First paper of British India Hickey bengal Gazette.
Introduction:
Hickey Bengal Gazette was
an English newspaper published from Calcutta, India. It was the first newspaper
of the sub-continent and started in 1780. It was a Weekly Political and
Commercial Paper, Open to all Parties, but influenced by none. It was founded
by James Augustus Hickey. It also known as “Calcutta General Advertiser & Bengal
Gazette”. It published in English language. The newspaper soon became very
famous not only people but among the British soldiers posted in India at that time.
It was an inspiration for the Indians to launch newspaper of their own. James hickey
was deadly opposed to East India Company and started gazette to take revenge from
East India Company. Hickey Bengal Gazette was full of advertisements. The paper
ceased publication on March 23, 1782. It was published just for two years.
Who was hickey?
James Hickey called the
father of Indian journalism. As he was the first person who dare to launch a
newspaper under British raj, at that time no one could even think to launch
newspaper and wrote against the government but he did it. He was the fearless
champion of journalism in India because he left a courage and bravery among th
e Indian
journalists.
Hickey believed the liberty of the
press to be the very existence of a free government. In early stages he was the
employ of east India Company. He was fired by the authorities. He was a printer
in East India Company and knew that how to print that’s why he decided to
launch a newspaper.
James Hickey was not a
professional journalist. According to his own statement he had not even any
interest in newspaper writing but he made his body slave to get the relief of
his mind and soul. He picked up journalism as a profession just the sake of his
burning heart.
Hickey was a brave and
daring person. He was not afraid of anyone. He wrote against East India Company
openly. His way of writing was very impressive and bold. He had never mentioned
the name of person who was being criticised but his way of writing was very
clear, he used to present different character and criticize them and people can
easily understand that which character is for whom and what was he wanted to
show.
First paper of British India:
It was a weekly newspaper,
and was founded on January 29, 1780, in Calcutta, the capital of British India. Hickey
Gazette started from Calcutta because East India Company established her first.
This newspaper started in the year 1780 under the British rule. Hickey was the
editor of that newspaper. He was a pioneer in
bringing the start of journalistic activities in the country.
bringing the start of journalistic activities in the country.
Elements of the newspaper:
The
Gazette had most of the news items and contents from England and also from the
sanction for letters from readers and items of gossip and scandals. Hickey had
a personal column of his own in the Gazette through which he directly
communicated to the citizens which succeeded in arousing desirable sentiments
in the public.
The
governor general Warren Hastings and the Chief Justice Elijah Empery were often
ridiculed by him using ambiguities.
Once he
was imprisoned for 1 year and fined Rs /2000. Despite his imprisonment the
Gazette continued to be published before it had to be permanently closed down
two years after it was started.
MOTTO OF HICKEY GAZETTE:
Bengal
Gazette’s motto was:
“A Weekly Political and
Commercial Paper, Open to all Parties, but influenced by none.”
size of hickey gazette:
As Compared to current
newspapers, Hickey’s Gazette was smaller in size. It was twelve inches in
length and seven inches in breadth. It had only two sheets with three columns
on each page and was printed on both sides of the pages. Its circulation was
limited not exceeding 200 copies.
Purposes of the paper:
There
was three main purposes behind the opening of newspaper.
11-He
wanted to take revenge from East India Company.
2-To
aware the people about their basic rules and their own rights and the
exploitation of east India company.
3-To
show them the real faces of East India Company.
POSITIVE
aspects OF HICKEY GAZETTE:
The editor spoke, rather
wrote, directly to the readers. In a large number of letters published, praises
were showered on the efforts of Hickey. There was a space for poets, named
the Poets Corner. Advertisements mainly about auctions were printed and the articles,
which were entitled ‘London Fashions’ Folly of a Fashionable Life’ and ‘Evils
that Arise from French Refinements’ reminded us of the papers like The Tattler
of Richard Steele and The Spectator of Joseph Addison and was moral in tone.
Some stories of scandals, love affairs, local gossip were also accommodated to
hold a mirror to the life of the European community in Calcutta. Full reporting
was occasionally done of the balls and dances.
Hickey’s
boldness has proved one great truth about Indian journalism ‘Better break than
break’. Journalists may be harassed, attacked or imprisoned, but journalism
does not die.as only the first in a long line of Anglo-Indian newspapers. It is
to the stalwart Raja Ram Mohan Roy, to whom goes the credit of being called the
father of Indian Journalism. Hickey died a paper. But he left a very rich
cultural heritage for Indian journalists. The credit of being the first
journalist goes to William Bolts, a Dutch writer who found his way to India
after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. But it was left to James Augustus Hickey
to start a full-fledged newspaper.
Hickey’s
sense of humor and funniness was one of the positive aspect of the newspaper
because it developed more interest in the readers. People got pleasure and recreation
as well the news.
Although it
was first newspaper even though it had advertisements. In this age the reading
of newspaper considered a very good and respectful work. Besides the ministers
and the English men common people also buy this newspaper and also spent money
to reading it from the others. People believe on all the news published in this
newspaper. It set the trend of newspaper.
It was great
inspiration for those who wanted to launch newspaper and after the rise of
newspapers in sub-continent, they played a great role in freedom movement
against British rule.
NEGATIVE
POINTS OF HICKEY GAZETTE:
Public
engagements were also announced and many scandalous stories were served in a
palatable way. Nicknames were given to the notables of the European community
of Calcutta. Thus the Gazette was a kind of moral monitor of Hickey’s in which
his aim was ‘Criticize British values’ a tool to ridicule the manners of the
persons he disliked. He was sterner than Sheridan in his The School for
Scandal. Characters like Erma Wrentham, ‘the coinsure Belle’, a gossip
reminding us of Sheridan Mrs. Candor or Buxom Clumsy like Sheridan’s Crabtree
or Benjamin Backbite abound in the Gazette.
The
Gazette was also a social document as it exposed the unlawful method of
accumulation of vast wealth by the Company traders. Some assertions regarding
the sale of a slave boy, a ‘South African kefir’, were also found. As with all
newspapers, the Gazette also played the ant-establishment role and very soon
incurred the wrath of Warren Hastings, the then Governor General and others in
the administration including Sir Elijah Impey, the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court. Another rival paper was the India Gazette, which made Hickey furious and
unhappy especially when he came to know that postal concession was given to the
paper. Hickey criticized the publishers for influencing Lady Hastings in
getting this advantage. Hereafter, the articles of Hickey against the
government were more malicious and sarcastic and even vulgar. Hickey irked
Warren Hastings so much that a case of defamation was filed against him. Hickey
was even imprisoned. Then four fresh cases were filed and equipment’s were
seized without caring for the fact that this was a blow to the freedom of the
Press.
To
achieve specific goal he used vulgar and abusive language, he used to write
absurd poems which is unethical thing.
Problems
faced by hickey:
January 29 is a red letter day in the history
of the Indian press. It is on this day in 1780 that an Irishman settled in
India brought out a newspaper, marking the birth of journalism in this country.
James Augustus Hicky, the pioneer, started the weekly newspaper basically to
counter the nuisance of public announcements through peons and the distribution
of hand bills in a growing commercial town like Calcutta.
In order
to gauge the reactions of the authorities, Hicky brought out a prospectus and
expressed his intentions to bring out a newspaper for the benefit of the
public. Initially, he did not attract any wrath from the officials as he was polite
in his appeal. When he brought out a two-page weekly, about twelve inches by
eight, on Saturday, January 29, 1780, he created history in the Indian
subcontinent.
The East India Company, which was ruling the
country, was not favourably disposed to the press; the officials of the Company
were suspicious of journalists and newspapers from the very beginning. The
officials were intolerant of any kind of criticism. The notional support that
the press in India got emanated from the control of press by the Englishmen who
drew strength from the power of press in England.
James Augustus Hicky started Bengal Gazette, a
two-sheet newspaper that publicised the private lives of the 'sahibs' of the
Company. It was almost a one man show. Hicky did not have any editorial
support. Most of the editorial content was based on the newspapers that reached
Calcutta after almost six to eight months. He freely reproduced all the major
developments in England and Europe including the discussions in House of
Commons.
It was almost a one man show. Hicky did not
have any editorial support. Most of the editorial content was based on the
newspapers that reached Calcutta after almost six to eight months. He freely
reproduced all the major developments in England and Europe including the discussions
in House of Commons.
The company officials disliked Hicky’s writings
from the very beginning. When the scurrilous and vulgar write-ups continued
unabated, the postal facilities extended to Hicky’s newspaper were withdrawn.
This angered him further. He declared that the “Governor’s action was the
strongest proof of arbitrary power. I would not bend before the official storm.
Hicky’s Gazette was like holding a mirror to
the life of European community in Calcutta, as the paper published a detailed
account of their social life, but laced with a touch of broad humour and
satire. It contained stories of scandals, love affairs, local gossips and
duels. No wonder its readers found the Gazette very entertaining, describing it
as a "witty and scurrilous" paper
there was nothing to stop Hicky from writing malicious, vulgar and sarcastic articles against the government. The Bengal Gazette started printing imaginary concerts and plays, where he assigned suggestive parts to Warren Hastings calling him "The Great Moghul", "Sir F. Wronghead", "Dictator" and made him sing a song (in paper, of course) entitled "Know then, War is my pleasure.
there was nothing to stop Hicky from writing malicious, vulgar and sarcastic articles against the government. The Bengal Gazette started printing imaginary concerts and plays, where he assigned suggestive parts to Warren Hastings calling him "The Great Moghul", "Sir F. Wronghead", "Dictator" and made him sing a song (in paper, of course) entitled "Know then, War is my pleasure.
He started bitter attack on all top officers of
the company and did not spare the family members of Governor General and the
Chief Justice. Both administration and judiciary were furious with Hicky. He
was arrested and brought before the court on several cases. As he could not pay
Rs 80,000 as bail, he was put behind bars. Several defamation cases were filed
against the paper and Hicky was convicted in all of them. Though he was in
jail, he had made arrangements for the publication of his weekly.
Hicky and Hastings were not on good terms with
each other. Hicky was habitually, and with malice and ridicule, reporting and
giving publicity to the social life of the European community in Kolkata. While
announcing marriages and engagements, he also published news of engagements
anticipated and he utilized this to hit those he disliked. This behaviour was
also creating big problems for him later on.
After giving him long tether for considerable
time, and ignoring the suggestions of strong action against Hickey from the
members of his Council, Hastings finally took action against him for defamation
on two counts in June, 1781. Hicky was convicted and sentenced to two years'
imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 2,000. The Chief Justice awarded damages to
Hastings of Rs. 500 but Hastings waived it. Although Hicky was in prison, his
paper continued to appear regularly, and mysteriously his column too appeared in
the same defiant tone.
The paper had great public support. Hastings
took action second time in March, 1782. This resulted in confiscation of his
types: on appeal to the Clerk of King, the King's judges released his types.
This decision was hailed by Hicky as protecting the liberty of the press. But
that was the end of Hicky's Gazette, which had barely a life of two years.
Hicky had done some printing job for the
Company—he printed on order 16,800 sheets—and submitted bill for value of Rs.
35,092. The authorities said that the full number of sheets were not supplied
and the printing was also defective. The payment, was approved for only Rs.
6,711. Hicky wrote about his claim to Hastings. Hastings ordered payment of Rs.
6,711 on the condition that he gave acquittal for all demands that is for full
and final payment. Hicky was adamant as before and insisted on full payment.
So, he did not accept the offer. Towards the end of his life, Hicky consented
to the offer of lower payment due to extreme penury faced by his large family
while he was in prison, but it took long time to get the money.
If Hicky was indomitable, Hastings was equally,
if not more, revengeful. With the aid of the Chief Justice of Supreme Court,
Elizah Impey, he resolved to kill Hicky's paper. He instituted suit after suit
against Hicky and at last succeeded in crushing both the paper and its editor.
These was all the problems faced by the hickey
during publishing his newspaper and after he lost everything his paper reached
at its end and die.
Inspiration
for the others:
- Hickey was the pioneer of the journalism and also the newspaper in the sub-continent. After coming the hickey’s gazette other people also taking interest for publishing the news paper.
- Hickey used the very rash language for the others and he also taken revenge so other people thoughts that newspaper is a good tool for blaming and avenge other.
- It was just beginning after this newspaper there were a huge number of newspaper published in the history of sub-continent
- After coming the public newspapers people were come to know about their rights and they felt that they have become prisoner in their own country.
- And through these newspapers our leaders brought revolution and Indian massed got freedom.
Climax
of the paper:
After coming
the hickey’s gazette people were very exciting to read it and know about it,
when the British government felt the issues they were facing due to hickey they
planned to stop hickey.
He was
arrested and brought before the court on several cases. As he could not pay Rs
80,000 as bail, he was put behind bars. Several defamation cases were filed
against the paper and Hicky was convicted in all of them. Once he pay two
thousand and once five hundred. He captured many times and prisoned. After all
that his financial condition were getting worst.
Although he
was suffering from monetary problems he tried to publish his newspaper and he
used to work alone so as to decrease expenditures.
Government
banned his post service and then he used to go himself to distribute
newspapers.
East India
Company took advantage of his economy problem and to betray him they gave him a
publishing contract. They gave him a small amount as an advance and after
publishing they did not pay anything. Hickey suffer a loss of more than thirty
thousand rupees. After the cheat of company he could not overcome his lost and
the newspaper came to its end. After completion of his two year journey the paper ceased
publication on March 23, 1782.
