Lunchtime Seminar – Tuesday 13 May – Dorjraa Purvei

Dorjraa Purvei

MIASU, University of Cambridge

Past, Present and Fate of the Clear Script (Tod Üsüg)

This study explores the clear script (Tod Üsüg) as a symbol of Oirat cultural identity, arguing that its abandonment represents a significant loss of cultural heritage. Drawing on recent ethnographic materials from Mongolian communities in Xinjiang, China, and examining the origins, wider adoption, and eventual marginalisation of the clear script, this paper challenges the prevailing evolutionist view that categories the script as ‘tribal’, ‘regional’, ‘dialect-based’, and ‘recently died’. Moreover, while academic discourse often focuses on ‘nationality classification and language standardisation’ and recent analyses of the ‘necro-politics of language’ in Chinese government policies towards its minorities, this paper proposes that Mongol nationalism, unifying all Mongols under one classical Mongolian script, has also played a substantial role in the abandonment of the clear script. Ultimately, the study revisits how Oirat cultural heritage has been reshaped by political, regional, and ethnic dimensions.