Скачать или смотреть Ancient Scripts of Southeast Asia – Khmer, Jawi, Thai, and Cham

The story of Southeast Asia’s ancient scripts is the story of civilizations carving their identity into stone, palm leaves, and manuscripts. From sacred temples to royal courts, writing systems were not only a medium of communication but also symbols of power, religion, and cultural pride.

🔹 Khmer Script (Chữ Khmer): Born from the influence of ancient Indian Brahmi, Khmer became the foundation of Angkor’s inscriptions and is still the official script of Cambodia today. It recorded royal decrees, temple dedications, and Buddhist texts, preserving the grandeur of the Khmer Empire.

🔹 Jawi Script: An adaptation of Arabic, Jawi flourished in the Malay world (Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia’s Aceh, southern Thailand, southern Philippines). It carried the words of Islam, trade contracts, poetry, and diplomacy, becoming a bridge between Malay identity and Islamic civilization.

🔹 Thai Script (Chữ Thái): Created under King Ramkhamhaeng in the 13th century, the Thai alphabet standardized governance and literature for the Sukhothai Kingdom. It remains the cornerstone of Thai identity, linking modern Thailand to its medieval roots.

🔹 Cham Script (Chữ Chăm): Derived from Sanskrit, Cham inscriptions and manuscripts reveal the world of the Champa Kingdom in central Vietnam. From Hindu prayers to royal chronicles, Cham writing immortalized a maritime power that connected India and China.

These four scripts are more than symbols of language – they are living witnesses of religion, trade, empire, and memory, shaping how Southeast Asian civilizations connected with India, China, and the Islamic world.

👉 In this podcast episode, we uncover how Khmer, Jawi, Thai, and Cham scripts preserved knowledge, legitimized kings, and became cultural treasures that still survive today.
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