History Mail

1 history

1.1 persia
1.2 india
1.3 china
1.4 rome
1.5 mongol empire
1.6 other systems
1.7 postal reforms
1.8 modern transport , technology

history

many post systems consisted of fixed courier routes. here, post house on postal route in 19th century finland

the practice of communication written documents carried intermediary 1 person or place dates invention of writing. however, development of formal postal systems occurred later. first documented use of organized courier service diffusion of written documents in egypt, pharaohs used couriers diffusion of decrees in territory of state (2400 bc). earliest surviving piece of mail egyptian, dating 255 bc.

persia

the first credible claim development of real postal system comes ancient persia, point of invention remains in question. best documented claim (xenophon) attributes invention persian king cyrus great (550 bc), mandated every province in kingdom organize reception , delivery of post each of citizens. negotiated neighbouring countries same , had roads built city of post in western iran way city of hakha in east. other writers credit successor darius of persia (521 bc). other sources claim earlier dates assyrian postal system, credit given hammurabi (1700 bc) , sargon ii (722 bc). mail may not have been primary mission of postal service, however. role of system intelligence gathering apparatus documented, , service (later) called angariae, term in time came indicate tax system. old testament (esther, viii) makes mention of system: ahasuerus, king of medes, used couriers communicating decisions.

the persian system worked on stations (called chapar-khaneh), message carrier (called chapar) ride next post, whereupon swap horse fresh one, maximum performance , delivery speed. herodotus described system in way: said many days there in whole journey, many men , horses stand along road, each horse , man @ interval of day s journey; , these stayed neither snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness accomplishing appointed course speed . verse prominently features on new york s james farley post office, although has been rephrased neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers swift completion of appointed rounds.

india

the use of scinde dawk adhesive stamps signify prepayment of postage began on 1 july 1852 in scinde/sindh district, part of comprehensive reform of district s postal system.

the economic growth , political stability under mauryan empire (322–185 bc) saw development of impressive civil infrastructure in ancient india. mauryans developed indian mail service public wells, rest houses, , other facilities common public. common chariots called dagana used mail chariots in ancient india. couriers used militarily kings , local rulers deliver information through runners , other carriers. postmaster, head of intelligence service, responsible ensuring maintenance of courier system. couriers used deliver personal letters.

in south india, wodeyar dynasty (1399—1947) of kingdom of mysore used mail service espionage purposes thereby acquiring knowledge related matters took place @ great distances.

by end of 18th century, postal system in india had reached impressive levels of efficiency. according british national thomas broughton, maharaja of jodhpur sent daily offerings of fresh flowers capital nathadvara (a distance of 320 km), , arrived in time first religious darshan @ sunrise. later system underwent complete modernization when british raj established full control on india. post office act xvii of 1837 provided governor-general of india in council had exclusive right of conveying letters post hire within territories of east india company. mails available officials without charge, became controversial privilege years passed. on basis indian post office established on october 1, 1837.

china


china 4-cent on 100-dollar silver overprint of 1949

some chinese sources claim mail or postal systems dating xia or shang dynasties, oldest mailing service in world. earliest credible system of couriers initiated han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220), had relay stations every 30 li along major routes.

the tang dynasty recorded 1,639 posthouses, including maritime offices, employing around 20,000 people. system administered ministry of war , private correspondence forbidden network. ming network had 1,936 posthouses every 60 li along major routes, fresh horses available every 10 li between them. postal network major part of corruption in later part of dynasty. qing, prior foreign occupation , reorganization of imperial mail, operated 1,785 posthouses throughout lands.

rome

the first well-documented postal service of rome. organized @ time of augustus caesar (62 bc–ad 14), service called cursus publicus , provided light carriages (rhedæ) pulled fast horses. time of diocletian, parallel service established two-wheeled carts (birolæ) pulled oxen. service reserved government correspondence. yet service citizens later added.

mongol empire

genghis khan installed empire-wide messenger , postal station system named Örtöö within mongol empire. during yuan dynasty under kublai khan, system covered territory of china. postal stations used not transmission , delivery of official mail available traveling officials, military men, , foreign dignitaries. these stations aided , facilitated transport of foreign , domestic tribute , conduct of trade in general.

by end of kublai khan s rule, there more 1400 postal stations in china alone, in turn had @ disposal 50,000 horses, 1,400 oxen, 6,700 mules, 400 carts, 6,000 boats, more 200 dogs, , 1,150 sheep.

the stations 25 65 km (16 40 mi) apart , had reliable attendants working mail service. foreign observers, such marco polo, have attested efficiency of postal system.

other systems


the lombard street general post office in london, 1809.



plate commemorating launching site of first airmail carrier (1870) in metz, france.

another important postal service created in islamic world caliph mu awiyya; service called barid, name of towers built protect roads couriers traveled.

well before middle ages , during them, homing pigeons used pigeon post, taking advantage of singular quality of bird, when taken far nest able find way home due particularly developed sense of orientation. messages tied around legs of pigeon, freed , reach original nest.

mail has been transported quite few other methods throughout history, including dogsled, ski, balloon, rocket, mule, pneumatic tubes, , submarine.

charlemagne extended whole territory of empire system used franks in northern gaul , connected service of missi dominici.

many religious orders had private mail service. notably, cistercians had 1 connected more 6,000 abbeys, monasteries, , churches. best organization, however, created knights templar. newly instituted universities had private services, starting bologna (1158).

widespread illiteracy accommodated through service of scribes. illiterates needed communicate dictated messages scribe, profession quite disappeared.

in 1505, holy roman emperor maximilian established postal system in empire, appointing franz von taxis run it. thurn und taxis family, known tassis, had operated postal services between italian city states 1290 onward. following abolition of empire in 1806, thurn-und-taxis post system continued private organisation postage stamp era before being absorbed postal system of new german empire after 1871.

in 1716 correos y telégrafos established in spain public mail service, available citizens. delivery postmen first employed in 1756 , post boxes installed firstly in 1762.

postal reforms

in united kingdom, prior 1840 postal system expensive, confusing , seen corrupt. letters paid recipient rather sender, , charged according distance letter had travelled , number of sheets of paper contained. sir rowland hill reformed postal system based on concepts of penny postage , pre payment. in proposal hill called official pre-printed envelopes , adhesive postage stamps alternative ways of getting sender pay postage, @ time when prepayment optional, led invention of postage stamp, penny black.

modern transport , technology

a u.s. railway post office.



the first airmail flight in germany, 1912.

the postal system important in development of modern transportation. railways carried railway post offices. during 20th century, air mail became transport of choice inter-continental mail. postmen started utilize mail trucks. handling of mail became increasingly automated.

the internet came change conditions physical mail. email (and in recent years social networking sites) became fierce competitor physical mail systems, online auctions , internet shopping opened new business opportunities people items bought online through mail.