Milestones : 1774 - 1800

• 1774 : Warren Hastings (Governor General of British India from 1773-1784) opened the postal service to the public on 31 March 1774 in Calcutta (Now Kolkata).
  
  

• 1774 : The hand stamp postmarks were first introduced in Calcutta G.P.O. were named 'Indian Bishop Marks' after Colonel Henry Bishop, the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom who introduced this practice in Britain.
  
  
• 1784 : Bhangy Post (Parcel Post) system was introduced on 2nd December 1784 in Calcutta G.P.O.
  
  
• 1786 : The Madras G.P.O. started functioning from June 1, 1786 and the first Postmaster General was A.M. Campbell, secretary of the Governor Sir Archibald Campbell. Robert Mitford was the Deputy Postmaster General and the G.P.O. was served by one Writer (clerk), five sorters, a head peon and ten postmen.
  
  
• 1793 : Zamindari Dawk maintained runner lines.
  
  
• 1794 : Bombay G.P.O. was established in the year 1794, under Mr. Charles Elphinstone, the Postmaster General of Bombay Presidency. It was first located in the Fort in a building near Apollo Pier.
  
  
• 1796 : On March 22, 1796 the Postmaster General of Bengal published the rates of dawk travelling on the 'new road from Calcutta to Benaras and Patna'.
  
  
• 1796 : A bi-weekly postal service by sea was started between Surat and Bombay on 13th July. It departed Bombay on Wednesdays and Saturdays and departed Surat on Mondays and Thursdays.
  
  
• 1800 : Bangalore G.P.O. was established in 1800. Initially, it was known as the Imperial Post Office.

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