 Front page of Hicky's Bengal Gazette, 10 March 1781, from the University of Heidelberg's archives. | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | James Augustus Hicky |
| Founded | 29 January 1780 |
| Ceased publication | 30 March 1782 |
| Headquarters | 67 Radha Bazar Kolkata, India |
| Country | British India |
Hicky's Bengal Gazette or the Original Calcutta General Advertiser was an English-language weekly newspaper published in Kolkata (then Calcutta), the capital of British India. It was the first newspaper printed in Asia, and was published for two years, between 1780 and 1782, before the East India Company seized the newspaper's types and printing press. Founded by James Augustus Hicky, a highly eccentric Irishman who had previously spent two years in jail for debt,[1] the newspaper was a strong critic of the administration of Governor General Warren Hastings. The newspaper was important for its provocative journalism and its fight for free expression in India.