Print Culture and The Modern World class 10 HIstory

Print Culture and The Modern World class 10 MCQ & SAQ

Print Culture and The Modern World NCERT SOLUTION:

1.Give reasons for the following:

(a) Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.

(b) Martin Luther was in favor of print and spoke out in praise of it.

(d) Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association.

(a)Woodblock print was invented around the sixth century in China. It came to Europe, along with Marco Polo, in 1295. Marco Polo returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China, and he brought the knowledge of woodblock print with him on his return.

(b) Through the publications of his protestant ideas, Martin Luther challenged the orthodox practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. He wrote 95 theses criticizing many of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther’s writings were immediately reproduced in vast numbers and read widely. This led to a division within the church and to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. He also translated the New Testament of which 5000 copies were sold within a few days. These were impossible without the printing technology. Deeply grateful to the print, Luther said, “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.”

This is the reason why Luther was in favor of print and spoke out in praise of it.

(c) The Roman Catholic Church had to face many dissents from the mid-16th century onwards. People had written many books that interpreted God and the creation in their own ways or as they liked. Therefore, the church banned such books and kept the record of such banned books. It was called the Index of Prohibited Books.

(d) Gandhi considered that the liberty of speech, liberty of press and freedom of association were three most powerful vehicles of expressing and cultivating public opinion. Therefore, he said the fight for Swaraj was a fight for liberty of speech, press, and freedom for association.

2. Write short notes to show what you know about:

(a) The Gutenberg Press

(b) Erasmus's idea of the printed book

(a) The Gutenberg Press: The first printing press was developed by Johan Gutenberg in the 1430s. It was a developed form of the olive and wine presses. By 1448 Gutenberg perfected this system. The lead molds were used for casting the metal types for the letters of the alphabet. The first book he printed was the Bible. He produced 180 copies of the Bible in 3 years, which was much faster by standards of the time.

(b) Erasmus’s idea of a printed book: Erasmus was a Latin scholar and a Catholic reformer. He criticized the printing of books. He thought that most of the books are stupid, ignorant, scandalous, raving, irreligious and seditious. According to him such books devalue the valuable books.

(c) The Vernacular Press Act: Modeled on the Irish Press Laws, it was passed in 1878. This law gave the government tyrannical rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. If a seditious report was published and the newspaper did not heed to an initial warning, then the press was seized and the printing machinery confiscated. This was a complete violation of the freedom of expression.

3. What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to:

(a) Women

(b) The poor

(a) The spread of print culture in 19th century India benefitted Indian women through learning and education. The liberal families supported the education but conservative Hindus believed

that a literate girl would be widowed and Muslims feared that educated women would be corrupted by reading Urdu romances. This led to the counter reaction, as most of the oppressed women began to study and read books and learnt writing in secrecy. Some literate women started to write books and their autobiographies. Rashasundari Devi, a young married girl wrote her autobiography “Amar Jiban” which was published in 1876. Overall, the print culture in 19th century India helped in spreading the feeling of self-reliance among Indian women.

(b) The poor people benefitted from the spread of print culture because of the availability of books at a low price. The readership among them increased due to the publication of low priced books. Public libraries were also set up from the early 19th century, expanding the access to the books where all people could gain knowledge. Encouraged and inspired by the social reformers, the people like factory workers to set up their libraries and some even wrote books. Kashibaba, a Kanpur mill worker wrote and published ‘Chote aur Bade Ka Sawal’.

(c) Indian reforms of the 19th century utilized print culture as the most potent means of spreading their reformist ideas and highlighting the unethical issues. They began publishing various vernacular and English and Hindi newspapers and books through which they could spread their opinions against widow immolation, child marriage, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry to the common people of the country. In this way the spread of print culture in the 19th century provided them a space for attacking religious orthodoxy and to spread modern social and political ideas to the people of different languages across the country.

Discuss

1. Why did some people in 18th century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism?

Many people in 18th century Europe thought that the print culture had the power in it to bring enlightenment and end despotism. This would help in spreading literacy and knowledge among all classes of people. Social reformers like Louise, Sebastian Mercier, and Martin Luther felt that the print culture is the most powerful engine of progress and public opinion and hence, it would definitely bring enlightenment and an end to despotism.

2. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India.

Some people, especially from the upper class and powerful class, feared the effect of easily available printed books. Their cause of fear was that due to the spread of literacy among the common people they may lose their position or authorities. Some people feared that this may lead to the spread of rebellions and irreligious thoughts. For example -

→ In Europe, the Roman Catholic Church tried to curb the printed books through the Index of Prohibited Books.

→ In India, the Vernacular Press Act imposed restrictions on Indian press and various local newspapers. Also, some religious leaders and some people from upper castes expressed their fear.

4. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India?

The effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India were:

→ The poor people benefited from the spread of print culture in India on account of the availability of low-price books and public libraries.

→ Enlightening essays were written against caste discrimination and its inherent injustices. These were read by people across the country.

→ On the encouragement and support of social reformers, overworked factory workers set up libraries for self-education, and some of them even published their own works, for example, Kashi Baba and his "Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal ''.

5. Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India.

The print culture immensely helped the growth in the growth of nationalism in India in the following ways -

→ Through vernacular press, oppressive methods of colonial rule were reported.

→ The misrule of government and its initiative on curbing the freedom of press spread the nationalist ideas that demanded freedom of press.

→ Nationalist feelings and revolutionary ideas were secretly spread by the dailies like - The Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Indian Mirror, Kesri, The Hindu, Bombay Samachar etc. Through these newspapers national leaders always tried to mobilize public opinion of Indian masses and unite them for the cause of nationalism.

→ The print culture helped in educating the people who then started to be gradually influenced by the reformist and nationalist ideas of the various Indian leaders like Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Tilak, Subhas Bose and Gandhiji etc

Print Culture and The Modern World MCQ :

Question : What is calligraphy?

(a) Poetry (b) Textbooks

Answer : D

Question : What was Gutenberg’s first printed book?

(a) Ballads (b) Dictionary

Answer : C

Question : What were ‘Penny Chapbooks’?

(a) Pocket – sized books (b) Journals

Answer : A

Question : Who introduced the printing press in India-

(a) French (b) Italian

Answer : C

Question : Who wrote ‘My childhood My university’.

(a) Thomas wood (b) Maxim Gorky

Answer : B

Question : When was the Vernacular press act passed?

(a) 1878 (b) 1887 (c) 1867 (d) 1898

Answer : A

Question : Who said, “Printing is the ultimate gift of god and the greatest one.”

(a) Charles Dickens (b) J. V. Schley

Answer : D

Question : Which is the oldest printed book of Japan

(a) Bible (b) Diamond Sutra

Answer : B

Question : Who wrote 95 theses?

(a) Martin Luther (b) Johann Gutenberg

Answer : A

Question : Who authored ‘Gitagovinda’?

(a) Jayadeva (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Answer : A

1. When and by whom was hand painting technology brought to Japan?

(a) The Arab travelers to Japan in the 8th century

(b) Buddhist missionaries from China around AD 768-770

(d) The Egyptians in the 8th century

► (b) Buddhist missionaries from China around AD 768-770

2. The earliest kind of print technology was developed in :

(a) Japan and Korea

(b) India, Japan and Korea

(d) India, China and Arabia

► (c) China, Japan and Korea

3. When and how did the Chinese start handprinting?

(a) From the 6th century onwards, the Chinese printed by rubbing paper

(b) From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper against the inked surface of wooden blocks

(d) All the above

► (b) From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper against the inked surface of wooden blocks

4. The term ‘Calligraph’ means :

(a) The art of beautiful printing

(b) The art of beautiful and stylised writing

(d) The art of printing an ‘accordion book’

► (b) The art of beautiful and stylised writing

5. Which statement given below is not an explanation of the art form called ‘Ukiyo’?

(a) ‘Ukiyo’ means pictures of the floating world or depiction

(b) Artists first draw the themes on paper, then a skilled wood-carver pastes the drawing on a wooden block

(d) The original drawing is then preserved in the libraries

► (d) The original drawing is then preserved in the libraries

6. Who was Kitagawa Utamaro and why is he famous?

(a) A famous Japanese artist, famous for his prints

(b) A Japanese artist, famous for his art form ‘Ukiyo’

(d) A Japanese artist born in Edo in 1753, famous for his contribution to an art form called ‘Ukiyo’ which influenced European artists like Manet, Monet and Van Gogh

► (d) A Japanese artist born in Edo in 1753, famous for his contribution to an art form called ‘Ukiyo’ which influenced European artists like Manet, Monet and Van Gogh

7. The first to use wood-block printing in Europe were :

(a) The French

(b) The Spaniards

(d) The Germans

► (b) The Spaniards

8. The production of manuscripts became possible in Europe because :

(a) The Europeans discovered paper

(b) Just like silk and spices, paper reached Europe via the Arab world

(d) All the above

► (c) Chinese paper reached Europe in the 11th century via the silk route, like silk and spices

9. The term ‘Compositor’ means :

(a) A person who composes poems

(b) A person who composes lyrics and songs for a play

(d) A person who composes the text for printing

► (d) A person who composes the text for printing

10. The Print Revolution transformed the lives of people by :

(a) Changing their relationship to information and knowledge; with institutions and authorities

(b) By producing cheaper books and producing them at a fast rate

(d) Both (b) and (c)

► (d) Both (b) and (c)

11. The term ‘Compositor’ means :

(a) A person who composes poems

(b) A person who composes lyrics and songs for a play

(d) A person who composes the text for printing

► (d) A person who composes the text for printing

12. Taverns were:

(a) Restaurants, where people could eat, drink and be merry

(b) Cheap hotels in towns

(d) Small buildings in a village for a public meeting

► (c) Places where people gathered to drink alcohol, to be served food, to meet friends and exchange views

13. Print culture, according to many historians, made people critical and rational because :

(a) Enlightened thinkers argued for the rule of reason rather than custom, judging everything with reasons

(b) The thinkers attacked sacred authority of the Church and despotism of the State

(d) All of the above

► (d) All of the above

14. There was a virtual reading mania in European countries at the end of the 18th century because :

(a) People wanted to read books and printers produced them in increasing numbers

(b) Churches set up schools in villages carrying literacy to peasants and artisans

(d) There was a variety in reading material, so reading became popular

► (b) Churches set up schools in villages carrying literacy to peasants and artisans

15. Which of the following statements does not support the view of some historians that Print Culture was the basis for the French Revolution?

(a) Print culture led to the spread of ideas of enlightened thinkers and encouraged questioning, critical reasoning and rule of reason rather than tradition

(b) It led to a public culture of debate, discussion, new ideas of social revolution

(d) It aroused hostility against monarchy, its mentality and mocked it

► (c) Print did not directly shape the people’s minds but opened up the possibility of thinking differently

16. Children became an important category of readers in the 19th century, mainly because :

(a) Primary education became compulsory and production of school textbooks became essential for publishing industry

(b) A children’s press devoted to literature for children was set up in France in 1857

(d) Anything vulgar was not published in children’s books

► (a) Primary education became compulsory and production of school textbooks became essential for publishing industry

17. The role of lending libraries in England in the 19th century was :

(a) Promoting reading among the working-class people

(b) Educating white collar workers, artisans and lower middle-class people

(d) Both (b) and (c)

► (d) Both (b) and ©

18. Through the 19th century, series of innovations in printing technology were:

(a) Richard M. Hoe of New York perfected power-driven cylindrical press capable of printing 8,000 sheets per hour

(b) Six colors at a time could be printed by the offset press

and photoelectric controls of color register were introduced

(d) Both (a) and (b)

► (d) Both (a) and (b)

19. Printers and publishers developed new strategies to sell their products. Which of the following is not an innovation of the 20th century?

(a) Cheap paperback editions were printed

(b) The dust cover or the book jacket was an innovation

(d) Popular works were sold in England in cheap series called the shilling series

► (c) Important novels were serialized, which led to a new way of writing novels

20. In which year, printing in Hindi began and what was its main concern?

(a) Hindi printing began from the 1870s, a large segment was devoted to women’s education, widow remarriage and the national movement

(b) Hindi printing began from the 1870s and their main concern was women-related issues

(d) Printing in Hindi began in the early 20th century and its main concern was religious reform

► (a) Hindi printing began from the 1870s, a large segment was devoted to women’s education, widow remarriage and the national movement

21. The book, ‘Chote Aur Bade Ka Sawal’ talked about

(a) the link between caste and class exploitation

(b) the injustices of the caste system

(d) ill treatment of widows

► (a) the link between caste and class exploitation

22. Who wrote about the injustices of the caste system in ‘Gulamgiri’?

(a) Raja Rammohan Roy

(b) Jyotiba Phule

(d) Bankim Chandra

► (b) Jyotiba Phule

23. Which of the following was the first book printed by Gutenberg?

(a) The Diamond Sutra

(b) Chapbook

(d) The Bible

► (d) The Bible

24. Who among the following invented the first printing press in Europe?

(a) Marco Polo

(b) Kitagawa Utamaro

(d) Erasmus

► (c) Johann Gutenberg

25. The printing press was first introduced in India by which one of the following?

(a) East India Company officials

(b) Indian reformers

(d) Arabic traders

► (c) Portuguese missionaries

26. Which of the following is an Enlightened thinker whose writings are said to have created conditions for a revolution in France?

(a) Louis Sebastian Mercier

(b) Rousseau

(d) Gutenberg

► (b) Rousseau

27. What were low priced small books printed on poor quality paper and bound in cheap blue covers called in France?

(a) Chapbooks

(b) Almanacs

(d) Ballads

► (c) Bibliothèque Bleue

28. The circulation of handwritten manuscripts remained limited because:

(a) they were fragile and awkward to handle

(b) they could not be carried around

(d) All of the above

► (d) All of the above

29. Which of the following books reflects the plight of the ‘lower castes’ and poor in India?

(a) Gulamgiri

(b) Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal

(d) All of the above

► (d) All of the above

30. The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was modeled on :

(a) Irish Press Laws

(b) American Press Laws

(d) German Press Laws

► (a) Irish Press Laws

31. “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.” Who spoke these words?

(a) Johann Gutenberg

(b) New Comen

(d) Martin Luther

► (d) Martin Luther

32. In which among the following countries was the earliest kind of print technology developed?

(a) India

(b) England

(d) China

► (d) China

Print Culture and The Modern World SAQ:

Explain how print culture had assisted the growth of nationalism in India in the 19th century. [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

(i) Print culture led to publication of most papers in Vernacular languages. Many more journals were published after 1870.

(ii) These journals and newspapers published cartoons and caricatures criticizing imperial rule and commented on social and political issues. The vernacular newspapers like Tilak’s Kesari and Maratha became assertively nationalist and reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalism.

(iii) The repressive measures passed by the British government provoked militant protest. Tilak was imprisoned for writing about them in his Kesari, in 1908. It led to widespread protests. Print helped the leaders to carry their ideas to people across India, brought them closer and helped the growth of nationalism.

Q.12. How did print culture affect women in 19th century India? Explain. (2010)

Women became important as readers as well as writers. Lives and feelings of women began to be written in vivid and intense ways. The number of women readers increased enormously in middle-class homes. Liberal fathers and husbands began educating their womenfolk at home and sent them to schools when schools for women were set up in cities and towns. Many journals carried a syllabus and attached suitable reading matter which could be used at home. From the 1860s, a few Bengali women like Kailashbashini Debi wrote books highlighting the experience of women – how they were imprisoned, kept in ignorance and forced to do hard domestic work and treated unjustly. Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai of Maharashtra in 1880, wrote with anger about the miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women – especially widows. In Central Calcutta, an entire area called Battala was devoted to printing popular books, profusely illustrated. They were carried by peddlers to homes enabling women to read them in their leisure time.

But everyone was not so liberal. Hindus (conservative) believed that a literate girl would become a widow. Muslims believed that an educated woman would be corrupted by reading. Some women had to learn to read and write in secret, like Rashsundari Debi of East Bengal. She learnt to read secretly in her kitchen and later wrote her autobiography Amar Jiban in 1876.

“The print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred.” Support the statement giving three arguments. [2009, 2010, 2011 (T-1)]

(i) Print popularized the ideas of enlightened thinkers, the writings of Voltaire and Rousseau were read widely. They made a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism. It opened the eyes of the readers, made them question, be critical and rational.

(ii) Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. All values, norms and institutions were revalued and discussed by a public that had become aware of the power of reason. New ideas of social revolution came into being.

(iii) By the 1780s, there was an outpouring of literature that mocked royalty and criticized their morality. In the process, it raised questions about the existing social order. It led to hostile sentiments against the monarchy. Thus, the print culture created the conditions in which the French Revolution occurred.

Explain any three features of handwritten manuscripts before the age of print in India. (2010)

Describe the salient features of Indian manuscripts before the age of print. [2011 (T-1)]

(i) India had a very rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian as well as many vernacular languages.

(ii) Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or hand-made paper. Pages were sometimes beautifully illustrated. They would be pressed between wooden covers or sewn together for preservation. Manuscripts continued to be produced till the late 19th century in spite of the introduction of print.

(iii) Manuscripts were highly expensive, fragile, and could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles. They were, thus, not widely used in everyday life.

Explain the main features of the first printed Bible. [2010 (T-1)]

Main features of the first printed Bible were :

(i) About 180 copies of the Bible were printed and it took three years to produce them.

(ii) The text was printed in the New Gutenberg press with metal type, but the borders were carefully designed, painted and illuminated by hand by artists.

(iii) No two copies were the same. Every page of each copy was different. This made everyone possess a copy which they could claim was unique.

(iv) Colour was used within the letters in various places. This had two functions: it added color to the page and highlighted all the holy words to emphasize their significance; colour on every page was added by hand.

(v) Gutenberg printed the text in black leaving spaces where the color could be filled later.

Examine the role of missionaries in the growth of the press in India? [2010 (T-1)]

The printing press first came to India with Portuguese missionaries to Goa in the mid-sixteenth century. Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several tracts. By 1674, about 50 books had been printed in Konkani and Kannada languages. Catholic priests published the first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin and in 1713, the first Malayalam book was published by them. By 1710, Dutch Protestant missionaries had published 32 Tamil Texts, many of them translations of older works.

What role was played by the print culture in bringing the French Revolution? [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

Many Historians argued that print culture created conditions within which the French revolution occurred. Explain with three arguments.

Role of print culture in French Revolution

(i) Print popularized the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers. Collectively, their writing provided a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and disposition. They argued for the rule of reason rather than custom.

(ii) They attacked the sacred authority of the Church and despotic power of the state. This eroded the authority of a social order based on tradition. The writings of Voltaire and Rousseau made readers see the world through new eyes, eyes that questioned and were rational and critical.

(iii) Secondly, print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. Now all values, norms and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed by the public, now aware of their power to question existing beliefs and ideas. It led to new ideas of social revolution. Thirdly, by the 1780s there was an output of literature that mocked royalty and questioned their morality. Cartoons and caricatures presented monarchy interested only in their own pleasures, while the ordinary people suffered immense hardships. Literature spread hostile sentiments against the monarchy, though it was circulated underground.

But we must remember that to combat the above ideas was the influence of the Church. If people read Voltaire and Rousseau, they were also exposed to monarchical and Church propaganda. So print did not directly shape their minds, but it made it possible for people to think differently.

. How did the ideas of scientists and philosophers become more accessible to common people after the beginning of the print revolution in Europe? [2010 (T-1)]

Ideas of scientists and philosophers on printing books, became accessible to common people. Ancient and medieval scientific texts were compiled and published, maps and scientific diagrams were widely printed. Ideas of Issac Newton were published and they could influence a much wider circle. The writings of thinkers like Thomas Pasore, Voltaire and Rousseau were printed and read by a vast majority. Their ideas also were found in the literature of the time.

How did the printing press bring forth changes in reading culture? [2010 (T-1)]

What was the impact of the Print Revolution? [2011 (T-1)]

How did the printing press create a new reading public? Explain. [2011 (T-1)]

With the printing press, a new reading public emerged.

(i) Printing reduced the cost of books.

(ii) The time and labor to produce each book came down. Multiple copies could be produced easily.

(iii) Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever growing readership.

(iv) It created a new culture of reading.

(v) Common people could not read books earlier, only the elite could. Common people heard a story or saw a performance collectively.

(vi) Instead of a hearing public now there was a reading public.

(vii) The rate of literacy in European countries was also low till the 20th century. Publishers reached out to people by making them listen to books being read out.

(vii) Printers published popular ballads and folktales, profusely illustrated. These were then sung and recited at village gatherings in taverns in towns. Oral culture thus entered print and printed material was orally transmitted, Hearing and reading public, thus became one.

Q.20. Why were printed books popular even among illiterate people? [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

(i) First, very cheap small books brought to markets in 19th century towns allowed poor people traveling, to buy them. Public libraries set up in early 20th century expanded the

access to books.

(ii) From the late 19th century, many social reformers like Iyoliba Phule (a Maratha reform pioneer) wrote about injustices of the caste system in their books (Gulamgiri, 1871). In the 20th century B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker wrote powerfully on caste and their books were read by people all over India. Workers in factories were too overworked and lacked education to write much about their experiences. A Kanpur mill worker wrote and published ``Chhote aur Bade ka Sawal'' in 1938 to show links between 1935-1955 were published as “Sacchi Kavitayen”. Libraries were set up in Bangalore cotton mills and in Bombay. It was done to bring literacy and to propagate the message of nationalism. The printed books made the poor crazy about reading.

Describe the progress of Print in Japan. [2010 (T-1)]

Ans. Buddhist Missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology into Japan around AD 768-770. The oldest Japanese book, printed in AD 868, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, containing six sheets of text and woodcut illustrations. Pictures were printed on textiles, playing cards and paper money. In medieval Japan, poets and prose writers were regularly published, books were cheap and in plenty.

In the late 18th century, flourishing urban circles at Edo (modern Tokyo) published illustrated collections, printing artists, courts and book stores were packed with hand-printed material of various types – books on women, musical instruments, calculations, tea ceremony flower arrangements, proper etiquette cooking and famous places. Famous examples : Kitagawa Utamaro's contribution to an art form called Ukiyo (pictures of the floating world).

What is a manuscript? Give four shortcomings of manuscripts. [2010 (T-1)]

Manuscripts are handwritten books written on palm leaves or on hand made paper. Pages were sometimes beautifully illustrated. They would be either pressed between wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation.

The four drawbacks were :

(i) They were highly expensive and fragile.

(ii) They had to be handled carefully.

(iii) They could not read easily as the script was written in different styles.

(iv) So they were not widely used.

Students very often did not read the texts. They only learnt to write. Teachers dictated portions from memory and students wrote them down. Many became literate without ever actually reading any kind of texts.

What was the attitude of people in India in the nineteenth century towards women reading? How did women respond to this? [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

There was not a universally favorable attitude conservative Hindus believed that a literate girl would be widowed and Muslims feared educated women would be corrupted by reading Urdu romances. Rebel women defied such prohibition. A Muslim girl in north India defied her family and secretly learnt to read and write Urdu. Rashsundari Debi, a young married girl in a very orthodox family, learnt to read in the secrecy of her kitchen. Later she published her autobiography in Bengali language. A few Bengali women like Kailash Bashini Debi wrote books highlighting the experiences of women. In the 1860s, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai of Maharashtra wrote about the miserable lives of upper caste women. Women writing in Tamil expressed their gratitude to books. The attitude in general was to keep women imprisoned at home, ignorant, forced to do hard domestic work and subject to unfair treatment.

In Punjab, folk literature exhorted women to be obedient wives (Ram Chaddha’s Istri Dharm Vichar.) The Khalsa Tract Society published cheap booklets with the same message. In Bengal, – an entire area in Central Calcutta – the Battala – was devoted to printing popular books. They were cheap editions of religious texts, scriptures as well as scandalous literature. Women’s education was not encouraged by the majority as Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain reported in her address to the Bengal Women’s Educated Conference.

Explain the role played by print in bringing about a division in the Roman Catholic Church. [2010 (T-1)]

In 1517, a religious reformer, Martin Luther, wrote 95 theses criticizing many practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.

A printed copy of this was posted on a Church door in Wittenberg. It challenged the Church to debate his ideas. Luther’s writings were reproduced in vast numbers and read widely. This led to a division within the Church and to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s translation of the Bible sold 5,000 copies in the first week and soon the second edition began. The print of his theses, according to scholars, brought about a new intellectual atmosphere and spread rapidly the ideas of Reformation.

Give three ways in which early printed books closely resembled manuscripts. [2010 (T-1)]

(i) The metal letters imitated the ornamental handwritten styles.

(ii) Borders were illuminated by hand with foliage and other patterns.

(iii) Illustrations were printed. In the books meant for the rich, space for decoration was kept blank on the printed page. Each purchaser could choose the design and decide on the painting school that would do the illustrations.

How did print help connect communities and people in different parts of India? Explain with examples. [2010 (T-1)]

Print connected communities and people in different parts of India through newspapers, by encouraging public debates on important issues. New ideas emerged in Sambad Kaumudi published by Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s from 1821, which provoked debate on widow immolation, Brahmanical priesthood, idolatry, by printing ideas in every language spoken by ordinary people. In retaliation, Hindu orthodoxy started Samachar Chandrika to oppose his opinions.

In north India, ulamas fearing colonial rulers will change Muslim personal laws, published Persian and Urdu translations of holy scriptures and printed religious newspapers and tracts. The Deoband Seminary published thousands of fatwas telling Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday life and explaning Islamic doctrines. Hindus also published religious texts in Vernacular languages. Ramcharit Manas of Tulsidas

came out in Calcutta in 1810. Naval Kishore Press at Lucknow and Shri Venkateshwar Press in Bombay published numerous religious texts in Vernacular languages. The religious texts reached a very wide circle of people encouraging discussions, debates and controversies within and among different religions.

Newspapers conveyed news from one place to another, creating pan-Indian identities. Thus, print not only stimulated publication of conflicting opinions, it also connected communities and people in different parts of India.

‘Liberty of speech.. liberty of the press... freedom of association. The Government of India is now seeking to crush the three powerful vehicles of expressing and cultivating public opinion. The fight for Swaraj, for Khilafat... means a fight for this threatened freedom before all else..’ [2010 (T-1)]

(i) Who made the above statement?

(ii) Why was the Government trying to crush the three vehicles of expression?

(i) Gandhi made the above statement in 1922.

(ii) The Government was trying to repress the national movement in India. They did not want colonial misrule to be reported and wanted to throttle nationalist criticism. They resorted to persecution (Tilak imprisoned in 1908, Punjab revolutionaries disported in 1907), to suppress widespread protests in India by passing Acts like the Vernacular Press Act in 1878.

Why did the new technology not entirely displace the existing art of producing books by hand? [2010 (T-1)]

First, the printed books closely resembled the written manuscripts in appearance and layout.

Second, the metal letters imitated the ornamental hand styles.

Third, borders in printed books were illuminated by hand with foliage and other patterns and illustrations were painted. In the books for the rich, space for decoration was kept blank on the printed page. After each purchaser had chosen the design then the painting school would do the illustrators so new technology did not entirely displace the existing art of producing books by hand.

By the end of the 19th century a new visual culture was taking shape. Explain. [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

The setting up of an increasing number of printing presses made it easy to reproduce visual images in multiple copies. Painters like Raja Ram Varma produced images for mass circulation. Cheap prints and calendars could be bought by the poor to decorate the walls of their homes or places of work. The prints began shaping popular ideas about modernity and tradition, religion and politics, society and culture.

In the 1870s, caricatures and cartoons were published in journals and newspapers. Imperial cartoons lampooned nationalists and nationalist cartoons criticized imperial rule.

How did ideas about science, reason and rationality find their way into popular literature in 18th century Europe? [2010 (T-1)]

Explain the significance of newspapers, and journals developed in the early 18th century.

In the 18th century the periodical press combined information about current affairs with entertainment. Newspapers and journals carried information about wars and trade as well as the news of development in other places.

Similarly, ideas of philosophers now became accessible to common people. Ancient and medieval scientific texts were compiled and published, maps and scientific diagrams were widely printed. When scientists like Issac Newton began to publish their discoveries, they could influence a much wider circle of scientifically minded readers. The writings of thinkers such as Thomas Paime, Voltaire and Rousseau were also widely printed and read. Thus their ideas about science, reason and rationality found their way into popular literature.

How did the uses of print diversify in China by the 17th century? Explain. [2010 (T-1)]

By the 17th century, urban culture bloomed in China and use of print diversified.

(i) Print was no longer used just by scholars and officials.

(ii) Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.

(iii) Reading increasingly became a leisure activity. New readers preferred narratives, poetry,

autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces and romantic plays.

Rich women began to read, many women began publishing their poetry and plays. Lives of scholar officials published their works and courtesans wrote about their lives.

Write the name of any two women writers of India in the 19th century and highlight the contribution of any one who wrote about the different experiences of the women. [2010 (T-1)]

The two women writers of India in the 19th century were :

(i) Kailashbashini Devi (ii) Tarabai Shinde.

(i) Kailashbashini Devi was a Bengali who wrote books from the 1860s, highlighting the experiences of women. She writes about how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to do hard domestic work and treated unjustify by the new people served.

How did print come to Europe from China? Explain. [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

In 1295, Marco Polo, a great explorer, returned to Italy after years of exploration in China. Marco Polo brought the knowledge of woodblock printing from China and soon Italians began producing books with woodblocks. The technology spread rapidly to the rest of Europe. Merchants and students in the university started buying cheaper printed copies.

Q.34. State any three points of importance of penny chapbooks. [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

. Importance of chapbooks

(i) Meant largely for entertainment. Chapbooks began to reach a large number of people.

(ii) Penny chapbooks in England were carried by petty peddlers called chapman and sold for a penny, so that even the poor could buy them.

(iii) They were of various sizes, serving many different purposes and interests.

Chapbooks Chapbooks

How did the publishers persuade the common people to welcome the printed books in Europe? [2010 (T-1)]

Ans. The publishers persuaded the common people to welcome printed books in Europe by :

(i) Trying to reach those who did not read but could certainly enjoy listening to books being read out.

(ii) Publishing popular ballads and folktales and such books were profusely illustrated with pictures. These were sung and recited at gatherings in villages and in taverns in towns.

(iii) They blurred the line that separated the oral and reading cultures. Hearing and reading public became intermingled.

Explain any three factors responsible for the invention of ‘New Printing Technology’. [2010 (T-1)]

Three factors responsible for the invention of “New Printing Technology” are :

(i) There was a need for quicker and cheaper reproduction of texts.

(ii) Production of hand written manuscripts could not satisfy the ever increasing demand for books.

(iii) Manuscripts were fragile, awl wand to handle and could not be carried around easily. All these demanded a “new print technology” and the breakthrough came, when Gotann Gutenberg of Germany developed the first-known printing press in the 1430s.

How did the Indians copy and preserve their manuscripts? [2010, 2011 (T-1)]

Indians copy their manuscripts on palm leaves or on hand made paper. They would be either posed between wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation.

How was the increased demand for books fulfilled by the booksellers? Mention any 3 points. [2011 (T-1)]

Booksellers met the increased demand of books by :

(i) Exporting books to different countries.

(ii) By holding book fairs at different places.

(iii) Scribes or skilled handwriters were now no longer solely employed by wealthy or influential patrons but by booksellers also. More than 50 scribes worked for one book-seller.

(iv) New methods of producing hand written books were invented to meet public demand.

What restrictions were imposed by the Vernacular Press Act on the Indian Press? Explain. [2011 (T-1)]

In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed. It provided the government with intensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. The government kept regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. When a report was judged as seditious the newspaper was warned, and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery confiscated.

How did print introduce debate and discussion? Explain any three points. [2011 (T-1)]

Print created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas and introduced a new world of debate and discussion. Even those who disagreed with established authorities could now print and circulate their ideas. Through the printed message, they could persuade people to think differently, and move them to action. For instance, Martin Luther wrote 95 theses criticizing many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. This led to the Protestant Reformation.

What was the impact of print culture on the poor people of India during the 19th century? Explain. [2011 (T-1)]

Very cheap small books were brought to markets in 19th century Madras towns and sold at crossroads, allowing poor people to buy them. Issues of caste discrimination began to be written and discussed. Kashibaba, a Kanpur mill worker, wrote on caste and class exploitation. Bangalore cotton mill workers set up libraries to educate themselves. Local social workers used books and journals to eradicate superstition and social evils. This was also used to propagate a message of nationalism.

Why did the woodblock method become popular in Europe ? [CBSE 2015]

What were the drawbacks of the handwritten manuscripts ?

Mention the shortcomings of manuscripts. [CBSE Sept. 2011, 2012, 2014]

Ans. (i) The production of handwritten manuscripts could not meet the ever-increasing demand for books.

(ii) Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.

(iii) The manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle and could not be carried around or read easily. By the early fifteenth century, woodblocks started being widely used in Europe to print textiles, playing cards and religious pictures with simple, brief texts

“The Bengal Gazette was a commercial paper open to all. but influenced by none.” Justify the claim of James Augustus Hickey. [CBSE 2012]

Ans. From 1780. James Augustus Hickey began to edit the Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine that described Itself as a commercial paper open to all. but influenced by none’ So it was a private English enterprise, proud of its independence from colonial influence, and began English printing in India. Hickey published a lot of advertisements, including those that related to the import and sale of slaves. But he also published a lot of gossip about the Company’s senior officials in India. Enraged by this, Governor-General Warren Hastings persecuted Hickey, and encouraged the publication of officially sanctioned newspapers that could counter the flow of information that damaged the image of the colonial government.

Explain any three features of handwritten manuscripts before the age of print in India.

[CBSE Sept. 2010. 2011. 2012. 2013]

Ans. (i) Handwritten were copied on palm leaves or on handmade papers.

(ii) Pages were beautifully illustrated.

(iii)They were pressed between wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation,

(iv) Manuscripts were available in vernacular languages.

(v) Manuscripts Highly expensive and fragile,

(vi) They could no: he read easily as the script was written in different styles.

Who was Louis-Sebastien Mercier ? What were his Ideas about print ?

‘Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world ! Tremble before the virtual writer ! Explain this statement. [CBSE 2014]

Ans. Louise-Sebastien Mercier was a French dramatist and a novelist in the eighteenth century. He declared 'The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress and public opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.’ In most of his novels, he had shown his love for reading. In most of his novels, the heroes are transformed by the acts of reading Convinced of the power of print in bringing enlightenment, and destroying the basis of despotism, Mercier proclaimed : “Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world ! Tremble before the virtual writer !”

How did the ideas of scientists and philosophers become more accessible to common people after the beginning of the print revolution in Europe ? [CBSE Sept. 2010. 2012]

Ans. (i) The ideas of scientists and philosophers now became more accessible to the common people.

(ii) Ancient and medieval scientific texts were compiled and published, and maps and scientific diagrams were widely printed.

(iii) When scientists like Isaac Newton began to publish their discoveries, they could influence a much wider circle of scientifically minded readers

(iv) The writings of thinkers such as Thomas Paine. Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau were also widely printed and read. Thus their ideas about science, reasoning and nationality found their way into popular literature.

How did ideas about science, reason and rationality find their way into popular literature in 18th century Europe ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]

Ans. (i) Collectively, the writings of thinkers provided a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism.

(ii)Scholars and thinkers argued for the rule of reason rather than custom, and demanded that everything be judged through the application of reason and rationality,

(iii) They attacked the sacred authority of the Church and the despotic power of the state, thus eroding the legitimacy of a social order based on tradition.

(iv) The Writings of Voltaire and Rousseau were read Widely: and those who read these books saw the world through new eyes, eyes that were questioning, critical and rational

state any three points of importance of penny chapbooks. [CBSE Sept. 2010.2011]

Describe some of the new printed books which were sold by the peddlers in villages in eighteenth century Europe. [CBSE-2012, 2014]

Ans. (i) Pocket sue books that were sold by traveling pedlars called chapmen

(ii) These became popular from the time of the sixteenth-century print revolution.

(iii) It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales, children’s literature and almanacs. Where there were illustrations, they would be popular prints.

Explain the common conviction of people in the mid-18th century about the books and print culture, [CBSE 2013]

Ans. (i) By the mid-eighteenth century, there was a common conviction that books were a means of spreading progress and enlightenment.

(ii) Many believed that books could change the world, liberate society from despotism and tyranny, and herald a time when reason and intellect would rule.

(iii) Louis-Sebastian Mercier, a novelist in Prance declared. “The printing press is most powerful engine of progress and public- opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.”

Explain the main features of the first printed Bible. [CBSE Sept. 2010]

Describe any three main features of the first printed Bible. [CBSE 2014]

Ans: (i) About 18O copies were printed ar.d it took three years to produce them.

(ii) The text was printed in the new Gutenberg press with metal type, but the borders were carefully designed, painted and illuminated by hand by artists.

(iii) Every page of each copy was different.

(iv) Different colors were used within the letters in various places.

How did Gutenberg personalize the printed hooks suiting to the tastes and requirements of others ? [CBSE 2012]

Ans. (i)Borders were illuminated by hand with foliage and other patterns.

(ii) Illustrations were painted in the painting school of the buyer’s choice,

(iii) In the books printed for the rich blank spares were left for decoration.

(iv) Each buyer could choose the design, verses were highlighted by hand with colors,

(v) The overall outlook of the book was properly taken care of.

Who was Marco Polo ? What was his contribution to print culture ? [CBSE 2013]

Ans. Marco Polo was a great Italian explorer.

Contribution :

(i) in 1295. Marco Polo returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China.

(ii) He brought the knowledge of woodblock printing with him.

(iii) Now in Italy, books started to be produced with woodblocks and soon the technology spread to other parts of Europe.

How was the earliest printing technology developed in the world ? Explain. [CBSE 2012]

Ans. (i) The earnest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan, and Korea.

(ii) Up to the 6th century, the print was used only by scholar officials.

(iii) Then the Buddhist missionaries introduced hand printing technology,

(iv) Marco Polo brought woodblock printing from China to Italy.

(v) The invention of the printing press proved a great miracle in spreading knowledge.

Describe the progress of print in Japan. [CBSE Sept. 2010. 2011. 2013]

Ans. (i) Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology into Japan around AD 768-770. The oldest Japanese book, printed in AD 868, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra. Pictures were printed on textiles, playing cards and paper money.

(ii) In medieval Japan, poets and prose writers were regularly published, and books were cheap and abundant.

(iii) Printing of visual material led to interesting publishing practices. In the late eighteenth century, in the flourishing urban circles at Edo (later to be known os Tokyo), illustrated collections of paintings depicted an elegant urban culture, involving artists, courtesans, and tea house gatherings

How did China remain a major producer of printed materials for a long time ? [CBSE 2013]

“The imperial state in China was the major producer of printed material.” Support this statement with examples. [CBSE 2013. 2012. 2014]

Ans. Textbooks for the civil service examination were printed in vast numbers under the sponsorship of the imperial state

(ii) Merchants used print in their everyday life as they collected trade information.

(iii)The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, romantic plays

(iv) Rich women began to read and many women began publishing their poetry and plays.

Print Culture and The Modern World LONG QUESTION:

Describe three shortcomings of manuscripts that were overcome by the printing press. (2010)

(i) Copying manuscripts by expert handwriters was very time-consuming and cumbersome. The printing press took much less time to produce many copies of books.

(ii) Copying manuscripts was an expensive affair which only the aristocrats could afford. Printing press reduced the cost of books significantly and made them available to common people.

(iii) Carrying handwritten books was cumbersome and involved the risk of getting spoiled or damaged. Printed books could be easily handled, carried and circulated.

Q.9. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it. [Delhi 2008]

'Dear children, don't read these novels, don't even touch them. Your life will be ruined. You will suffer disease and ailments. Why did the good Lord make you – to wither away at a tender age? To suffer from disease? To be despised by your brothers, relatives and those around you? No. No. You must become mothers; you must lead happy lives; this is the divine purpose. You, who were born to fulfill this sublime goal, should you ruin your life by going crazy after despicable novels?’

Q.10.(i) Mention the source of the above given paragraph.

The source is a Tamil essay, written in 1927 by Thiru. Vi. Ka and translated by A.R. Venkatachalapathy.

(ii) Analyze the message given by the writer to children.

The message is that children should avoid novels like the plague. The writer warns that even touching the novels would lead to diseases and ailments, and their lives would be ruined. The message is for the girls, whose role as mothers in society would be jeopardized. They would be despised by their near and dear ones, their happiness would be destroyed and their role, assigned to them by divine powers, would suffer. Novels are despicable and will drive the girl readers crazy.

How did the oral culture enter print and how was the printed material transmitted orally? Explain with suitable examples. [Outside India 2008]

Before print culture came, common people lived in the world of oral culture. They heard sacred texts read out, ballads recited and folktales narrated. Knowledge was transferred orally, people collectively heard a story or saw a performance.

As books could be read only by the literate, the printers began publishing popular ballads and folk tales, and small books would be profusely illustrated with pictures. They were then sung and recited at gatherings in the villages and in taverns in towns. Those who could not read, enjoyed listening to books being read out. Oral culture thus entered print and printed material was orally transmitted. The hearing public and the reading public became intermingled.

How were ideas and information written before the age of print in India? How did the printing technique begin in India? [2008]

In the ancient period, India had a very rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and other regional languages. Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or on handmade paper. Pages were beautifully illustrated. Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda was written on a palm leaf in accordion format. Some works had beautiful calligraphy like the 14th century poet Hafiz’s work known as the Diwan. These manuscripts were preserved by sewing them together or pressing between wooden covers. They had to be handled carefully and they were highly expensive and fragile. Even in schools, students became literate without reading any kinds of texts as scripts were written in different styles and not easy to read. Teachers dictated portions and students wrote them down. The printing press first came to Goa with Portuguese missionaries in the mid-16th century. They printed several tracts in Konkani. In 1674, 50 books had been printed in Konkani. The first Tamil book was printed in 1579 at Cochin, and the first Malayalam book appeared in 1713. By 1710, Dutch missionaries had printed 32 Tamil Texts. English printing was started by James Hickey from 1780. He began to edit the Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine. So it was a private English enterprise that began English printing in India. By the close of the 18th century, a number of journals appeared, Indians too began publishing. Gangadhar Bhattacharya, who was close to Raja Rammohun Roy, brought out the Bengal Gazette.

“Print did not only stimulate the publications of conflicting opinions among different communities but also connected them in the 19th century in India.” Support the statement with examples. [2009]

In the 19th century, there were intense debates around religious issues. Different groups had different opinions about changes taking place in colonial society. Some criticized existing practices and championed the cause of reforms, while others opposed reforms vehemently. Print not only spread the new ideas, but along with newspapers, it shaped the nature of debate. This was a time of controversies between social and religious reformers and Hindu Orthodoxy over matters like widow immolation (Sati), monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry. The ideas were printed everyday in the spoken language of ordinary people. Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi from 1821 and the Hindu Orthodoxy commissioned the Samachar Chandrika to oppose his opinions. From 1822, two Persian newspapers were published — Jam-i-Jahan Numa and Shamsul Akhbar. In the same year, a Gujarati newspaper, the Bombay Samachar, was published. In north India, the Ulema were deeply worried about the collapse of Muslim dynasties, and the colonial rulers changing the Muslim Personal Law. The Deoband Seminary, founded in 1867, published thousands of fatwas telling Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday life, and explaining the meanings of Islamic doctrines. Among Hindus, print helped in reading of religious texts. The first printed edition of Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, a 16th century text, came out from Calcutta in 1810. From the 1880s the Nawal Kishore Press at Lucknow and Shri Venkateshwar Press of Bombay published numerous religious texts in vernaculars. Not only could they be read easily by the faithful at any place and time, but they could also be read to a large audience of illiterate people. Religious texts reached a very wide circle of people, encouraging discussions, debates and controversies within and among different religions.

How did the printing press create a new- reading public ? Explain. [CBSF. Sept. 2013]

“There was a virtual reading mania in European countries in the 18th century”. Explain the factors responsible for this virtual reading mania.

Ans. (i) Low cost of production : With the printing press, a new reading public emerged. Printing reduced the cost of books. The time mid labor required to produce each book came down, and multiple copies could be produced with greater ease. Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever-growing readership.

(ii) Accessibility of books : Access to books created a new culture of reading. Earlier, reading was restricted to the elites. Common people lived in a world of oral culture. They heard sacred texts read out ,ballads recited, and folk tales narrated. Knowledge was transferred orally. People collectively heard a story, or saw a performance. Before the age of print, books were not only expensive but they could not be produced in sufficient numbers. Now books could reach out to wider sections of people.

(iii) Increase in literacy rate : Through the. Seventeenth and eighteenth centuries literacy rates went up in most parts of Europe. Churches of different denominations set up schools in Villages, carrying literacy to peasants and artisans. By the end of the eighteenth century, in some parts of Europe literacy rates were as high as 60 to 80 per cent. As literacy and schools spread in European countries, there was a virtual reading mania

Trace the history of print in China.

How did China remain a major producer of printed materials for a long time ?

The imperial state in China was the major producer of printed material.Support this statement. [CBSE 2014]

Ans. (i) Hand Printing : The earliest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan and Korea. This was a system of hand printing. From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper – also invented there- against the inked surface of woodblocks. As both sides of the thin, porous sheet could not be printed, the traditional Chinese ‘accordion book’ was folded and stitched at the side. Superbly skilled craftsmen could duplicate, with remarkable accuracy, the beauty of calligraphy.

(ii) Major producer : The imperial state in China was, for a very long time, the major producer of printed material. China possessed a huge bureaucratic system which recruited its personnel through civil service examinations. Textbooks for this examination were printed in vast numbers under the sponsorship of the imperial state. From the sixteenth century, the number of examination candidates went up and that increased the volume of print.

(iii) Printing in the 17th century : By the seventeenth century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified. Print was no longer used just by scholar officials. Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information. Reading increasingly became a leisure activity. The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces, and romantic plays. Rich women began to read, and many women began publishing their poetry and plays. Wives of scholar-officials published their works and courtesans wrote about their lives.

(iv) Printing in the 19th century : This new reading culture was accompanied by a new technology. Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported in the nineteenth century as Western powers established their outposts in China. Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture, catering to the Western-style schools. From hand printing there was now a gradual shift to mechanical printing.

Trace the history of print in Europe.

How did print culture develop in Europe ? Explain. [CBSE 2010, 2012 (D)]

How did print come to Europe from China ? Explain. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]

Ans. (i) Paper from China : Paper reached Europe from China through the Silk route in the 11th century. With this, the production of manuscripts written by scribes became a regular feature.

(ii) Role of travelers and explorers : Marco Polo, a great explorer reached Italy after several years of exploration in China in the year 1295. Marco Polo brought back with him the technology of woodblock printing. Now Italians started publishing books with woodblocks. The technology became popular in other parts of Europe, as well.

(iii) Woodblock printing : By the early fifteenth century, woodblocks started being widely used in Europe to print textiles, playing cards and religious pictures with simple, brief texts.

(iv) Johann Gutenberg and the printing press : A major revolution in print technology was brought by Johann Gutenberg. He developed the first known printing press in the 1430’s. The first book he printed was the Bible.

(v) Spread of printing presses : In the next hundred years i.e. between 1450 and 1550, printing presses were set up in most countries of Europe.

Who was Johann Gutenberg ? Explain his role in the history of printing. [CBSE Sept. 2010]

Who invented the printing press ? How did he develop the print technology ? [CBSE 2009 (F)]

Ans. Johann Gutenberg was a German goldsmith and inventor, credited with the invention of the movable type printing in Europe.Gutenberg was the son of a merchant, and his childhood was spent on a large agricultural estate. From his childhood, he had seen wine and olive presses. By and by, he learnt the art of polishing stones, became a master goldsmith, and also acquired the expertise to create lead molds used for making trinkets. (Trinket-A small item of jewelry that is cheap or of low quality). Using this knowledge, Gutenberg adapted the existing technology to design his innovation. The olive press became the base model for the printing press and molds were used for casting the metal types for the letters of the alphabet. By 1448, Gutenberg perfected the system. In 1455, Gutenberg published his 42-lines Bible, commonly known as the Gutenberg Bible. About 180 copies were printed, most on paper and some on vellum.

In which way did the early printed books closely resemble the manuscripts? Explain.

[CBSE 2013]

Give three ways in which early printed books closely resembled manuscripts. [CBSE 2011]

Ans. (i) Early printed books were technically printed but those were not very different from manuscripts.

(ii) There were many kinds of same features available in similar books which made printed books closely resembling manuscripts.

(iii) Both printed books and manuscripts looked similar because metal letters imitated the ornamental handwritten style.

(iv) Like handwritten manuscripts, borders of printed books were also illuminated by hand with foliage and other patterns and illustrations were painted.

(v) In the books printed for rich people, space for decoration was kept blank on the printed pages.

(vi) Each buyer could choose the design and decide on the painting school that would do the illustrations.

What were the features of the new books which were produced in Europe after the invention of the Gutenberg’s press ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]

Ans. (i) Cheap : The books produced were very cheap as compared to earlier books.

(ii) Resemblance with manuscript : Printed books resembled greatly the written manuscripts in appearance and layout. The metal letters imitated the ornamental handwritten styles.

(iii) Handwork : Borders of the books were illuminated by hand, with foliage and other patterns.

(iv) Role of painting : Illustrations were painted. The books printed for the elites had space for decoration.

(v) Different painting schools : Different painting schools prevailed and a person could choose the design and decide on the painting school that would do the illustrations exclusively for him

Mention some of the innovations which have improved the printing technology after the 17th century.[CBSE Sept. 2010]

Highlight any three innovations which have improved the printing technology from 19th century onwards.[CBSE 2014]

Ans. Invention which improved the printing technology after 17th century are listed below :

(i) Metal Press : In the 19th century, there were a series of innovations in printing technology. Now the press was made out of metal.

(ii) Rotary Printing Press : Richard March Hoe, an American inventor designed and improved the printing press. He invented the Rotary Printing Press, a design much faster than the old flat-bed printing press. The new press could print* about 8,000 sheets per hour. The new press was very useful for printing newspapers.

(iii) Offset Press : In the late nineteenth century, the offset press was developed which could print up to six colors at the same time.

(iv) Electrically Operated Presses : From the turn of the twentieth century, electrically operated presses accelerated printing operations. A series of many other developments followed. Methods of feeding paper improved, the quality of plates became better, automatic paper reels and photoelectric control of the color register were introduced.

The accumulation of several individual mechanical improvements transformed the appearance of the printed texts.

Oral culture and print culture were complementary to each other”. Justify the statement with any three suitable arguments. [CBSE 2013]

Ans. (i) Earlier, reading was restricted to the elites. Common people lived in a world of oral culture.

(ii) With the printing press, books could reach out to wider sections of society. If earlier, there was a hearing public, now a reading public came into being.

(iii) Publishers had to keep in mind the wider reach of the printed books. Even those who did not read, could enjoy listening to the books being read out.

(iv) So, printers began publishing popular ballads and folk tales and such books would be profusely illustrated with pictures. These were then sung and recited at gatherings in villages and in taverns in towns.

How did the oral culture enter print and how was the printed material transmitted orally ? Explain with suitable examples. [CBSE 2008 (F), Sept. 2012]

How did the printers manage to attract the people, largely illiterate, towards printed books ?

[CBSE Sept. 2012]

Ans. Oral culture entered print in the following ways:

(i) Printers published popular ballads and folk tales.

(ii) Books were profusely illustrated with pictures.

Printed material was transmitted orally in the following ways :

(i) These were sung at gatherings in villages, taverns and in towns.

(ii) They were recited in public gatherings. For example, Indian novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay used to read out his novels to a gathering

Explain the role of print in the religious reforms in India. [CBSE 2011]

Ans. (i) Debate over social issues: Print initiated an intense controversy between social and religious reformers and the Hindu orthodoxy over matters like widow immolation, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry. In Bengal, as the debate developed, tracts and newspapers proliferated, circulating a variety of arguments. To reach a wider audience, the ideas were printed in the everyday, spoken language of ordinary people.

(ii) Ideas of Reformers: Print carried the ideas of social reformers to the common people. For example Sambad Kaumudl carried the ideas and philosophy of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

(iii) Reforms in Muslims: In north India, the ulama were deeply anxious about the collapse of Muslim dynasties. They feared that colonial rulers would encourage conversion, change the Muslim personal laws. To counter this, they used cheap lithographic presses, published Persian and Urdu translations of holy scriptures, and printed religious newspapers and tracts. The Deoband Seminary, founded in 1867, published thousands upon thousands of fatwas telling Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday lives, and explaining the meanings of Islamic doctrines.

(iv) Reforms in Hindus: Among Hindus, too, print encouraged the reading of religious texts, especially in the vernacular languages. The first printed edition of the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, a sixteenth- century text, came out from Calcutta in 1810.

‘Print not only stimulates the publication of conflicting opinions amongst communities, but it also connects communities and people in different parts of India.’ Explain.

[CBSE 2008 (O), 2009 (D), Sept. 2011]

How did print help connect communities and people in different parts of India ? Explain with examples.[CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]

Ans. (i) Debate on religious, social and economic issues : From the early nineteenth century, there were serious debates on religious, social and economic issues. Different people had different opinions regarding colonial society. Reformers offered a variety of new interpretations of the beliefs of different religions. There were many who criticized the existing practices and campaigned for reforms while others countered.

(ii) Impact on debates : These debates were carried out openly in public and in print. Printed tracts and newspapers not only spread the new ideas, but they also shaped the nature of the debates.

(iii) New ideas and clashes : A wider range of people could now participate in these public discussions and express their views. New ideas emerged through these clashes of opinions.

(iv) Pan-Indian identities : Newspapers conveyed news from one place to another, creating pan-Indian identities. Newspapers reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities.

(v) Print and depressed classes : From the 19th century, issue of caste discrimination began to be written. Jyotiba Phule, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, E. V. Ramaswamy wrote extensively on the depressed classes and provided the depressed classes a common platform.

“By the end of the 19th century a new visual culture was taking shape.” Write any three features of this new visual culture. [CBSE Comp. (O) 2008, Sept. 2010, 2011]

Ans. (i) Printing Press and visual culture : The Printing press had a deep impact on the visual images also. Now, visual images could be easily reproduced in multiple copies.

(ii) Images for mass circulation : Painters like Raja Ravi Verrna produced images for mass circulation. Wood engravers, who made woodblocks were employed by the print shops. Cheap prints and calendars could be bought even by the poor.

(iii) Caricatures and cartoons : By the 1870s, caricatures and cartoons were being published in journals and newspapers. Some of these made fun of the educated India's fascination to copy Western tastes and clothes. Some openly criticized imperial rule.

(iv) Reduction of cost and visual culture :

Mass production of visual images reduced the cost of production. So cheap prints and calendars were available in the market even for the poor to decorate the walls of their homes.

(v) Indian form : The new visual culture acquired distinctively Indian forms and style. Artists like Raja Ravi Verma depicted the scenes from Hindu epics.

hy did people in eighteenth century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism? [CBSE 2011]

Ans. (i) Increase in literacy rate: Through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries literacy rates went up in most parts of Europe. By the end of the eighteenth century, in some parts of Europe literacy rates were as high as 60 to 80 per cent. As literacy and schools spread in European countries, there was a virtual reading mania.

(ii) Role of periodicals: The periodical press developed from the early eighteenth century, Newspapers and journals carried information about wars and trade, as well as news of developments in other places.

(iii) Ideas of scientists and philosophers: Similarly, the ideas of scientists and philosophers now became more accessible to the common people. Ancient and medieval scientific texts were compiled and published, and maps and scientific diagrams were widely printed. The writings of thinkers such as Thomas Paine, Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau were also widely printed and read. Thus their ideas about science, reason and rationality found their way into popular literature.

(iv) Print a powerful engine of progress:

Louise-Sebastien Mercier, a novelist in eighteenth-century France, declared: ‘The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress and public opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.’ In many of Mercier’s novels, the heroes are transformed by acts of reading.

Explain the factors which were responsible for creating a virtual reading mania in Europe. [CBSE 2014]

How did a new reading public emerge with the printing press ? Explain. [CBSE 2010 (D)]

Explain any three reasons for an increase in reading mania in Europe in the 18th Century.

[CBSE Sept. 2011]

Ans. (i) Johann Gutenberg’s printing press : The

The revolution in printing was brought by Johann Gutenberg’s printing press. With the invention of the printing press, the cost of producing a book came down. So now even the common people could afford the books.

(ii) Increase in literacy rate : The seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries saw the rapid rise of literacy rate in most parts of Europe. Churches of different denominations set up schools in villages. By the end of the eighteenth century, in some parts of Europe, the literacy rate was as high as 60 to 80 per cent.

(iii) New forms of literature : New forms of popular literature were printed, which targeted new audiences. There were almanacs or ritual calendars, along with ballads and folk tales. –

(iv) Periodicals : The next phase was the development of periodicals. The periodicals combined information about current affairs with entertainment. Newspapers and journals carried information about wars and trade, as well as news of developments in other places.

How were ideas and information written before the age of print in India ? How did the printing technique begin in India ? Explain. [CBSE 2008, Sept. 2010]

Explain the role of missionaries in the growth of the press in India. [CBSE Sept. 2010]

Ans. (i) India had a very rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts – in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, as well as in various vernacular languages. Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or on handmade paper. Pages were sometimes beautifully illustrated. They would be either pressed between wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation.

(ii) Manuscripts continued to be produced till well after the introduction of print, down to the late nineteenth century.

Beginning (coming) of print technology in India.

(i) The printing press first came to Goa with Portuguese missionaries in the mid-sixteenth century. Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several tracts. By 1674, about 50 books had been printed in Konkani and in Kanara languages.

(ii)The Catholic priests printed the first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin, and in 1713, the first Malayalam book was printed by them.

(iii) By 1710, Dutch Protestant missionaries had printed 32 Tamil texts, many of them were translations of older works

How was die print used to spread the religious texts by various communities ? Explain by giving examples. [CBSE 2010 (F)]

What was the main fear of the ‘Ulamas’ ? State any two steps taken by the ‘Ulamas’ to defend their religion ? [CBSE 2013]

How did religious communities in India make use of printing technology to spread their ideas ? Explain.[CBSE-2012]

Ans. (A) Print and the Muslims :

(i) Ulemas and the print : In North India, the Ulemas, i.e., the religious heads of Muslims were deeply worried about the collapse of the Muslim dynasties. They feared that the colonial rulers would encourage conversion, and would change the Muslim personal laws. To counter this, they used cheap lithographic presses which published Persian and Urdu translations of the holy scriptures, and printed religious newspapers and tracts.

(ii) Deoband Schools : The Deoband Seminary which was founded in 1867, published many fatwas making Muslim readers aware of the code of conduct to be followed in their everyday lives, and explained the meanings of Islamic doctrines.

(iii) Various Muslim Sects : All through the nineteenth century, a number of Muslim sects and seminaries appeared, each with a different interpretation of faith. Each was keen on enlarging its followers and countering the influence of its opponents. The Urdu print helped them conduct these battles in public.

(B) Print and the Hindus :

Among Hindus, too, print encouraged the readings of religious texts, especially in the vernacular languages.

(i) The first printed edition of the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas came out from Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1810.

(ii) In the mid-nineteenth century, cheap lithographic editions flooded the North Indian markets.

(iii) From the 1880s, the Naval Kishore Press at Lucknow and the Shri Venkateshwar Press in Bombay published many religious texts in vernacular languages,

(iv) The printed text was cheap and portable. These could be easily carried by the people at any place and time. They could also be read out to large groups of illiterate men and women.

(v) Religious texts and books started reaching a very wide circle of people, encouraging debates and controversies within and among different religions

Explain the impact of print culture on Indian women. [CBSE 2009 (O), Sept. 2012]

Explain any three impacts of printed books on women in India in the nineteenth century.

[CBSE Sept. 2010]

Ans. (i) Women education : Writers started writing about the lives and feelings of women, and this increased the number of women readers. Women got interested in education, and many women schools and colleges were set up. Many journals started emphasizing the importance of women's education.

(ii) Women writers : In East Bengal, in the early nineteenth century, Rashsundari Debi, a young married girl wrote her autobiography, Amar Jiban (means ‘my life’) which was published in 1876.

From the 1860s, many Bengali women writers like Kailashbashini Debi wrote books highlighting the experiences of women, about how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to do hard domestic labor, and treated unjustly by the menfolk they served. In the 1880s, in the present-day Maharashtra, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai wrote with passionate anger about the miserable lives of the upper-caste Hindu women, especially the widows. The poor status of women was also expressed by the Tamil writers.

(iii) Hindu writing and women : While Urdu, Tamil, Bengali and Marathi print culture had developed earlier, Hindu printing began seriously only from the 1870s. Soon, a large section of it was devoted to the education of women.

(iv) New journals : In the early 20th century, the journals written by women became very popular in which women’s education, widowhood, widow remarriage, etc., were discussed. Some of them offered fashion lessons for women.

(v) Teachings for women : Ram Chaddha published Istri Dharam Vi char to teach women how to be obedient wives. The Khalsa Tract Society published cheap booklets with a similar message. Many of these were in the form of dialogues about the qualities of a good woman

Describe the issue of caste as taken by the novelists in India. [CBSE 2013]

Ans. (i) Jyotiba Phule, the Maratha pioneer of low caste protest movements, wrote about the injustices of the caste system in his Gulamgiri.

(ii) In the twentieth century, B.R. Ambedkar in Maharashtra and E.V. Ramaswamy Naiker in Madras wrote on caste and their writings were read by people all over India.

(iii) Local protest movements and sects also created a lot of popular journals and tracts criticizing ancient scriptures and envisioning a new and just future.

(iv) Kashibaba, a Kanpur mill worker wrote Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal in 1938 to show the links between caste and class exploitation.

(v) The poems of Sudarshan Chakra were brought together and published in a collection called Sacchi Kavitayan.

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