Missionaries of Kerala: Important Missionaries & Contributions

The Christian missionaries played a significant role in development of modern education in Kerala. Their systematic efforts contributed substantially to the spread of Western education and literacy in the state.

Beyond education, their missionary activities were instrumental in social reforms, most notably the establishment of printing presses, promotion of cottage industries, abolition of slavery, etc.

However, this being a Kerala PSC exam-oriented post, our primary focus will be on their contributions in the fields of education and literature.

The post below will give an structured overview of the major missionary societies that worked in Kerala,, their arrivals, key institutions, and their important contributions.

It is designed as a useful reference to prepare for the Kerala PSC (Degree Level Prelims/Mains) exams and KAS examinations.

☰Table of Contents

The Role of Christian Missionaries in Kerala’s Education & Development

The Christian missionary activities in Kerala intensified after the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century.

Later, Protestant missionaries from England, Germany, and other European countries expanded their activities across Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar.

Their work went beyond religion and deeply influenced the modernization of Kerala.

Their main contributions include:

Spread of modern education
Development of printing and literature
Healthcare services
Social reforms
Empowerment of marginalized communities
Introduction of Western sciences and ideas

Key Missionary Societies: Timelines & Regions

Missionary Group	Arrival Era	Core Regions / Headquarters	Local Administration / Political Context	Key Focus / Milestone
Portuguese & Jesuits	1540s – 1700s	Kochi, Kodungallur, Diamper, Kollam	Portuguese Dominance (Colonial rule over ports)	Synod of Diamper (1599), Seminary at Vaipicotta
LMS	1806	South Travancore (Mylaudy, Nagercoil, TVM)	Travancore Princely State (British Resident era)	First English School at Mylaudy (1806), Girls' Education
CMS	1816	Central Travancore & Cochin (Kottayam, Thiruvalla, Alappuzha)	Travancore & Cochin Princely States (Col. Munro Era)	CMS College (1817), CMS Press, Malayalam Printing
BEM	1834	Malabar (Thalassery, Kozhikode, Cannanore)	Direct British Raj (Malabar District of Madras Presidency)	Rajyasamacharam (1847), Tile & Handloom Industries
Salvation Army	1889	South Travancore (TVM, Nagercoil)	Travancore Princely State	Subaltern Empowerment,* Catherine Booth Hospital

Different Missionary Groups in Kerala in Details

Missionaries Arrival Timeline for Kerala PSC

The different missionary groups that arrived in Kerala can be broadly classified into two groups. They are:

1. Catholic Missionaries
2. Protestant Missionaries

Catholic Missionaries

Portuguese Missionaries / Ecclesiastics

The Portuguese arrival under Vasco da Gama in 1498 marked a new phase in the Christian missionary era.

Roman Catholic missionaries accompanied Portuguese traders. They established Churches and seminaries. They also attempted to bring the Syrian Christians under the Roman Catholic Church.

These figures were Portuguese nationals representing the Portuguese Crown and the Archdiocese of Goa. Their focus in Kerala was largely administrative, political, and aligning local Christians with Rome.

Franciscans, Augustinians, Dominicans, and early diocesan priests were the different Catholic missionaries sent directly via Goa and Kochi.

In fact, Franciscans were the very first Western Catholic missionary group to establish a permanent presence in Kerala during the Portuguese rule.

It was them who built the historic St. Francis Church in Kochi (Fort Kochi) in the year 1503.

Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes

He served as the Archbishop of Goa from 1595 to 1612 and was also the Governor of Portuguese India (1607-1609).

It was he who convened the historic Synod of Diamper (Udayamperoor Synod) in 1599.

The aim was to bring the native Saint Thomas Christians (Marthoma Nasranis / Nasrani Mappilas) under the Latin Catholic Church and Portuguese Padroado authority.*

Jesuit Missionaries

St. Francis Xavier, Roberto de Nobili, Joannes Gonsalves, and Arnos Pathiri were some of the important Jesuit Missionaries to arrive in Kerala.

As members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), these European missionaries centered their work on education, linguistic scholarship, and pioneering the region's first printing infrastructure.

First Missionary group arrived in Kerala – Jesuits.
The Jesuit Missionaries had arrived in Kerala during the reign of – Portuguese.
First Jesuit Missionary to reach India – St. Francis Xavier (Goa, 1542).
First Jesuit Missionary to land in Kerala – St. Francis Xavier (1542).

Joannes Gonsalves

Joannes Gonsalves was a Jesuit lay brother* (not a priest) and was a master blacksmith, artisan, and metalworker.

He arrived at the Vypeekotta Seminary in Chendamangalam in 1577 and was the one who carved the very first native Indian typesets out of wood.

First book printed in an indigenous Indian language using local scripts – Thambiran Vanakkam (written in Tamil, 1578).

He, along with Father João de Faria (who refined and used a improved version of the metal typesets) printed the historic book Thambiran Vanakkam at Kollam on October 20, 1578.

The book was a colloquial translation of a Portuguese catechism written by St. Francis Xavier and its Portuguese title is Doctrina Christam en Lingua Malauar Tamul (translation: Christian Doctrine in the Malabar Tamil Language).

Arnos Pathiri / Fr. Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681–1732)

Arnos Paathiri (AI Restoration | Original source: Velur Church archives / J.-C. Muller)
He was a German Jesuit missionary who was working within a Portuguese-controlled mission structure in Kerala. He made tremendous contributions to the Malayalam and Sanskrit languages.

First Malayalam Dictionary was prepared by – Arnos Pathiri.*
First Sanskrit Grammar book composed by a European scholar – Grammatica Grandonica (Arnos Pathiri).**

* It was a compiled, unprinted Malayalam-Portuguese dictionary.

** Grammatica Grandonica (The Grammar of the Grandha Language) was written in Latin using Siddharupam, a foundational text used in the traditional Sanskrit education framework of Kerala & Amarakosha.

His major works include:

Puthen Pana – An epic Malayalam poem which narrates the life of Jesus Christ.
Marana Parvam
Moksha Parvam
Naraka Parvam
Vidhi Parvam
Umma Parvam
Chathuranthyam
Malayalavyaakaranam
Devamathavinte Vyakulaprabandham

Carmelite Missionaries

Carmelite Missionaries officially arrived in Kerala in 1657, even though their presence can be traced back to around the 1640s. Fr. Joseph Sebastiani and Hyacinth of St. Vincent, who were sent directly by Pope Alexander VII, to mediate the historic rift following the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653.

Much later, a second conflict occurred between Jesuits and Portuguese missionaries; Fr. Angelus Francis arrived as the first Vicar Apostolic of the Malabar church to abate the rising tensions.

First Malayalam Grammar Book was written by – Fr. Angelus Francis (Grammatica Malabarica; written in Latin).

The fourth important figure among the Carmelite missionaries was Fr. Clement Peanius / Clemente Peani, who arrived in 1731.

He was a scholar rather than a peace envoy, dedicated his life to linguistics, printing, and literature.

Also, he was the one responsible for casting and engraving the first set of Malayalam movable metal types (fonts) and used it to print the Alphabetum Grandonico-Malabaricum and Samkshepa Vedartham in 1772, at the Propaganda Fide press in Rome.

First book fully printed in the Malayalam language – Samkshepa Vedartham (a Christian catechism book).

Poulionos Pathiri / Paulinus of St. Bartholomew, who was an Austrian Discalced* Carmelite missionary, is another important figure in Kerala's history.

He arrived in Kerala in 1776 and mastered Malayalam, Tamil, and Sanskrit during his stay.

He authored around 30 books and was responsible for publishing the first Sanskrit grammar book printed in Europe.

Dr. Marcelinus / Bishop Marcelinus Berardi OCD was yet another prominent Discalced Carmelite missionary who is worth mentioning in Kerala history.

It was during his tenure as a bishop that two famous newspapers, Satya Natha Kahalam (1876) and Nazrani Deepika* (1887), were launched.

He is also believed to have authored two famous books known as Satya Veda Charitram, a complete account of Christian ecclesiastical and biblical history, and a biography of Mother Teresa (not the famous one from Calcutta, but the St. Teresa of Avila).

This biography might be the very first biography book ever published in the Malayalam language.

Local Carmelite Missionaries

In and around the 19th century, the local Syrian Catholic priests adopted the Carmelite order.
They founded many indigenous religious congregations that later revolutionised Kerala's education system and social landscape.

The famous among them were:

St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara: Founder of the CMI order, introduced the Pallikoodam & first printing press.
Malpan Thomas Palackal: Co-founded the CMI order and pioneered rigorous, systematic native seminary education in Kerala.
Malpan Thomas Porukara: Co-founded the CMI order, laid the foundation stone for its historic first monastery at Mannanam.

Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar

Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar was one of the most influential native Syro-Malabar diocesan priests in the 18th century.

in the 18th century.

He actively opposed the colonial rule under the Portuguese and their missionaries, including both the Jesuits and the Carmelites.

He fought them relentlessly, arguing that the Indian Christians should be ruled by Indian Bishops rather than foreign European missionaries.

First travelogue written in Malayalam and in any Indian language – Varthamanapusthakam.

It was about the perilous journey he undertook with Mar Joseph Kariattil to Rome and Lisbon to secure independence from European ecclesiastical rule between 1778 and 1786.

↪ For anyone interested in the English translation of Varthamanapustakam, click here or for Malayalam copy (part 1), click here

Courtesy: www.malankaralibrary.com & ഗ്രന്ഥപ്പുര (for rare books)

Protestant Missionaries

As mentioned before, early Portuguese and Jesuit missionaries were Roman Catholic.

London Missionary Society (English), Church Mission Society (English) and Basel Mission Society (Swiss/German) were Protestant denominations. Their main focus was on the conversion of untouchables and the Syrian Christians.

London Missionary Society (LMS)

LMS Missionaries concentrated their work mainly among lower castes and the Syrian Christians. Their activities were centered in the areas around Central & North Travancore.

William Tobias Ringeltaube

Ringeltaube (Digital AI recreation based on original historical sketch / Wikipedia reference)

Ringeltaube arrived in Travancore upon the request of the first native protestant convert in Travancore, Vedamanickam Maharasan, on April 25, 1806.

First Protestant Missionary to arrive in Kerala/ South India/ Travancore – William Tobias Ringeltaube (1806).
First English Medium School in Travancore – Mayiladi (1809). *
First Protestant Church in South Travancore was built by – Ringeltaube (1809).

Ringeltaube also succeeded in establishing six schools in Travancore. Colonel C. Macaulay, the British resident at the court of Travancore, helped Ringeltaube in these ventures.

Rev. Charles Mead

Rev. Charles Mead arrived in and around 1817 and moved his mission headquarters to Nagercoil in 1818.

He was more of a social activist who fought tirelessly to abolish slavery and indentured labour in Travancore.

He was also one of the driving forces behind the historic Upper Cloth Revolt (Channar Lahala / Maru Marakkal Samaram) of the Nadar community.

Mission Headquarters – Nagercoil.
Father of the South Travancore Mission / Father of South Kerala Mission – Rev. Charles Mead.
First Missionary Lady of South Travancore – Mrs. Johana Mead.

Mrs. Johana Mead, popularly known as "Mrs. Mead," was Rev. Charles Mead's second wife. She co-founded the Nagercoil industries that taught the local women embroidery and lace-making.

She was also instrumental in designing the Kuppayam (the loose jackets/blouses) that sparked the historic Channar Lahala and assisted Rev. Charles Mead in his various endeavours.

Rev. Samuel Mateer

Rev. Samuel Mateer (Digital AI recreation based on original historical sketch / Wikipedia reference)

Rev. Samuel Mateer was a was a prominent LMS missionary, author, and ethnographer whose mission center was in the Travancore region (Parassala & Trivandrum).

He was given a mock title "Pulaya Padiri" by the upper class members because he worked for the upliftment of the marginalized Pulaya and other downtrodden communities.

He authored 3 main books. They are:

The Land of Charity (1871) : describes the socio-religious customs and geography of 19th-century Travancore.
Native Life in Travancore (1883) : detailed accounts about the local administration, economy, clothing, food, and the intricate workings of the caste system.
The Gospel in South India (1887) : documents the lives of early native Christians.

He also established multilingual reading rooms and libraries across Travancore to bypass caste restrictions on knowledge.

He was also the founder president of the Trivandrum YMCA.

Church Missionary Society (CMS)

Anglican Church Missionary Society became active in and around Kottayam since 1813. Their main focus was on educational development.

Some of the important CMS Missionaries are Thomas Norton, Benjamin Bailey, Henry Baker Sr, & Amelia Baker, Henry Baker Jr., Joseph Fenn, Richard Collins & Bishop Speechly.

First CMS Missionary to arrive in Kerala – Thomas Norton (Kochi, 1816).
First Public School in Kerala was started by – Thomas Norton (CMS School Alappuzha, 1816).
First College in Kerala – CMS College, Kottayam (1817).
Founder/Patron of CMS College in Kottayam – Col. John Munro.

First Principal of CMS College – Rev. Benjamin Bailey.
First magazine published from CMS College – Vidya Samgraham (1864).
Principal of CMS College who introduced physical education and open libraries – Richard Collins.
The missionary organization which started a girls’ school at Alappuzha in the first quarter of 19th century – C.M.S.
First Girls' School in Alappuzha was founded by – Anne Norton (Widow of Thomas Norton, 1820).
The Christian missionary who started "Grammar Schools" in Kottayam – Henry Baker Sr.
First Girls' School in Kottayam was founded by – Amelia Baker (1820).
Apostle of the Hill Tribes / Apostle of the Hill Arrians – Henry Baker Jr. (due to his work among Malayarayans of Mundakayam area).
First Bishop of the CMS Anglican Diocese of Travancore & Cochin – Bishop John Martindale Speechly.
First Indian Bishop – Rev. C. K. Jacob (1945).

When Rani Gowri Parvathy Bai introduced free and compulsory education in Travancore in 1817 with the help of British Resident, Colonel John Munro. It was Norton's 1816 school layout that helped Col. Munro to convince the ruler.

Contemporary to Thomas Norton, Rev. Thomas Dawson is considered the pioneer of modern English education in the princely state of Cochin.

The first English school in the princely state of Cochin was started at – Mattancherry.
The British missionary who opened an English school at Mattancherry in 1818 – Rev. J. Dawson.

This school was started with direct financial aid and royal patronage from the Cochin Government, heavily backed by Colonel Munro.

Dawson, along with his wife, established the Protestant English Boys School and the Protestant English Girls School in Fort Kochi.

This opened up institutional literacy for girls, and later these two schools were merged in 1899.

Rev. Benjamin Bailey (1816-1850)

Rev. Benjamin Bailey (Digital AI recreation based on original historical sketch / Wikipedia reference)

Benjamin Bailey arrived in Kerala as an Anglican Church Missionary in 1816, after a year in which he was ordained.

He later became a lexicographer, well-versed author and translator in the Malayalam language and made immense contributions to its printing and literature. He was also well-versed in Tamil and Sanskrit.

Benjamin Bailey is also widely recognized as the founder of formal English education in Kerala.

He introduced a Western-style curriculum in CMS College that included English, Mathematics, and Geography.

Father of Malayalam Printing – Rev. Benjamin Bailey.
First press in Kerala – CMS Press, Kottayam.
The first Press in Kottayam was established by – Benjamin Bailey (1821).
First Principal of CMS College – Rev. Benjamin Bailey.
First Malayalam book printed in Kerala – Cherupaithangal (ചെറുപൈതങ്ങൾ*. translator: Benjamin Bailey, 1824)
First English to Malayalam dictionary** was published by / First Printed Malayalam dictionary – Benjamin Bailey (1846).
First Malayalam to English dictionary** was published by – Benjamin Bailey (1849).
First Complete Malayalam Bible was published by – Benjamin Bailey (1841).
First Printed Magazine in the Malayalam language – Njananikshepam.
Njananikshepam, historic 1848 Malayalam periodical was published by – Benjamin Bailey at the CMS Press.

* Full name (wiki): ചെറുപൈതങ്ങൾക്ക ഉപകാരാർത്ഥം ഇംക്ലീശിൽനിന്ന പരിഭാഷപ്പെടുത്തിയ കഥകൾ, can be considered as the first work of children's literature in the Malayalam language.

** Both of them are still available on Amazon.

In early printed books like Samkshepa Vedartham, the Malayalam script used was rigid and square-shaped, in a style known as "Chathura Vadivu."

Due to the difficulty in printing sharp-edged, square-shaped letters and its time consumption, Benjamin Bailey redesigned the script into a smooth, circular form known as "Vatta Vadivu" in 1829 to optimize it for printing.

The round script not only looked beautiful but also revolutionized Malayalam printing.

↪ Want to have a detailed knowledge about Benjamin Bailey and Malayalam Literature? Check this book link by Dr. Babu Cherian.

Basel Mission Society

The Basel Evangelical Mission (BEM) arrived in India in 1834, and they started mission work in the Malabar region (Northern Kerala) starting from 1839.

Some of their important missionaries who are famous for their work in Kerala are Dr. Hermann Gundert, Samuel Hebich, Georg Plebst, and Christian Muller.

Even though their first missionary reached Kerala in 1834, they immediately moved north and established their initial headquarters in the Mangalore region (South Canara, Karnataka).

It was with the arrival of Dr. Hermann Gundert in Thalassery (Tellicherry) in 1839 that the beginning of their operations in Kerala was marked.

First Basel Mission (BEM) Missionary to Malabar – Samuel Hebich (1834).
First BEM Primary School was established at – Illikkunnu, Thalassery (Hermann Gundert, 1839)
First Girls' School in Thalassery was opened by – Julie Gundert (1839).
Commonwealth Tile Factory was established by the Basel Evangelical Mission at – Feroke & Puthiyara (Kozhikode).
Cradle of the Clay Tile Industry in Kerala – Feroke (Kozhikode).*
The missionary behind the Feroke Commonwealth Tile Factory – Georg Plebst.
The missionary who is credited with the invention and standardization of Khaki fabric for police uniforms worldwide – Christian Muller.
The missionary who introduced the Fly-Shuttle Loom in the textile sector of the Malabar region in Kerala – Christian Muller.

Dr. Hermann Gundert

Dr. Hermann Gundert concentrated his earlier mission works in and around Mangalore (1838), then later shifted his base to Thalassery.

He opened Malayalam schools at Kadirur, Mahe, Dharmadam and Thalassery.

First Newspaper in Malayalam – Rajyasamacharam (June, 1847).
First Newspaper in Malayalam Rajyasamacharam was published by – Dr. Hermann Gundert.
Rajyasamacharam was printed at – Illikkunnu, Thalassery,
First Editor of Rajyasamacharam – Dr. Hermann Gundert.
Second Malayalam Newspaper in Kerala – Paschimodayam (October, 1847).
Second Malayalam Newspaper in Kerala was published by – Dr. Hermann Gundert.
First Editor of Paschimodayam, which focused on science and geography, was – Frederic Muller.
First Scientifically Structured and comprehensive Malayalam grammar book – Malayala Bhashavyakaranam (1859).
First Malayalam to English dictionary / First Scientific and Modern Malayalam Dictionary – A Malayalam and English Dictionary (1872).

⚠️ Confusing Facts

First Malayalam Dictionary was compiled by – Arnos Pathiri.
First Printed Malayalam Dictionary (alphabetical vocabulary list) – Benjamin Bailey (1846).
First Scientific and Modern Malayalam Dictionary was published by – Dr. Hermann Gundert (1872).
First Comprehensive Monolingual (Malayalam-Malayalam) Dictionary – Sabdatharavali (Sreekanteswaram Padmanabha Pillai, 1918)

In 1947, the LMS, CMS, and BEM (along with others) merged to form the Church of South India (CSI).

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army officially commenced its work in Travancore on March 8, 1896 though early outreach in Travancore began around 1889-1892.

They challenged the rigid caste system, provided healthcare, and built schools for marginalized communities.

Headquarters of the Salvation Army in Kerala – Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram.
First native missionary who brought the Salvation Army to Kerala – Captain Yesudasen Sanjivi.
First native Territorial Commander of Kerala – Captain Donald A. Sanjivi (father of Capt. Yesudasen Sanjivi).
The missionary who was a medical pioneer and awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for his activities during epidemics – Captain Henry John Andrews.

He started a medical dispensary which later evolved into the famous Catherine Booth Hospital.

In some previous year question papers, there was some reference to a Spanish missionary named "Twinkle Tab" of the Salvation Army who concentrated his work especially in the field of education in the Travancore area.

But there are no references to a Twinkle Tab in official international archives of the Salvation Army.

Indeed, the Salvation Army was an English/ British organisation founded by William Booth, and its Kerala missions in the 19th-century Travancore were led by British and native Indian officers.

The only plausible reason behind the error, it is a phonetic corruption of another historical figure, Rev. W. T. Ringeltaube in textbooks.

About those claims of Salvation Army's English and vernacular schools in South Travancore (Nagercoil/Kanyakumari borders) under Twinkle Tab?

It was actually spearheaded by Captain Henry John Andrews and Commissioner Frederick Booth-Tucker starting in 1896.

Books Written by Christian Missionaries

Author	Notable Works	Key Significance
Kariyattil Ouseph Malpan (Indigenous Syrian Catholic)	Vedatharkkam (1768)	Authored this theological work before being appointed Archbishop.
Clement Pianius( Carmelite Mission (OCD))	Samkshepa Vedartham (1772)	First book printed in Malayalam (Rome).
Paremakkal Thoma Kathanar (Indigenous Syrian Catholic)	Varthamanapustakam (1785)	First travelogue in Malayalam.
Arnos Pathiri (Jesuit Mission)	Puthenpana, Chathuranthyam	First to write a Sanskrit-Portuguese-Latin dictionary.
Rev. George Mathen (CMS)	Satyavadakhedam (സത്യവാദഖേദം), Balabhyasanam (ബാലാഭ്യാസം), Vedasamyukthi (വേദസംയുക്തി), Malayanmayude Vyakaranam (മലയാഴ്മയുടെ വ്യാകരണം)	First Malayali to write a book on Malayalam Grammar (Malayanmayude Vyakaranam, 1863).
Dr. Hermann Gundert (BEM)	Keralappazhama, Malayala Bhasha Vyakaranam	Published the first Malayalam newspaper (Rajyasamacharam).
Archdeacon Koshy (CMS)	Pullelikunju, Paradeshi Mokshayathra	Pullelikunju is one of the earliest prose novels in Malayalam.
Samuel Mateer (LMS)	The Land of Charity, Native Life in Travancore, The Gospel in South India	The Mateer Memorial (MM) Church in Trivandrum is named after him. Malayalam Translation of Native Life in Travancore: Njan Kanda Keralam (published by Kerala Bhasha Institute in 2010; Translator: A. N. Sathyadas)
Claudius Buchanan (Chaplain (East India Company))	Christian Researches in Asia (Asiayile Christava Gaveshanam)	His efforts led to the translation of the Bible into Malayalam (Ramban Bible): First Malayalam Book Printed in India. (Bombay, 1811)

Conclusion

The transition from indigenous schooling to a modern, organized system was catalyzed by different missionary missions in Kerala.

For Kerala PSC aspirants, it is crucial to remember the specific institutions founded by each society and the key individuals like Bailey and Hermann Gundert, who helped to bridge the gap between Western linguistics and the Malayalam language.

SideNotes:

Subaltern Empowerment – education and upliftment specifically for depressed and marginalized social groups.
Jesuits (the Society of Jesus) were founded by – St. Ignatius of Loyola (August, 1534).
Amarakosha – written by Amarasimha, an ancient Sanskrit grammarian and poet from the court of Vikramaditya.
Padroado System – a formal diplomatic agreement between the Vatican and the Kingdom of Portugal, under which the Portuguese Crown was granted supreme administrative control over the Catholic Church to oversee territories.
Jesuit lay brother – Unlike priests who have ordination and focus on theology, the lay brothers don't have ordination, and their focus is more on the practical, technical, or professional work to support the mission.
Discalced = without shoes / barefoot.
Mylaudy is the colonial spelling of Mayiladi used in British records.
First English medium school in Travancore was started by – Swati Thirunal (1834).

First secular public (government-run) school
H.H. The Rajah's Free School

Lexicographer = a person who compiles dictionaries.
First mechanized clay tile factory in India – Jeppu, Mangalore (1865), famous for Mangalore Tiles.
Also home to India's first indigenous mechanized tile manufacturer, The Calicut Tile Company (1878).
Oldest Surviving Newspaper in Kerala – Nasarani Deepika / Deepika.
Karnataka’s first newspaper – Kannada Samachar (1812).
First newspaper published in Telugu – Satya Doota.
First weekly published in Bengali – Samachar Darpan (1819).
First book printed in India – Conclusões e outras coisas (Portuguese text printed by Jesuit missionaries in Goa, 1515)
First book printed in the English language in India – A Guide to the English Tongue (Thomas Dyche, 1716).
First printed book in which the Malayalam script appeared – Hortus Malabaricus.