SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The work attempts to trace the invention, growth and development of printing in Bengali characters both outside and inside India from the earliest date up to 1866. Chapter 1 deals with the history of printing outside India. It traces the early attempts by the Europeans at Bengali printing. The earliest specimen of Bengali was printed in a book in 1692 in Paris. In 1773 Joseph Jackson attempted to cut a fount of Bengali types. In 1811 Charles Wilkins who was the first to cut a fount of Bengali types in Bengal in 1777, was the first to print a Bengali book in London. Between 1811 and 1834 Cox and Baylis with the assistance of Wilkins printed 12 Bengali and English-Bengali works. In 1833 Vincent Figgins cut a new fount of Bengali types. Stephen Austin, still a leading printer in oriental characters, used this type in 1861 and 1862 to print 3 books. Chapter 2 attempts to trace the earliest attempt at Bengali printing by Indians themselves including Block printing. Chapter 3 discusses the introduction of printing in Bengali characters and first Bengali printing from movable metal types by Charles Wilkins in 1777-78. Chapter 4 traces the early history of government printing in India and the contribution of the government towards the growth and development of Bengali printing. Chapter 5 traces the establishment, growth and development of printing by missionaries and their role and contribution towards growth and development of Bengali printing. Chapter 6 traces the growth and development of printing as a commercial enterprise. After giving a brief history of commercial printing in Bengal and the consequent growth and development of Bengali printing it lists 153 Bengali and 56 European presses with the period of their activity and the number of books printed by them. Chapter 7 deals the Bengali printing types and their problems, history, forms and use. Chapter 8 is a survey of Bengali printing between 1777 and 1866. Chapter 9 discusses the subject matter of the books printed between 1777 and 1866. Chapter 10 as an epilogue examines the problem of bibliographic control and its solution. Finally an appendix lists 2007 books printed both inside and outside India between 1777 and 1866 chronologically under the printers followed by an author index.