<P> In South India, the Wodeyar dynasty (1399--1947) of the Kingdom of Mysore used mail service for espionage purposes thereby acquiring knowledge related to matters that took place at great distances . </P> <P> By the end of the 18th century, the postal system in India had reached impressive levels of efficiency . According to British national Thomas Broughton, the Maharaja of Jodhpur sent daily offerings of fresh flowers from his capital to Nathadvara (a distance of 320 km), and they arrived in time for the first religious Darshan at sunrise . Later this system underwent complete modernization when the British Raj established its full control over India . The Post Office Act XVII of 1837 provided that the Governor - General of India in Council had the exclusive right of conveying letters by post for hire within the territories of the East India Company . The mails were available to certain officials without charge, which became a controversial privilege as the years passed . On this basis the Indian Post Office was established on October 1, 1837 . </P> <P> The first well - documented postal service was that of Rome . Organized at the time of Augustus Caesar (62 BC--AD 14), the service was called cursus publicus and was provided with light carriages (rhedæ) pulled by fast horses . By the time of Diocletian, a parallel service was established with two - wheeled carts (birotæ) pulled by oxen . This service was reserved for government correspondence . Yet another service for citizens was later added . </P> <P> Some Chinese sources claim mail or postal systems dating back to the Xia or Shang dynasties, which would be the oldest mailing service in the world . The earliest credible system of couriers was initiated by the Han Dynasty (206 BC--AD 220), who had relay stations every 30 li along major routes . </P>

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