The British influence thus played a predominant role in the development of the Indian Postal System. It

was only natural that the first postal marking introduced in India in 1775 falls on line of the first British

"BISHOP MARK". There are just four such letters which have survived and all these passed through the

Calcutta region. The Mails between England and India were generally carried by East India Company's

ship, known as "EAST INDIA MEN" by circuitous route via Cape of Good Hope which consumed lot of

time.

From 1826 onwards, Waghorn started a systematic approach for opening of the overland mail via Egypt

once the route via Red Sea to Suez/Alexendria, advocated by Waghorn, was approved which reduced the

time by half. He was appointed Deputy Agent of EIC (East India Company) on 14th June, 1837, res;

ponsible for carrying mails between Alexendria and Suez. He used his special cachets separately both for

Suez and Alexendria. There were in all 4 routes via Suez/Alexendria—(1) via Southompton (2) via Marseilles

(3) via Brindisie (4) via Trieste.

The First Postage Stamp of India ± Scinde District Dawk, 1852

The first Postage Stamps of India were issued, not for the whole of the country but for a mere small

province—Sind. It may very well be termed as the acid test prior to introduction of postage stamps in

India, since Sind had introduced improved Postal reforms in 1851. When Sir Bartle Frere the then

Provincial Commissioner of Sind, approached Government at Bombay for extra funds to improve further

postal lines, the same was denied and was asked to find ways and means to maintain the costly and

luxurious net work. He took this opportunity to introduce a cheap postal rate in his Province, being

greatly influenced by the success of the uniform Penny Postage introduced in England. He, with the help

of Edward Lees Coffey, Post Master of Sind designed the stamp, now famous as "Scinde Dawk".

Originally, it was thought that the introduction of stamps may not be popular as the habits of the local

inhabitants to transact business in any other method other than coin would be very difficult. But it

proved otherwise. The Scinde Dawks were issued three different colours ; Red (vermilion), White & Blue

during the period of 1852;53.

The Red Scinde Dawk ± The First Stamp India & Asia

The Scinde Dawk stamp were first issued in Red, embossed on brittle vermillion each stamp was punched

out from a sealing wafer. In the centre is the logo of the East India Company, with the talismanic “4”

above.

Waghorn Correspondence

via Suez B Alexandria

Indian ±ishop Mark

Extremely Rare