Uchen script
| Uchen script | |
|---|---|
| Script type | Heavy-line Script Alphabet Semisyllabary
|
| Creator | Thonmi Sambhota |
| Created | 7th century-8th century |
| Languages | Tibetan, Dzongkha |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | Brahami script
|
Child systems | Umê script |
Uchen (Tibetan: དབུ་ཅན་, Wylie: dbu-can; Template:IPA-bo; variant spellings include ucen, u-cen, u-chen, ucan, u-can, uchan, u-chan, and ucän) is the upright, block style of the Tibetan alphabet. The name means "with a head," and is the style of the script used for printing and for formal manuscripts.
It is used to write both the Tibetan language and Dzongkha, the official language of Bhutan.
There are also a number of cursive forms of the Tibetan alphabet, sometimes collectively referred to as umê (Tibetan: དབུ་མེད་, Wylie: dbu-med), "headless."
Origin
Uchen script is a written Tibetan script that emerged in between the seventh and eighth century in the formation of the Tibetan Empire. The script emerged in the neighbouring countries of Tibet and Bhutan located in East Asia.[1] Historians believe it was created by Thonmi Sambhota. The creation of which was undertaken in the reign of the king Srongstan Gampo. The creation of the Uchen script Under the reign of Srongstan Gampo has been credited to have aided in improving the Tibetan economy, trade and foreign relations of the period.[2] This elevated Tibet in it's rapport with surrounding countries and set it in to have greater power in South East Asia. This elevations due to a centralised script being a unifying and money making tool. Uchen script also was inspired by Indian scripts of the period and so was also useful in securing highly powerful connections in India, as India was the most powerful country in the region. As a writing system, Uchen script is based off Indic- Brahmi script alphabets of the time period. That use long straight and curved characters that 'stack' to create syllables.
Uchen script was also heavily influenced by Indian scripts. Uchen script was formulated by Thonmi Sambhota. Sambhota formulated the script after being taught by, and observing expert Indian scribes and script makers. Sambhota used variations of these Indian and Brahmi scripts to create a script unique to Tibet and Bhutan. The purpose of Uchen script was to document the Tibetan language and the language of Bhutan; Dzongkha. The use of the script served many functions. These functions include; documenting key events, the recording of religious scriptures and the recording of poetry and texts of cultural significance. These examples of written Uchen script have been found in the form of stone and wood carvings, as well as manuscripts written in ink onto paper.[3]
Style
Tibetan written script and written alphabet has been grouped into two catagories, the formal, upright and block style that is visually larger; is called Uchen which means ‘with a head’. This refers to the elongated letters of the alphabet, that are tall and block like with linear strokes.[4] Other cursive styles of writing the Tibetan alphabet are grouped called Umê script meaning ‘headless’. Their form is a variant on Uchen script the letters of the alphabet are visually shorter, and less block like in form, it is believed Umê script has more of a short and slanted script, using the same alphabet as Uchen, but having variants in typography and form. Some styles of Umê include local variants in style, cursive style and a style simplified for children. Uchen, as opposed to Umê, is believed to have been used as a formal script, it is written horizontally left to right and is syllabic. The Tibetan alphabet is based off and Indic- Brahami alphabets of the time. In form; the script has thirty consonant, and vowel variants which were written above or below the constant. These letters can be stacked in order to create a syllable, or small group of letters, that is a section of the full word.[3]
Function
Early Uchen manuscripts are attributed to have been recording proceedings of the kings, emperors and of matters of the court.[2] These inscriptions were carved into stone, and wood. Other manuscripts attributed to have been created for the king and emperors of the seventh to tenth centuries include poetry dedicated to the king and recordings of key moments of the reign. Early examples of Uchen script were influenced strongly by Tibetan Buddhism. This is due to the fact that many examples of written Uchen script were scribed by Buddhist monks to write and record religious documents.[5] Uchen was also used to record official proceedings including legal matters, formal agreements and treaties. Most of these types of carvings were found in central Tibet, and are key artefacts in recording of the Tibetan emperors Khri Srong Ide Brstan c. 756-797 and Khri Lde Srong Brtsan. c.800-815. [3]Uchen script has also been located on documents found from a ‘cave library’ at Dunhuang that are histories and semi historical texts, giving key insights into cultural Tibetan life in the 9th century.[3] The broad range of texts and the number of themes addressed show that Uchen script was used in order to record a broad range of activities and events deemed culturally important by the commissioner. One notable example of a functioning carving of Uchen script is a wooden block, with the carven Uchen alphabet used for printing ink onto parchment and paper. It is believed that this the of woodblock printing was used in order to print and replicate Uchen letters in an authentic way, and allow for less variation in script writing.[2]
Uchen script writing is not an alphabet widely practiced in the twenty first century. The alphabet and 21st century. The styles can be used as recorded in calligraphy manuals, but these alphabets and forms use a variant on the original script and not the ancient Uchen alphabet but later versions of the script.
Calligraphy and tools
Early Uchen script was carved into wooden slabs. The majority of these artefacts have since been eroded and lost. The earliest surviving examples of the written script are dated to have been made 100 years after the creation of the Writing system. dated to have been created between the 8th and 9th centuries.[3] These examples of Uchen script carvings are carved into rock faces and pillars. These carvings were likely was made with stone tools, resembling hammers and chisels, as these were the common tools of the time, that were used in surrounding counties including India.[6] As Uchen script of Tibet is influenced heavily by early Indian script writing, inferences have been made that; similar to the technique of Indian inscriptions, a scribe would have marked out letters on the stone pillar or slab, and the stone cutter would have carved out the marked letters.[7]
Wood and paper manuscripts have also been found spanning from the mid eighth to the end of the tenth century.[3] The wooden carved manuscripts would have used similar tools to that of the stone carvings; stone chisels and hammers. Paper manuscripts dated to the same period used ink applied to parchment or paper with a brush or quill, not chisel and a stone to record Uchen script. This change in technique and tools creates a notable change in form of the script, as ink and paper recordings were faster and easier to create, the script’s form on paper manuscripts has less rigid lines and has a more slanted typography. This, in combination with the script writer’s agency and human error, has lead to variants in form that can be observed in early paper and ink Uchen documents.[3]
Key influences
Due to Uchen script being a Brahmi script, a written script, developed between in the 7th and 8th century,[1] had many influences from the surrounding areas and people groups of the time. As Tibet was a new Empire the king; Srongstan Gampo endeavoured to establish Tibet as a major power. In commissioning Thonmi Sambhota to create a script for Tibet and Bhutan wanted to emulate the power of surrounding successful nations including India. India already had an established written script and had successfully implemented the script in order to secure internal events and develop foreign relations. Srongstan Gampo waned his nation of Tibet to flourish like India was. So in commissioning Thonmi Sambhota to create a worsen script, he sent him to study scriptwriting under the guidance of expert Indian scribes.[3] The creation of Uchen script therefore shares certain stylistic and aesthetic similarities. These include the elongated lower section of characters.
footnotes
- ^ a b Gohain, S. (2020). Field. In Imagined Geographies in the Indo-Tibetan Borderlands: Culture, Politics, Place (pp. 45-66). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv13vdj47.5
- ^ a b c Gyatso, R., Tsonawa, L., & Rigzin, T. (1984). A Short History of Tibetan Script. The Tibet Journal, 9(2), 28-30. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43300125
- ^ a b c d e f g h Quenzer, J. B., Bondarev, D., & Sobisch, J. (2014). Towards a Tibetan Palaeography: Developing a Typography of writing styles in early Tibet in Manuscript cultures: Mapping the field. (pp. 299-441) Berlin: De Gruyter.
- ^ Zhou, F., Wang, W., & Lin, Q. (2018). A Novel Text Line Segmentation Method Based on Contour Curve Tracking for Tibetan Historical Documents. International Journal of Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence, 32(10), 1854025. doi:10.1142/s0218001418540253
- ^ Joffe, A. (1982). John Stevens: Sacred calligraphy of the East. Boulder, Colorado: Shambala Publications, inc., 1981. 6.95. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 45(2), 418-418. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00067240
- ^ Tournadre, N., & Gsang-bdag-rdo-rje. (2003). Manual of standard Tibetan: Language and civilization: Introduction to standad Tibetan (spoken and written) followed by an appendix on classical literary Tibetan. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications.
- ^ Hawkins, D. (1987). PRIMITIVE ROCK CARVINGS IN QATAR. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 17, 53-61. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41223041
See also
External links
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