View source for Takri script

{{Short description|Writing system for some Indic languages}}
{{Redirect|Takri|The Korean Kingdom|Takri Kingdom}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox Writing system
| name        = Takri
| altname     = {{Script|Takr|𑚔𑚭𑚊𑚤𑚯}}
| sample      = Shukla Takri T.svg
| caption     = The word 'Takri' written in Chamba Takri
| imagesize   = 
| type        = [[Abugida]]
| languages   = [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Kangri language|Kangri]], [[Chambeali]], [[Mandeali language|Mandeali]], [[Bilaspuri]], [[Kullu language|Kullui]], [[Bhateali]], [[Churahi]], [[Kishtwari]], [[Gaddi language|Gaddi]], [[Mahasu Pahari|Mahasui]], [[Sirmauri]], [[Pangwali]], [[Bhadarwahi language|Bhadarwahi]], [[Sanskrit]]
| time        = {{circa|16th century}} CE to present
| region      = India, Pakistan
| fam1        = [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|Egyptian]]
| fam2        = [[Proto-Sinaitic]]
| fam3        = [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]]
| fam4        = [[Aramaic alphabet|Aramaic]]
| fam5        = [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]]
| fam6        = [[Gupta script|Gupta]]
| fam7        = [[Sharada script|Sharada]]
| fam8        = Devashesha-Tankri
| sisters     = [[Laṇḍā scripts|Landa]]
| children    = [[Dogri_script|Dogri]]
| unicode     = [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U11680.pdf U+11680&ndash;U+116CF]
| iso15924    = Takr
| footnotes   = 
}}
{{Brahmic}}
The '''Tākri script''' (Takri ([[Chamba district|Chamba]]): {{Script|Takr|𑚔𑚭𑚊𑚤𑚯}}; Takri ([[Jammu Division|Jammu]]/[[Dogri script|Dogra]]): {{Script|Dogr|𑠔𑠬𑠊𑠤𑠮}}; sometimes called '''Tankri''' {{Script|Takr|𑚔𑚭𑚫𑚊𑚤𑚯}}) is an [[abugida]] writing system of the [[Brahmic scripts|Brahmic family]] of scripts. It is derived from the [[Sharada script]] formerly employed for [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]. It is the sister script of '''[[Laṇḍā scripts]].''' It has another variant [[Dogri script|Dogra Takri]]<ref>{{Cite book|publisher=Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TPgAAAAAYAAJ&q=Jammu+Takri&pg=PA67|title=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland|date=1904|language=en |page=67 |chapter=On the Modern Indo-Aryan Alphabets of North-Western India |first=George A. |last=Grierson}}</ref> (also known as Dogra Akkhar) employed in [[Jammu division|Jammu region]]. There are numerous varieties present throughout Himachal Pradesh. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Proposal to Encode the Takri Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |first=Anshuman |last=Pandey|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2009/09111-takri.pdf |access-date=11 March 2024 |publisher=Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2|date=6 April 2009}}</ref> Until the late 1940s, the adapted version of the script (called '''[[Dogri script|Dogri]]''', '''Dogra''' or '''Dogra Akkhar''') was the official script for writing Punjabi in the princely state of [[Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir|Jammu and Kashmir]]. Throughout the history, different kingdoms of what now forms Himachal Pradesh used their own variety to maintain their records. The Takri script used in [[Sirmaur district|Sirmour]] in Himachal Pradesh and in the adjacent region of [[Jaunsar-Bawar]] in Uttarakhand has some distinction.

==History==
The Takri alphabet developed through the ''Devāśeṣa'' stage of the Sharada script from the 14th-18th centuries<ref name=sharada>{{cite web | url=https://unicode.org/L2/L2009/09074r-n3595-sharada.pdf| title=N3545: Proposal to Encode the Sharada Script in ISO/IEC 10646 | first1=Anshuman | last1=Pandey | publisher=Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 | date=2009-03-25 |access-date=11 March 2024}}</ref> and is found mainly in the [[Punjab States Agency|Hill States]] such as [[Chamba, Himachal Pradesh|Chamba]]<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/sadh/045/0146 |title=A Comparative analysis for identification and classification of text segmentation challenges in Takri Script |first1=Shika |last1=Magotra |first2=Baijnath |last2=Kaushik |first3=Ajay |last3= Kaul |date=2020 |journal=[[Sādhanā (journal)|Sādhanā]] |volume=45 |issue=146 |doi=10.1007/s12046-020-01384-4|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and surrounding areas. The local Takri variants got the status of official scripts in some of the Punjab Hill States, and were used for both administrative and literary purposes until the 19th century.<ref name=sharada/> After 1948, when [[Himachal Pradesh]] was established as an administrative unit, the local ''Takri'' variants were replaced by [[Devanagari]].

Takri itself has historically been used to write a number of [[Western Pahari languages|Western Pahari Languages]]  in the [[Western Himalaya]], such as [[Gaddi language|Gaddi]] or Gaddki (the language of the [[Gaddi (ethnic group)|Gaddi]] ethnic group), [[Kishtwari]] (a language, or possibly a highly idiosyncratic dialect of [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], spoken in the [[Kishtwar]] region of Jammu and Kashmir) and [[Chambeali]] (the language of the [[Chamba, Himachal Pradesh|Chamba]] region of [[Himachal Pradesh]]). Takri used to be most prevalent script for business records and communication in various parts of Himachal Pradesh including the regions of [[Kangra, Himachal Pradesh|Kangra]] & [[Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh|Bilaspur]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/india-interior/himachal-pradeshs-lipis-breathing-new-life-into-forgotten-scripts/article28725663.ece|title=Breathing new life into forgotten scripts |work=The Hindu Business Line |first=Sarita |last=Brara |date=26 July 2019}}</ref> The shift to Devanagari can be traced to the early days of Indian independence (1950s−80s).

[[File:tkalp.png|thumb|center|250px|Alphabet of standardized Takri]]

==Revival movement==
Since Takri fell into disuse,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-982214571.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202021135/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-982214571.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-02-02|title=Tankri once the language of royals, is now dying in Himachal Pradesh |work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2017-01-25|date=27 January 2006}}</ref> there have been sporadic attempts to revive the script in [[Himachal Pradesh]]. Recent efforts have been made to teach the script to North punjabis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/home/ancient-script-of-indian-mountains-fights-for-survival_275913.html|title=Ancient scripts of Indian Mountains fights for survival|website=Zee News|date=16 February 2006|access-date=2017-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109190123/https://zeenews.india.com/home/ancient-script-of-indian-mountains-fights-for-survival_275913.html|archive-date=9 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Takri (Tankri) script was also used in cinema. The first film in Pahari Punjabi called [[Saanjh]] directed by Ajay K Saklani released in April 2017 used Takri script in its title and beginning credits. Workshops are being conducted in small scale in the state of [[Himachal Pradesh]], in districts like [[Chamba, Himachal Pradesh|Chamba]]<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachaltribune/reviving-takri-script-of-the-yore-37869 |title=Reviving 'Takri' script of the yore |access-date=11 March 2024 |work=[[The Tribune (India)]] |date=8 February 2020 |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127022503/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachaltribune/reviving-takri-script-of-the-yore-37869 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Kullu]], [[Kangra, Himachal Pradesh|Kangra]] and [[Shimla]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.namami.gov.in/|title=Workshop at Shimla}}</ref>{{verification failed |date=March 2024}} An organization named ''Sambh'' (Devanagari: सांभ) based at [[Dharamshala]] has decided to develop fonts for this script.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/ancient-delight-heritage-enthusiasts-develop-fonts-for-fading-takri-script/story-2wyd1I4EMraq3C1NNSeeaP.html|title=Ancient delight: Heritage enthusiasts develop fonts for fading 'Takri' script |work=Hindustan Times |date=9 March 2015 |access-date=11 March 2024 |first=Naresh K |last=Thakur}}</ref>

A  Northern Punjabi Corridor from [[Shimla]] to [[Murree]] has also been proposed under the [[Aman ki Asha]] initiative to link the similar Western Pahari language-based regions of [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Jammu]], [[Azad Kashmir]] and [[Pothohar Plateau]] and revive the script.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amankiasha.com/dreaming-of-peace-dividends-revival-of-shimla-murree-linkages/|title=Dreaming of peace dividends: Revival of Shimla-Murree linkages |website=Aman Ki Asha |access-date=11 March 2024 |date=14 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thewire.in/culture/india-pakistan-peace-shimla-murree-corridor/|title=Dreaming of peace dividends: Revival of Shimla-Murree linkages |work=The Wire |access-date=11 March 2024 |date=7 June 2019 |first=Vishal |last=Sharma}}</ref>

The Himachal Pradesh government under the National Manuscript Mission Yojana has set up a Manuscript Resource Centre and so far 1.26 lakh (1,26,000) manuscripts, including those in Takri, have been catalogued and has decided to be digitised.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/Himachal-makes-efforts-to-save-its-cultural-heritage/articleshow/53794457.cms|title=Himachal makes efforts to save its cultural heritage|date=21 August 2016|first=Anand|last=Bodh|work=Times of India |access-date=11 March 2024}}</ref>

== Varieties ==
There are several regional varieties of Takri, “with each Hill State or tract having its own style ”. {{citation needed|date=August 2020}} There is considerable variation in the spellings of the names of the regional forms and the languages they represent. The names of languages have also changed, so that the names used in Grierson and other sources differ from current practices. In order to assist in the identification of languages and the forms of Takri associated with them, the language names below are denoted using ISO639-3 codes. Specimens of Takri representative of the regional form is also indicated.

* Bhattiyali [bht]: Bhateali, Bhatiali 
* [[Chambeali]] [cdh]: Chambiali, Chameali, Chamiali 
* [[Dogra script|Dogra]] [dgo], [doi]: Dogri 
* [[Gaddi language|Gaddi]] [gbk]: Bharmauri, Gadi
* [[Bunan language|Gahri]] [bfu]: Bunan 
* [[Jaunsari language|Jaunsari]] [jns]
* [[Kangri dialect|Kangri]] [xnr]: Kangri
* [[Kinnauri language|Kinnauri]] [kjo]: Kanauri 
* [[Kishtwari]] [kas]: Kashtwari
* [[Kullu language|Kulvi]] [kfx]: Kullu, Kului, Kullvi 
* [[Mahasu Pahari language|Mahasu]] [bfz]: Kochi, Kiunthali 
* [[Mandeali language|Mandeali]] [mjl]: Himachali, Mandi 
* [[Sirmauri language|Sirmauri]] [srx]
The Chambeali version was selected to be the standard for the Unicode.

A variety of Takri which was used for Sirmauri and Jaunsari has been proposed to be encoded in the Unicode.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Preliminary proposal to encode Sirmauri in Unicode|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2018/18085-sirmauri.pdf |access-date=11 March 2024 |first=Anshuman |last=Pandey |date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

== Numerals ==
{| class="wikitable"
![[Arabic numerals]]
|0
|1
|2
|3
|4
|5
|6
|7
|8
|9
|-
!Takri numerals
|𑛀
|𑛁
|𑛂
|𑛃
|𑛄
|𑛅
|𑛆
|𑛇
|𑛈
|𑛉
|}

== In Unicode ==
{{Main|Takri (Unicode block)}}
Takri script was added to the [[Unicode]] Standard in 2012 (version 6.1).

{{Unicode chart Takri}}

==References==
<references />

==External resources==
* [https://aksharamukha.appspot.com/describe/Takri Takri at Aksharamukha]
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/takri.htm Takri at Omniglot]
* [http://www.proel.org/index.php?pagina=alfabetos/takri Comparative examples of Takri and related scripts (Spanish language website)]
* [https://www.npr.org/2006/08/08/5625318/the-gaddi-people-of-dharamsala A discussion of the Gaddi, with a reference to Takri]

{{list of writing systems}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Takri Script}}
[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Sarada scripts]]
[[Category:Dogri language]]
[[Category:Obsolete writing systems]]