Study Guides/Civics/First Newspaper in India
Study Guide · Civics

Which was the First Newspaper in India?

India's first newspaper was Hicky's Bengal Gazette (also called the Calcutta General Advertiser), published by James Augustus Hicky on 29 January 1780 from Calcutta (Kolkata).

Question (Click to Flip)

Which was the first newspaper in India?

Answer

Hicky's Bengal Gazette was India's first newspaper, published on 29 January 1780 by James Augustus Hicky in Calcutta.

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Key Facts

First Indian Newspaper: Hicky's Bengal Gazette (1780).

Publisher: James Augustus Hicky.

First Bengali Paper: Samachar Darpan (1818).

Oldest Running Newspaper: Mumbai Samachar (1822).

About Hicky's Bengal Gazette

  • Published in Calcutta under British rule.
  • It was a weekly, 2-page newspaper.
  • Hicky openly criticized the British East India Company and Governor-General Warren Hastings.
  • Because of his bold criticism, the British suppressed the paper in 1782 and Hicky was imprisoned.

First Indian-Language Newspaper

The first newspaper in an Indian language was Samachar Darpan (সমাচার দর্পণ), a Bengali-language paper started in 1818 by the Serampore missionaries.

Important Milestones

  • 1821: Mumbai Samachar (Bombay) — oldest continuously running newspaper in Asia.
  • 1838: The Hindu (originally called The Hindu) — major English daily, still published.
  • 1913: The Tribune, Punjab — influential during freedom struggle.

Questions and Answers

Which was the first newspaper in India?+

Hicky's Bengal Gazette was India's first newspaper, published on 29 January 1780 by James Augustus Hicky in Calcutta.

Who published the first newspaper in India?+

James Augustus Hicky published India's first newspaper.

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