Tshangla New Testament — Sharchop Scripture (Bhutan)
Overview
The Tshangla New Testament is the complete New Testament (27 books) in the Tshangla (Sharchop) language of eastern Bhutan, published by the Bible Society of India (BSI) in 2014 and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3694). Known by speakers as Sharchop — a Dzongkha word meaning "Eastern people" (Shar = east, Chop = people) — Tshangla is the most widely spoken indigenous language of Bhutan, serving as the mother tongue of the majority population in eastern Bhutan's four districts. It is distinct from Dzongkha, the national language, which is a Tibetic language and the medium of government, education, and official religion. The 2014 BSI New Testament provides the Sharchop community with the full New Testament in their heart language for the first time in published form.
Language and People
Tshangla (ISO 639-3: tsj; autonym: Sharchop) is a Tibeto-Burman language of uncertain precise sub-classification: Sino-Tibetan → Tibeto-Burman → (possibly Sal branch or a distinct branch sometimes called Tshanglic or Bodo-related). Some linguists classify Tshangla in the Sal sub-branch of Tibeto-Burman alongside Bodo, Garo, and Kokborok; others treat it as a separate branch. Tshangla is not closely related to Dzongkha (a Tibetic language) despite centuries of coexistence. The language has no traditional script; scripture and literacy materials use the Tibetan uchen (block) script or Roman transliteration.
The Tshangla/Sharchop community inhabits:
- Trashigang District, Trashi Yangtse District, Samdrup Jongkhar District, and Pema Gatshel District — the four eastern districts of Bhutan bordering Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Related communities in Arunachal Pradesh (India) among the Sherdukpen and other eastern border groups
Estimated speakers: approximately 160,000–200,000 in Bhutan, making Tshangla the most widely spoken indigenous (non-Dzongkha) language in the country; the Sharchop are estimated at approximately 25–30% of Bhutan's population.
Cultural Context
The Sharchop are the indigenous inhabitants of eastern Bhutan, pre-dating the dominance of Tibetan Buddhist culture from the 7th century onward. They are Buddhists following the Nyingma and other Vajrayana traditions, closely aligned with the broader Bhutanese national Buddhist identity promoted by the royal government. The Tshangla-speaking zone of eastern Bhutan is economically important as the site of major hydroelectric projects on the Mangde Chu and Dangme Chu rivers. The 2014 Bible Society of India NT represents one of the first formal scripture publications in Tshangla, serving the minority Christian community among the Sharchop (estimated 2–3% Christian, primarily through underground and diaspora networks).
Publishing and Organizations
Published by Bible Society of India (BSI) (bsind.org), the national Bible society of India, a member of the United Bible Societies network. BSI has published scripture in numerous South and Southeast Asian languages.