Back in Time is ED’s newspaper-like column that reports the past as though it had happened just yesterday. It allows the reader to relive it several years later, on the date it occurred.
Calcutta, March 31, 1774 – A momentous occasion unfurled in the heart of British dominion yesterday as the esteemed East India Company formally established a department for the conveyance of letters and dispatches.
Under the directive of Governor-General Warren Hastings, this noble enterprise seeks to establish a structured system of communication, ensuring swift governance, improved trade correspondence, and better administration of justice across British territories.
His Excellency Hastings, well-versed in the challenges of managing a vast dominion, has deemed the establishment of an official postal system indispensable to the prosperity of the Company’s rule in Hindustan. Henceforth, the exchange of letters, once dependent upon precarious native means, shall now proceed with order and efficiency under the Company’s banner.
A Necessary Reform For British Governance
Governor-General Warren Hastings, in his wisdom, has observed that the administration of such a sprawling dominion is hindered by erratic and unreliable communication. Prior to this arrangement, dispatches between the Presidencies of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay were carried by native messengers, or “dak-runners,” who, though swift of foot, were often beset by dangers—wild beasts, river crossings, and the notorious perils of dacoits.
With this great undertaking, the Governor-General aims to bring regularity and security to the transmission of official missives, court orders, and commercial exchanges. A uniform postal system shall enable the efficient dispatch of intelligence, thereby strengthening the Company’s dominion in the subcontinent.
Routes, Regulations, And Costs Of The New Post
The postal routes have been methodically charted, with relay stations established at strategic intervals. Mounted couriers shall hasten along principal thoroughfares while foot messengers shall traverse remote interiors. A structured system of postal tariffs shall be levied, varying by distance and weight, ensuring fair compensation for this invaluable service.
It must be noted that this post is primarily intended for government and mercantile correspondence. Private letters may avail themselves of this facility, though their use shall remain at the discretion of the authorities. Secrecy and surveillance, it is said, shall be upheld to prevent the misuse of the postal system for illicit or treasonous purposes.
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Merchants And Officials Welcome The Change
The trading class of Calcutta has expressed resounding approval of this innovation. Merchants, whose fortunes rise and fall upon the timely receipt of letters of credit and invoices, have hailed this as a triumph of organisation. “This measure shall ensure that our bills of exchange arrive in due course, and no longer shall our business suffer from the uncertainty of delayed or lost letters,” remarked an esteemed English trader.
Amongst the Company’s officers and magistrates, this reform has been greeted with enthusiasm. A proper postal system shall facilitate communication between distant garrisons and provincial courts, ensuring that orders from the Governor-General are executed without untimely delay.
The Native Perspective
However, this British innovation does not arrive without murmurs of concern. For centuries, the native dak-runners have upheld an informal yet deeply ingrained system of message-bearing across the land. These men, known for their unwavering endurance, now find their livelihoods threatened by an enterprise that centralises the function they once fulfilled with agility and discretion.
Furthermore, certain noblemen and native administrators perceive this as yet another assertion of Company dominance. “Where once our letters bore the trust of our own people, now they shall be scrutinised by the sahibs,” lamented a princely envoy. The fear of surveillance looms over some quarters, though the promise of efficiency outweighs such reservations for many.
Post Scriptum: The Post Office Today
The humble post office, which began as an instrument of Company administration, has since grown into the lifeline of independent India. From the dusty lanes of villages to the bustling streets of Delhi and Bombay, the red-lettered post office remains a symbol of connection, bridging distances across a vast and diverse nation.
Yet, as we stand in the era of electric telegrams, telephones, and now digital communication, the post office faces an uncertain future. Once indispensable, its services now dwindle against the speed of modern technology. The romance of handwritten letters has faded, and financial transactions have moved beyond postal money orders to banking applications.
Nonetheless, the post office remains a pillar of rural connectivity. In remote corners where the internet has not yet cast its web, it is the postman who delivers pensions, official documents, and heartfelt messages. Whether it shall endure as an institution or fade into historical memory is a question left to time, but its legacy as India’s first great communication network remains undisputed.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: India Post, The Postal Museum
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: Post Office History, East India Company, Warren Hastings, Indian Postal System, British India, Colonial India, History of Communication, Indian History, Calcutta 1774, Postal Services in India, Dak Runners, Trade and Communication, Historical Reforms, Old India, British Rule in India, Indian Governance, Postal Network, Indian Trade, Letters and Dispatches, Evolution of Communication
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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