Q1. [4]
Print Comes to India
From 1780, James Augustus Hickey began to edit the Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine that described itself as 'a commercial paper open to all, but influenced by none'. So it was private English enterprise, proud of its independence from colonial influence, that began English printing in India. Hickey published a lot of advertisements, including those that related to the import and sale of slaves. But he also published a lot of gossip about the Company's senior officials in India. Enraged by this, Governor-General Warren Hastings persecuted Hickey, and encouraged the publication of officially sanctioned newspapers that could counter the flow of information that damaged the image of the colonial government. By the close of the eighteenth century, a number of newspapers and journals appeared in print. There were Indians, too, who began to publish Indian newspapers. The first to appear was the weekly Bengal Gazette, brought out by Gangadhar Bhattacharya, who was close to Raja Rammohan Roy.
Read the given source and answer the questions that follow :
- (34.1) In which language was 'Bengal Gazette' edited by James Augustus Hickey published ? [1]
- (34.2) Why was James Augustus Hickey persecuted ? [1]
- (34.3) Which newspapers were encouraged during the 1780s ? Why were they encouraged ? [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2024 32/5/1 Q34
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:00 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(34.1) The Bengal Gazette edited by James Augustus Hickey was published in the English language.
(34.2) James Augustus Hickey was persecuted by Governor-General Warren Hastings because Hickey published a lot of gossip about the Company's senior officials in India, which damaged the image of the colonial government.
(34.3) Governor-General Warren Hastings encouraged the publication of officially sanctioned newspapers. They were encouraged to counter the flow of information that damaged the image of the colonial government. By publishing newspapers under official control, the colonial authorities could manage and suppress news that was critical of their administration.
Source: Chapter – Print Culture and the Modern World, Section – Print Comes to India
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Explanation
- (34.1) The passage explicitly states it was "private English enterprise" that began English printing — one line is enough.
- (34.2) Stick to the passage's reason: gossip about senior Company officials. Don't add outside information.
- (34.3) This is 2 marks, so two distinct points are needed: (i) which newspapers (officially sanctioned) and (ii) why (to counter damaging information / protect colonial image). Examiners award 1 mark for each point.
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