Celebrating Mongolia’s Written Heritage Through a Landmark Publication.
To commemorate its 10th anniversary, Ikh Uilsiin Ereld Group presented the book The Heritage of Mongolian Script and Literature to readers and the wider public. The book was officially launched in the autumn of 2016 at the Ikh Mongol Book Hall.
Authored by B. Tuvshintugs, G. Battogtokh, D. Borolzoi, and J. Ganbaatar, the publication was created not only for scholars and specialists in Mongolian language and script, but also for anyone interested in Mongolia’s linguistic heritage and history. The book offers a carefully selected collection of treasures from the rich legacy of Mongolian writing and literature.
The volume traces the history of Mongolian writing systems from the Stone Inscription of Genghis Khan—considered the earliest surviving physical evidence of Mongolian script—to the Cyrillic script used today. It also presents historical artifacts and examines various writing systems used throughout Mongolian history, including the Traditional Mongolian Script, Phags-pa Script, Todo Script, Ali Gali Script, Soyombo Script, Horizontal Square Script, Vagindra Script, Latin Script, and Cyrillic Script. In addition, the book includes historical records written in Chinese, Arabic, Manchu, Tibetan, and other foreign scripts used to record the Mongolian language.
To illustrate the continuity of Mongolia’s state policy regarding language and writing, the authors incorporated a number of historical documents, including decrees issued by successive Presidents of Mongolia.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, co-author G. Battogtokh emphasized:
“In truth, the real authors of this work are the Mongolian people themselves. The tremendous efforts of generations of Mongolian linguists and scholars, both in Mongolia and abroad, have also made an invaluable contribution to bringing this book to life. This publication introduces more than ten writing systems used by Mongolians throughout history, together with their monuments, characteristics, and linguistic features, based on scientific classification and periodization. At the same time, it presents essential information in a concise and accessible manner and is enriched with numerous illustrations and photographs.”
Source: J. Bolor / MONTSAME News Agency