First English Newspaper of India Key Points

The following is the some keypoints about the first English Newspaper of India:

1. James Augustus Hicky’s newspaper, the Bengal Gazette, was also called the original ‘Calcutta General Advertiser,’ an English-language weekly.
2. It was published in Calcutta, the center of colonial India during that time.
3. He was the newspaper’s sole writer, editor, and publisher.
4. The paper had a tabloid format, and he used it to poke fun at various East India Company officials with whom he had personal differences.
5. Initially, the paper was neutral about certain issues. But later, he started ridiculing the company and its officials.
6. He often used innuendoes and made-up names to talk about real-life personalities.
7. His paper was much-read by colonial officials in Calcutta, who didn’t take well to what was being written.
8. He accused the East India Company and Governor-General Warren Hastings of corruption, inefficiency, and maladministration.
9. This led to him being sued for libel and imprisoned.
10. James Augustus Hicky continued to publish his paper from jail and further accused Hastings & Company through his writings.
11. Fresh lawsuits were filed against him. Then, another rival paper, the India Gazette, which was funded by Hastings, came up.
12. The Bengal Gazette could not stand up to the competition and was soon driven out of business. It ceased publication on March 23, 1782.
13. Even though short-lived, Hicky’s Bengal Gazette was an inspiration for later educated Indian reformers to start their own newspapers with a more serious anti-colonial and nationalistic sentiment.
14. Other newspapers published in the 18th century: Calcutta Gazette, Bengal Journal, Oriental Magazine of Calcutta, Bombay Herald, etc.
15. The Bombay Samachar, started in 1822, was the oldest newspaper in Asia. It is still in print, in Gujarati.
16. Today, India is the second-largest newspaper market in the world. Newspapers have played an essential role in India’s freedom struggle and post-independence. It played a role in spreading information and knowledge by keeping public opinion alive on several issues.

The first English newspaper in India was the “Hickey’s Bengal Gazette,” which was published by James Augustus Hickey. It was first issued on January 29, 1780, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Hickey’s Bengal Gazette played a significant role in the history of Indian journalism, providing a platform for news and discussions during the colonial period.

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