rav id ian ▁scripts ▁and ▁H indu ism ; ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁Ind us ▁Script ▁and ▁the ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁Har rap an ▁Civil ization ▁was ▁a ▁prototype ▁for ▁the ▁D rav id ian ▁languages ▁and ▁H indu ism . ▁ ▁The ▁f amed ▁festival ▁for ▁the ▁de ity ▁A ar van , ▁the ▁de ity ▁worship ed ▁by ▁trans gender ▁and ▁third ▁gender ▁people , ▁is ▁desc ended ▁from ▁fol kl ore ▁established ▁prior ▁to ▁the