Jai Hind -AIRCRAFT

Technical Data
Date of Issue | December 15, 1947 |
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Denomination | 12 ANNAS |
Quantity | 2,400,000 |
Printer | Nasik Security Press |
The postal system in India traces its roots back to ancient times, mirroring the antiquity of its temples. Like all postal networks, it arose from the essential need for communication, allowing the emperor to maintain contact with provincial officers situated in distant regions from the capital, ensuring he remained abreast of developments. Ibn Battuta, during his travels in India in the mid-fourteenth century under Mohamed Bin Tughlak’s rule, provides insight into this system. He describes two types of couriers – horse and foot – known as “El Wolam” in Hindustan.
The horse-couriers, typically part of the sultan’s cavalry, were stationed every four miles, while foot-couriers were positioned at one-mile intervals, referred to as “El Davah.” This arrangement resulted in an inhabited village or three sentry boxes approximately every three miles, facilitating efficient relay of messages. Each courier carried a whip adorned with small bells, a symbol of their readiness for swift motion. As a courier departed a city with dispatches in hand and whip shaking, another would promptly emerge to continue the journey, ensuring expedited communication. This streamlined process enabled the Sultan to receive dispatches promptly, despite the vast distances involved.
The public opening of the postal service in India occurred in 1837, with postage charges collected in cash. The standard rate stood at Two Annas for every hundred miles, with copper tokens of equal value issued for postage payment. The introduction of postage stamps in Sindh in 1852 marked a significant milestone, offering three varieties: embossed on white paper without color, blue embossed on white paper, and embossed on vermilion wafers.
In a momentous leap forward, the first official Air Mail flight occurred on February 18, 1911. French aviator M. Pequet piloted the flight, transporting 6,500 letters and postcards from the U.P Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition Grounds in Allahabad to Naini Junction. To commemorate this historic event, a souvenir postmark was provided by the postmaster General U.P., with the seal ceremoniously destroyed immediately after the flight. This pioneering endeavor marked the dawn of a new era in India’s postal system, promising enhanced speed and efficiency in mail delivery services.