Fardunjee Marzban

Fardunjee Marzban or Fardoonjee Marazban (1787-1847), printer and newspaper editor, founded the first vernacular newspaper on the Indian subcontinent.

Fardun came from a family of Parsi-Zoroastrian priests, perhaps of Surat or Navsari in Gujarat, and initially trained for the priesthood. His father and grandfather had also been scholars of Persian and Avestan religious literature, and Marzban followed their example. Marzban is known to have arrived in Bombay in 1805. In 1808, he opened a bookbinding shop, and shortly thereafter extended the enterprise to include printing and publishing.

In 1814, Marzban published the first Zoroastrian calendar intended for wide distribution - prior to that date Parsis had to depend on their priests for calendarial guidance. On July 1, 1822, Marzban began publishing the "Bombay Samachar", the first vernacular newspaper on the Indian subcontinent. The newspaper, which was initially in Gujarati, would eventually be complemented by an English language edition. The paper continues to be printed to this day, making it one of the oldest continuously printed newspapers in the world.

Marzban's broadsheet would serve as a template for the foundation of several other Parsi-run newspapers, including the "Indian Spectator" (later the "Voice of India") and the "Bombay Times" (now a supplement of the "Times of India").

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