periodicals to be started in India seems to be a Tamil one published by the Madras Religious Tract Society.61 This magazine is supposed to have been successfully run till 1846 writes M. Seeni Venkadaswami.62 A Periodical entitled “Missionary Gleaner” was the eldest of its kind in India. “Friendly Instructor” was issued from Palayamkottai. For children, a periodical called Pālatipikai i.e., Children’s Lamp was started at Nagerkoil in 1840 and it survived upto 1852.63 In Ceylon, the American Mission began a magazine called Utayatārakai in 1841. Articles in English and Tamil were printed in it. The English section was under the charge of Henry Martin and the Tamil was under Seth-Payson. In 1849, another children’s magazine called Ciṟupiḷlaiyiṉ nēcattoḻaṉ was printed by Palayamkottai Missionary. “The Tamil Quarterly Repository” was started by the Amercian Madura Mission in 1854. Rev. E. Webb was its editor. “The Mission School Magazine”, a monthly, was printed by the South India Christian School Book Society in 1858. At Yāḻpaṇam Pāliya nēcaṉ was started in 1859 for students. Tēca upakāri, “The friend of the country” was a Christian Veranacular Society publication. Its editor was Rev. F. Baylis (Neyyur). This magazine was expected to benefit the Hindus also, apart from its helping the Christians. Many pictures were included in it. The Lutheran Missions started Aruṇōtayam in 1863. In the same year Cuvicēca tūtikai was published from Nagerkoil.
61. Ibid. P. 234 62. Mayilai Seeni Venkadaswamy: “Kristavamum Tamilum”; P. 58 63. John Murdoch; op. cit. P. 236 |