ROLE OF VERNACULAR PRESS DURING BRITISH RULE IN INDIA

With the establishment of British East India Company and its control over India a new system of politico-socio-economic and culture was started. The main objective of European Companies was to make trade relations with India. But they started interfere the Indian political structure and in the latter half of the eighteenth century captured the control of Bengal after defeating the local rulers. They came to India not only as traders but also their mission was to convert Indian to Christianity. The Christian Missionary was eager to spread the western thoughts and education among the Indian masses. A change was apparent after the introduction of modern press on Indian soil. Hicky, was a foreigner introduced printing media in India who started English weekly. Since then various newspapers were published and circulated in different places in India. During the early days of press the newspapers, journals and magazines published the matters related to individual's affairs, education, training and advertisements etc. During nineteenth century vernacular press aware the Indian people about the propaganda of British Company. After the Revolt of 1857, the vernacular press exposed British barbarism. Indian National Awakening was the prime motive of vernacular newspapers. The press was time and again fined, and censored for their publications against the British Rule. In 1878, under the Lord Lytton's Vernacular Press Act the Indian newspapers were suffered, banned and stop their circulations.