The Origin of The First Script in The Indochinese Peninsula

Abstract

The Indochinese Peninsula has been a significant center of civilization and cultural exchange since ancient times. The emergence of the first scripts in this region was influenced by the Brahmi script of India, through a process of adaptation and development to fit the local societal context. This research focuses on studying archaeological evidence and ancient inscriptions to examine the evolution of the writing system in the Indochinese Peninsula.
The study found that the oldest scripts in this region were influenced by the Pallava and Gupta scripts of India, which were introduced along with the spread of Brahmanism and Buddhism during the 4th to 8th centuries. Subsequently, these scripts developed into specific scripts of each kingdom, such as the ancient Khmer script, Mon script, and Tai-Lao script.
This study shows that the development of scripts in the Indochinese Peninsula is the result of interactions between Indian and local civilizations. These scripts played a crucial role in recording religious texts, legal documents, and literature, and they also form the foundation of the writing systems currently used in the countries of the region.