Indiscapes: Instance Segmentation Networks for Layout Parsing of Historical Indic Manuscripts

Historical palm-leaf manuscript and early paper documents from Indian subcontinent form an important part of the world's literary and cultural heritage. Despite their importance, large-scale annotated Indic manuscript image datasets do not exist. To address this deficiency, we introduce Indiscapes, the first ever dataset with multi-regional layout annotations for historical Indic manuscripts. To address the challenge of large diversity in scripts and presence of dense, irregular layout elements (e.g. text lines, pictures, multiple documents per image), we adapt a Fully Convolutional Deep Neural Network architecture for fully automatic, instance-level spatial layout parsing of manuscript images. We demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed architecture on images from the Indiscapes dataset. For annotation flexibility and keeping the non-technical nature of domain experts in mind, we also contribute a custom, web-based GUI annotation tool and a dashboard-style analytics portal. Overall, our contributions set the stage for enabling downstream applications such as OCR and word-spotting in historical Indic manuscripts at scale.Comment: Oral presentation at International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR) - 2019. For dataset, pre-trained networks and additional details, visit project page at http://ihdia.iiit.ac.in

Curating the Sacred, Enchanting the Ordinary: Things, Practices and Local Museums in Northeast Thailand

Die Dissertation untersucht problematische Beziehungen zwischen Kolonialismus, Wissen und kuratorischen Praktiken, da diese sich auf Sammlungen beziehen, die in lokalen Museen im Nordosten Thailands mit dem ‚Sakralen‘ zu tun haben oder damit verbunden sind. Diese qualitative Forschung verwendet einen theoretischen Rahmen, der sich aus der postkolonialen Theorie, der Akteur-Netzwerk-Theorie und Mikhail Bakhtins chronotopischem und dialogischem Ansatz ableitet. Zwei Hauptargumente der Studie sind, lokale Museen als ‚Museumsverstrickungen‘ und ‚verstrickte Museen‘ zu sehen. Zunächst spricht diese Dissertation dagegen, diese lokalen Museen entweder als ‚nicht-professionelle‘ oder als‚ nicht-westliche‘ Museen zu betrachten. Stattdessen schlägt sie vor, sie als in den kolonialen Kontexten Südostasiens verortet zu verstehen und ihre Praktiken als Antworten auf, sowie Gesprächspartner im Dialog mit, vorherigen Museen zu sehen, die die gleichen Materialsammlungen sammeln und kuratieren und die vom Kolonialismus und Nationalismus beeinflusst wurden. Überdies schlägt diese Dissertation vor, diese lokalen Museen nicht ausschließlich als ‚indigene Museen‘ zu betrachten, sondern sie als ‚verstrickte Museen‘ zu betrachten, die das Ergebnis von Koexistenzen und Interaktionen verschiedener Arten von Wissen sind, die sich auf unterschiedliche Weise aus Religionen, Magie und Wissenschaft ergeben. Im Nordosten Thailands beinhaltet das Kuratieren heiliger Dinge – wie Buddha-Reliquien und religiöse Statuen - den Umgang mit erkenntnistheoretischen Unterschieden, die im Buddhismus, Hinduismus, Animismus, in der Magie und so weiter begründet sind. Diese Unterschiede führen zu vielfältigen dialogischen Praktiken, die sich dem Heiligen widmen, z.B. Verdienstabgabe, Opfergabe, Verehrung und Wünsche äußern. Diese Praktiken erscheinen manchmal neben wissenschaftlichen Museumspraktiken.The thesis examines problematic relationships between colonialism, knowledge and curatorial practices as these relate to collections that are concerned, or linked, with ‘the sacred’ in local museums in Northeast Thailand. This qualitative research deploys a theoretical framework derived from post-colonial theory, actor-network theory and Mikhail Bakhtin’s chronotopic and dialogical approach. Two major arguments of the study are about seeing local museums as ‘museum entanglements’ and ‘entangled museums’. Firstly, this thesis argues against seeing these local museums as either ‘non-professional’ or ‘non-western’ museums. Instead, it proposes to understand them as situated in the colonial contexts of Southeast Asia, and to see their practices as responses to, and interlocutors in dialogue with, prior museums that collect and curate the same material collections, and that have been influenced by colonialism and nationalism. Secondly, instead of seeing these local museums exclusively as ‘indigenous museums’, this thesis proposes to see them as ‘entangled museums’ that are a result of co-existences and interactions of different kinds of knowledge, which diversely derive from religions, magic and science. In Northeast Thailand, curating sacred things – such as Buddha relics and religious statues, involves dealing with epistemic differences that are based in Buddhism, Hinduism, animism, magic, and so on. These differences lead to diverse dialogic practices dedicated to the sacred e.g. merit-making, offering, worshipping and making wishes. These practices sometimes appear alongside scientific museum practices

Designing Khom Thai Letterforms for Accessibility

This practice-led research aimed to design letterforms for an ancient Thai script known as Khom Thai, to aid learning of the script by today’s Thai population. Khom is a script that was developed in Thailand around the 15th century. It was widely used as the country’s official script for historical documents and records in Pali, Sanskrit, and Thai until 1945. Now, very few members of younger generations can read the script, which poses a major obstacle for preserving the knowledge of Khom Thai and severely limits access to the country’s historical documents and heritage. Although there are some relationships between contemporary Thai letters and Khom Thai letters, the unfamiliar letterforms constitute the largest hurdle for Thai readers learning to read the Khom Thai script. This study’s goal was to resolve this problem by creating three new Khom Thai letterform designs for use as learning materials and writing models for beginners. This study investigated whether Khom Thai letterforms could be redesigned so that modern Thai readers could recognise them more easily. To explore this possibility, three letterform designs, TLK Deva, TLK Brahma and TLK Manussa, were developed. This practice-led research employed mixed methods, including interviews, a questionnaire, and a letter recognition study. The first section of the research discusses the theoretical framework regarding familiarity in enhancing letter recognition. Additionally, analyses on Thai, Khom Thai, and Khmer letterforms were also included in this part. The second section is about the design process resulted in three designs. Among the three, TLK Brahma and TLK Deva maintain a close connection to the proportions and writing style of the traditional script, and could potentially be used as writing models for those learning the script. By contrast, TLK Manussa is adapted to characteristics and proportions of the present-day Thai script and is intended to look more familiar to Thai readers. One potential use of TLK Manussa is as a mnemonic aid for learning Khom Thai characters. Interviews were conducted with Khom Thai palaeographic experts to gather opinions on the designs. A questionnaire was also used with 102 participants to establish which of the three TLK designs had most familiar characteristics for Thai readers. The results showed that TLK Manussa was the most familiar among the three. After further refinement of the designs, the third section describes the data collection procedures. A short-exposure technique was used with 32 participants who already had some knowledge of Khom Thai, to compare letter recognition. This method was used for gathering reader feedback on the designs. In general, the findings did not indicate any significant differences between the three designs regarding the accuracy rate of letter identification. However, certain individual letters that more closely resembled the Thai script received higher scores than did unfamiliar characters. The three TLK designs constitute the primary contribution to knowledge. However, further contributions made by this research are its analyses of Khom Thai characters and its systematic guidelines for developing Khom Thai letterforms, the guidelines will aid future type designers of Khom Thai on letterform design. The study contributes to the field of research in non-Latin type design by endorsing the role of design in enabling contemporary audiences to learn ancient Thai scripts

The Dhammakāyānussati-kathā: A Trace of “Siam's Borān Buddhism” from the Reign of Rāmā I (1782-1809 CE.)

The Dhammakāya text genre appears in manuscripts, inscriptions, and printed texts found in Central Thailand, Northern Thailand, and Cambodia. Texts belonging to this genre share the same core Pāli verses, and date back to the Ayutthaya period. In this thesis, I transliterate, translate, contextualise and analyse the Dhammakāyānussati-kathā, “Words on the Recollection of the Body of Dhammas,” which was part of the Suat Mon Plae, a collection of Buddhist chanting rituals compiled during the 1st reign (1782-1809), using a historical-critical approach to the text. The Dhammakāyānussati-kathā consists of verses composed in Pāli followed by the Thai translation, using a traditional method called yok sab. The first three parts of the Dhammakāyānussati-kathā share the core Pāli verses of the Dhammakāya text genre, but the final section, which praises the Buddha’s physical body, is different. The Pāli vers-es describe the Buddha’s auspicious marks including radiance, hair, height, etc., verses that are also found in the Golden Manuscript Braḥ Dhammakāya, a text that can be dated to the 1st reign. Today, the Dhammakāyānussati-kathā is not well-known in Central Thailand, but its similar texts are still used in Northern Thailand and Cambodia during buddhābhiṣeka and the ritual of installing the Buddha’s heart into a Buddha statute and chedī. The Dhammakāyānussati-kathā along with other texts belonging to the Dhammakāya text genre disappeared during the 5th reign (1868-1910), when the royal chanting curriculum was reformed under Supreme Patriarch Sā in 1880, and Siam’s Tipiṭaka was revised during the 10th Saṇgāyanā in 1893. I conclude that the disappearance of the Dhammakāyānussati-kathā is evidence for the suppression of Siam’s “Borān” Buddhism during the 5th reign in response to modernist concerns about canonicity and textual authenticity

AKSALont: Aplikasi transliterasi aksara Lontar Bali dengan model LSTM

This study aims to develop an automatic transliteration application for the Balinese palm leaf manuscripts into the Latin/Roman alphabet. The input for this system is the digital image of the original text from the ancient Balinese palm leaf manuscripts, not from the Balinese script, which is printed using a font on a computer. In this study, a segmentation-free transliteration machine using the LSTM model was implemented. In addition, the implementation of the AKSALont application is carried out for the interactions on a web-based platform using cross-platform interoperability. The experimental results show that the machine can transliterate Balinese characters on the Balinese palm-leaf manuscript images properly with a CER of 19.78 % using 10.475 test data. With a web-based online platform, AKSALont has been able to open wider access for the public to the web-based content with an online platform collection.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membangun sebuah aplikasi transliterasi aksara Lontar Bali menuju alfabet Latin/Romawi. Citra aksara Lontar Bali yang menjadi masukan bagi sistem ini adalah citra aksara Lontar Bali dari teks yang tertulis pada citra digital dari naskah kuno asli dari Lontar Bali, bukan dari aksara Bali yang tercetak dengan menggunakan font pada komputer. Mesin transliterasi menggunakan model LSTM sehingga proses transliterasi dapat dilakukan tanpa melalui proses segmentasi glyph. Selain itu, dilakukan perancangan dan implementasi interaksi aplikasi AKSALont pada platform berbasis web menggunakan metode interoperabilitas antar platform. Hasil eksperimen menunjukkan bahwa mesin transliterasi yang dibangun sudah menunjukkan kemampuan untuk melakukan transliterasi aksara Bali pada citra Lontar Bali dengan benar dan memiliki CER 19,78 % pada 10.475 data uji. Aplikasi AKSALont yang berbasis web dengan platform daring telah dapat membuka akses yang lebih meluas bagi masyarakat terhadap konten koleksi Lontar Bali

<Literature, Film and Culture in Southeast Asia> Twelve Sisters: A Shared Heritage in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand

Edited by YAMAMOTO HiroyukiList of Contributors [v]Acknowledgements [ix]Introduction /YAMAMOTO Hiroyuki [x]1. Cultural Identity and Creative Tourism: The Folktale Nang Sip Song (Twelve Sisters) in the Global Contexts /Trisilpa BOONKHACHORN [1]2. From Folktale to Buddhist Tale: The Twelve Sisters in the Buddhist Tale, Paññāsajātaka in Thailand /Chanwit TUDKEAO [6]3. Shapes of Love in Lao Tradition: The Legend of the Twelve Sisters in Laos /Khamphuy PHOLLURXA [13]4. Being a Good Son is the Greatest Virtue: The Twelve Sisters in the Cambodian National Language Textbook /VAN Sovathana [26]5. Power of Tales: How Narrating Stories Instilled Hope to Survive during the Pol Pot Regime in Cambodia /PAL Vannarirak [33]6. Male Mountain, Female Mountain: Local Topography and Oral Tradition in Laos /HASHIMOTO Sayaka [36]7. Princess Kongrey's Last Wish: Cambodian Utopia in Ly Bun Yim's Puthisen Neang Kongrey /OKADA Tomoko [50]8. Comical Thevada and Feminine Ogre: Innovative Characters Reflecting Modern Thai /HIRAMATSU Hideki [68]9. The Blooming Season: Thai Short Film /Chalida UABUMRUNGJIT [74]10. Aspiring for the Next "Golden Age" /DOUNG Sarakpich [77]11. For the Development of Lao Film: Film Archives and Film Industry in Laos /Dethnakhone LUANGMOVIHANE [88]12. Boosting Passions for Making Stories: The Short Filmmaking Scene in Laos /Athidxay BOUANDAOHEUANG [95

An edition and critical study of the Salayatanasamyutta in the Samyuttanikaya of the Pali Canon

This thesis presents a new edition of a section of the Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, which forms part of the Saṃyuttanikāya in the Pali canon, and documents the basic principles that should be used for producing a critical edition. It discusses the manuscripts and associated commentaries of the Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta that are listed in manuscript catalogues and describes the characteristics of the manuscripts and printed editions used for editing this text. The thesis also provides a critical study of the structure and content of the Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta as a whole. The new edition shows that, as is the case with other saṃyuttas and nikāyas, the Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta is structured to ensure faithful preservation and transmission. In addition, this text contains the major theme of Buddhist teachings, namely, the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda). The new edition is based on a greater number and range of witnesses than those used in Feer’s 1894 PTS edition. It also records the significant information contained in the colophons of the manuscripts, which Feer omitted, and corrects numerous errors in Feer’s edition. Although it is common practice to abbreviate repetitive passages in manuscripts and editions, the current edition always gives the text in full so that the original form of each sutta can be easily ascertained. All variant readings, both valid and invalid, are recorded in the critical apparatus and appendices, respectively. Unless there is sufficient supporting evidence, the present edition does not change or correct the text. The best reading is evaluated from both internal (the intrinsic value of the readings) and external (date, number of witness, etc.) forms of evidence. By displaying the unabbreviated text, this edition makes a significant contribution to the preservation of the text and the prevention of future corruption and loss

"Tum Teav": A study of a Cambodian literary classic.

One of the cornerstones of the Cambodian literary canon is the verse novel Turn Teav. There are numerous versions of the story that cover all the major modes of creative expression in Cambodian culture. In addition to the literary and theatrical versions, the story also appears in different historical texts, as it is generally believed that the characters described in the story are based on actual people and events in Cambodian history. Despite Turn Teav's tremendous importance and popularity however, there are no studies that examine the extensive literary criticism on the text or the influence of the story in contemporary Cambodian culture and society. This work is an attempt to present an overview of the literary criticism on Turn Teav and provide the reader w ith an insight into the viewpoints of contemporary Cambodian writers and intellectuals on the major themes in the story. Chapter 1 discusses different versions of the story in various genres, including literary, historical, oral, theatrical, and film, in order to demonstrate the story's importance in Cambodian culture and society. Chapter 2 presents my revised translation of Turn Teav by Venerable Botumthera Som that was begun while completing my MA degree at Cornell. Venerable Botumthera Som's manuscript was completed in 1915 and is the best-known version of the story. 3 Chapter 3 examines different texts of literary criticism on Turn Teav, giving special attention to the controversy concerning the original author of the story. This chapter also discusses major themes in the story, namely traditional codes of conduct, abuse of power, and Justice, and uses various examples from Cambodian literature to illustrate them further. Chapter 4 concludes this work with an analysis of several interviews that I conducted with Cambodian writers and scholars concerning the major themes in the story. Particular attention is given to the influence of Turn Teav in Cambodian culture and society, especially the theme of justice in light of the pending trials of the former members of the Khmer Rouge for crimes of genocide

Indic Manuscript Cultures through the Ages

Stemming from the Sanskrit Manuscripts Project that ran in Cambridge (UK) in 2011-2014 and led to the cataloguing and partial digitization of the rich collections of South Asian manuscripts in the University Library, these essays explore the manuscript culture of India and beyond – Nepal, Cambodia, Tibet – from a variety of angles: books as artefacts, works of art, commodities, staples of tradition, and of course as repositories of knowledge

The implications of handwritten text recognition for accessing the past at scale

Before Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), manuscripts were costly to convert to machine-processable text for research and analysis. With HTR now achieving high levels of accuracy, we ask what near-future behaviour, interaction, experience, values and infrastructures may occur when HTR is applied to historical documents? When combined with mass-digitisation of GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) content, how will HTR’s application, use, and affordances generate new knowledge of the past, and affect our information environment? This paper’s findings emerge from a literature review surveying current understanding of the impact of HTR, to explore emerging issues over the coming decade. We aim to deconstruct the simplistic narrative that the speed, efficiency, and scale of HTR will “transform scholarship in the archives” (Muehlberger et al., 2019: 955), providing a more nuanced consideration of its application, possibilities, and opportunities. In doing so, our recommendations will assist researchers, data and platform providers, memory institutions and data scientists to understand how the results of HTR interact with the wider information environment.We find that HTR supports the creation of accurate transcriptions from historical manuscripts, and the enhancement of existing datasets. HTR facilitates access to a greater range of materials, including endangered languages, enabling a new focus on personal and private materials (diaries, letters), increasing access to historical voices not usually incorporated into the historical record, and increasing the scale and heterogeneity of available material. The production of general training models leads to a virtuous digitisation circle where similar datasets are easier – and therefore more likely – to be produced. This leads to the requirement for processes that will facilitate the storage, and discoverability of HTR generated content, and for memory institutions to rethink search and access to collections. Challenges include HTR’s dependency on digitisation, its relation to archival history and omission, and the entrenchment of bias in data sources. The paper details several near future issues, including: the potential of HTR for the basis of automated metadata extraction; the integration of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) processes (including Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI) into HTR systems; legal and moral issues such as copyright, privacy and data ethics which are challenged by the use of HTR; how individual contributions to shared HTR models can be credited; and the environmental costs of HTR infrastructure. We identify the need for greater collaboration between communities including historians, information scientists, and data scientists to navigate these issues, and for further skills support to allow non-specialist audiences to make the most of HTR. Data literacy will become increasingly important, as will building frameworks to establish data sharing, data consent, and reuse principles, particularly in building open repositories to share models and datasets. Finally, we suggest that an understanding of how HTR is changing the information environment is a crucial aspect of future technological development. <br/