Pre Independence News Papers and Magazines of India:
Pre Independence News Papers and Magazines of India: Newspapers and Magazines played a significant role in awakening the people of India to gain freedom from British rule as well as the socio-economic development of India. In the days of British rule, suppression and looting of Indians by the British was the usual business. Also, a hugely illiterate society fell into superstitions and orthodox had its ways almost closed for social development. During such times, Various News Papers and Magazines edited and published by Indians and Europeans came to the rescue of the Indians and spread awareness about the contemporary situation.
Bengal Gazette, the first pre independence publication started in 1780 by James K Hickey, an European. After that many native and foreign editors started writing about socio-economic-political issues. Many vernacular newspapers were also published. Samachar Darpan, the first vernacular paper in Bengali was started in 1818 by the Baptist Missionary Society. John Clark Marshman became its first editor. Madras Courier and Bombay Herald were started in 1785 and 1789 respectively.
Noteworthy names in Pre Independence Newspapers and Publications that were stated by Indians are- Sambad Kaumudi and Mirat-ul-Akhbar (the First Persian Language News Paper in India) by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Darpan and Digdarshan by Balashashti Jambekar, Rast Goftar by Dadabhai Naoroji, Som Prakash by Dwarkanath Vidyabhushan, Indian Mirror by Devendranath Ghosh, Amrita Bazar Patrika by Sisir Kumar Ghosh, Bangadarshan by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, The Hindu by G. Subramania Aiyyar, The Bengalee by Surendranath Banerjee, Kesari and Mahratta by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sudharak by Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, New India by Annie Besant, Bande Mataram by Aurobindo Ghosh (Paris Publication of 1909 by Madam Bhikaji Kama), Jugantar by Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Pratap by Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, and many other regional and pan India publications.
Udant Martand was the first Hindi Newspaper started in Calcutta in 1826 by Pt. Jugal Kishor Shukla.
A detailed list of all major newspapers and publications is given below:
List of Pre Independence News Papers and Magazines of India:
The Bengal Gazette
Founded: 1780
Founding Editor: JK Hickey
Language: English
Note: First Newspaper in India
Madras Courier
Founded: 1785
Founder: Richard Johnson
Founding Editor: Hugh Boyd
Language: English
Note: First Newspaper in Madras
Bombay Herald
Founded: 1789
Language: English
Note: First Newspaper in Bombay (Maharashtra). It later changed its name to the Bombay Gazette.
Samachar Darpan
Founded: 1818
Founder/Publisher: Baptist Missionary Society
Founding Editor: John Clark Marshman
Language: Bengali
Note: It was the first Indian newspaper in any vernacular language.
Sambad Kaumudi
Founded: 1821
Founding Editor: Raja Ram Mohun Roy
Language: Bengali
Note: It was a weekly.
Mirat-ul-Akhbar
Founded: 1822
Founding Editor: Raja Ram Mohun Roy
Language: Persian
Note: First Persian language Newspaper
Banga Dutta
Founded: 1822
Founding Editor: Raja Ram Mohun Roy
Language: Bengali, Persian, Hindi and English
Note: First weekly published in multiple languages
Bombay Samachar
Founded: 1822
Founding Editor: Fardunjee Marzban
Language: Gujarati and English
Note: First newspaper in Gujarati and oldest continuously published newspaper in India.
East Indian
Founded: 1822
Founding Editor: HLV Derozio
Language: English
Darpan
Founded: 1832
Founding Editor: Balshastri Jambhekar
Language: Marathi
Note: First Marathi language newspaper.
Sambad Parvakar
Founded: 1832
Founder: Ishwar Chandra Gupta
Language: Bengali
Note: First Bengali daily newspaper.
Times of India
Founded: 1838
Founder: Raobahadur Narayan Dinanath Velkar
Founding Editor: J.E. Brennan
Language: English
Note: Initially started as the Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. The oldest English-language newspaper in India is still in circulation.
Digdarshan
Founded: 1840
Founding Editor: Balshastri Jambhekar
Language: Marathi
Note: First Marathi language monthly magazine.
Mangaluru Samachara
Founded: 1843
Founder: Rev. Hermann Friedrich Mögling
Language: Kannada
Note: First and oldest running newspaper in Kannada
Hindoo Patriot
Founded: 1853
Founding Editor: Girish Chandra Ghosh
Language: English
Note: Weekly
Rast Goftar (The Truth Teller)
Founded: 1854
Founding Editor: Dadabhai Naoroji
Language: Gujarati
Note: Fortnight paper especially published for the Parsi community.
Som Prakash
Founded: 1858
Founding Editor: Dwarakanath Vidyabhusan
Language: Bengali
Note: A weekly newspaper conceptualized by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. He also helped Dwarkanath Vidhyabhushan in editorials.
Indian Mirror
Founded: 1861
Founding Editors: Manmohan Ghosh and Devendranath Tagore
Language: Bengali
Note: Published from Kolkata
Native Opinion
Founded: 1864
Founding Editor: VN Mandalik
Language: English
Note: Stated Marathi Edition in 1866
The Pioneer
Founded: 1865
Founder: George Allen
Language: English
Note: second oldest English language newspaper in India still in circulation
Kavi Vachan Sudha
Founded: 1867
Founding Editor: Bhartendu Harishchandra
Language: Hindi
Note: Monthly
Amrita Bazar Patrika
Founded: 1868
Founders: Sisir Kumar Ghose and Moti Lal Ghosh
Founding Editor: Mahmud Hossain
Language: Bengali
Note: Became bilingual weekly in 1871. Became a daily in 1891. Described as the best nationalist newspaper in India by Vladimir Lenin in 1920. It is also the oldest Indian-owned English daily newspaper.
Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq
Founded: 1871
Founding Editor: Sir Syyed Ahmad Khan
Language: Urdu
Bangadarshan
Founded: 1872
Founding Editor: Bankimchandra Chatterji
Language: Bengali
Note: Revived under the editorship of Rabindranath Tagore in 1901
The Statesman and New Friend of India
Founded: 1875
Founding Editor: Robert Knight
Language: English
Note: Daily
The Hindu
Founded: 1878
Founding Editor: G. Subramania Iyer
Language: English
Note: Originally started as Triplicane Six
The Bengalee
Founded: 1879
Founding Editor: Surendranath Banerjee
Language: English
The Tribune
Founded: 1881
Founder: Dayal Singh Majeetia
Founding Editor: Rajesh Ramachandran
Language: English
Kesari
Founded: 1881
Founding editor: Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Language: Marathi
Maratha
Founded: 1881
Founding editor: Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Language: English
Swadesimitram
Founded: 1882
Founding Editor: G. Subramania Iyer
Language: Tamil
Paridasak
Founded: 1886
Founding Editor: Bipin Chandra Pal
Language: Bengali
Deepika
Founded: 1887
Founding Editor: Nidhiry Mani Kathanar
Language: Malayalam
Note: Oldest Malayalam newspaper in circulation
Sudharak
Founded: 1887
Founding Editor: Gopal Ganesh Agarkar
Language: English/Marathi
Prabuddha Bharata (Awakened India)
Founded: 1896
Founders: P Aiyasami, BR Rajam Iyer, GG Narasimhacharya and BV Kamesvara Iyer
Language: English
Note: India’s longest-running journal.
Udbodhana
Founded: 1899
Founder: Swami Vivekananda
Language: Bengali
Krishna Patrika
Founded: 1902
Founder: Krishna Rao
Language: Telugu
New India
Founded: 1902
Founder: Annie Besant
Language: English
Bande Mataram
Founded: 1905
Founder: Aurobindo Ghosh
Language: Bengali
Jugantar Patrika
Founded: 1906
Founder: Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Abhinash Bhattacharya and Bhupendranath Dutt.
Lanugage: Bengali
Free Hindustan
Founded: 1907
Founder: Tarak Nath Das
Language: English
Swadesh Sevak (Servants of the Motherland)
Founded: 1907
Founder: Tarak Nath Das
Language: Gurumukhi (Punjabi)
Bande Mataram (Paris publication)
Founded: 1909
Founded by Madam Bhikaji Cama
Language: English
Talwar
Founded: 1909
Founded by Madam Bhikaji Cama
Language: English
Note: Originally named Madan’s Talwar after Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra.
The Leader
Founded: 1909
Founder: Madan Mohan Malviya
Language: English
Bombay Chronicle
Founded: 1910
Founder: Firoze Shah Mehta
Founding Editor: BG Horniman
Language: English
The Comrade
Founded: 1911
Founder: Mohammad Ali Johar
Language: English
Al-HilalFounded: 1912
Founder: Abul Kalam Azad
Language: Urdu
Note: It was forcibly shut down under the Press Act of 1914. Azad in response started another Urdu weekly, the Al-Balagh in 1914.
Pre Independence News Papers and Magazines of India:
Pratap
Founded: 1913
Founder: Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi
Commonweal
Founded: 1914
Founding Editor: Annie Besant
Language: English
Independent
Founded: 1919
Founder: Motilal Nehru
Founding Editor: BG Horniman and Syed Hussain
Language: English
Navjivan
Founded: 1919
Founder: MK Gandhi
Language: Gujarati
Young India
Founded: 1919
Founder: MK Gandhi
Language: English
Mooknayak (Leader of the Silent)
Founded: 1920
Founder: BR Ambedkar
Language: Marathi
Note: Started with the help of 2500 rupee by Shahaji II, then Maharaj of Kolhapur.
Vanguard
Founded: 1922
Founder: MN Roy
Language: English
Hindustan Times
Founded: 1924
Founder: Sunder Singh Lyallpuri
Founding editor: KM Panikkar
Language: English
Kudi Arasu
Founded: 1925
Founding editor: Periayar
Language: Tamil
Harijan
Founded: 1932
Founder: MK Gandhi
Language: Hindi, English and Gujarati
Note: Started from Yerwada Jail. Harijan was published in English. The Gujarati Edition was known as Harijan Bandu and Hindi Edition used to published as Harijan Sevak.
Hindustan Dainik
Founded: 1936
Founder: Madan Mohan Malaviya
Language: Hindi
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