The History and Development of the Shan Scripts

Sai Kam Mong

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• Published: 2004
• Subject Listing: Asian Studies
• Bibliographic information: 374 pp., illus., bibiliog., 6" x 9"
• Territorial rights: world rights except Thailand
• Distributed for: Silkworm Books
• Contents

The earliest reference to Syam or Shan is found in a Pagan inscription from A.D. 1120. From these early beginnings, Sai Kam Mong explores the history of the Shan people and their close relationship with Burma and northern Thailand, to provide a backdrop for the focus of his research: the development of the Shan scripts.

The book explores the possible origins of the Shan alphabet, citing the wide-ranging opinions of many scholars, and then delves into a careful analysis of the successive stages of the Shan script, from the earliest forms of Lik Hto Ngouk, through Lik Tou Moan and Hkun scripts, noting the problems and idiosyncrasies of each. In addition, it examines the spelling and handling of Pali words within religious writings in each of these scripts and in the Yuan script. Excerpts from early manuscripts are presented as evidence.

In the final section, Sai Kam Mong considers the shortcomings of the early Shan scripts and presents the various modern scripts that have been proposed as alternatives, namely Mai Sung Lik Tai, the Shan Council Script, the Common Shan Script, the Hsipaw Script, and the Shan Commission Script. He concludes with a report outlining policy issues in teaching the Shan language over the past fifty years and the resulting erosion of Shan language identity. Appendixes give explanations of Shan writing culture, the grammar and vocabulary of early Shan, and Shan poetry, in addition to an extensive bibliography. This volume will prove to be an indispensable linguistic reference on the developments in form and usage of the various shan scripts.

Sai Kam Mong was a lecturer in history for many years at Mandalay and Yongon Universities in Myanmar.

Foreword by Yomeo Ishii
Foreword by Chatthip Nartsupha
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I The Shan (Tai) in Burma
1. Mao kingdom of the early Shan
2. The early Shan in Burma
3. The early Shan relationship with Burma
4. Bayinnaung and the Shan
5. The Shan under the Burmese
6. Burmese adminstration in the Shan states
7. The Shan states and Siam (Thailand), and the British annexation
8. The Shan and Buddhism
Part II The Early Development of the Shan Scripts
9. The origin of the Shan (Tai) language and scripts
10. Lik Hto Ngouk
11. Lik Tou Moan
12. Khamti Shan
13. HKun
Part III Pali in Shan Religious Writings
14. Pali in Lik Hto Ngouk (Lik Tai Mao) writings
15. Pali in Lik Tou Moan (circular letter) writings
16. Pali in Hkun writings
17. Pali in Yuan writings
18. New Shan scripts for Pali
Part IV The New Shan Scripts
19. Shortcomings of the early Shan script
20. The new Shan sripts
21. Comparative study of the new Shan scripts
22. Education in the Shan language
Appendix 1 Shan writing culture
Appendix 2 The style and vocabulary of early Shan writings
Appendix 3 Shan poetry
Bibliography