Kaithi (𑂍𑂶𑂟𑂲), also called Kayathi (𑂍𑂨𑂟𑂲), Kayasthi (𑂍𑂰𑂨𑂮𑂹𑂟𑂲), or Kayastani, is a Brahmic script historically used across parts of Northern and Eastern India.

The script was primarily utilized for legal, administrative, and private records and was adapted for a variety of Indo-Aryan languages, including Angika, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Hindustani, Maithili, Magahi, and Nagpuri.

[1] The name Kaithi script is derived from the term Kayastha, a socio-professional group historically linked to writing, record-keeping and administration.

[2] This community served in royal courts and later in British colonial administration, maintaining revenue records, legal documents, title deeds, and general correspondence.

This made Kaithi increasingly unfavorable to the more conservative and religiously inclined members of society who insisted on Devanagari-based and Persian-based transcription of Hindi dialects.

[5] In the late 19th century, John Nesfield in Oudh, George Campbell of Inverneill in Bihar and a committee in Bengal all advocated for the use of Kaithi script in education.