Licensing Act 1857
Topic: Print Culture and the Modern World · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Licensing Act of 1857 was an emergency law passed during the revolt of 1857. It again made it compulsory to hold a government licence to keep a printing press. It also let the government stop the publication of any newspaper, book or printed paper. It was meant to last only a short time, but it marked the start of a harder official attitude to the Indian press after 1857.
Example
In 1857, under Governor-General Lord Canning, the government used this law to control papers during the revolt. It applied to English papers as well as Indian ones. After 1857, angry Englishmen also demanded a clampdown on the "native" press.
Don't confuse with
- Licensing Regulations 1823: John Adam's earlier licence rules, which had been removed in 1835. The 1857 Act brought licensing back in a wartime emergency.
Related concepts
- Censorship of Press Act 1799
- Licensing Regulations 1823
- Press Act of 1835
- Hindu Patriot
- Som Prakash
- Press and Registration of Books Act 1867
- Amrita Bazar Patrika
- Vernacular Press Act
- The Hindu
- Swadesamitran