Pictures below show a roll of Cham paper manuscript from Ninh Thuận province, wrapped in cloth.
Ninh Thuận is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam, sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region.
The Cham principality of Panduranga had its center in Ninh Thuận Province, but also included much of what is now Bình Thuận Province. Panduranga became the political centre of Champa after the fall of Vijaya in 1471. It remained independent until 1832, when emperor Minh Mạng annexed it. Ninh Thuận was merged into Bình Thuận Province in 1976, together with Bình Tuy Province, Ninh Thuận became a separate province again in 1991.
Historically and culturally, the Cham are probably the most important minority group in Vietnam. Descendants of the Champa kingdom that lasted from the 2nd to the 17th century AD, the Cham are the largest group of Hindu and Muslim people living in Vietnam. These people possess a rich culture that can still be appreciated today through architecture, arts, festivals and literature. Although the Champa kingdom was eliminated by the Viet in 1720, Cham people managed to stay together in large communities where their traditions and culture are well preserved. There are about 146,000 Cham living in Vietnam today, with the largest community located in Ninh Thuận (57,000). Other important Cham communities are located in Bình Thuận, Phú Yên, An Giang, Tây Ninh, and Hồ Chí Minh City. The majority of Cham people living in central Vietnam practise Hinduism while those located in the Mekong Delta are Muslim.
The Cham’s writing system is mainly based on Sanskrit, with the majority of Cham manuscripts still in existence written in the akhar thrah script. Writings were previously inscribed on palm leaves, but in more recent times they are recorded on paper. Cham manuscripts contain rich information about Cham customs, religious practise, literature and daily activities of Cham people. Many are records of officials and families in the communities. Manuscripts still in existence are mainly from 50 to 150 years old.
Cham manuscripts unfortunately have not been well preserved. Some have been collected by local governmental institutions and many more still exist in Cham communities. In recent years, the Center for Cham Studies and the Cham Language Studies Committee Library in Ninh Thuận have collected some manuscripts. However, due to poor preservation conditions and the extremely unfavourable climate of the area, manuscripts kept in these two centres are quickly deteriorating. In many cases, writings are recorded on cement-bag paper, as its name suggests, this paper is made from pieces cut out of cement packages used in building construction and does not last very long.
Cham manuscripts privately held by families in the communities are also disappearing. Many manuscripts are simply ruined over time by the hot and humid climate. Most young Cham people today are not able to read Cham scripts and thus pay little attention to the preservation of manuscripts in their families. Furthermore, some Cham people believe that it is bad luck to keep ‘deserted books’ (Akhar bhaw) in the home and hence, books not cared for or read frequently will eventually be discarded in rivers.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
