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History of Journalism inSouth Asian Subcontinent
Prepared by:Mahbubul Haque Osmani
Lecturer, MSJ, ULAB
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Press in India The Portuguese, the first Europeans to arrive in
India, established themselves in Goa fifteen yearsbefore Babur, founder of the Mughal empire(1526AD)
They carried printing press in this sub-continentat first
But with the local conflict, deprived from
government co-operation So, Printing press was stayed in Goa
About 215 years later, printing press launched in
Bengal realm
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William Bolts In September 1768, William Bolts, ex-servant
of the East India Company, informing thepublic that the want of a printing press in the
city A notice or advertisement was found affixed
to the Council Hall and other public places atCalcutta
But by the Councils pressure Mr. Bolts wasforcibly removed to the boat and taken awayfrom India and nothing came his offer
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The Bengal Gazette/HickysGazette/
Calcutta General Advertiser
Bengal Gazette (English weekly) published byJames Augustus Hicky in 1780 January 29th onSaturday from Calcutta.
It was the first news paper in South Asian sub-continent
Bengal Gazettealias Hicky Gazette, Calcutta
General Advertiser Declaration a weekly political and commercial
paper open to all but influenced by none
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The Bengal Gazette/HickysGazette/
Calcutta General Advertiser
Much of its pages were devoted toadvertisements
It was a two sheet paper, about 12 inches by 8
inches, with three column printed on bothsides, print and style was not decorated, notpolite or modest or decent
It published extracts from the Englishnewspapers and correspondence from localand distance writers
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The Bengal Gazette/HickysGazette/
Calcutta General Advertiser
Hicky had his own column, many personswrote by pen names
Its special features were addresses to the
public from Mr. Hicky, a Poets Corner and allthe local gossip relating to the BritishCommunity in Calcutta
The first few months the Gazette waspolitically harmless, though it tended after thefashion of the times to abroad humor
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The Bengal Gazette/HickysGazette/
Calcutta General Advertiser
Its public was mainly the merchants and traders and
at first the non-official European class
Bengal Gazette could not survive more than two
years due to sharp confrontation with GovernorGeneral Warren Hastings and Chief Justice Elijah
Impey
Sir Philip Francis, a member of the Governor-
Generals council and an enemy of Warren Hastings,
supplied Hicky with slanderous information
Hicky skillfully used it in his paper to annoy Hastings
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The India Gazette India Gazetteas a rival to Bengal Gazette,
published in the same year (1780) by Peter Read,a salt agent (backing by Hastings)
In June, 1780, Hicky appealed to his supportersnot to deserts him for the new paper
In November 1780, appearance of the IndiaGazette, four pages, each 16 inches long with
three columns and well-printed
The grant of postal facilities to the India Gazettewhich were not allowed to HickysGazette
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Consequences of Bengal Gazette
and Hicky
Hicky had exhausted the patience of Warren
HastingsGovernment
Malice intruded his writings, where vulgarity
was the main feature before
The chief objects of his attack were Warren
Hastings, whom he attack through his wife
and the Chief Justice, Elijah Impey
Sir Philip Francis, left India and Hastings
prepared to take action against Hicky
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Consequences of Bengal Gazette
and Hicky In June 1781, Hicky resisting arrested by the
Chief Justices men, presented himself in Courtthe same day and was detained
A bail of Rs. 80,000 was demanded which hecould not furnish
Hicky claimed that several Europeans, some
sepoys (soldiers) and between three or fourhundred persons had come to effect thearrest and that he had repulsed them
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Consequences of Bengal Gazette
and Hicky
On the two indictments of Hastings on which
Hicky was charged
Hicky was convicted to one years
imprisonment and Rs. 2,000 fine on the first
It is a strange commentary on the times that,
though Hicky was sent to jail and the intention
of the action was to silence his newspaper
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Consequences of Bengal Gazette
and Hicky Bengal Gazette continued to appear regularly
and with no change of tone
In fact, Hickysaddress to his public were even
more rebellious of the Government Even the invective and personal attacks
continued unabated
With Hickysreferences to his constitutionalrights and to the persecutions of the GovernorGeneral and the Chief Justice, the BengalGazettebegan to receive considerable support
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Consequences of Bengal Gazette
and Hicky Hicky lampooned all the members of the
Government
In March 1782, four fresh actions by WarrenHastings were instituted
A plea was made for permission to seize thetypes
The types were seized and the Bengal Gazettewas destroyed finally
The advertisements in the Gazetteprovide aninteresting sidelight on social life in Calcutta
At no stage did the Gazettesell over 200 copies
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Thank You
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