Manchu script
Escritura manchú
- Date
- 1599 · confidence high
- Place
- Hetu Ala, Xinbin, Liaoning, China
- Credited to
- Erdeni and Gagai, by order of Nurhaci
- Field
- Knowledge & symbols
What it is
A vertical alphabet adapted from the Mongolian script, ordered by Nurhaci to write Manchu; in 1632 dots and circles were added to distinguish sounds. It was the official script of the Qing dynasty.
Nurhaci is said to have rejected Jurchen as too hard in favour of Mongolian; Dahai's 1632 reform is known as 'dotted Manchu'.
What it led to
- bilingual archives of the Qing dynasty
- Manchu translations of Chinese works
- documents for the history of Central and East Asia