In this episode, Sumit and Vasundhara tell you the story of Cornishman James Silk Buckingham and how he went from being a sailor to becoming the editor of the most successful newspaper in colonial Bengal between 1818 and 1823.

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.

Ralph E Turner: James Silk Buckingham (1786-1855) - A Social Biography, William and Norgate Ltd., 1934.

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.