Question

How were news and messages conveyed to different countries in ancient times?

Answer 1

1. In olden days, the king would order a crier to run in the streets beating drums and crying out the important news to the people of his kingdom. Thus, the news would spread among people by word of mouth. 
2. In ancient Egypt, before the beginning of Common Era, there was a custom of placing inscriptions containing royal decrees at public places. In India, Emperor Ashoka also used the similar method to convey his orders to the subjects. 
3. In the Roman Empire, royal decrees and the information of various events taking place in the nation and its capital were written on papers and then distributed in all regions. 
4. In Rome, during the reign of Julius Caesar, newspaper known as ‘Acta Diurna’ (Daily Events or Daily Public Records) was placed at public places to convey the royal commands to people. 
5. In the 7th century C.E., royal dictates were distributed among people at public places. 
6. In England, handouts giving information about wars or important events were distributed occasionally among people.
7. Travellers arriving from faraway places, during their stay at rest houses, would spice up the stories of those places and then narrate it to the local people. 
8. There were some kings who posted their ambassadors at various places. These ambassadors conveyed important news of their region to the royal court.

In this way, before the publication of newspapers, the royal decrees or important news were made known to people either through a crier, through inscriptions, through handouts or through ambassadors.