The Indian Postal Service, with 155,333 post offices, is the most widely distributed post office system in the world.
The British East India Company established post offices in Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai from 1764-1766. Since then each province formed in its own “Circle.” In 1839, North West Province Circle was formed. In December 1860 Punjab Circle, in 1861 Burma Circle, in 1866 Central Province Circle and in 1869 Sind Circle were formed. By 1880 circles had been formed in Oudh (1870), Rajputana (1871), Assam (1873), Bihar (1877), Eastern Bengal (1878) and Central India (1879).
By 1914, after the merging of some circles and the creation of some new ones there were only 7 Postal Circles — Bengal & Assam, Bihar & Orissa, Bombay (including Sind), Burma, Central, Madras, Punjab & NWF and U.P.
The first stamps were issued 1 July 1852 in the Scinde/Sindh district, with “SCINDE DISTRICT DAWK” around the rim, leading to the common name “Scinde Dawk“.
