The vertical script that flows like a river from top to bottom
Long before Cyrillic dominated the steppes, the Mongolian script moved vertically across the page. Born from an adaptation of the Old Uyghur alphabet, this elegant system carries the history of empires, shaped by captured scribes and centuries of linguistic evolution.
The origins of the traditional Mongolian script, or Hudum Mongol bichig, trace back to a dramatic moment in the 13th century. Following Genghis Khan's conquests, a captured Uyghur scribe named Tata-tonga is credited with adapting the Old Uyghur alphabet for the Mongolian language. This vertical system, which flows in lines from left to right, was the primary writing method for the region until the introduction of Cyrillic in 1946. Interestingly, the script's unique orientation—vertical but flowing left to right—stems from the Uyghurs rotating their original right-to-left Sogdian-derived script 90 degrees to mimic Chinese styles.
The script's complexity is a product of centuries of linguistic shifts. During the period between the 7th and 16th centuries, the Mongolian language branched into various dialects. As certain sounds disappeared or merged, the script evolved; for instance, the presence of a dot system in the script reflects its relationship to Arabic-style influences. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the alphabet saw further refinements, such as the use of smoother or more angular letter forms to distinguish specific sounds. In the 19th century, scholars even borrowed a hooked character from the Manchu alphabet to better differentiate specific initial consonants.
Today, the script's status is a tale of two regions. In the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, it remains the official written form for ethnic Mongolian students. In Mongolia, while Cyrillic is dominant, a 2020 government initiative aims to revitalize the traditional script, with plans to use both systems in official documents by 2025. Despite this, challenges remain: modern computer operating systems often struggle with proper text rendering, and a significant portion of the Sinicized Mongolian population in China lacks the ability to read or write it.
Source: Mongolian script
