Origin from 1200
The traditional Mongolian script was the first writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language and remained the most widespread until Cyrillic was introduced in 1946. It derives from the Old Uyghur alphabet, brought to the Mongolian Plateau and adapted for Mongolian in the early thirteenth century by Tata-tonga, a Uyghur scribe captured by Genghis Khan. It is traditionally written in vertical lines from top to bottom, the lines themselves running left to right, and is also known as the Hudum Mongol bichig, or simply the Old Script in contrast to Cyrillic, the New Script.
Facts
DirectionalityVertical, top to bottom, with lines running left to right. 1 In Use Since (Year)Early thirteenth century, traditionally credited to Tata-tonga's adaptation of the Old Uyghur alphabet for Genghis Khan's chancery. Connections
Descends From
Source Wikipedia: Old Uyghur Alphabet
Script Of
Source Wikipedia: Mongolian Language
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Mongolian Script
Lead section
also known as the Hudum Mongol bichig
History section
Tata-tonga, a 13th-century Uyghur scribe captured by Genghis Khan, was responsible for bringing the Old Uyghur alphabet to the Mongolian Plateau and adapting it.
View the SourceWikipedia: Mongolian Language
Wikipedia: Old Uyghur Alphabet
WikipediaDescends From: Old Uyghur Alphabet, History sectionQuote, Descends From: Old Uyghur Alphabet, History section
after his defeat of the Naiman in 1204 he captured an Uyghur official known in Chinese sources as Tata-tonga, who was ordered to teach the Mongolian princes to write using the Uyghur script
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