History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 56 : 7. Newspapers and Journals
Table of contents6 sections
- 1.7. Newspapers and Journals
- 2.Chronological List of Newspapers and Journals
- 3.Historiographical Debate: The First Bengali Newspaper
- 4.Key Terms
- 5.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 6.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
7. Newspapers and Journals
Chronological List of Newspapers and Journals
The following table details the major newspapers and journals, preserving the exact chronological and enumerated sequence provided in the source.
Historiographical Debate: The First Bengali Newspaper
- Bengal Gazetti (Vangal Gazette) is listed as the first Bengali weekly newspaper (1816 or 1818, Calcutta).
- However, some historians consider Samachar Darpan to be the first Bengali newspaper (a weekly). It was published in 1818 by the Baptist Missionary Society.
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| First paper from Madras | Madras Courier (1785) |
| First paper from Bombay | Bombay Herald (1789) |
| First Bengali monthly | Digdarshana (1818) |
| First Bengali weekly newspaper | Bengal Gazetti (1816/1818) or Samachar Darpan (1818) depending on historical interpretation. |
| First journal in Persian | Mirat-ul-Akhbar (1822) |
| First paper in Urdu | Jam-i-Jahan Numa (1822) |
| First paper in Gujarati | Bombay Samachar |
| First Bengali political paper | Somaprakasha (1858) |
| First Indian daily newspaper in English | Indian Mirror (Early 1862) |
| First vernacular papers | Bengalee (1862) and Amrita Bazar Patrika (1868) |
| First evening paper in India | Madras Mail (1868) |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- James Augustus Hickey started the Hickey's Bengal Gazette (also known as Calcutta General Advertiser) in 1780, marking the beginning of the list.
- Raja Rammohan Roy was associated with multiple pioneering publications: Sambad Kaumudi (1821), Mirat-ul-Akhbar (1822), and Banga-Duta (1822).
- Banga-Duta was unique as it was a weekly published in four languages: English, Bengali, Persian, and Hindi.
- Robert Knight was instrumental in laying the foundation for the Bombay Times (later The Times of India) and starting the Indian Statesman (later The Statesman).
- Amrita Bazar Patrika started as a Bengali paper in 1868 (Jessore District) but later converted to an English daily.
- Kesari was a Marathi daily, whereas Maharatta was an English weekly (both 1881, Bombay).
- The Hindustan Times (1924) was founded specifically as part of the Akali Dal Movement.
- Several papers were published abroad to support the national cause: Indian Sociologist (London), Bande Mataram (Paris), Talvar (Berlin), Free Hindustan (Vancouver), and Ghadr (San Francisco).
Quick-Recall Box
This is a 350-word maximum preview. The complete chapter remains available only with the History plan.
Locked chapter
This chapter is part of the History plan
Subscribe to read every chapter on any device. Free chapters remain readable for everyone.
View plans