SSDN

PRINT CULTURE and THE MODERN WORLD

Ques: How did new forms of popular literature appear in print targeting new audience
in the 18th century? Explain with examples.
OR
What were the new forms of literature introduced in Europe to attract the new
readers? Mention any three of them.
OR
Describe some of the new printed books which were sold by the peddlers in the
villages in the eighteenth century Europe.
Answers: New forms of popular literature appeared in print, targeting new audiences:
1. Booksellers employed pedlars who roamed around villages, carrying little books
for sale.
2. There were almanacs or ritual calendars, along with ballads and folktales.
3. 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.

Ques: What is a manuscript? Why were they not used widely in everyday life before
the age of print in India?
OR
What were the three difficulties in copying manuscripts?
OR
Mention any three reasons for the limited circulation of manuscripts in Europe
before Marco Polo introduced printing technology?
OR
Explain any three factors responsible for the invention of new printing
techniques.
OR
Explain any three features of hand written manuscripts in India before the age of
print.
Answer: Manuscripts were documents or books written by hand. They were not widely
used because:
a. The production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the increasing
demands for books.
b. They were expensive as it was laborious and time consuming to make them.
c. Manuscripts were fragile, difficult to handle and could not be cared for or read
easily.

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Ques: “From the late 19th century, issues of caste discrimination began to be written
about in many printed tracts and essays.” Support the statement by giving
examples.
OR
How did issues of caste discrimination begin to write in many printed tracts and
essays from the late nineteenth century? Explain with examples.
OR
Which book of Jyotiba Phule focusses on the injustices of the caste system in India?
OR
Who wrote ‘Chhote Aur Bade ka Sawal’? When was it published?
OR
Name the book y Kashi Baba that gives a detailed description of the experiences of
poor workers in India.
OR
Who wrote about the injustice of the caste system in “Gulamgiri”.
Answer: From the late 19th century, issues of caste discrimination began to be written.
1. Jyotiba Phule, the Maratha pioneer of low caste, started protest movement. He wrote
about the injustice of the caste system in his “Gulamgiri”.
2. B. R. Ambedkar in Maharashtra and E.V. Ramaswamy in Madras wrote powerfully on
caste. Their writings were read by people all over India.
3. Local protest movements and sects also created a lot of popular journals and tracts.
4. Kashibaba, a mill worker wrote and published ‘Chhote Aur Bade ka Sawal’ in 1938.

Ques: Give reasons for the following:

a. Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.
b. The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited books
from the mid-sixteenth century.
OR
Why did the Roman Catholic Church begin to keep an Index of prohibited books
from the mid-16th century?
c. Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for liberty of speech, liberty of the
press, and freedom of association.
Answer:
a. Martin Luther considered print as the ultimate gift of God. It was through print that
people could be induced to think differently and motivated to take action. Also, the
print culture gave rise to a new intellectual atmosphere and helped in spreading

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 new ideas. Therefore, Martin Luther was in favour of print and praise it
tremendously.
b. The Roman Catholic Church had to face many dissents from mid-16th century
onwards. People had written many books that interpreted the 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.
c. 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. No nation could ever survive in the absence of
these liberties.

Ques: Why did James Augustus Hickey claim that the Bengal Gazette was “a
commercial paper open to all but influenced by none”? Explain.
OR
Describe the history of Bengal Gazette weekly magazine.
OR
“Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine that described itself as ‘a commercial
paper open to all, but influenced by none’. Justify the claim of James Augustus
Hickey.
Answer:
1. Bengal Gazette was a private English weekly magazine in India, proud of its
independence from colonial influence.
2. Hickey not only published a lot of advertisements, including those that related
to the import and sale of slaves, but also published a lot of gossip about the
Company’s senior officials in India.
3. Governor General Warren persecuted Hickey and encouraged government
sanctioned newspapers.

Ques: Who started to edit the Bengal Gazettes weekly in 1780?

Answer: James Augustus Hickey.

Ques: Name the first weekly paper published in India.

Answer: Bengal Gazette.

Ques: Martin Luther remarked “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest
one.” Explain his remarks in the light of the religious reforms that took place in
Europe.
OR

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 How did Martin Luther’s writings bring reforms in religious field? Explain.
OR
“Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.” Who said these words?
How did print help to promote Protestant Reformation?
OR
How did the printing technology benefit the religious reformers in Europe
during the 16th century? Explain.
Answer:
1. Martin Luther wrote Ninety Five Theses criticising many of the practices and
rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
2. A printed copy of this was posted on a church door in Wittenberg.
3. Luther’s writings were immediately reproduced in vast numbers and read
widely. This lead to a division within the Church and to the beginning of the
Protestant Reformation.
4. Luther’s translation of the New Testament sold 5,000 copies within a few
weeks

Ques: Why did some people in eighteenth century in Europe think that print culture
would bring enlightenment and end despotism?
Answer: 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. This would help
in spreading of literacy and knowledge among all class of people.

Ques: “Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world! Tremble before the virtual writer!‟
Explain this statement in the context of mid – 18th century France.
Answer:
a. Louise Sebastian Mercier made the statement claiming the power of the
printing press.
b. Printing press would sweep despotism.
c. Books are a process of being enlightened and this would destroy despotism.

Ques: What were the chief characteristics of the earliest print culture in Japan?
Explain any three.
Answer: The chief characteristics of the earliest print culture in Japan are as follows:
1. Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology into
Japan around AD 768-770.
2. The oldest Japanese book printed in AD 868, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra,
containing six sheets of text and woodcut illustrations.

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 3. Pictures were printed on textiles playing cards and paper money.

Ques: What kind of material was printed for children during nineteenth century?
Describe.
OR
Who compiled the folk tales in Germany?
OR
Which brothers of Germany contributed in compiling the text for children?
Answer: A children’s press, devoted to literature for children alone, was set up in France in
1857. This press published new works as well as old fairy tales and folk tales. The
Grimm Brothers in Germany spent years compiling traditional folk tales gathered
from peasants.

Ques: What was the role of missionaries in the growth of press in India?
OR
When did printing press come to our country? Describe the various languages in
which books were printed.
OR
Examine the role of missionaries in the growth of press in India.
OR
When did the first printing press come to India and write a brief story of its
growth.
Answer:
1. The printing press first came to Goa with the Portuguese missionaries in the
mid-16th century.
2. Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several texts and nearly 50 books were
printed in Konkani.
3. Catholic priests printed the first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin.
4. By 1710, Dutch Protestant missionaries had printed 32 Tamil texts; many of
them were translations of older works.

Ques: Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India.
OR
“Nationalism in India grew because of the contribution made by print culture”.
Support the statement with suitable examples.
OR
Print culture promoted the growth of rationalism in India”. Do you agree?
Support your answer with five valid arguments.

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 OR
“Print played a significant role in awakening sentiments of nationalism
amongst the Indians‟. Explain the statement with examples.
Answer: The print culture played a vital role in the development of Indian press and
literature for the growth of nationalism.
1. In the nineteenth century a large number of literature brought about a
revolution in the minds of the people and encouraged them to fight against the
British exploitation.
2. The Indian press played a significant role in spreading the nationalism among
the Indian people.
3. Newspapers like the Bombay Samachar, Indian Mirror, the Amrit Bazar Patrika
etc. enjoyed a great influence on the national politics of India.

Ques: Discuss the contribution of scientists and philosophers in the development of

popular literature.
Answer: The ideas of scientists and philosophers became more accessible to the common
people.
1. Ancient and medieval scientific texts were compiled and published, and maps and
scientific diagrams were widely printed.
2. When scientists like Isaac Newton began to publish their discoveries, they could
influence a much wider circle of scientifically minded readers.
3. 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.

Ques: Which was the first book printed by Gutenberg? Explain any four unique
features of it.
OR
Explain the main features of the first printed Bible?
OR
Describe any three main features of the first printed Bible.
OR
Write three features of the first book printed by Gutenberg.
Answer: The first book printed by Johann Gutenberg was the Bible. Main features of the
printed Bible are as follows:
1. It closely resembled the written manuscripts in appearance and layout.
2. The types of metal letters imitated the ornamental handwritten style.
3. Borders of the Bible were illuminated by hand with foliage and other
patterns.

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 4. Printing of books for elites and the commons was different.

Ques: Why was Gutenberg’s Press too slow as compared to present press technology?
Answer: Gutenberg’s press used hand printing method. But, present press technology
follows mechanical printing method. So, Gutenberg’s press was too slow as
compared to present press technology.

Ques: Describe how childhood experience help Gutenberg to invent the first printing
press?
OR
Which previous knowledge did Gutenberg drew to design his innovation in the
form of a printing press?
Answer: Gutenberg since his childhood had seen wine and olive presses. Subsequently, he
learnt the art of polishing stones, became a master goldsmith, and also acquired the
expertise to create lead moulds used for making trinkets. Drawing on this
knowledge, Gutenberg adapted existing technology to design his innovation in the
form of a printing press.

Ques: Name the Italian who re – interpreted the message of Bible.

Answer: Manocchio – a miller in Italy.

Ques: Why couldn’t the production of handwritten manuscripts satisfy the ever-
increasing demand for books? Give any three reasons.
OR
Why did the production of handwritten manuscripts not satisfy the ever-
increasing Europeans’ demand for books in the 16th century? Give three
reasons.
OR
Why the production of hand written manuscripts could not satisfy its demand
of book in Europe? How the growing demand for books was met out? Explain.
Answer: Handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books
because:
a. Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.
b. Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle.
c. It could not be easily carried around or read easily.
With the growing demand for books woodblock printing gradually
became more and more popular. By the early 15th century, woodblocks were being

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 widely used in Europe to print playing cards, religious pictures with simple, brief
texts.

Ques: Describe three methods by which printed books became more accessible to
common people.
OR
How books were made accessible to the poor in India in the 19th century?
Explain.
Answer: The following three methods made printed books more accessible to
common people:
1. Less cost of production of the books.
2. Printing of books in very large number.
3. Opening of public libraries, books stall and shops lending or selling books
on very less profit.
4. Habit of taking books on loan from book banks also made more accessible
books the common people.

Ques: “Print culture created the conditions within which French Revolution
occurred.” Support the statement with suitable arguments.
OR
Many historians have argued that print culture created the conditions within
which the French Revolution occurred.’ Explain
OR
To what extent did the print culture create conditions for the spread of
revolutionary ideas before the French Revolution of 1789? Explain.
Answer:

a. Ideas of the enlightened: The print popularised the ideas of the enlightened
thinkers, who attacked the authority of the Church and the despotic power of the
state, e.g., Voltaire and Rousseau.
b. New culture: The print created a new culture of dialogue and debate and the public
became aware of reasoning.
c. Criticism of the noble class: The literature of 1780s mocked the royalty and
criticised their morality and the existing social order. This literature led to the
growth of hostile sentiments against the monarchy.

Ques: What was an “accordion book”? Describe any two features of hand printing in
China.
OR

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 Name the Chinese traditional book which was folded and stitched at the site.
Answer: Accordion book is the traditional Chinese book that was folded and stitched at the
side.
The two features of hand printing in China are:
1. These were printed by rubbing paper against the inked surface of woodblocks.
2. The beauty of calligraphy was duplicated by skilled craftsmen.

Ques: How did Gutenberg personalize the printed books suiting to the tastes and
requirement of others?
OR
How Gutenberg did personalised the printed books? Explain
Answer:
a. Borders were illuminated by hand with foliage and other patterns, and
illustrations were painted
b. In the books printed for the rich blank spaces were left for decoration.
c. Each buyer could choose the design, verses were highlighted by hand with
colours.

Ques: How did the printers manage to attract the people, largely illiterate, towards
printed books?
Answer:
1. To attract people the printers started printing popular ballads and folk tales.
2. To attract people books had lots of illustrations.
3. Ballads and folk tales were sung and recited to the people in gatherings in the
villages

Ques: How did printing create a new world of debate and discussion? Explain any
three points.
OR
“Print created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas and introduced a new
world of debate and discussion.” Analyse the statement in the context of
religion in Europe.

Answer: Print culture created a new world of debate and discussion:

1. All values, norms and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed by a
public that had become aware of the power of reason.
2. Recognised the need to question existing ideas and beliefs.

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 3. Within this public culture, new ideas of social revolution came into being.

Ques: Who was Lousie – Sebastien Mercier? What was his opinion on the printing
press?
Answer: Louise-Sebastien Mercier is a French novelist in eighteenth-century. His opinion
on the printing press was ‘The printing press is the most powerful engine of
progress and public opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.’

Ques: “With the printing press, a new public emerged in Europe”. Justify the statement
OR
How did access to books create a new culture of reading? Examine.
OR
How did books create new culture of reading? Explain with three examples.
Answer:
1. Access to books created a new culture of reading.
2. Earlier, reading was restricted to the elites while common people relied only
on oral culture i.e., knowledge was transferred orally but now books were
available easily.
3. It transformed the lives of people changing their relationship to information
and knowledge and with institution and authorities. It influenced popular
perception and opened up new ways of looking at things.

Ques: Describe any three circumstances that intermingled the hearing culture and
reading culture.
OR
How did the print bring the reading public and hearing public closer? Explain
with examples.
Answer:
1. The rate of literacy was very low in Europe till the end of the 20th century.
2. In order to attract people towards books, the printers started printing popular
ballads and folk tales with lot of illustration.
3. Such books were recited at gatherings and it attracted listeners.
4. Thus the oral culture was printed and printed material was orally transmitted.
That’s how oral and reading culture intermingled.

Ques: Explain the new visual culture in print which developed in the nineteenth
century.
OR

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 “By the end of the 19th century, a new visual culture was taking shape.” Explain
Answer: With the setting up of an increasing number of printing presses, visual images
could be easily reproduced in multiple copies. Painters like Raja Ravi Verma
produced images for mass circulation. Cheap prints and calendars were easily
available in the bazaar. By the 1870s, caricatures and cartoons were also being
published in Journals and newspapers commenting on social and political issues.

Ques: What was the “Reading Mania”? Explain its impact on children, women and
workers?
OR
Describe the effects of “Reading Mania”.
Answer: -
1. Unprecedented growth in literacy and so many schools and production of books
spread reading mania.
2. Children’s press was set up in France in 1857.
3. New Works and old fairy tales and folk tales were published.
4. Women became important readers as well as writers. Penny magazines were
especially written on behaviour and house - keeping.
5. Lending libraries emerged for workers working classes started writing for
themselves.

Ques: Explain any three reasons for an increase in reading mania in Europe in the 18th
century?
Answer:
1. Through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries literacy rates went up in
most parts of Europe.
2. Churches of different denominations set up schools in villages, carrying
literacy to peasants and artisans.
3. By the end of the eighteenth century, in some parts of Europe literacy rates
were as high as 60 to 80 per cent.

Ques: How were the books printed in China about 594 AD?
Answer: From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper.

Ques: Explain the reasons favouring shift from hand printing to mechanical printing
in China.
OR

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 ‘New reading culture in nineteenth century in China was accompanied by a new
technology’. Elucidate in three points.
OR
“The shift from hand printing to mechanical printing led to the print
revolution”. Justify the statement
Answer:
1. By the seventeenth century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print
diversified.
2. Print was no longer used just by scholar officials.
3. Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.
Reading increasingly became a leisure activity.
4. Rich women began to read, and many women began publishing their poetry and
plays.
This new reading culture was accompanied by shifting from hand printing
to mechanical printing in China.

Ques: What is meant calligraphy?

Answer: The art of beautiful and stylised writing is known as calligraphy.

Ques: What was the attitude of people in India in the nineteenth century towards
women reading? How did women respond to this?
Answer:
1. Liberal husbands and fathers began educating their women folk at home and
sent them to schools.
2. Conservative Hindus believed that a literate girl would be widowed and
Muslims feared that educated women would be corrupted by reading
romantic books.
Kailashbashini Debi wrote books highlighting the experiences of
women - how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to
do hard domestic labour.

Ques: Which three major innovations have improved the printing technology after the
seventeenth century?
OR
Highlight any three innovations that have improved the printing technology
from nineteenth century onwards.
Answer:
1. The power driven cylindrical press could print up to 8000 sheets in an hour.
2. Invention of offset printing that could print up to six colours at a time.

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 3. Use of paper reels in place of paper sheets and photoelectric control of colour
register.

Ques: How did publishers sustain market during the Great Depression?
Answer: With the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s, publishers feared a decline in
book purchases. To sustain buying, they brought out cheap paperback editions.

Ques: How did Governor General William Bentinck react to the petition filed by
editors of English and Vernacular newspapers?
Answer: In 1835, faced with urgent petitions by editors of English and vernacular
newspapers, Governor-General Bentinck agreed to revise press laws.

Ques: Which authority possessed the right of printing in ancient China?

Answer: The Imperial State in China.

Ques: Write note on Vernacular Press Act.

OR
Critically examine Vernacular Press Act of 1878.
OR
Why did the British government pass the Vernacular Press Act in 1878? What
powers did it give to the government?
OR
Why was Vernacular Press Act passed? Explain about this act.
OR
What led the colonial government to pass the Vernacular Press Act in 1878?
How did it affect the vernacular newspapers?
OR
What restrictions were imposed by the Vernacular Press Act on the Indian
press? Explain
Answer:
1. After the revolt of 1857, the attitude to freedom of the press changed.
2. As vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial
government began debating measures of stringent control.
3. 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.

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 4. The government kept regular track of the vernacular newspapers
published in different provinces.

Ques: Why the attitude of the colonical Government towards the freedom of the
press changed after the revolt of 1857? What repressive measures were put
into place?
Answer:
1. Enraged English officials clamped down the native press because of their
nationalistic activities.
2. In 1878 the vernaular Press Act was passed. It provided the Government
extensive rights to censor reports.
3. The government kept regular track of the Vernacular newspaper, when a
report was judged as seditious the newspaper was warned, the press was
liable to be seized and machinery confiscated.

Ques: What is vellum? What was its use in Europe?

Ques: A parchment made from the skin of animals is known as vellum. Vellum was meant
for aristocratic circles and rich monastic libraries which scoffed at printed books as
cheap vulgarities

Ques: Analyse the impact of print revolution on religion.

Answer:
1. Martin Luther wrote ‘Ninety Five Theses is in 1517 and posted it on the
doorstep of a Church in Wittenberg which marked the beginning of the
Protestant Revolution.
2. Menocchio in the 16th century began reinterpreting the message of Bible
which enraged the Church.
3. The Church brought out an ‘Index of Prohibited Books’ in 1558 to present the
spread of antichristian ideas.

Ques: How did print culture affect the life of poor people in the nineteenth century in
India? Explain.
Answer: The print gave birth to new forms of popular literature.
1. Very small books were brought out. They were sold cross roads.
2. The poor people brought these books and read with great interest.
3. Books were cheap even the poor could afford to buy them.

Ques: Mention one major contribution of Richard M Hoe in developing printing press.

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Answer: Richard M. Hoe of New York perfected the power-driven cylindrical press capable
of printing 8,000 sheets per hour.

Ques: Who invented the printing press? Where was the first printing press
established in India?
Answer: Johann Gutenberg. At Goa.

Ques: Why were the books considered as means of progress and enlightenment in the
mid eighteenth century? Explain with examples.

Answer:
1. People believed that books could change the world.
2. Books could liberate society from tyranny.
3. Books could bring a system based on reason and intellect.

Ques: Name the low priced small books sold in France.

Answer: Biliotheque Bleue

Ques: Who was Manocchio? Why was he executed?

Answer: Menocchio was a miller in Italy who began to read books that were available in his
locality. He reinterpreted the message of the Bible and formed his own views of God
that enraged the Roman Catholic Church. Menocchio was declared a heretic and
ultimately executed.

Ques: “The Imperial state in China, was the major producer of printed material‟.
Support this statement with examples.
Answer:
1. Text books for the civil service examination.
2. Merchants used print as they collected trade information.
3. New readership preferred narratives, poetry, romantic plays.
4. Rich women began publishing poetry and plays.

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