Statesman). Another outstanding contribution of the missionaries was the installation of India's first paper mill,in Bot Tala,set up by John Clark Marshman (the son of Joshua and Hannah Marshman) which was powered by a steam engine.
Between 1801 and 1832 the Serampore Mission Press printed 212,000 copies of books in 40 different languages. In this cultural development, the local inhabitants had only a passive role. Only a few among the affluent, comprising absentee landlords and businessmen, seized the opportunity for higher education by sending their children to the academic institutions of the missionaries. On the other hand, people belonging to the lower economic stratum sent their children to the monitorial schools, which provided a basic education. In the process, there emerged a class of local gentry, who had a favourable attitude towards the missionaries.
Later years
Between 1801 and 1839 Danish trade and commerce as well as the civic life of Serampore experienced a severe decline. While in 1803, 113 European ships were loaded and unloaded at Serampore port, there was only 1 in 1815. The aggressive attitude of the British merchants located in Calcutta and their continuous harassment of the Danes in Serampore hit the company severely. The situation became so critical that the Danish Governor, Pater Hansen, was constrained to sell off the entire property to the English for a paltry sum of 1.2 million rupees on 11 October 1845.
During the last days of Danish rule in Serampore, the entire civic administration was completely disrupted.
British rule
On 11 October 1845, it was sold to Britain, which integrated it in British India and officially restored the Bengali name.
After taking possession of the town, the British began to look after its civic amenities and the earlier 'Village
