Tangut character for east

It names the eastern direction in Tangut.

That is a literal word, not an emoji-style reaction. If it arrived alone, that word is all this character gives you; ask for the surrounding message to understand why it was sent.

Why did Western Xia create Tangut writing?

To write Tangut and give the state its own script.

Emperor Li Yuanhao ordered the script in 1036. A major aim was to translate the Buddhist canon—a collection of sacred texts—into Tangut; a native script also marked a culture distinct from the Song dynasty, the neighboring Chinese state. Its characters took visual cues from Chinese writing but were not Chinese characters. The neighboring Khitan state had created writing systems for its own language a century earlier. Tangut books also contained Chinese stories and translations of classics, reference works, military manuals and literature.