- For another meaning of "Kir'Shara", please see Kir'Shara (episode).
The Kir'Shara is an ancient Vulcan artifact that contained the teachings of the philosopher Surak.
Description[]
The writings were recorded onto the Kir'Shara which was a small pyramid-shaped structure with a narrow base which made it slightly less than one meter in height. Vulcan writing was present on each of its three sides.
The artifact was found within a sealed chamber beneath the monastery it was located at. It was accessed by Captain Jonathan Archer by touching certain letters.
After touching certain letters on the relic, a green holographic image projected Vulcan text in a circular pattern in the air which contained the writings of Surak.
History[]
After preaching his view on Cthia, Surak recorded all of his writings onto this artifact. However, the Kir'Shara was lost to the Vulcan people with only some of Surak's views being introduced to his disciples. It was then secreted in the T'Karath Sanctuary where it remained throughout the centuries.
By the year 2154, a group known as the Syrrannites were formed by the visionary Syrran, who possessed the katra of Surak himself. The goal of this group was to rediscover the Kir'Shara and bring about the true teachings of Surak to the Vulcan people. They, however, faced opposition in the form of the Vulcan High Command.
Syrran was killed in the Forge but managed to transfer his katra to Jonathan Archer who managed to uncover its location before the monastery was bombed. After being revealed to the Vulcan people, the Kir'Shara's presence sparked the Vulcan Reformation which changed their society once more while toppling the corrupt regime of the Vulcan High Command under Administrator V'Las. The Vulcan societal changes that followed would demonstrate the true ideals of Surak.
In 2165, the deposed V'Las arranged for a forgery of the Kir'Shara to be created which contained writings which made it appear that Surak agreed with the views of V'Las. V'Las and his followers managed to steal the Kir'Shara and replace it with the forgery, and then claimed that the Kir'Shara found by Jonathan Archer, T'Pol, and T'Pau was a fake designed to weaken Vulcan. Archer, T'Pol, and the crew of the USS Endeavour managed to recover the real Kir'Shara, and the Vulcan who created the forgery admitted to his crimes. With his plans in ruins V'Las boarded a Vulcan starship and left Federation space. (ENT - Rise of the Federation novel: Uncertain Logic)
In 2267, Spock visualized himself seeing the writings of Surak on the Kir'Shara after he had a lapse in emotional control during his time with Zarabeth. (TOS novel: Provenance of Shadows)