Bengal Gazette of Hicky As free thinking and speech spread across the world, an Irishman named James Augustus Hicky published the first printed newspaper in Calcutta and India in 1780. According to Andrew Otis, a young American scholar, Hicky's Bengal Gazette was a four-page weekly newspaper priced at Rs1. It contained news, advertisements, reviews, poetry, and cartoons.
Hicky began publishing his paper from a small room on Castle Street in Calcutta. He employed Indian staff and used the Gospels as his printing press' matrices. The paper had a considerable readership among Europeans in Calcutta; it also had some circulation in Bihar and West Bengal. After Hicky's death in 1784, his business was taken over by his partner William Scott, who continued the publication under the name "Scott's Bengal Journal". In 1803, Scott changed its name to "The Calcutta Review", which today is one of the most respected publications in India.
The Bengal Gazette was followed by several other newspapers in India. Some were short-lived, such as the Madras Courier, which was published from 1808 to 1816. But the Bengal Journal remained popular until 1947 when it was replaced by the Statesman magazine.
Now, you know that the first newspaper in India was started in 1780 by an Irishman named James Hicky.
The first James Augustus Hicky news publication in India was published on January 29th, 1780 during the British Raj, and its name was "the Bengal Gazette" or Calcutta General Advertiser, or more colloquially known as "Hicky's Gazette." The era was marked by tight government control and censorship. Hicky had been sent out by Lord North to establish rules for a fair trade agreement with the East Indian Company but he also wanted to promote the sale of English goods in Bengal. Thus his newspaper became very popular and within few years over 100 other newspapers were being published in Calcutta.
Some of the most famous names associated with journalism worldwide began their careers in India. They are Alexander Duff, Syed Nazir Ahmad, M.J. Akbar, Tarun Tejpal, and Vineet Nayar.
In 1835, the British government issued a decree that all printing activities in India must be done under its control. This exclusion of private publishers led to a shortage of information about life in India. It also prevented the formation of opinions about the government and its policies from outside perspective. In 1847, the government abolished its ban on foreign journalists entering India, which previously had banned them on security grounds.
After independence in 1947, a new constitution was adopted and free press legislation was passed. However, many journalists still complain about government interference in the work environment.
The Bengal Gazette, Calcutta's first newspaper was established. While launching the Bengal Gazette in 1780, its founding editor, James Augustus Hicky, said that the paper's mission would be to report on the country's events honestly and impartially. He also promised to print nothing but what is actually happening or likely to happen.
Hicky was an Irish journalist who had been hired by the East India Company to write reports from India. The company paid him well and gave him free rein to choose the topics for his articles. This freedom of speech is what made Hicky's journal so popular among the people of Calcutta - it had no official status and could criticize the government if it wanted to.
In addition to news about politics and economics, the journal contained advertisements from businesses looking to expand their market share in India and abroad. It also published letters from readers which often included complaints about government officials or suggestions on how to improve life in Calcutta. These letters are important in understanding the needs of the city's population at that time.
Hicky died in London in 1812. But the journal continued to be printed under new owners and until 1843 when it ceased publication for four years due to financial problems. In 1847, it was revived by William Henry Sykes and he became its editor until his death in 1872.
Bengal Gazette of Hicky
| Front page of Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, 10 March 1781, from the University of Heidelberg’s archives. | |
|---|---|
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
| Headquarters | 67 Radha Bazar Kolkata, India |
| Country | India |
| Media of India List of newspapers |
In 1780, James August Hickey established India's first newspaper. The Bengal Gazette (later renamed Hicky's Gazette) was the name of the newspaper. It began as a weekly political and business journal termed a publication accessible to everybody and influenced by none.
Augustine Henry Hickey was born on 16 November 1769 in Calcutta. He was the son of an Irish army officer. When he was only six years old, his father was killed in the Battle of Wandiwash during the American Revolution. After the death of his father, Augustine went to live with his uncle, Robert Hickey, who was the Governor of Bengal. He learned the printing trade from him and then started his own newspaper called Hicky's Gazette. This was one of the first newspapers in India.
It began as a weekly political and business journal accessible to everybody and influenced by none. Hickey died at the young age of 36 in Calcutta on 10 August 1796. His death was due to tuberculosis.
India has had its share of journalists who have made important contributions to the development of journalism worldwide. Ananda Coomaraswamy was a writer, poet, musician, and teacher who founded the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur in 1951. He was also the president of the International Association for Philosophy of Science from 1948 to 1949. He published several books on Indian philosophy and music.
It was the subcontinent's first newspaper, established in 1780. It was a weekly political and business publication. James Augustus Hickey founded it. The "Calcutta General Advertiser & Bengal Gazette" was another name for it. 2. What was India's first vernacular newspaper? 3. Who was the first Indian journalist?
An Indian newspaper launched its first edition on August 15, 1780. It was a weekly political and business publication that had been founded by an Englishman named James Augustus Hickey. The "Calcutta General Advertiser & Bengal Gazette" had a total of 22 pages and was published on Tuesday nights when government offices were closed. It contained news about events happening in India as well as reports on activities in Parliament.
The "Calcutta Journal" started publishing in 1804. It was a daily newspaper that covered news about India and other countries. In 1872, it became a monthly magazine. It stopped publishing in 1947 when Bangladesh became an independent country.
There are several other newspapers published from India including The Times of India, The Hindu, Dainik Jagran, and Deccan Herald. These newspapers are in the English language.
India has many languages spoken by people. They include Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, and others.
Gazetti, Bengal Bengal Gazetti was a historic Bengali weekly newspaper launched in India in 1816 or 1818, making it one of the country's earliest periodicals. It is thought to have been the first Bengali-language newspaper. The original paper was published from Calcutta (now Kolkata). It had twelve pages and was based on news reported by its editor, who was paid by the word.
The paper had a considerable circulation and was widely read across India. It included articles on politics, education, literature, art and music. It also carried advertisements from various businesses including banks. It had a regular column called "The Modern Babylon", which criticized British policy. The paper was shut down in 1825 after its publisher was accused of publishing material detrimental to government interests.
In 1826, another Bengali newspaper, Sambad Prabhat, was launched. It too had some success but ceased publication in 1827 after its owner was arrested for printing articles unfavorable to the government.
These were not alone in their time. There were several other newspapers that came and went in quick succession before they could establish themselves properly. Only Gazetti survived until 1816, when it was replaced by Sattra, which lasted for only five numbers before it was merged with another paper called Mohammadi which in turn was later renamed as Raja (King) in 1820.
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