CONTRAST BETWEEN ASHOKA, MUGHAL AND EUROPEAN PRESS

CONTRAST BETWEEN ASHOKA, MUGHAL AND EUROPEAN PRESS

If we go through the journey of history, the emergence of press or its commencement is seen in the Ashoka period and basic changes for its development and progress in the Mughal period and its whole revolutionizing in the European period. To make a contrast between the press of Ashoka, Mughal and European regime, we have to first analyze what factors were responsible to influence, develop, progress or change a basic system of media or press to such highly principled profession. I have classified them and summarized them as under:

1.      Political influence

2.      Social influence

3.      Economic influence

4.      Technological influence

Let us now briefly make a distinguishing of Ashoka, Mughal and European press under the scanner of the upper mentioned influences and factors. If we observe the Ashoka period, we can say that it was only meant for Govt. and emperor to frame out policies; and also for keeping its courts informed about public demands and needs and further to keep a link between the emperor and the Govt to inform the events about to happen in the kingdom. In Ashoka period, there prime sources of information used to be spies, secret overseers, writ writers and information gathered through socio-religious activities and the news or information were not fully made available to the masses, but selected things of awareness used to be done like awareness about certain events by hitting tom-tom or some moral guiding through paintings etc. Whereas, we see in Mughal period, the dissemination of information started to occur, there used to be a full record of darbar movements and moments through  Waqia Navis and Qafia Navis. Their sources of information were numerous as compared to the Ashoka period. Further, the inclusion of calligraphists and two wooden printing presses made it more developed and progressed. This was an attempt of technological development by the Mughal Regime. The information was widely circulated and disseminated and the concept of news writers emerged. As in contrast of Ashoka period, that keeping of information or its gathering was mainly meant for the Govt. and Emperor, Mughal regime did allow the private news keeping as many capitalists and landlords started to keep private news writers. The social influence was about to change the course of history of press or Journalism. The developmental traces, though, are seen in Mughal period and early European period as by the bringing of printing presses more developed than earlier by Christian and Danish missionaries and soon after by the east India company, but they were primarily concerned with their own missions and vested interests, but its revolution started in late eighteenth century by the unsuccessful attempt by William bolt and a successful attempt through Hickey’s Gazette. There were also external factors that created some contrast in between the three periods, particularly, the Mughal and the European period. The revolution of Enlightenment in Europe; which later spread in France, and America and had great influence over the colonies of Europe. This ideology is said to be responsible for the Renaissance, French Revolution, American revolution and American declaration of Independence and European Revolution itself. It brought a sense in the elite and intellectual class of the world to have the freedom of speech and expression which was responsible to pace up the need and significance of press. The social reformers and the co performers like Buckingham and Raja Ram Mohan Roy are the key players of mobilizing and wholly differentiating and revolutionizing the press in India. Importantly, James Silk Buckingham is considered and titled as the Father of Indian Journalism by some of the historians. An Anglo-Indian, has undoubtedly played a great role to uplift the elements, principles and ethics of Journalism with his co partners in India. In crux we can say that the Ashoka period was the period of baptizing the press, Mughal period was mainly meant to stand the press and European period made press to reach its supreme intellect.