It is considered to be the first Indian-language newspaper, although some historians contend that the Bengali weekly Bengal Gazetti or Vangal Gazette published by Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya had begun publication earlier.

The official reason stated was that John Clark Marshman who was still the editor of the newspaper couldn't find sufficient time owing to other pre-occupations.

But the actual reason was that the Samachar Darpan, though very successful as a newspaper, had failed miserably in its primary objective – propagation of Christianity.

John Clark Marshman, was the official editor and the editorial staff included some of the most distinguished Bengali Hindu pundits of the time.

The Government warned the missionaries that, "extra-ordinary precautions must be used not to give the natives cause for suspicion that the paper had been devised as an engine for undermining their religious opinions."

Reformist and liberal Hindus, generally found in the Samachar Darpan a valuable ally because of its strong support in favour of social reform and education.

The missionaries not content with vindicating the excellence of their own doctrines, attacked all the Hindu shastras as unreasonable, and also abused the Hindus in very offensive terms in Darpan dated 14 July 1821.

Spurred by indignation and eager to counterbalance the Christian missionary propaganda Roy started his own Brahminical Magazine where he eventually published the letter.

[3][4] In 1826, the Government requested the missionaries to bring out a Persian edition of Samachar Darpan to provide better communication with the people of Upper India, which did not yet have any Indian-language newspaper.