Phags-Pa Unicode Block

The Phags-pa Unicode block is a specialized script that consists of the range U+A840 to U+A87F, and it accommodates the characters of the Phags-pa alphabet. This unique script was created in the 13th century by the Tibetan monk and scholar Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, hence the name, at the behest of Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan dynasty in China. The primary purpose of the Phags-pa script was to serve as a unified writing system for the vast and diverse territories of the Mongol Empire, encompassing various languages such as Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan. The script represents a significant historical effort to facilitate administrative coherence and cultural integration across the empire.

Phags-pa has a distinct block in the Unicode Standard to accommodate its unique characters, which exhibit vertical alignment and stylistic complexity, reflecting its Tibetan origins and adaptations for multilingual use. The design of the characters combines elements of Tibetan script with stylistic modifications to suit different phonetic needs, thereby highlighting its versatility and innovation. The script, however, was eventually supplanted by other writing systems, leading to its fall into obscurity. Despite this, its inclusion in the Unicode Standard represents a critical recognition of its historical and cultural significance, providing scholars and technologists with a tool to study and preserve the linguistic heritage it embodies.

View a range of fonts that support the Phags-Pa block.

Below you will find all the characters that are in the Phags-Pa unicode block. Currently there are 56 characters in this block.