The Khojkī Script: A Legacy of Ismaili Islam in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent

Abstract

The adoption of a communal script was one of the methods employed by several of the subcontinent's ethnic and religious groups to enhance communal solidarity. This article introduces a script heretofore little studied by scholars-the Khojk! script of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community of Sind, Gujarat and Punjab. It outlines the salient features of the script's origins, development and significance, both historical and religious. Utilizing evidence culled from selected Khojk! texts, the article also examines ways in which Khojki, originally a mercantile script, failed to develop into a precise system for literary expression.