NCERT Solutions for Chapter 5 Print Culture and the Modern World Class 10 History
Book Solutions1a
Give reasons for the following:
Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.
Answer
Woodblock print was invented around the sixth century in China. It came to Europe along with Marco Polo, an Italian explorer who stayed for several years in China. In 1295, he returned to Italy. Thereafter, the Italian began producing books with woodblocks, and soon the technology spread to other parts of Europe.
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1b
Give reasons for the following:
Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.
Answer
In 1517, Martin Luther wrote 95 theses, he criticized many practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. Through the publications of his protestant ideas, Martin Luther challenged the orthodox practices and rituals 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 Protestant Reformation gained momentum. He also translated the New Testament of which 5000 copies were sold within a few days. These were impossible without the printing technology. This is the reason why Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.
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1c
Give reasons for the following:
The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited books from the mid-sixteenth century.
Answer
In the sixteenth century, a miller in Italy, Menocchio, reinterpreted the message of the Bible. He formulated an alternate view about God and the concept of creation. Menocchio was declared as heretical by the Roman Catholics and finally executed. The Roman Catholic Church was troubled by sudden effects of such questionings of faith which were widely read. Therefore, the church banned such books and kept the record of such banned books. It was called the Index of Prohibited Books.
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1d
Give reasons for the following:
Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association.
Answer
Gandhi considered that the liberty of speech, liberty of press and freedom of association were three most powerful vehicles of expressing and cultivating public 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.
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2a
Write short notes to show what you know about:
The Gutenberg Press
Answer
The Gutenberg Press was the first printing press in the world. It was set up by Gutenberg in Germany in 1448. It was a developed form of the olive and wine presses. By 1448 Gutenberg perfected this system. The Gutenberg Press had a long handle attached to the screw. This handle was used to turn the screw and press down the platen over the printing block that was placed on the top of a sheet of damp paper. The lead moulds were used for casting the metal types for the letters of alphabet. The first book he printed was Bible. He produced 180 copies of Bible in 3 years, which was much faster by standards of the time, at the time.
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2b
Write short notes to show what you know about:
Erasmus’s idea of the printed book Answer
Erasmus’s idea of printed book: Erasmus was the Latin scholar and a Catholic He criticized the printing of books. He believed that if there was no control over what was printed and read, it would result in spread of religious and radical ideas. Also, the significance to valuable literature would be lost.
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2c
Write short notes to show what you know about:
The Vernacular Press Act Answer
During the course of the 19th century, a powerful Indian press grew, both in English and Indian languages. Therefore, the British wanted to take measure to control them. Modelled on the Irish Press Laws, it was passed in 1878. This law gave the government rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. If a 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.
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3a
What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to:
Women
Answer
• The spread of print culture in 19th century India benefited Indian women through learning and education.• Many journals printed articles written by women.
• There was a strong movement in supports of women education. Reading matter was made available which could be used for home-based schooling. as a result, education among women spread widely.
• 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 spread of the feeling of self-reliance among Indian women.
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3b
What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to:
The Poor
Answer
• Print culture provided a platform to women to raise their voices against all the injustice they suffered. Issues of caste discrimination were discussed in several writings and essays.
•Writers like Jyotiba Phule, B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy wrote on caste discrimination and their writings were read by people all over India.
• Mill workers wrote to show the links between caste and class exploitation. All over India, they set up libraries to educate themselves. All this helped in uplifting the poor.
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3c
What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to:
Reformers
Answer
• Indian Reformers used newspapers, journals and books to highlight the social evils prevailing in the society. Raja Ram Mohan Roy published the Sambad Kaumudi to highlight the plight of widows.
• They spread their opinions against widow immolation, child marriage, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry to the common people of the country.
• 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.
• Jyotiba Phule in his book Gulamgiri wrote about the injustices of the caste system.
• In the 20th century, B.R. Ambedkar also wrote powerfully against the caste system and untouchability.
• E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, better known as Periyar, too wrote about the caste system prevailing in Madras.
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1
Why did some people in eighteenth century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism?
Answer
Before the invention of the printing press, access to print was limited. It was restricted to upper classes. Common people largely learnt from oral culture. Books were expensive and produced in insufficient numbers. However, with the coming of print culture, a new reading publice emerged.• The cost of books was reduced. The time and labour required to produce each book also reduced. As a result, the market were flooded by books for all kind of readers.
• The periodical press came up and journals were circulated among a large number of people. They carried information about events in all parts of the world.
• 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. Their ideas about science, reason and rationality changed the mindset of the common people.
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2
Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India.
Answer
Easy availability of printed books created the possibility for wide circulation of ideas. Some people especially from upper class and powerful class feared due to the spread of literacy among the common people they may loose their position or authorities.• In Europe, the Roman Catholic Church tried to curb the printed books through the Index of Prohibited Books.
• In India, the Vernacular Press Act in 1878 which provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. It meant that the government would not allow any criticism. If anything 'objectionable was printed, the assets of a press could be seized.
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3
What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India?
Answer
• Due to the spread of print culture, very cheap small books were brought to markets in nineteenth-century and sold at crossroads, allowing poor people travelling to markets to buy them.
• Public libraries were set up from the early twentieth century, expanding the access to books.
• 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, over-worked factory workers set up libraries for self-education, and some of them even published their own works, for example, Kashibaba and his "Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal".
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4
Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India.
Answer
The print culture helped the growth in the growth of nationalism in India:• Indian press criticised the British policies and put forward the Indian viewpoint. Newspapers like The Hindu, Bombay Samachar, Indian Mirror, Amrit Bazar Patrika and the Kesari had a great influence on Indian people.
• Nationalist press reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities. For example, when Punjab revolutionaries were deported in 1907, Balgangadhar Tilak wrote with great sympathy about them.
• Gandhiji spread his ideas of Swadeshi in a powerful way through newspaper. Many Vernacular newspapers came up in India to spread nationalism.
• Many novels written by Indian novelists like ‘Anandamath’ written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhay, created a sense of pan- Indian belonging. Munshi Premchand’s novel, ‘Godan highlighted how Indian peasants were exploited by the colonial bureaucrats.
• Various images of Bharatmata Painters like Raja Ravi Verma and Rabindranath Tagore drew images of Bharatmata which produced a sense of nationalism among Indians. The devotion to mother figure came to be seen as an evidence of one’s nationalism.
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