Postage Stamps Of India

Postage Stamps Of India

The postal systems in India existed in various forms from before the Christian era. As the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and British displaced the Mughals, their postal systems existed alongside those of nominally independent states.

The British East India Company gradually displaced other powers and brought into existence a British administrative system all over India, with a need to establish and maintain official mail systems. Though the Indian Post Office was established in 1837, Asia's first stamp, the Scinde Dawk, was introduced by the local administration of the province of Sind in 1852.

The Indian postal system developed into an extensive, dependable and robust network providing connectivity to almost all parts of India, Burma, the Straits Settlements and other areas controlled by the British East India Company. Based on the model postal system introduced in England by the reformer, Rowland Hill, postal services were provided at a low cost and enabled the smooth functioning of the administrative machinery of the British Raj.

The Imperial Posts co-existed with the several postal systems maintained by various Indian states, some of which produced stamps for use within their respective dominions, while British Indian postage stamps were required for sending mail beyond the boundaries of these states. Telegraphy and telephony made their appearance as part of the Posts before becoming separate departments. After the Independence of India in 1947, the Indian postal service continues to function on a countrywide basis and provides many valuable, low cost services to the public of India.

Postage Stamps Of India