170 Years Of India Post: Going Down The Nostalgic Lane Of Letters, Postcards And Postal Stamps

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions the Indian Postal Service? Letters, isn't it? And what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of letters? For many, it is the Bollywood songs, whether it is Mohammed Rafi's song from the movie Kanyadaan (1968), Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe, Chitthi Ayi Hai from Naam (1986, Bhagyashree's superhit, in Lata Mangeshkar's voice from Maine Pyar Kia (1989) Kabootar Ja, or the 1977 classic from Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein, in Kishore Kumar's voice Dakiya Daak Laya. The last song especially highlights the importance of letters and postal services India had back in those days. The film itself featured its lead actor Rajesh Khanna as a postman. This year, in October, as we observe the 170 years of the Indian Postal Service, we cannot help but reminisce about these nostalgic memories, songs and movies.

The postal system has always been an integral part of the Indian subcontinent. Many rulers and dynasties came and went, but what stayed was the postal system, which underwent many changes. Though, it was only in 1854, when the Governor-General of India at that time, Lord Dalhousie introduced a uniform postage rate, and passed the India Post Office Act that led to the formation of the pan-India postal service on October 1, 1854. This year, it has marked its 170 years of existence, but informally, it has always existed! Ancient India And Postal SystemMany believe that it was Chandragupta Mauryan (321 BCE), not to be confused with Chandragupta of the Gupta empire from the 3rd century CE, who introduced the earliest postal system in India. Under the Mauryans, the empire was so vast that they used carrier pigeons to communicate between the different provinces. The Mauryans were spread up to Karnataka in the South, Afghanistan in the North, Nagaland in the East and eastern Iran in the West, with its centre at Patliputra, modern-day Patna. Though letters were not used in the Harappan civilisation, there was a mode of communication, as seals were found. The contemporary comparison of those seals would be a postal stamp. Postal Services In Medieval IndiaThe coming of Sultanate rule marked the beginning of Medieval Indian History, with Qutb-ud-din Aybak being the first Sultan of Delhi, who also introduced a post system in the 13th century CE. The messenger post system was later expanded into a 'horse and foot runner' service by Alauddin Khilji in 1296. Ziadduin Barani was a historian during Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firoz Shah Tughlaq's reign. He was best known for producing Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi, where we find the mention of this postal system. Barani mentions that Khilji had a horse and foot runner service called harakuras. The runners carried a baton with bells and ran across the allotted territory with mail. The bells signalled the runners ahead to prepare them for their upcoming run. The runners changed after each mile, and the post was delivered in record time.In the 1540s, Sher Shah Suri replaced foot runners with horses and also cemented the former trade route called the Uttarapath (the north path). It expanded from Bangladesh to Afghanistan and is today known as the Grand Trunk Road. Suri also built several Dak Chowki, or mail stations and Serai or inns that helped with quick despatches of royal and military correspondence. Under the Mughal reign, even Babur also built the postal system on the horse postal system. He also developed the runner services along the road from Agra up to Kabul and stationed six horses at every 36 miles.Also Read: The Formal Postal Service Under The British RulePostal Service by the British East Indian Company was introduced under the name of Company Mail between the 17th and 18th centuries. Until now all these postal services either served the royals or had their different systems on a regional basis. There was no uniform system. The first formal post office opened in Bombay, present-day Mumbai in 1727 and the then Governor-General of Bengal Warren Hastings 1774 made postal services available to the general public. A minimal fee of two annas per 100 miles was charged.

This was also built upon the ongoing services by horses and runners and was called Daak Harkara. It was used to deliver letters and parcels. Finally, in 1854, the postal system was made uniform. After independence, this came under the free India's government administration and was known as India Post. Looking Back

With 170 years of competition, there are many firsts that the Indian Postal System witnessed. From Asia's first adhesive postage stamps issued in the British-Indian province of Sindh in July 1852, post office savings bank account in 1882, postal life insurance for post employees in 1884 to the world's first official airmail on February 18, 1911, which was taken from Allahabad to Naini and the world's last pigeon mail service finally shutting down in Orissa in 2008. Though with modern mediums, emails, social media and instant messaging apps, letter-writing no longer is in the mainstream. Official work and the major mode of communication in rural areas is still happening through posts. In fact, in the nationwide network of 1,64,972 post offices in India, a daily of 10 million postcards and letters are still processed in these post offices.

In fact, four rare stamps from India were also sold at a UK auction in 2021. A set of stamps featuring the face of Gandhi set a new mark, it was sold for 500,000 pounds (Rs. 5,48,31,950). Indian stamps also find itself on the world's rarest stamps list. Indian Postal Services, thus has a rich history, which has been going on informally, for over 170 years and still finds its place in the rural and remotest areas, songs in popular media and continues to make a mark in the international market.