The Formation and Development of Ancient Sanskrit and Hiragana from a Cultural History Perspective

This study examines the formation and development of Sanskrit and Hiragana in ancient times through a historical-cultural lens, clarifying the dialectical relationship between writing systems and social practices and power structures, aiming to fill an academic gap in a comprehensive approach to these two writing systems. Applying the ideological writing model, combined with the power and language theories of Michel Foucault and Saussure, to analyze writing as a cultural institution linked to a specific historical context, the study highlights the contrasts and similarities in the social roles of the two writing systems: Sanskrit developed from the oral Vedic tradition into a "sacred" language system, standardized to maintain the intellectual and ritual power of the Brahmin class, serving as a tool of orthodox religion. Conversely, Hiragana is a product of localization linked to a feminine semiotic space. If Sanskrit represented the standardization and power of masculinity, then Hiragana represented the expression of emotions, private life, and resistance against the dominance of Chinese writing, thereby affirming indigenous cultural identity. In short, the evolution of these two writing systems is vivid evidence that writing is both a tool for communication and a means of constructing and maintaining social order.