Cham Manuscripts, the Endangered Cultural Heritage from a Lost Kingdom
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Hao N. Phan
Hao N. Phan currently works as Curator for Southeast Asian Studies at the University Libraries, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
Abstract
This article describes the endangered situation of Cham manuscripts in Vietnam. Cham are a minority people in Vietnam who used to have their own kingdom called Champa that lasted from the seventh century until 1832, when Champa was eliminated by the Vietnamese. For hundreds of years, Cham people have produced many palm-leaf and paper manuscripts recording their religious teachings, culture, and history. About 600 Cham manuscripts have been collected by institutions in France and Vietnam. Yet, there are a few thousand more manuscripts still available in Cham communities located in Central Vietnam. Most of the manuscripts kept by these communities are however in poor physical condition and urgently need to be better preserved. This article first provides background information on Cham people and Cham manuscripts. Next, it describes the current preservation of Cham manuscripts in Vietnam, explaining why these invaluable materials of the Cham cultural heritage are in an endangered situation. Finally, it briefly discusses solutions for the preservation of Cham manuscripts in Vietnam. Information used in the article is mainly based on observation from two recent field trips to Vietnam by the author.
Zusammenfassung
Cham Manuskripte: Gefährdetes Kulturgut eines verlorenen Königreichs
Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die gefährdete Situation von Cham Manuskripten in Vietnam. Cham ist eine Minderheit in Vietnam, die einst in einem eigenen Königreich, Champa, organisiert war. Champa bestand vom 7. Jahrhundert bis 1832, als es von Vietnam annektiert wurde. Über hunderte von Jahren zeichnete das Volk der Cham seine religiösen Lehren sowie kulturelle und geschichtliche Ereignisse in Manuskripten auf Palmblättern und Papier auf. Insgesamt werden ca. 600 Cham Manuskripte in Sammlungen in Frankreich und Vietnam aufbewahrt. Darüber hinaus befinden sich einige tausend Manuskripte immer noch in Cham Gemeinschaften in Zentralvietnam. Die meisten dieser Manuskripte sind allerdings in einem schlechten Zustand und müssen dringend behandelt und unter geeigneten Bedingungen aufbewahrt werden. Der vorliegende Beitrag liefert zunächst notwendige Hintergrundinformationen über das Volk der Cham und über Cham Manuskripte. Danach wird auf den derzeitigen Erhaltungszustand von Cham Manuskripten in Vietnam eingegangen und erklärt, warum dieses unschätzbare Kulturgut unmittelbar gefährdet ist. Zuletzt werden auch Lösungsansätze zur Erhaltung von Cham Manuskripten präsentiert. Die Informationen in diesem Artikel basieren größtenteils auf Beobachtungen des Autors, die auf zwei rezenten Forschungsaufenthalten in Vietnam gewonnen wurden.
Résumé
Manuscrits Cham, le patrimoine culturel d’un royaume perdu en voie de disparition
Cet article décrit la situation en voie de disparition des manuscrits Cham au Vietnam. Les Cham sont un peuple minoritaire au Vietnam qui avait son propre royaume appelé Champa; celui-ci a duré du 7ème siècle jusqu’en 1832, date à laquelle Champa a été éliminé par les Vietnamiens. Durant plusieurs centaines d’années, le peuple Cham a produit de nombreux manuscrits faits de feuilles de palmiers et de feuilles de papier relatant leurs enseignements religieux, leur culture et leur histoire. Environ 600 manuscrits Cham ont été rassemblés par des institutions en France et au Vietnam. Il existe cependant encore quelques milliers de manuscrits dans les communautés Cham situées au centre du Vietnam. La plupart des manuscrits conservés par ces communautés sont en mauvaise état physique et présentent un besoin urgent d’être mieux préservés. Tout d’abord, cet article fournit une information de fond sur le peuple et les manuscrits Cham. De plus, il décrit les conditions actuelles de préservation des manuscrits Cham au Vietnam, expliquant pourquoi ces matériaux précieux du patrimoine culturel Cham sont dans une situation en voie de disparition. Enfin, il examine brièvement les solutions pour la conservation des manuscrits Cham au Vietnam. Les informations utilisées dans cet article sont principalement basées sur l’observation collectée lors de deux visites de terrain récentes au Vietnam par l’auteur.
About the author
Hao N. Phan currently works as Curator for Southeast Asian Studies at the University Libraries, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Identification and Analytical Examination of Copper Alloy Pigments Applied as Golden Illuminations on Three Persian Manuscripts
- Cham Manuscripts, the Endangered Cultural Heritage from a Lost Kingdom
- A Colorimetric Characterization and Assessment of the Chromatic Deterioration of the Medieval Manuscript Registro Notarial de Torres in the Archives of the Royal Chancellery in Granada, Spain
- Studies on the Conservation of Verdigris on Paper
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Identification and Analytical Examination of Copper Alloy Pigments Applied as Golden Illuminations on Three Persian Manuscripts
- Cham Manuscripts, the Endangered Cultural Heritage from a Lost Kingdom
- A Colorimetric Characterization and Assessment of the Chromatic Deterioration of the Medieval Manuscript Registro Notarial de Torres in the Archives of the Royal Chancellery in Granada, Spain
- Studies on the Conservation of Verdigris on Paper
