The Tamil language is one of the oldest recorded languages in southern India. Its earliest texts, written in the southern form of the Brahmi script, date from just before the 1st century CE. The Tamil script evolved from this Brahmi script, but was also influenced by the Grantha script. By the 8th century CE it had evolved into more or less its modern form, and is currently used to write the Tamil language in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as in Sri Lanka.*

*http://www.ancientscripts.com/tamil.html