Choose the correct option:
Question 1.
Which problem has been raised in Gulamgiri?
(a) The injustices of caste system
(b) Excessive drinking among the poor
(c) The miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women
(d) Widow immolation
Answer
Answer: (a) The injustices of caste system
Question 2.
The Bengal Gazette was edited by
(a) Gangadhar Bhattacharya
(b) Raja Rammohun Roy
(c) James Augustus Hickey
(d) Richard M. Hoe
Answer
Answer: (c) James Augustus Hickey
Question 3.
The earliest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan and
(a) Korea
(b) France
(c) India
(d) England
Answer
Answer: (a) Korea
Question 4.
Who said, “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.”?
(a) Charles Dickens
(b) Louise-Sebastien Mercier
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) Martin Luther
Answer
Answer: (d) Martin Luther
Question 5.
Diomond Sultra is the oldest printed book of
(a) Korea
(b) India
(c) Japan
(d) China
Answer
Answer: (c) Japan
Question 6.
Martin Luther was a/an
(a) social reformer
(b) religious reformer
(c) environmentalist
(d) educationist
Answer
Answer: (b) religious reformer
Question 7.
Penny magazines were especially meant for
(a) children
(b) factory workers
(c) women
(d) elite class
Answer
Answer: (c) women
Question 8.
What made Governor-General Warren Hastings persecute James Hickey who edited
the Bengal Gazette?
(a) He published articles supporting Indian nationalist leaders.
(b) He published advertisements related to import and sale of slaves.
(c) He published anti-religious articles.
(d) He published gossip about senior East India Company officials.
Answer
Answer: (d) He published gossip about senior East India Company officials.
Question 9.
The main theme of the book ‘Chhote aur Bade Ka Sawal’ written by Kashibaba, a
Kanpur mill worker, was:
(a) The life of the elite upper castes.
(b) The link between caste and class exploitation.
(c) Restrictions on the Vernacular Press.
(d) Injustices of the caste system.
Answer
Answer: (b) The link between caste and class exploitation.
Question 10.
Why was the Vernacular Press Act passed by the British Government in India?
(a) The Vernacular Act was passed to promote vernacular languages.
(b) The Vernacular Act was passed by the British government to put some check
on vernacular newspapers which had become assertively nationalist.
(c) The Vernacular Act was passed to please the Indians who wanted to promote
Indian languages.
(d) The Vernacular Act was passed to consolidate British rule in India.
Answer
Answer: (b) The Vernacular Act was passed by the British government to put some check on vernacular newspapers which had become assertively nationalist.
Question 11.
What do you mean by the term ‘Galley’?
(a) A metal frame in which types are laid and the text composed
(b) A corridor
(c) A scarecrow
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (a) A metal frame in which types are laid and the text composed
Explanation:
Galley is the metal frame in which types are laid and the text composed.
Question 12.
Who was the first to use wood-block printing?
(a) Indian
(b) French
(c) Spaniards
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (c) Spaniards
Explanation:
The first to use wood-block printing were the Spaniards. By the early
fifteenth century, woodblocks were being widely used in Europe to print
textiles, playing cards, and religious pictures with simple, brief texts.
Question 13.
Who was Kitagawa Utamaro?
(a) A Japanese artist
(b) An Indian artist
(c) An Korean artist
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (a) A Japanese artist
Explanation:
Kitagawa Utamaro was 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.
Question 14.
What do you mean by the term ‘Calligraph’?
(a) The art of beautiful printing
(b) The art of beautiful hand printing
(c) The art of beautiful and stylised writing
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (c) The art of beautiful and stylised writing
Explanation:
The term Calligraph means the art of beautiful and stylised writing.
Superbly skilled craftsmen could duplicate, with remarkable accuracy, as the
beauty of calligraphy.
Question 15.
Who was known for an art form called ukiyo?
(a) Chinz ho
(b) Kitagawa Utamaro
(c) Gutenberg
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (b) Kitagawa Utamaro
Explanation:
Kitagawa Utamaro, born in Edo in 1753, was widely known for his
contributions to an art form called ukiyo ‘pictures of the floating world’
Question 16.
What was the first book printed by Gutenberg?
(a) Bible
(b) Ramayana
(c) Chapbook
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (a) Bible
Explanation:
The first printing press in Europe is invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1448.
The first book he printed was the Bible. About 180 copies were printed at
that time.
Question 17.
What was the ancient name of Tokyo?
(a) Edo
(b) Osaka
(c) Gifu
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (a) Edo
Explanation:
Edo was the ancient name of Tokyo. In the late eighteenth century, the
flourishing urban circles at Edo (later to be known as Tokyo), and
illustrated collections of paintings.
Question 18.
What was the ‘Bengal Gazette’?
(a) First English magazine
(b) English Hindi mixed magazine
(c) A weekly Hindi magazine
(d) A weekly English magazine
Answer
Answer: (d) A weekly English magazine
Explanation:
Bengal Gazette was a weekly English magazine edited by James Hickey from
1780, described as a commercial paper open to all, and influenced by none.
Question 19.
Which is not an innovation of the 20th century?
(a) Cheap paperback editions
(b) The dust cover
(c) Important novels were serialised
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (c) Important novels were serialised
Explanation:
Printers and publishers developed new strategies to sell their products.
Important novels were serialised, which led to a new way of writing novels.
It is not an innovation of the20th century.
Question 20.
What was Protestant Reformation?
(a) A challenge to the authority of Rome
(b) Movement to reform the Catholic Church
(c) A new religion
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (b) Movement to reform the Catholic Church
Explanation:
Protestant Reformation was a 16th century movement to reform the Catholic
Church dominated by Rome. Martin Luther was one of the main Protestant
reformers. Several traditions of anti-Catholic Christianity developed out of
the movement.
Question 21.
Who spoke these words “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest
one.”?
(a) Johann Gutenberg
(b) Jawahar lal Nehru
(c) martin Luther
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (c) martin Luther
Explanation:
Deeply grateful to print, Luther said, ‘Printing is the ultimate gift of God
and the greatest one.’ Several scholars, in fact, think that print brought
about a new intellectual atmosphere and helped spread the new ideas that led
to the Reformation.
Question 22.
The book, ‘Chote Aur Bade Ka Sawal’ talked about which social reforms?
(a) The link between caste and class exploitation
(b) The injustices of the caste system
(c) Restrictions on the vernacular press
(d) Ill treatment of widows
Answer
Answer: (a) The link between caste and class exploitation
Explanation:
Kashibaba, a Kanpur millworker, wrote and published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal
in 1938 to show the links between caste and class exploitation.
Question 23.
Which book was carried by petty pedlars and sold for a penny?
(a) Novels
(b) Magazines
(c) Chapbook
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (c) Chapbook
Explanation:
In England, penny chapbooks were carried by petty pedlars known as chapmen,
and sold for a penny, so that even the poor could buy them.
Question 24.
When was the Paperback editions of books were introduced?
(a) The onset of the Great Depression
(b) The First World War
(c) The Second World War
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (a) The onset of the Great Depression
Explanation:
The Paperback editions of books were introduced during the onset of the
Great depression. To sustain buying, all brought out cheap paperback
editions.
Question 25.
Who introduced the first printing press in India?
(a) East India company
(b) Arabic traders
(c) Portuguese missionaries
(d) None of these
Answer
Answer: (c) Portuguese missionaries
Explanation:
The printing press was first introduced in India by Portuguese missionaries.
Picture Based Questions
Question 1.
Study the picture (NCERT TB page 157). Identify the personality and answer the
questions that follow:
(i) Who is he? Which country did he belong to?
(ii) What did he invent? When?
(iii) Name the first book that he printed.
Answer
Answer:
(i) He is Johann Gutenberg. He belonged to Germany.
(ii) He invented printing press in 1430’s.
(iii) The Bible.
Source Based Questions
Question 1.
Read the extract (Source E) taken from Textbook page 172 and then answer the
questions that follow:
In 1926, Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein, a noted educationist and literary figure, strongly condemned men for withholding education from women in the name of religion as she addressed the Bengal Women’s Education Conference:
‘The opponents of female education say that women will become unruly… Fie! They call themselves Muslims and yet go against the basic tenet of Islam which gives Women an equal right to education. If men are not led astray once educated, why should women?’
(i) Who was Begum Rokeya Hossein?
(ii) Why did she condemn men?
(iii) What was her opinion about women’s education?
Answer
Answer:
(i) Begum Rokeya Hossein was a noted educationist and literary figure.
(ii) She condemned men for withholding education from women in the name of
religion.
(iii) She opined that women must be given education. They must be given an
equal right to education.
Print Culture and the Modern World Class 10 Quiz
Please fill the above data!
Name : Apu
Roll : 9
Total Questions:
Correct: | Wrong:
Attempt: | Percentage:
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which one of the following is the oldest Japanese book? [CBSE (CCE) 2011]
(a) Sutta Pitaka
(b) Diamond Sutra
(c) Maha Vamsa
(d) Dipa Vamsa
2. The first printing press was developed by [CBSE (CCE) 2011]
(a) Marco Polo
(b) Kitagawa Utamaro
(c) Johann Gutenberg
(d) Erasmus
3. Who wrote about the injustices of the caste system in ‘Gulamgiri’? [CBSE (CCE) 2011]
(a) Raja Rammohan Roy
(b) Jyotiba Phule
(c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(d) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
4. Who among the following is an enlightened thinker whose writings are said to have created conditions for a revolution in France? [CBSE (CCE) 2011]
(a) Rousseau
(b) Louise Setastin Mercier
(c) Menocchio
(d) Johann Gutenberg
5. Which religious reformer was responsible for the Reformation Movement?
(a) Martin Luther
(b) Martin Luther King
(c) The Grimm Brothers
(d) George Elliot
6. Who among the following was not a women novelist?
(a) Jane Austen
(b) Bronte Sisters
(c) George Eliot
(d) Maxim Gorky
7. Which of the following countries was the earliest producer of printing material?
(a) Persia
(b) India
(c) China
(d) Japan
8. From where did Marcopolo bring back the knowledge of woodblock printing to Italy?
(a) China
(b) Japan
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) India
9. By whom was the New Testament first translated?
(a) Erasmus
(b) Leonardo da Vince
(c) Martin Luther
(d) Manocchio
10. In ancient India which of the following material was used for writing manuscripts?
(a) Parchments
(b) Vellum
(c) Palm leaves
(d) Paper
11. Name the first weekly magazine published in India by Gangadhar Bhattacharya.
(a) Anandabazar Patrika
(b) Bengal Gazette
(c) Yugantar
(d) Sambad Kaumudi
12. By whom was ‘Sambad Kaumudi’ published’ in 1821?
(a) Iswer Chandra Vidyasagar
(b) C.R. Das
(c) Raja Rammohun Roy
(d) Swami Vivekanand
13. ‘Amar Jiban’ is the autobiography of which of the following woman author?
(a) Rashsundari Debi
(b) Rokeya Hossein
(c) Kailashbashini Devi
(d) Pandita Ramabai
14. Who among the following was popularly known as Periyar?
(a) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
(b) Jyotiba Phule
(c) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker
(d) S. Naidu
15. Which one of the following best explains calligraphy?
(a) The art of painting
(b) The art of map drawing
(c) The art of beautiful and stylised writing
(d) The art of sketching
16. ‘Edo’ was the earlier name of which of the following places?
(a) Shanghai
(b) Tokyo
(c) Seoul
(d) Hongkong
17. Vellum refers to
(a) parchment made from the skin of animals.
(b) written material made from the bark of trees.
(c) paper made out of the pulp.
(d) written material made from cloth.
18. Who was Marcopolo ?
(a) German scientist
(b) English philosopher
(c) Spanish explorer
(d) Italian traveller/explorer
19. Which of the following inspired Gutenberg to design and model a printing press?
(a) Woodblock printing of China
(b) Olive press in agricultural estates
(c) Handwritten manuscripts
(d) Print technology of Japan
20 Martin Luther’s writings and ideas led to which of the following movements?
(a) Counter-Reformation Movement
(b) Renaissance Movement
(c) Reformation Movement
(d) Intellectual Movement
21. The reformation movement was launched against the corrupt practices of which of the following group?
(a) Feudal Lords
(b) Protestant Church
(c) Catholic Church
(d) Absolute rulers
22. Which of the following refers to ‘inquisition’?
(a) Protestant tribunal to punish heretics
(b) Catholic court to try and punish the heretics
(c) The state judicial body for punishing the criminals
(d) All the above
23. Aim of the Protestant Reformation was to
(a) reform religion
(b) reform the Catholic church
(c) reform Jewish religion
(d) to protest against all reform
24. Erasmus was a
(a) Latin scholar and Catholic reformer
(b) French scholar who advocated Protestantism
(c) Swedish scholar who translated the Bible
(d) British scholar who opposed Catholic Church
25. What were chapbooks?
(a) Books which were cheap
(b) The pocket-size books sold by travelling peddler
(c) Book sold on the footpath
(d) Handwritten books
26. An alamnac refers to
(a) a ritual calendar
(b) a dictionary
(c) a religious book
(d) a long poem
27. In France what was known as ‘Biliotheque Bleue’?
(a) A blue coloured book
(b) A blue coloured, cheap book made out of poor quality paper
(c) A book made of excellent blue silk for rich people
(d) A blue coloured writing pad
28. Which 18th-century French novelist declared, ‘The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress’ ?
(a) Rousseau
(b) Voltaire
(c) Mercier
(d) Montesquieh
29. The print culture created a condition for which of the following revolutions?
(a) French Revolution
(b) Russian Revolution
(c) Glorious Revolution
(d) American Revolution
30. Penny magazine was meant only for
(a) old people
(b) poor people
(c) women
(d) children
31. The scribes refer to
(a) Authors
(b) Poets
(c) Skilled hand writers
(d) Skilled painters
32. Which of the following refers to print revolution?
(a) Invention of the printing press
(b) Shift from hand printing to mechanical printing
(c) Revolt of people against printed matters
(d) Handwritten manuscripts for printed books
33. Mark the correct response. Due to the invention of printing press
(a) reading culture developed
(b) cost of books was reduced
(c) the time and labour required to produce books came down
(d) all the above
34. Richard M. Hoe of New York was well known for
(a) inventing the printing press
(b) perfecting the power-driven cylindrical press
(c) for inventing woodblock printing
(d) for inventing the electrical typing machine.
35. Why was James Augustus Hickey persecuted by Governor-General Warren Hastings?
(a) For poor editing of Bengal Gazette
(b) For publishing a lot of gossip about the company’s Senior Official
(c) For writing propaganda material against the Indian
(d) For publishing sub-standard material
36. With what purpose was the Vernacular Press Act passed by Lord Lyton in 1878?
(a) To popularise Vernacular Press
(b) To supervise Vernacular Press
(c) To clamp down and censor the native press
(d) To encourage authors to write in Indian languages.
37. Why was the Vernacular Act of 1878 opposed by the Indians ?
(a) It did not allow the Indian authors to write in their newspapers.
(b) It challenged the freedom of press of the Indians.
(c) It encouraged the Indians to publish religious materials in the newspapers.
(d) To defy colonialism.
38. How did nationalist newspapers inspire nationalism in India? Mark the most appropriate answer.
(a) By writing various articles in the newspapers.
(b) By publishing the speeches of nationalist leaders.
(c) By reporting the colonialism is the rule and encouraging nationalist activities through the press.
(d) By encouraging Indian authors.
ANSWERS
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social History
Chapter 7 Print Culture and the Modern World
Q.1. Give reasons for the following :
(a) Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295. [CBSE 2013]
(b) Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.
(c) The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited books from the mid-sixteenth century.
(d) Gandhi said the fight for ‘Swaraj is a fight for the liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association.
Ans. (a)
(i) Paper reached Europe through the Silk Route in the 11th century.
(ii) In 1295, Marco Polo, a great explorer, returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China. He brought with him the knowledge of woodblock printing.
(iii) Italy began producing with woodblocks, and soon the technology spread to other parts of Europe.
Ans. (b)
- In 1517 Martin Luther wrote Ninety Five Theses criticising many of the 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 immediately 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 New Testament sold 5,000 copies within a few weeks and a second edition appeared within three months. All this became possible due to printing technology. Deeply grateful to print, Luther said, “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.”
- Several scholars, in fact, think that the print brought about a new intellectual atmosphere and helped spread the new ideas that led to the Reformation.
Ans. (c)
- The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited Books from the mid-sixteenth century due to the following reasons :
- The print and popular religious literature encouraged many distinctive individual interpretations of faith even among little-educated working people. For example, Manocchio, a miller in Italy, after reading some books available in his locality, reinterpreted the message of the Bible and formulated a view of God and Creation that enraged the Roman Catholic Church. Various types of questions were raised against the faith and the Church. Manocchio was hauled up twice and ultimately executed.
- As the Roman Catholic Church was troubled by such writings, it imposed severe controls over publishers and began to maintain an Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.
Ans. (d)
- Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for the liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association due to the following reasons :
- After the revolt of 1857, as the vernacular press became assertively nationalist, the colonial government tried to control it. Thus in 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. Whenever there was a seditious report, the newspaper was warned and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery confiscated.
- When Punjab revolutionaries were deported in 1907, Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote with great sympathy about them in his Kesari. This led to his imprisonment in 1908. There were widespread protests all over India.
- During the First World War under the Defence of India Rules, 22 newspapers had to furnish securities. Of these, 18 shut down rather than comply with government orders.
- Similarly during the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement, the Government of India was trying to crush the three powerful vehicles of expressing (Liberty of speech, liberty of press, and freedom of association) and cultivating public opinion. Thus the fight for Swaraj was a fight for this freedom than anything else.
Q.2. Write short notes to show that you know about:
(a) The Gutenberg Press.
(b) The Erasmus’s idea of the printed book.
(c) The Vernacular Press Act. [CBSE Sept. 2011, 2012]
Ans. (a) Johann Gutenberg was a German goldsmith and inventor, credited with the inventing 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 moulds used for making trinkets. (Trinket-A small item of jewellery 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 moulds 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.
Ans. (b) Erasmus’s idea of the printed book: Erasmus, a Latin scholar, and a Catholic reformer, who criticized the excesses of Catholicism, but kept his distance from, Luther, expressed deep anxiety about printing. He wrote in Adages (1508) :
‘To what corner of the world do they not fly, these swarms of new books? It may be that one here and there contributes something worth knowing, but the very multitude of them is hurtful to scholarship because it creates a glut and even in good things, satiety is most harmful… [printers] fill the world with books, not just trifling things (such as I write, perhaps), but stupid, ignorant, slanderous, scandalous, raving, irreligious and seditious books and the number of them is such that even the valuable publications lose their value.’
Ans. (c) The Vernacular Press Act: The revolt of 1857 forced the government to curb the freedom of the press. After the revolt, enraged Englishmen demanded a clampdown on the ‘native’ press. As vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial government began debating measures of strict control.
In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed, on the model of Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. The government started keeping regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. When a report was judged as seditious, the newspapers were given a warning and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized, and the printing machinery could be confiscated.
Q.3. What did the spread of print culture in the nineteenth century India mean to :
(a) Women
(b) The poor
(c) Reformers
Ans. (a)
(i) Women as readers : Lives and feelings of women began to be written in intense ways. So women became important as readers. Penny magazines were especially meant for women, as were manuals teaching proper behaviour and housekeeping.
(ii) Women as writers : Many women novelists like Jane Austin, Bronte Sisters, George Eliot wrote about women. Novels and other journals began exploring the world of women – their emotions, identities, their experiences and problems. The writings of woman became important in defining a new type of woman – a person with will, strength of personality, determination and the power to think.
(iii) Novels and books on women : As the readership of women was increasing publishers started producing novels and journals for women. Many journals began carrying writings by women, and explained why women should be educated.
Ans. (b)
(i) Public libraries : The print reached to the poor in the 19th century. Publishers started producing small and cheap books. These books were sold at crossroads. Public libraries were set up by the Christian missionaries and the rich people.Buy bestselling books online
(ii) Highlighting the issue of class discrimination : From the late 19th century, many writers started writing about the issue of class distinction.
(i) Jyotiba Phule was a social reformer. He wrote about the poor condition of ‘low caste’. In his book Gulamgiri (1871), he wrote about the injustices of the caste system.
(ii) In the 20th century, B.R. Ambedkar also wrote powerfully against the caste system. He also wrote against untouchability.
(iii) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, also known as Periyar, too wrote about the caste system prevailing in Madras (Chennai). The writings of these writers were read by people all over India. Local protest movements and sects also created a lot of popular journals and tracts criticising ancient scriptures with a view to creating new and just future.
(iv) Poor workers and the print : Workers in factories were too overworked, and thus, lacked the education to write about their expectations and experiences. But Keshibaba, a Kanpur mill worker wrote and published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal in 1938 to depict the links between caste and class exploitation. The poems of another Kanpur mill worker, who wrote under the name of Sudarshan Chakra between 1935 and 1955, were brought together, and published in a collection called Sacchi Kavitayain. By the 1930s, Bangaluru cotton mill workers set up libraries to educate themselves. By doing so, they were following the example of Bombay (Mumbai) workers. These libraries were sponsored by social reformers who tried to restrict excessive drinking among the poor, to bring literacy and, sometimes, to propagate the message of nationalism.
Ans. (c) Reformers: From the early nineteenth century there were intense debates around religious issues. Different groups differed on interpretations of the beliefs of different religions. Criticism and campaigns were going on. The coming of print made a lot of difference as mentioned below:
- The coming of print culture meant that the reformers could now spread their ideas more quickly among the masses. The debates on existing practices were printed in newspapers and journals.
- A large number of people could now participate in debates relating to religious and social reforms.
- New ideas emerged through these debates about widow immolation, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry.
- Different ideas were printed in the everyday spoken language of ordinary people. For example, Raja Rammohan Roy published the Sambad Kaumudi from 1821 to spread his ideas.
- The reformers used the print culture to reach the masses.
- In addition to this, social reformers used the print culture to restrict excessive drinking among workers to spread literacy.
- Among Muslims, the Ulama used cheap lithographic presses, published Persian and Urdu translations of holy scriptures, and printed religious newspapers and tracts. The meanings of Islamic doctrines were explained.
- Among Hindus, too, print encouraged the reading of religious texts, especially in the vernacular languages. The first printed edition of the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas came out from Calcutta in 1810.
- By the mid-nineteenth century, cheap lithographic editions flooded north Indian markets. From the 1880s the Naval Kishore Press at Lucknow and the Shri Venkateshwar Press in Bombay published numerous religious texts in vernaculars. These texts reached a large number of people encouraging debates, discussions on various issues.
Q.4. Write about the different innovations in printing technology during the 19th century? [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Ans. (i) By the mid-nineteenth century, Richard M. Hoe of New York had perfected the power-driven cylindrical press. This was capable of printing 8,000 sheets per hour. This press was particularly useful for printing newspapers.
(ii) In the late nineteenth century, the offset press was developed which could print up to six colours at a time.
(iii) From the turn of the twentieth century, electrically operated presses accelerated printing operations.
Q.5. Why did some people in the eighteenth century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism? [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Or
Assess the impact of print revolution on the European society. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. (i) Spreading of new ideas: After the coming of the print culture, the ideas of scientists and philosophers now became more accessible to the common people. Ancient and medieval scientific texts were compiled and published.
(ii) Scientific discoveries: Maps and more accurate 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.
(iii) Writings of scholars: The writings of thinkers such as Thomas Paine, Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau were also widely printed, and could gain popularity. Thus, their ideas about science, reasoning and rationality found their way into popular literature.
(iv) Books as a medium of progress: By the mid-18th century, books became a medium of spreading progress and enlightenment which could change society and the world. It was also believed that the books could literate society from despotism and tyranny.
(v) Ideas of enlightened thinkers: The print popularised the ideas of the enlightened thinkers like that of Martin Luther who attacked the authority of the Church and the despotic power of the state, e.g., Voltaire and Rousseau.
(vi) A new culture of dialogue and debate: The print created a new culture of dialogue and debate and the public, became aware of reasoning and recognized the need to question the existing ideas and beliefs.
Q.6. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India. [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Or
Explain the role played by print in bringing about a division in the Roman Catholic Church. [CBSE Sept. 2011]
Or
Explain the role played by print in the spreading of Protestant Reformation. [CBSE 2012, 2013]
Ans. Not everyone welcomed the printed books and those, who did, also had fear about them. Many were of the opinion that printed words and the wider circulation of books, would have a negative impact on people’s minds. They feared that if there was no control over what was printed and read, then rebellious and irreligious thoughts might gain importance. There was also fear in the minds of scholars that the authority of ‘valuable’ literature would be destroyed. The new print was criticized by religious authorities, monarchs, as well as by writers and artists.
Let us consider the implication of this in one sphere of life in early modern Europe, i.e., religion. Martin Luther was a German monk, priest, professor, and Church reformer. In 1517, he wrote Ninety Five Theses and openly criticised many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. A printed copy of this was pasted on a Church door in Wittenberg. It challenged the Church to debate his ideas. Luther’s writings were immediately copied in vast numbers and read widely. This led to a division within the Church and led to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Manx; conservative FUndus believed that a literate girl would be widowed and Muslims believed that educated women could get corrupted by reading Urdu romances. There were many instances of women defying this prohibition.
Q.7. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for the poor people in the nineteenth century India ?
Ans. (i) Public libraries : The print reached to the poor in the 19th century. Publishers started producing small and cheap books. These books were sold at crossroads. Public libraries were set up by the Christian missionaries and the rich people.
(ii) Highlighting the issue of class discrimination : From the late 19th century, many writers started writing about the issue of class distinction.
(i) Jyotiba Phule was a social reformer. He wrote about the poor condition of ‘low caste’. In his book Gulamgiri (1871), he wrote about the injustices of the caste system.
(ii) In the 20th century, B.R. Ambedkar also wrote powerfully against the caste system. He also wrote against untouchability.
(iii) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, also known as Periyar, too wrote about the caste system prevailing in Madras (Chennai). The writings of these writers were read by people all over India. Local protest movements and sects also created a lot of popular journals and tracts criticising ancient scriptures with a view to creating new and just future.
(iv) Poor workers and the print : Workers in factories were too overworked, and thus, lacked the education to write about their expectations and experiences. But Keshibaba, a Kanpur mill worker wrote and published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal in 1938 to depict the links between caste and class exploitation. The poems of another Kanpur mill worker, who wrote under the name of Sudarshan Chakra between 1935 and 1955, were brought together, and published in a collection called Sacchi Kavitayain. By the 1930s, Bangaluru cotton mill workers set up libraries to educate themselves. By doing so, they were following the example of Bombay (Mumbai) workers. These libraries were sponsored by social reformers who tried to restrict excessive drinking among the poor, to bring literacy and, sometimes, to propagate the message of nationalism.
Q.8. Explain how the print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]
Ans. (i) New ideas and debates : There were many who criticised the existing practices and campaigned for reforms, while others countered the arguments of the reformers. 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 debate. All this assisted the growth of nationalism.
(ii) Connecting various communities : Print did not only stimulate the publication of conflicting opinions amongst communities, but it also connected communities and people living in different parts of India. Newspapers conveyed news from one place to another, creating pan-Indian identities.
(iii) Print and newspaper : Despite repressive measures, nationalist newspapers grew in numbers in all parts of India. They reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities. When Punjab revolutionaries were deported in 1907, Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote with great sympathy about them in Kesari.
(iv) Various novels on national history: Many novels written by Indian novelists like Bankim’s Anandamath created a sense of pan-Indian belonging. Munshi Premchand’s novel, Godan highlighted how Indian peasants were exploited by the colonial bureaucrats.
(v) Various images of Bharatmata : Artists like Raja Ravi Verma and Rabindranath Tagore produced images of Bharatmata which produced a sense of nationalism among Indians. The devotion to mother figure came to be seen as evidence of one’s nationalism.
