CHAPTER VII Earuiest BenGALL JouRNALISM It will be seen that almost all the publications of the College of Fort William were printed and issued at the Srirampur Press.'. Buta greater Periodicals and 1 নও ৪ work than this was accomplished by Srirampur Press, by it ee and its missionary founders when in 1818 Dr. Marshman, in conjunction with Dr. Carey, proposed and carried out a scheme of publishing a monthly journal and a newspaper in Bengali. Such a project had long been present in the minds of the Srirampur brethren, for the Press as a means of diffusing knowledge is always an important and useful auxiliary to an earnest missionary: but stringent restric- tions on the Press, especially the vernacular press, had made it difficult for them to carry out their noble purpose. When therefore in February 1818, 157 ধলা Dr. Marshman proposed the publica- Youth’s Magazine. tion of Digdarsan, Carey in his anxiety for the safety of the mission, consented only on condition that it should be a monthly, and should avoid political discussion? The first Bengali periodical therefore confined itself purely to instructive ‘ When on March 21, 1800, an advertisement appeared in the official Calcutta Gazette, announcing that the missionaries had established a press at Srirampur, it at once roused Lord Wellesley who, although a liberal statesman, had fettered the press in British India. But on the assurance of Mr. Brown, the Governor-General wrote tothe mis- sionaries saying that he was personally favourable to the movement and that such an Oriental press would be invaluable to the College of Fort William. 2 Here is an extract from the minutes of the meeting of the Mission regarding the publication of Digdarsan :— “Feb. 13th, 1818. Mr. Marshman having proposed the publication of a periodical work in Bengali to be sold amongst the natives for the
