The Bahi Lipi Pathan Karyashala is a two-week online intensive workshop designed to train participants in reading and interpreting bahi—traditional ledger manuscripts used in the administrative, commercial, and courtly systems of western Rajasthan. These records constitute an invaluable yet underutilized archival source for historians working on early modern and colonial South Asia.
Focusing particularly on materials from the states of Jodhpur and Bikaner, this workshop introduces participants to a wide range of bahi manuscripts dating from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Through a combination of structured lectures, transcription exercises, and supervised manuscript readings, participants will develop the practical skills necessary to decipher the script, numerical systems, and specialized vocabulary used in Marwari bookkeeping traditions.
The workshop emphasizes direct engagement with archival material. Participants will learn how bahis were produced, the social groups who wrote and maintained them, and the diverse information they contain—ranging from administrative records and courtly transactions to glimpses of everyday life within royal households. By the end of the course, participants will be able to independently read and transcribe selected passages from bahi manuscripts and apply these skills to their own research.
Course Structure
Week One — Foundational Training (Self-paced lectures + doubt sessions + assignments)
Week One consists of approximately 12 recorded lectures organized into five modules. Participants will watch lectures independently and meet the instructor periodically for doubt-clearing sessions.
Module 1: Historical Context and the Tradition of Bahi Writing
This module introduces the history and practice of bahi writing traditions in western Rajasthan, exploring their role within courtly and administrative systems. Participants will examine the work of scribes and record-keepers in Rajput courts, the material features of bahi manuscripts, and the ways these records were circulated and preserved in archival contexts.
Module 2: Genres and Categorization of Bahis
This module surveys the diverse genres of bahi khatas in the archival collections of Jodhpur and Bikaner. It introduces participants to the range of records contained in these ledgers—administrative documents, court proceedings, household accounts, legal records, and revenue registers.
The module also introduces the major archival repositories including the Rajasthan State Archives, Maharaja Man Singh Pustak Prakash, and the Chopasani Research Institute.
Module 3: Script, Alphabets, and Orthographic Conventions
This module provides core training in reading bahis, introducing participants to the shorthand script’s alphabet, orthographic features, vowels, conjuncts, and common scribal conventions. It also covers calendrical references and regional variations in Jodhpur and Bikaner records, with hands-on exercises using ledger folios to build reading proficiency.
Module 4: Numbers, Calculations, and Measurement Systems
This module explores traditional systems of bookkeeping in bahis, focusing on numerical notation, calculation methods, and units of weight, measurement, and currency. Participants will learn how time, payments, and transactions were recorded, and will practice identifying numerical patterns and performing basic calculations from manuscript examples.
Module 5: Interpreting Bahi Folios
The final module of Week One introduces participants to sample bahi folios across genres, using guided examples to explore records of ceremonies, appointments, legal disputes, correspondence, and everyday courtly life. It highlights the range of social actors represented in these texts and focuses on interpreting vernacular terms in context, while situating the folios within their broader historical and political settings.
Week Two — Supervised Reading (small group sessions)
In the second week, participants will work in small reading groups, meeting the instructor for supervised sessions focused on collective reading, transcription, and discussion of selected bahi excerpts. As familiarity with the script grows, the complexity and number of folios will gradually increase.
Each group will engage with manuscripts organized around thematic clusters, including the events of 1857 from the perspective of Jodhpur, everyday courtly life and social organization, and material and occupational histories of laboring and artisan communities. Through these themes, participants will encounter a wide range of records—from political correspondence and administrative decisions to court rituals and economic transactions.
Short transcription assignments throughout the week will reinforce learning and prepare participants for the final assessment.
In the second week, participants will work in small reading groups, meeting the instructor for supervised sessions focused on collective reading, transcription, and discussion of selected bahi excerpts. As familiarity with the script grows, the complexity and number of folios will gradually increase.
Each group will engage with manuscripts organized around thematic clusters, including the events of 1857 from the perspective of Jodhpur, everyday courtly life and social organization, and material and occupational histories of laboring and artisan communities. Through these themes, participants will encounter a wide range of records—from political correspondence and administrative decisions to court rituals and economic transactions.
Short transcription assignments throughout the week will reinforce learning and prepare participants for the final assessment.
Who Can Apply?
The workshop is particularly suited for doctoral students, early-career researchers, and scholars interested in the history of Rajasthan, archival studies, economic and social history, and manuscript cultures.
The medium of instruction will be both Hindi and English. Participants are expected to have a working knowledge of spoken Hindi and/or Rajasthani (especially Marwari or Bikaneri) as well as Devnagri typing.