Newspapers in British India Part 1

Newspapers in British India – Part 1

Before 1850

Bengal Gazette

  • Bengal Gazette also known as Calcutta General advertiser is the first newspaper published in India.
  • It was started by James Augustus Hickey in 1780 but was banned in 1872 following the anti-government editorials.

Bengal Journal

  • Bengal Journal was a newspaper founded in 1785 by William Duane and Thomas Jones.
  • The Governor-General of Bengal John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth shut down the paper for libel against the French royalist government in exile in Calcutta.

Bombay Gazette

  • The Bombay Gazette was established in 1789 and was among the first English newspapers published from Bombay.
  • Initially found in 1789 as the “Bombay Herald”, the newspaper’s name was changed to “Bombay Gazette” in 1791.
  • The newspaper continued to be published up to the early 1900s.

The Calcutta Chronicle and General Advertiser

  • The Calcutta Chronicle and General Advertiser was a weekly English-language newspaper published in Kolkata.
  • Two Englishmen, Daniel Stuart and Joseph Cooper, founded the newspaper and also set up the Chronicle Printing Press.
  • A large portion of the newspaper was dedicated to advertisements, and therefore was also called the ‘General Advertiser’.

Madras Courier

  • The Madras Courier was the first newspaper to be published in Madras, Madras Presidency, British India and one of the first in India.
  • It first appeared in the English language on 12 October 1785.
  • It was started by Richard Johnston. Hugh Boyd was its first editor.
  • On 12 October 2016, the Madras Courier was revived as a digital publication.

Samvad Kaumudi

  • Samvad Kaumudi published in English and Bengali was founded in November 1821 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
  • It was a noted pro-Reformist publication that actively campaigned for the abolition of the Sati.
  • Although Ram Mohan Roy was the owner, Kaumudi was actually published in the name of Bhabani Charan Bandyopadhyay.

Mirat-ul-Akhbar

  • Mirat-ul-Akhbar was a Persian language journal founded and edited by Raja Rammohan Roy.
  • The newspaper was first published on 12 April 1822.

Bangaduta

  • Banga-Duta newspaper was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore and others.
  • It was published in 1822 in Calcutta in four languages- English, Bengali, Persian and Hindi.

Tattwabodhini Patrika

  • Tattwabodhini Patrika was established by Debendranath Tagore on 16 August 1843.
  • It was created as a journal of the Tattwabodhini Sabha, and continued publication until 1883.