CHAPTER PAGE I. THE POST OFFICE OF INDIA 1 II. THE ORIGIN OF THE POST OFFICE 10 III. EARLY POSTAL REGULATIONS 26 IV. LATER POSTAL REGULATIONS 38 V. PARCEL POST 48 VI. THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE 58 VII. MONEY ORDERS 71 VIII. SAVINGS BANK 81 IX. THE PEOPLE AND THE POST OFFICE 88 X. THE INDIAN POSTMAN 97 XI. POST OFFICE BUILDINGS 106 XII. THE POST OFFICE IN INDIAN STATES 112 XIII. THE OVERLAND ROUTE 119 XIV. THE SEA POST OFFICE 127 XV. THE POST OFFICE IN MESOPOTAMIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF 137 XVI. THE POST OFFICE DURING THE INDIAN MUTINY 151 XVII. THE INDIAN FIELD POST OFFICE 165 XVIII. THE INDIAN FIELD POST OFFICE DURING THE GREAT WAR 171 XIX. INDIAN POSTAGE STAMPS 178 APPENDICES PAGE A. PERSONNEL OF THE POST OFFICE 189 B. EXTRACTS FROM THE EARLY REGULATIONS REGARDING THE MAIL SERVICE 191 C. METHODS OF TRAVEL IN EARLY DAYS 195 D. STATEMENT SHOWING THE WORK OF THE POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK FROM 1882 TO 1918 197 E. STATEMENT OF INLAND MONEY ORDERS ISSUED IN INDIA SINCE 1880 198 F. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE CALCUTTA GENERAL POST OFFICE 200 G. EXTRACT FROM THE NARRATIVE OF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE MAIL ARRANGEMENTS IN THE N.-W.P. AND PUNJAB SUBSEQUENT TO THE MUTINY AT MEERUT AND DELHI ON THE 10TH AND 11TH MAY, 1857, BY MR. G. PATON, POSTMASTER-GENERAL, NORTH-WEST PROVINCES 204 H. THE WORK OF THE FIELD POST OFFICE BETWEEN 1867 AND 1912 210 J. THE POST OFFICE INSURANCE FUND 232 INDEX 241 ILLUSTRATIONS