Newspapers and Technology in Nineteenth-Century India:The Case of the Telegraph

Although there are many studies on newspapers in colonial India, there are few studies that focus on the relationship between newspapers and communication technology. However, steamships and telegraphs, which were put to practical use in the 19th century, played a major role in the development of newspapers. In particular, the telegraph attracted attention as a technology that transcends time, distance, and space. The construction and expansion of the telegraph network accelerated the exchange of information not only within the Indian subcontinent, but also between Britain and India, Europe and Asia, and changed news coverage in India. After clarifying the establishment and spread of the telegraph route, this paper takes up some English-language newspapers published in India in the 19th century and examines the meaning and role of technology in the history of Indian newspapers