It is widely understood that the East India Company used the printing press as an instrument to strengthen its illegal occupation of the su...
It is widely understood that the East India Company used the printing press as an instrument to strengthen its illegal occupation of the subcontinent. During the British Raj, Hindustani, also known as Hindvi, Hindi, Urdu, Gajari, or Deccani, was split into two different languages – Hindi and Urdu – to divide society and pit Indians against one another by way of religion and identity. One of the most regrettable aspects of colonialism and the post-1857 revivalism was that all communities began to be swayed by the British notions of language, culture, identity, and segregation.
While exploring the origins of Urdu-language publishing in the subcontinent, I came across two stories that offer insights into how and why Urdu printing started in the late nineteenth century, and the reasons behind its transformation post 1857. To me, both stories are simply that – stories. I do not know if they are authentic; but for me, their value lies in that these stories have continued to exist in the minds of those writing about the history of publishing in the subcontinent.
The first story
The first story claims that the printing press was brought to the subcontinent by Christian missionaries in the middle of the sixteenth century. A notable Catholic...
