These stamps were issued following a Commission of Inquiry which had carefully studied the postal systems of Europe and America. In the opinion of Geoffrey Clarke, the reformed system was to be maintained "for the benefit of the people of India and not for the purpose of swelling the revenue. '' The Commissioners voted to abolish the earlier practice of conveying official letters free of postage ("franking ''). The new system was recommended by the Governor - General, Lord Dalhousie, and adopted by the East India Company 's Court of Directors. It introduced "low and uniform '' rates for sending mail efficiently throughout the country within the jurisdiction of the East India Company. The basic rate was 1 / 2 anna on letters not more than 1 / 4 tola in weight. The stamps were needed to show the postage was prepaid, a basic principle of the new system, like the fundamental changes of the British system advocated by Rowland Hill and the Scinde reforms of Bartle Frere. These reforms transformed mail services within India.
british governor general who introduced first postal system in india was
Lord Dalhousie