Editing and Printing the Arabic Book: Perspectives from South Asia

In the first decades of nineteenth century, British Calcutta stood as one most important cities in world for editing, printing, and selling Arabic books. Before famous Bulaq Press Cairo was established 1820, from 1801–19, European Orientalists Indian munshi s (scribes clerks) maulvi (Arabic, mawlana s), alongside Yemeni scholar, had already printed 22 titles movable type—many time—at Fort William College (alongside 18 Persian 24 Sanskrit). 1 By 1831, a published “List Oriental Works Sale at Government Education Depository, near Hindu College, Potoldanga, Calcutta,” advertised 27 Arabic, 31 Sanskrit, 36 English, 16 Hindi Urdu, 30 Persian, 29 Bengali 2 Far marginal undertaking, books represented sizeable proportion printing Bengal beginning century.