Newspapers and Journals of the Nationalist Era
Modern History › Quick Reference for Revision · Topic 33.7
This revision table lists newspapers and journals of India from Hickey's Bengal Gazette of 1780 to the National Herald of 1938, with year, place and founder or editor. It covers the first papers of the presidency towns, the reformers' journals, the nationalist dailies such as Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Hindu, Kesari and Bande Mataram, and the revolutionary papers published abroad.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Quick Reference for Revision
At a Glance
- First paper Bengal Gazette, 1780, Calcutta, James Augustus Hickey
- First Bengali weekly Sambad Kaumudi, 1821, Rammohan Roy
- Nationalist dailies Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Hindu, Kesari
- Revolutionary papers Ghadar, Indian Sociologist, Bande Mataram
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Quick Reference for Revision
Where Does It Fit?
This is the seventh and last topic of the category on quick reference for revision and the last topic of the subject. The previous topic listed peasant movements. This topic lists newspapers and journals. The table of rulers, which opens the revision category, is the place to start again. Previous topic: Titu Mir, 1830s, Bengal Gandhian Champaran 1917, Kheda 1918, Bardoli 1928 Laws Bengal Tenancy Act 1885, Punjab Land…">Peasant Movements: A Chronological Table.
Which Newspapers and Journals Were Started Before 1860?
| Paper or journal | Year and place | Founder or editor |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal Gazette, also called Calcutta General Advertiser, a weekly | 1780, Calcutta | James Augustus Hickey, an Irishman |
| India Gazette | 1787, Calcutta | Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was associated with it |
| Madras Courier, the first paper from Madras | 1785, Madras | |
| Bombay Herald, the first paper from Bombay | 1789, Bombay | |
| Indian Herald | 1795, Madras | R. Williams and Humphreys |
| Digdarshan, the first Bengali monthly | 1818, Calcutta | |
| Calcutta Journal | 1818, Calcutta | J.S. Buckingham |
| Bengal Gazette, the first Bengali newspaper | 1818, Calcutta | Gangadhar Bhattacharya, also credited to Harishchandra Ray |
| Sambad Kaumudi, a Bengali weekly | 1821, Calcutta | Raja Rammohan Roy |
| Mirat-ul-Akbar, the first Persian journal | 1822, Calcutta | Raja Rammohan Roy |
| Bombay Samachar, the first Gujarati paper | 1822, Bombay | Fardunji Marzban |
| Jam-i-Jahan Numa, the first Urdu paper | 1822, Calcutta | Hari Hara Datta |
| Banga Duta, a weekly in four languages | 1838, Calcutta | Rammohan Roy, Dwarkanath Tagore and others |
| Rast Goftar, a Gujarati fortnightly | 1851, Bombay | Dadabhai Naoroji |
| East Indian, a daily | Calcutta | Henry Vivian Derozio |
| Hindu Patriot | 1853, Calcutta | Girish Chandra Ghosh, later Harishchandra Mukherji |
| Somaprakash, the first Bengali political paper | 1858, Calcutta | Dwarkanath Vidyabhushan |
The main facts to remember are the first paper, the reformers’ papers and the first paper in each language. The early press and its regulation are in Development of the Indian Press: Early Regulations and the Struggle for Freedom, and the reformers are in Raja Rammohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj.
Which Newspapers and Journals Were Started From 1860 to 1906?
| Paper or journal | Year and place | Founder or editor |
|---|---|---|
| Bombay Times, The Times of India from 1861 | 1838, Bombay | Foundation by Robert Knight; started by Thomas Bennett |
| Indian Mirror, the first Indian daily in English | 1862, Calcutta | Devendranath Tagore |
| The Bengalee | 1862, Calcutta | Girish Chandra Ghosh, taken over by Surendranath Banerjea in 1879 |
| National Paper | 1865, Calcutta | Devendranath Tagore |
| Madras Mail, the first evening paper | 1868, Madras | |
| Amrita Bazar Patrika, Bengali at first and later English | 1868, Jessore district | Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh |
| Bangadarshan, in Bengali | 1872 | Bankim Chandra Chatterjee |
| The Statesman, earlier Friend of India | 1875, Calcutta | Robert Knight |
| The Hindu | 1878, Madras | G. Subramania Iyer, M. Veeraraghavachariar and others |
| The Tribune | 1881, Lahore | Dayal Singh Majithia |
| Kesari, in Marathi, and Maharatta, in English | 1881, Poona | Tilak, Chiplunkar and Agarkar |
| Swadeshamitran, a Tamil paper | 1882, Madras | G. Subramania Iyer |
| Paridarshak, a weekly | 1886, Bengal | Bipin Chandra Pal |
| Yugantar | 1906, Bengal | Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Bhupendranath Dutta |
| Sandhya | 1906, Bengal | Brahmabandhab Upadhyay |
| Kal | 1906, Maharashtra |
The nationalist press and the reaction of the government are in Vernacular Press Act, 1878 and Later Press Laws and Swadeshi and Boycott Movement Under Extremist Leadership.
Which Revolutionary and Later Papers Matter?
| Paper or journal | Place and period | Founder or editor |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Sociologist | London | Shyamji Krishnavarma |
| Bande Mataram | Paris | Madam Cama |
| Talvar | Berlin | Virendranath Chattopadhyaya |
| Free Hindustan | Vancouver | Taraknath Das |
| Ghadar | San Francisco | Ghadar Party |
| Bombay Chronicle, a daily | 1913, Bombay | Started by Pherozeshah Mehta; edited by B.G. Horniman, an Englishman |
| The Hindustan Times | 1920, Delhi | Founded by K.M. Panikkar as part of the Akali Dal movement |
| The Milap, an Urdu daily | 1923, Lahore | M.K. Chand |
| Leader, in English | Allahabad | Madan Mohan Malaviya |
| Bahishkrit Bharat, a Marathi fortnightly | 1927 | B.R. Ambedkar |
| Kudi Arasu, in Tamil | 1925 | E.V. Ramaswami Naicker |
| Kranti | 1927, Maharashtra | S.S. Mirajkar, K.N. Joglekar and S.V. Ghate |
| Langal and Ganavani | 1927, Bengal | Gopendra Chakravarti and Dharani Goswami |
| Bandi Jivan | 1920s, Bengal | Sachindranath Sanyal |
| National Herald, a daily | 1938, Lucknow | Jawaharlal Nehru |
The revolutionary papers are in Revolutionary Activities Abroad, and the later nationalist press is in ina-trials/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Release of leaders June 1945 New British government Labour under Attlee, July 1945 First INA trial Red Fort, Delhi,…">Post-War Upsurge and the INA Trials. As an analytical point, the table shows how the press moved from the English-language papers of the Company towns to papers in many languages, to dailies run by nationalists, and then to papers for movements: revolutionaries, communists, caste movements and the Congress itself.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Papers and founders Matching questions are frequent in Prelims
- Firsts First paper in each language
- Press and nationalism The press as the voice of the movement
What Came Next?
This is the last topic of the subject, so a student can return to the first revision table. Next topic: Governors-General and Viceroys of India: Significant Events in Their Rule.
Key People and Terms
- Bengal Gazette The first newspaper, 1780
- Mirat-ul-Akbar Rammohan Roy’s Persian journal
- Amrita Bazar Patrika Founded by the Ghosh brothers
- Kesari Tilak’s Marathi daily
- Ghadar Journal of the Ghadar Party
- National Herald Nehru’s daily of 1938
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- 1780 Hickey’s Bengal Gazette; 1821 Sambad Kaumudi; 1822 Mirat-ul-Akbar.
- The Hindu 1878; Kesari 1881.
- Bombay Chronicle 1913; Hindustan Times 1920.
- Bahishkrit Bharat 1927; National Herald 1938.
- Ghadar from San Francisco.
Do Not Confuse With
- Sambad Kaumudi and Mirat-ul-Akbar Bengali weekly versus the Persian journal
- Kesari and Maharatta Marathi daily versus English weekly
- Bande Mataram of Aurobindo and of Madam Cama Calcutta paper versus the one published abroad
Memory Hook
Hickey begins, Rammohan writes, Tilak thunders, Nehru’s Herald closes the list.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the role of the press. These points add depth.
- Beginnings Company-era papers
- Nationalism Dailies and vernacular papers
- Abroad Revolutionary journals
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the role of the press in the growth of Indian nationalism with examples of important newspapers.”
How to Answer
- Beginnings 1780 to 1858.
- Nationalist press 1860 to 1906.
- Revolutionary press Abroad.
- Conclude Papers for movements.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Which was the first newspaper of India?
The Bengal Gazette, also called the Calcutta General Advertiser, a weekly started by the Irishman James Augustus Hickey at Calcutta in 1780, was the first newspaper published in India and was soon seized for its criticism of the government.
Which papers did Raja Rammohan Roy publish?
Raja Rammohan Roy published the Bengali weekly Sambad Kaumudi in 1821 and the Persian journal Mirat-ul-Akbar in 1822, and he took part in Banga Duta, a weekly in four languages, with Dwarkanath Tagore and others in 1838.
Which were Tilak's papers?
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, with Chiplunkar and Agarkar, started the Marathi daily Kesari and the English weekly Maharatta in 1881 at Poona, and they became leading nationalist papers that led to his trials for sedition in 1897 and 1908.
Which journals were published abroad by Indian revolutionaries?
The Indian Sociologist was published in London by Shyamji Krishnavarma, Talvar in Berlin, Free Hindustan in Vancouver and Ghadar in San Francisco by the Ghadar Party, and Bande Mataram was brought out from Paris by Madam Cama.
Which newspapers did Nehru and Malaviya found?
Jawaharlal Nehru started the daily National Herald in 1938 at Lucknow, while Madan Mohan Malaviya was the founder of the English paper Leader at Allahabad, both of them linked to the Congress movement of their times.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Hickey's Bengal Gazette was started in 1780.
It was the first newspaper in India.
2 Sambad Kaumudi was a Bengali weekly of Raja Rammohan Roy.
It began in 1821.
3 Kesari was published in English from Poona.
Kesari was in Marathi; Maharatta was in English.
4 The National Herald was started by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938.
It was a daily.
5 The Hindustan Times was founded in 1920 as part of the Akali Dal movement.
K.M. Panikkar was its founder.
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