Liberty of the Press

Abstract

The preceding chapters demonstrate how Rammohun Roy became a transnational celebrity through his religious and social reform activities. This status was amplified by free press and free trade activists who claimed the famous Bengali for their causes, extending his renown into political circles opposed to Old Corruption. Central to this story is James Silk Buckingham, whose improbable odyssey from provincial sailor to member of parliament owed everything to a stint as radical journalist and colonizing advocate in Calcutta. There he became a friend and ally of Rammohun. After his banishment to Britain, Buckingham helped reintroduce the famed Bengali to British audiences in the new guise of political radical. The current chapter will examine this process in the context of the campaign for a free press. In chapter 7, attention will be directed at the free trade movement, where others joined Buckingham in celebrating Rammohun.