Today there are two groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The first are the "Sri Lankan Tamils", who either descend from the Tamils of the old Jaffna kingdom or vannimai chieftaincies of the east. The second are the "Indian Tamils" or "Hill Country Tamils", who are descendants of bonded labourers sent from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work in tea plantations. Many came as laborers to work in the plantations, but few of them came as business people. Most of the recruits came as they were recruited by the head man in their villages, mostly by high caste Tamils, Kallars and Vellars.