Unicode Block - Mahajani

Mahajani is a historical script used primarily for accounting and mercantile records in North India, particularly in the region of Punjab and surrounding areas, from the 11th to the 20th century. This script, known for its cursive and streamlined letterforms, was employed by traders and scribes to write in a variety of languages, including Punjabi, Hindi, and Marwari, without marking vowels, as they were contextually inferred. The script’s characters, which include consonants and a few diacritics, were designed for speed and efficiency, often written with a reed pen on paper or cloth. Modern digital encoding of Mahajani preserves this practical, business-focused writing system for scholarly research and cultural heritage, though its use has long been obsolete in favor of standardized regional scripts.