In 1761, the British were able to sieze from the French-held Pondicherry, a printing press which was brought to Vepery - hard by Madras - and entrusted to the Missionaries. At this Vepery press, a large number of books were printed; both Government and Missionary requirements being printed here.

With the dawn of the nineteenth century, the different missions in Tamilnad increased. John Murdoch says, “In the Tamil country, there were 132 European Missionaries.³³ Several printing presses were established. For example “The Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge” had its own press installed at Madras in 1815. At Palayamkottai near Tirunelvely it was installed in 1830 and another in the same year at Neyyur. Ceylon also had her share. At Nallur in Jaffna, a press was founded in 1821. The year 1822 saw the founding of the printing press at Nagerkoil.

Since the foreign regime was established in Tamil country more or less during this era, no native was given permission to install a press. Sir Charles Metcalf was the one who lifted this monopoly.³⁴

Rev. W. Taylor believes that before 1835 except the Kur̠aḷ and some poems of Avvai, no book was published by the natives. It was only in 1863, that the natives were able to start a press at Madras.

To propagate the ideas and beliefs and to spread the Gospel, Christian Missionaries started a large number of schools. For the use of these schools, the Missionaries collaborated with native writers and wrote books in Tamil set to their standards and syllabus (Missionary). The College of Fort St. George and South India Christian School Book Society and similar societies played an important part in the printing and publishing of books.

Magazines, dailies, weeklies etc., were next to come.

33. John Murdoch. op. cit. P. LXXIV.

34. Ibid., P. XL.