After India gained independence on August 15, 1947, the Indian Publish and Telegraph Division wished to commemorate the event by issuing a particular stamp. The division, nonetheless, couldn’t accomplish that because of the Partition and the required rearrangements and switch of administration.
The primary stamp of Unbiased India was lastly launched on November 21, 1947.
Here’s a take a look at that stamp and a quick postal historical past of pre-Unbiased India.
The primary stamps of Unbiased India
Three postage stamps have been issued to commemorate India’s independence — all of them featured the date August 15, 1947, and the phrases ‘Jai Hind’ within the Devanagari script.
The primary stamp, issued in November 1947, depicted the Indian flag — flying within the sky, amongst clouds. Its denomination was three-and-a-half annas.
The opposite two commemorative stamps have been launched in December 1947. One among them depicted the Lion Capital of Ashoka — the top of a column erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in Sarnath in 250 BCE. The stamp carried the picture of the sculpture with three Asiatic lions (the fourth being hidden from view), a wheel in aid with a bull on the fitting and a horse on the left, and a bell-shaped lotus beneath. It was priced at one-and-a-half annas.
One other stamp of a flying Douglas DC-4 plane was priced at 12 annas.
Transient postal historical past of pre-independent India
Though the Mughals used a communication system often known as “dawk” or “dak” — with “horse runners” for fast deliveries and foot runners for shorter distances — a extra formal postal system in India was established with the arrival of the East India Firm in India.
Initially, within the 1720s, the corporate arrange a postal service primarily for inner communication. In 1766, then Governor-Common Robert Clive arrange an everyday postal system, and in 1774, Warren Hastings took the initiative of creating the primary GPO (Common Publish Workplace) in Calcutta. The Madras GPO opened in 1786, adopted by the Bombay GPO in 1794.
The Post Office Act,1837, gave the federal government the unique proper to convey letters within the territories of the East India Firm. In 1854, uniform postage charges have been launched throughout the nation.
How Asia’s first stamps have been issued in undivided India
In 1852, India turned the primary nation in Asia to problem its personal postage stamps. Launched within the Sindh district and round in form, the stamp named “Scinde Dawk” was launched as a part of the postal reforms by the Governor of the district, Sir Bartle Frere.
Earlier than the introduction of the stamps, postage was paid by the recipient of the letter, who may decline to simply accept the submit. Valued at half anna, Scinde Dawk bore the Service provider’s Mark of the East India Firm with a heart-shaped motif divided into three sections, every containing one of many letters EIC, representing the East India Firm. The worth, half an anna, was written beneath. Encircling the design was the inscription “Scinde district dawk” in capital letters.
In 1854, the primary postal stamps legitimate all through India have been issued, bearing Queen Victoria’s portrait. The railway mail service was launched in India in the identical yr.