Urdu Lithography as a Muslim Technology

Scholarship on the lithographic press has focused primarily on books—in particular, on the print traditions emanating from large cities like Lucknow. While printers used lithography to make books look more like manuscripts, Urdu newspaper publishers used lithography to make newspapers look like the mass-produced correspondence that had previously bound together ashrāf social networks. Madīnah not only was an example of commercial publishing but also deserves consideration as a manifestation of piety. Journalism was a farẓ or duty understood in religious terms by the proprietor and editors of Madīnah. The example of Madīnah suggests that we must consider this potential dimension of other Urdu newspapers as well.