An Introduction to the Modi Script

Modi is a cursive variant of the Devanagari script. It was extensively used by the Maratha rulers, and nearly 99% of the correspondence during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Peshwas was written in Modi.

The script is believed to have been introduced in the 12th century A.D. by Hemadpant (also known as Hemadripant), the chief minister under the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri. Hemadpant observed that writing letters and maintaining accounts in Devanagari consumed more time. To make writing faster and more practical, he put the Modi script into practice. One of its unique features is that words can be written continuously without lifting the pen.

Over time, Modi was widely adopted by the general public, and legal as well as administrative documents were written in this script.

Today, around 40 million medieval documents in Modi are preserved across various institutions: the five branches of the Directorate of Archives (Government of Maharashtra), Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, V.K. Rajwade Sanshodhan Mandal, and Miraj Itihas Sanshodhan Mandal. These documents are still awaiting transliteration by Modi experts. Records written in Modi have also been found in archives outside Maharashtra.

Many individuals today seek Modi specialists to decipher their ancestral records—property deeds, land revenue accounts, and land donation documents—that have often been preserved for generations in attics or old wooden chests.

Since Modi was used as a practical substitute for Devanagari, it did not follow strict orthographic rules. Modi manuscripts usually lack punctuation and word breaks, making them appear as a continuous stream of text. This is why special training is required to read Modi and to understand the language style of the medieval period.

The nickname “Ghost Script” reflects the complexity and challenging nature of Modi handwriting in ancient documents. The script remained in use until around 1950 and was officially removed from the school syllabus by the Government of Maharashtra in 1959.