Mark Tully, Journalist and Author
Journalist and Author

Mark Tully

Born 14 October 1935 · United Kingdom — Died 25 January 2026

Serving as BBC's New Delhi bureau chief for 20 years, reporting on India and South Asia.

Sir William Mark Tully was a British journalist and the bureau chief of the BBC in New Delhi, a position he held for 20 years. He worked with the BBC for 30 years before resigning in July 1994. He also wrote and published several books.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

At age four, Mark Tully was scolded by his British nanny for learning to count in Hindi from his driver, reflecting colonial-era social divides even within his own household.

The Story

1
Born in 1935 in Tollygunge, Calcutta, Mark Tully’s early childhood was shaped by colonial India where his British nanny forbade him from learning Hindi, calling it 'the servant's language'.
2
At age four, he was sent away to a British boarding school in Darjeeling and later to England at nine, attending Marlborough College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he studied Theology hoping initially to become a priest.
3🌏 In 1965, Tully returned to India as the BBC’s India correspondent, a role he held for 20 years during which he reported on landmark events like the 1975 Emergency, the Bhopal gas tragedy, and the Babri Masjid demolition.
4🚨 Expelled from India in 1975 during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency crackdown, he made a dramatic return a year and a half later, resuming his frontline reporting amid political upheaval.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Shri

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Despite being born in India, Tully was forbidden by his British nanny to learn Hindi, illustrating the deep racial and class divisions of colonial society in the 1930s.

🖼️

Through the Years

3 photographs from the archives
Sir Mark Tully with advisory council members at Auroville near Matrimandir, Pondicherry (2005)
Sir Mark Tully with advisory council members at Auroville near Matrimandir, Pondicherry (2005)
2005
Mark Tully speaking at the conference 'India's Rise and the Obstacles Ahead' (2011)
Mark Tully at the 2nd International Conclave of Odia language in New Delhi (2016)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Tollygunge, Calcutta
William Mark Tully was born to a British businessman father and a Bengal-born mother during the British Raj.
1935
📚
Education
Sent to British boarding school in Darjeeling
At age four, Tully was sent to a British boarding school, separating him early from Indian society despite being born there.
1944
⚡
Career
Joined BBC
Tully began his career at BBC and soon moved to India in 1965 as its India correspondent.
1964
⚡
Career
Expelled from India during Emergency
Following Indira Gandhi’s declaration of Emergency, Tully was expelled from India, only returning in 1977.
1975
⚡
Career
Babri Masjid demolition coverage
Tully faced violent hostility and was locked in a temple during coverage of the Babri Masjid demolition riots.
1992
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Career
Resigned from BBC
Tully resigned after disputes with BBC's director general John Birt over management style.
1994
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Career
Presented Great Railway Journeys
Tully hosted the BBC series traveling across Pakistan from Karachi to the Khyber Pass, highlighting his railway passion.
1994
🕊️
Death
Death in New Delhi
Mark Tully passed away in New Delhi at the age of 90, having made India his lifelong home.
2026
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 06
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Tully was expelled from India in 1975 during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency but returned a year and a half later just before political normality was restored.

02 / 06
💡SURPRISING

During the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, militants shouted 'Death to Mark Tully' and locked him in a temple for hours before his rescue, highlighting the dangers journalists faced.

03 / 06
👤PERSONAL

Tully studied Theology at Cambridge and briefly attended Lincoln Theological College, intending to be a priest before abandoning the path.

“

"I was always rather rebellious and I didn’t like the discipline", reflecting on his time at seminary and his decision not to become a priest.

— Mark Tully

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Remembering Mark Tully: A Life Intertwined with India | The Quint
·YouTube
More from this archive
Remembering Mark Tully: A Life Intertwined with India | The Quint
01
Remembering Mark Tully: A Life Intertwined with India | The Quint
YouTube
Mark Tully, Journalist and Gillian Wright: India in Slow Motion
02
Mark Tully, Journalist and Gillian Wright: India in Slow Motion
YouTube
Mark Tully News | (Aired: July 14, 2007) Walk The Talk with Sir Mark Tully
03
Mark Tully News | (Aired: July 14, 2007) Walk The Talk with Sir Mark Tully
YouTube
IN CONVERSATION- SIR MARK TULLY
04
IN CONVERSATION- SIR MARK TULLY
YouTube
India 50 years of independence by Mark Tully BBC 1997
05
India 50 years of independence by Mark Tully BBC 1997
YouTube
Ex BBC Journalist Mark Tully Shares Disturbing Silence on I-T Raid On Why He Resigned In 1994
06
Ex BBC Journalist Mark Tully Shares Disturbing Silence on I-T Raid On Why He Resigned In 1994
YouTube
Mark Tully in 'The Quest'
07
Mark Tully in 'The Quest'
YouTube
Mark Tully in conversation with Suhas Borker
08
Mark Tully in conversation with Suhas Borker
YouTube
No Full Stops in India : A Straight Talk by Mark Tully
09
No Full Stops in India : A Straight Talk by Mark Tully
YouTube
India Inc. Leaders' Summit: Interview with Sir Mark Tully KBE
10
India Inc. Leaders' Summit: Interview with Sir Mark Tully KBE
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Mark Tully’s reporting for the BBC brought nuanced, on-the-ground perspectives of India’s complex political and social changes to a global audience, influencing international understanding of South Asia. His eyewitness accounts during events like the Emergency and Babri Masjid demolition remain valuable historical records. His books and broadcasts also shaped discourse on India’s modernization and secularism, inspiring journalists to pursue fearless, empathetic coverage in challenging environments.

💬 Social Buzz

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