First Newspaper Published in India
-by Ishita Mondal
–Reading Time – 8 min Approx
–Edited by – Srishti Bhattacharyya
Living in the 21st century, we have come so far – from the radio to the internet and from newspapers with vintage, archaic fonts to digital news media. The journey throughout these years is quite exciting and enthralling. Significantly, the evolution story of a newspaper is pretty amazing. So, with a sip of ginger tea and the digital news portal in hand, let’s get into it. In this article, we will enjoy the intriguing, historical facts about the first newspaper published in India, along with many other exciting details related to the evolution of newspapers in India.
The First Newspaper Published in India – The Early History and Origin:
Most of us have had the question – what was the title of India’s first newspaper? The answer is Bengal Gazette or ‘Hicky’s Bengal Gadget’. The other name for this newspaper was Original Calcutta General Newspaper. It was an English newspaper published weekly in Calcutta (now Kolkata), the British India capital of that time. The newspaper was first published on 29th January 1780 by James Augustus Hicky.
It was in 1766 when William Bolts, a well-known Dutch explorer, delivered a proposal for starting a newspaper in India. He studied the English audience in Calcutta and proposed to begin it for them. However, he was later dismissed from his post in East India Company, and his plan remained unsuccessful.
Later, in January 1780, James Augustus Hicky, an Irish man with a firm spine and bold voice, published the Bengal Gazette critiquing the administration of Warren Hastings, the Governor-General at that time. Nonetheless, it was not only the first newspaper published in India but also the first printed newspaper in Asia. Founded by the Irishman Hicky, it was renowned for expressive and impactful journalism. Also, it worked as an anecdote of free expression in India. Criticizing the ruling Government was not an easy task after all. But the weekly journal dared to do so with excellent efficiency.
The impact of it on the people of India was so powerful that the East India Company was compelled to seize the copies of it. Hastings even restricted the post offices from delivering the newspaper. Hicky was also sued. Following all of these messes, later, it was published in a new form. However, the newspaper was in business for only two years, from 1780 to 1782.
The First Newspaper Published in India – The Details of the Weekly Chronicle:
From corruption in the administration to the contemporary socio-political scenario in Bengal, everything got featured in Hicky’s Bengal Gazette. On one hand, he vehemently criticized the rule of Warren Hastings; on the other, he portrayed the poor living conditions of the lower middle class in Calcutta. The four-page chronicle was priced Re. 1. It was popular for its honest coverage of diverse contemporary and important topics. The learned men in Kolkata lifted it to a high stature by putting it as a regular topic in their tea-stall discussions.
The newspaper’s front pages presented British English fonts whereas on other pages Anglo-Indian expressions were majorly used. In this way, it became a perfect concoction of British heritage and Indian ethos. Interestingly, if you look at the back page of the Bengal Gazette issue for 11th March 1780, you can find some popular Anglo-Indian terms. Right on the top of the page, you can see a term called ‘godown’. It was written like an advertisement for a large ‘godown’ on sale. The linguistics experts assume that the mass European population used this term in Calcutta, but the origin may lie in South Indian languages.
Let’s know how it was evolved. The founder, Hicky, first propagated an unbiased, neutral viewpoint through his chronicle. The tagline he used was – “Open to all parties, but influenced by none”. But later, things changed in some different directions. He found his competitors joining hands with East India Company were planning to launch a rival newspaper named India Gazette. Then, the editor, writer, publisher of the Bengal Gazette changed his stance. From a neutral viewpoint, he moved towards mockery and severe criticism of the company professionals.
If you want to know the untold stories of injustice, corruption, and inequality in the British Raj, Bengal Gazette is a must-read for you. It incorporates detailed discussions on the different essential issues written in exceptional writing styles. You can find it entertaining and the frequent use of innuendoes and mocking names for the company professionals. He strongly criticized the East India Company for all of its corruption and poor administration. He even accused the wife of Warren Hastings of corruption.
Though it could not run for more than two years, it strongly impacted the history of India’s struggle for freedom of expression. Inspired by its flaming attacks on the ruling Government, many Indian reformers published different newspapers that paved the way for nationalistic movements in India. Therefore, Bengal Gazette, the first newspaper published in India, is known as a pathfinder of Indian freedom struggles.
In-depth Discussions on the First Published Newspaper in India:
Hicky, in his Bengal Gazette, did not leave any stone unturned when it came to unveiling the corruptions and injustices. He expressively talked about the unjust payment structure for the low-rank soldiers in the company’s army. After multiple failed wars took place, Hicky questioned the unfair actions of the British risking the soldiers’ lives. He reported how Simeon Droz, a company official, asked him to pay the bribe. The officer promised him to provide help from the wife of Warren Hastings, Marian Hastings.
Due to his fiery activities, the company took several strict actions against him. India Gazette, the rival newspaper funded by the company, took a hinge at him. But, every time the opposite side tried to muffle his voice, Hicky bounced back in his own way. Once the company restricted the delivery of his newspaper from the post office, he implemented another strategy. He hired few courier men who would move from place to places to deliver the newspaper.
As people were already dissatisfied with the company’s activities, his newspaper gained popularity. Even in the short period of its emergence, it became a significant factor in the history of the Indian Independence movement. Like Andrew Otis, many authors described how the first newspaper published in India became the early mouthpiece of the Indian population against the British Government.
Where You Can Find the Newspaper Copies Now:
If you are interested to know more details about this interesting weekly tabloid, then here is the list of the places where you can get some of its archived copies. The places are:
- National Library of India
- High Court of Calcutta
- British Library
- University of Melbourne, Australia
- Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, University of California
- University of Heidelberg
How the Bengal Gazette Paved the Way for More Indian Newspapers:
As we discussed earlier, despite its short time in the field, the Bengal Gazette ignited the spirit of free expression through newspapers. Thus, several newspapers appeared following it. The chronicles like Calcutta Gazette (1784) and the Bengal Journal (1785) were also popular. The individual provinces like Madras, Bombay, saw the emergence of various newspapers there.
In 1785, Richard Johnson published Madras Courier in English. Later, it was followed by Madras Gazette, first published in 1795 by R. Williams. Also, another newspaper was brought out in the next year by Humphrey, named India Herald.
As Madras experienced the emergence of many newspapers, Bombay was not far behind. The first newspaper published in Bombay was the Bombay Herald, which came out in 1789. Another two popular newspapers in contemporary Bombay were Bombay Courier and Bombay Gazette. They were published in 1789 and 1791 respectively.
However, it was a crucial moment when the newspapers were considered a threat to the Government. So the monitoring along with censorship was at its peak. It was one of the major reasons that the late 18th and early 19th centuries did not see much development in the Indian press.
Later, in 1811, Calcutta Chronicle appeared in the frame. With the witty and knowledgeable approach, the editor James Silk Buckingham brought a new style of journalism to India. He reported the honest and transparent portrayal of the problems and issues of the local people. Also, this Calcutta Chronicle played a significant role in raising a voice against the age-old ill-practice of ‘Sati’.
Then reverend Raja Ram Mohan Roy came on the stage. As the first newspaper published in India, Bengal Gazette showed how to raise her voice through printed words. Following this approach, Roy too understood the value of newspapers to impact society at large. So, he took the initiative and published several journals. He began a Bengali newspaper called Sambad Kaumudi in the year of 1822. After that, he brought out the Mirat-ul-Akhbar, a Persian newspaper published in the same year.
Another eminent personality, Fardaonji Murzban also, made an effort to continue the legacy of the press in Bombay. In the same year of the publication of Sambad Kaumudi and Mirat-ul-Akhbar, he published Bombay Samachar. He was renowned for initiating the Vernacular press in Bombay.
After that, in the latter half of the 19th century, a significant era with new styles of journalism had begun in India. It paved the way for today’s journalism in India. In 1838, The Times of India appeared for the first time. However, the first edition was named The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.
As the Government passed the Vernacular Press Act in 1876, it became easier for the Indian newspaper to express their issues more freely than before. After The Times of India came into the limelight, other various newspapers like Amrita Bazaar Patrika, The Hindu were published. Finally, in 1946, the Press Trust of India was started, and gradually news agency services appeared frequently.
Final Thoughts:
Now, you can see innumerable newspapers everywhere around you describing the news of politics, sports, entertainment, and many more. After independence, the overall approach towards journalism has gone through some major changes. Now, you can express your thoughts, write your views. But, we must not forget, all of these were started with that vehement spark ignited by the first newspaper in India.
-by Ishita Mondal
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