The Achievements on Old Uyghur Studies of the Past Decade in China
(60th Meeting of the PIAC, Székesfehérvár 2017)
Research on Old Turkic (especially Old Uyghur) has been shown a significant growth in recent years, both in terms of archaeological excavations and academic studies. What is more, the Chinese government promotes academic work of researchers by funding various projects. Since the finding of Old Uyghur manuscripts in China, findings were taken abroad, and studies on Old Uyghur scripts in China was also mainly based on the studies done abroad, moreover some of the academic works were simply done by translating foreign works. In the current paper I will offer some information on the improvement of Old Uyghur studies in the past decade throughout China; I will try to introduce the most important studies done in this area with their contributions and deficiencies. Some pieces of literature that I want to briefly mention in the summary:
Yakup, Abdurishid: “On the Newly Unearthed Uyghur Buddhist Texts from the Northern Grottoes of
Dunhuang”. In: Sven Bretfeld and Jens Wilkens (eds.), Indien und Zentralasien: Sprach und Kulturkontakt. Vorträge des Göttinger Symposions vom 7.Mai bis 10.Mai 2001, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2003: 263–264.
In this article, recent archaeological excavations, new archaeological materials from the
Northern Gottoes of Dunhuang Mogaoku, their research and classification have been
discussed. It presents a primary review of the Uyghur (mostly Buddhist) texts, which were
discovered during the excavations mentioned above. Some of the texts categorized incorrectly
in previous publications, were recategorized.
2.古代维吾尔语是个集成 / Old Uyghur Poems.
(1.) Yakup, Abdurishid: 古代维吾尔语赞美诗和描写行韵文的语文学研究 / Old Uyghur Hymns, Praises, Blessings and Descriptive Poems. Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, 2015, 486p.
(2.) Zhang Tieshan/张贴山: 古代维吾尔语诗体故事，忏悔文及碑铭研究/Studies of the old Uyghur verse stories, ksanti texts and inscriptions. Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, 2015, 200p.
(3.) Raziye Nuri: 巴黎藏回鹘文诗体般若文献研究/Alliterative Prajñāpāramitā Texts in Old Uyghur Preserved in Paris. Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, 2015, 246p.
(4.) Aydar Mirkamal: 回鹘文诗体注疏和新发现敦煌本韵文研究/Alliterative Verse Commentaries in Old Uyghur and Newly Unearthed Verses from Dunhuang. Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, 2015, 261p.
This collection of Old Uyghur Poems was supposed to be published as a series of seven volumes. Among them five volumes contain studies on Old Uyghur and Western Turkic Khanate poems (mainly Manichaeist and Buddhist). Every volume has detailed lexical annotation. Furthermore information about important historical figures and stories inscriptions can be found.