In this episode, Sumit and Vasundhara tell you how the East India Company turned a system of informal censorship of newspapers into formal censorship in 1799.

This episode features special guests Dr. Ritika Prasad and Dr. Callie Wilkinson.

You can support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RealityScribes

Sources:

Margarita Barns: The Indian Press: A History of the Growth of Public Opinion in India, G. Allen & Unwin Limited, 1940

Charles MacLean: The Affairs of Asia, Considered in their Effects on the Liberties of Britain, In a Series of Letters, Addressed to Marquis Wellesley, Late Governor-General of India, C. Maclean, London, 1806.

Robert Rouiere Pearce: Memoirs and Correspondence of the Most Noble Richard Marquess Wellesley, 1846.

Abul Faiz Salahuddin Ahmad: The Development of Public Opinion in Bengal, 1818-1835.   University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (United Kingdom) ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,  1961. 11010653.

Ritika Prasad: "Imprimatur as Adversary: Press freedom and colonial governance in India, 1780–1823", in Modern Asian Studies, 2021(03).

Wilkinson, Callie. "“Pernicious publicity”: The East India Company, the military, and the freedom of the press, 1818–1823." Journal of British Studies 61.4 (2022): 915-948.

Music

The following tracks were used in this episode and were taken from the YouTube Audio Library. They do not require attribution under the YouTube Audio Library License. However, we will credit the artists for their work.

"East West" by John Patitucci

"Stealth" by Aakash Gandhi

"Low Noon" by John Patitucci

"Alone with my thoughts" by Esther Abrami

Allegro by Emmit Fenn

Podcast Artwork: Sumit Chaturvedi

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Reality Scribes has been conceptualised, scripted, narrated and produced by Sumit Chaturvedi and Vasundhara Sirnate.