From cave paintings and letters to telephone and the Internet – the history of communication.

अमंत्रमक्षरं नास्ति नास्ति मूलमनौषधम्‌।

अयोग्यः पुरुषो नास्ति योजकस्तत्र दुर्लभः॥

There is no letter which doesn’t have a charm, there is no root which doesn’t have medicinal property.

There is no person who is not able, but rare is the one who knows his/her proper application.

"Baat krne se hi baat banti hai" communication, then, now and will be always an utmost important thing to consider. Without communication, nothing is achievable as at every curve and corner requires sharing of thoughts and discussions of the ideas just like without soil no proper exchange of nutrients can be done between sun and plants. Fertility of soil decides the fruits of the trees similarly effective communication is the bases for the big concrete building of goals. It's fascinating to know the history of communication, the way it's started and now reaching out the extreme prowess by using internet, Artificial intelligence etc. 

The history of communication :- The entire history of communication is significant but extensive. The brief guide to the history of communication will break down the key tools, advancements, and innovations that changed the game. 

Ancient communication :-  Ancient generation was very creative with communication and keep it consistent to maintain a common understanding. When speech originated around 500,000 BC, communication was transformed. Our Bhartiya shastras, are written in Sanskrit language and many scientific logics and facts are already elaborated in much simplified manner. In addition to this, that times, carving out and architectural depiction specified the important type of communication. At present, such carvings on the hard rocks are rich source of information and concrete validation of our history. Geometry of the designs and architecture patterns are enough astonishing to explain their wisdom and intellectuality, the level of knowledge through these types of communications are inevitable. 

15th and 16th century communication :- majorly, communication before the 15th century included verbal communication and limited written communication. And the change observe after the printing press was invented. The Bi Sheng and Wang Chen dynasties in China invented the first printing press in the 1300s, removing the need to hand write all paper messages. About 150 years later, Johannes Gutenberg of Germany crafted a modernized version of the printing press that was able to mass produce printed materials. Gutenberg’s version of the printing press started the period known as the Printing Revolution. The invention of the printing press enabled people with the potential to conveniently produce large amounts of written material, but more importantly, it supported the flow of information among people. 

17th century communication :- Printing Revolution was a success and then it spill into the 17th century. Scientists were still publishing their discoveries and authors continued to tell stories, while lots of events were happening around the world such as war, famine, and domination. These are the regular concerns of 17th century people and stirred up ample of curiosity among the population that were out of the geographical loop. In 1690, the newspaper was invented to accommodate those people. Cities all over the world got into the habit of publishing a newspaper with local and international news to keep people informed. Before the 17th century, information was only recorded, but had not any options to release it. With the help of newspapers, informations were managed to reach out the public and acted as a primary source of information, communication in the 17th century began to reflect the modern day communication model of sender and receiver.

18th century communication :- In this century, the public postal system was established. Letters were sent before this time period, but the system was flawed and inefficient. It could take months to deliver letters and even when the mail did reach its destination, it was left at a random public place.

Benjamin Franklin’s involvement in the U.S. postal system made the delivery of mail more productive.To foster the efficacy several routes were made and post offices were created to keep drop off and pick up locations consistent, and to make the business profitable, suitable charges has been applied with the deliveries.

Newspaper are the source of information about the country's performance, economic growth, conflicts or disputes but to share personal feelings with family and friends that could bring smile 😊 on the faces can be communicated through letters. 

19th century communication :- With the great discoveries, improvements in the communication has taken a huge leap with the incorporation of electricity and coining the term telecommunications.

Telecommunications is the sending and receiving of information using electronic means. This comprises of wire, radio, or any other electromagnetic device. The combination of electricity and communication sparked the beginning of a long wave of innovations.

The first of these inventions was the electric telegraph in 1831 by a man named Joseph Henry. Such type of telegraph permits the messages to be sent and received over long distances. This has raised the productivity of distributing newspapers and communicating internally for businesses.

The popularity of the electric telegraph was still at its peak when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. Two people can communicate verbally with the help of telephone and it is a device that transfers the sound, as opposed to speaking face to face. Therefore, telephone reduces the problem of distant communicators and elevated the flow of information to greater extent. 

20th century communication :-  Radio and television became a great source of information in the early 1900s. Not only did they provide musical entertainment, but they also delivered news, sports, and weather to listeners.

The telephone became mobile in 1981, but the word mobile is used rarely here. Telephone 📞 of that times was not as portable as present time but was heavy piece of equipment and located in cars and trains.

In the 1990s, mobile phones became pocket friendly more people were started to buy them. Phone companies initiated their plans, SIM cards and business expansion, thus fuelling the industries. SMS i.e. text messaging, a new form of written communication was created. 

Advancements in the phone industry were just the beginning. Communication continued to surprise the world, thanks to two things: the computer and the Internet.The computer was invented towards the beginning of the 20th century, but the features for communication was not created until the mid to late 1900s. In 1965, online written communication expanded into email, completely changing the game. Sharing of files, photographs are mesmerizing features of Internet services. 

In the 70s, PC ( personal computer) introduced and become a very common household device  especially for communication. This made written communication fast, easy, and convenient. These all are the stepping steps for the upcoming revolution in the field of communication. 

21st century communication :- Now the mammoth one ie 21st century, digitalization has been at it's peak, infinite source of information for the population and best way to get it is through the communication tools with greater speed and efficacy. 

Video conferencing software is a perfect example of communication technology accommodating to the fast-paced Information age. Now no need to be present actually, face to face, virtually important meetings, conferences and family get together are happening. 

Breathtaking advancement in communication is social media. Social media websites are online communication and networking tools where people can connect and share ideas. Swift transmission of information is the new trend of getting viral on the social media. Advancement of the 21st century is on the zeneath of technological era. Communication through the satellites' and other technical tools has mastering the entire process. Even AI is reading, analysing and sensing the data that gets people what are in their thoughts. Artificial intelligence is the another innovative methodology of transferring information.

Conclusion :- communication has a long and extensive history. It's advancing as human race is approaching more and technological upgradations. Communications are critical and always a priority at every century. With the modernisation of the generations, communication methods are also progressing.