Topic Wise Questions from Previous Years’ Exams
The First Printed Books
- How had the earliest printing technology developed in the world? Explain with example. (2016)
Ans. (i) The earliest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan and Korea. In China woodblocks were used for hand printing.
(ii) Upto the 6th century print was used only by the scholar officials but later it became common.
(iii) The Buddhist missionaries introduced hand printing technology from China to Japan.
(iv) It was Marco Polo, a great explorer, who brought printing knowledge of woodblock from China to Italy. - Explain the reasons favouring shift from hand printing to mechanical printing in China. (2015, 2014)
OR. Explain the different stages of development of printing technology in China. (2012)
Ans. (i) From 594 A.D. the books were printed in China by pressing paper against the inked surface of woodblocks.
(ii) The imperial court got many textbooks printed for the Civil Services Examination and remained the target user of printed books in China.
(iii) By the 17th century urban culture developed in China and it added merchants, wives of rich men, scholars and officials who not only started reading printed books but also began to write their autobiographies.
(iv) In the late 19th century, the western powers established mechanical printing press in Shanghai and shifted to mechanical printing.
Long Answer:
The reasons favouring the shift from hand printing to mechanical printing in China are:
(i) Textbooks of the Civil Service 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.
(ii) By the seventeenth century, the print was no longer used just by scholar-officials. Merchants used the print in their everyday life, as they collected Trade information.
(iii) Reading increasingly became a leisure activity. The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces, and romantic plays.
(iv) 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.
(v)The new reading culture was accompanied by the new technology. Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported into China and Shanghai became the new hub of the new print culture. - What was woodblock printing and where did it develop first? Mention its two main features. (2013)
Ans. (i) The earliest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan and Korea. This was a system of hand printing.
(ii) From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper, 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.
(iii) Superbly skilled craftsmen could duplicate, with remarkable accuracy, the beauty of calligraphy on the woodblock. - What was an ‘Accordion Book’? Describe any two features of hand printing in China. (2012)
Ans. ‘Accordion Book’ is a traditional Chinese book, folded and stitched at the side.
(i) Chinese Accordion Books were handprinted. They were printed by rubbing paper against the inked surface of wooden blocks.
(ii) As both sides of the thin, porous sheet would not be printed, the traditional Chinese ‘Accordion Book’ was folded and stitched at the side.
(iii) These Accordion Books could be duplicated by superbly skilled craftsmen with remarkable accuracy and the beauty of calligraphy. - What were the chief characteristics of the earliest print culture in Japan? Explain any five.
Answer:
(i) Introduced by the Buddhist missionaries: The Buddhist missionaries from China introduced the hand printing technology into Japan around AD 768-770.
(ii) Old book: The oldest Japanese book, printed in AD 868, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, containing six sheets of text and woodcut illustrations.
(iii) Material: Playing cards, paper money and textile products were used for printing pictures.
(iv) Cheap books: In the medieval Japan, the works of poets and prose writers were regularly published, and books were cheap and abundant.
(v) Print in Edo (Tokyo): In the late 18th century, in the flourishing urban circles at Edo (Tokyo), illustrated collections of paintings depicting an elegant urban culture, involving artists, courtesans and teahouse gatherings.
Print Comes to Europe
1. Mention any three reasons for the limited circulation of manuscripts in Europe before Marco Polo introduced the printing technology. (2017) OR. Explain any three factors responsible for the invention of new printing techniques. (2016-17) OR. What is manuscript? Mention any two limitations of it, during nineteenth century. (2016) OR. Why were manuscripts not widely used in everyday life? Give three reasons. (2014)
Ans. Manuscripts were copies on palm leaves or on handmade paper. The circulation of manuscript remained limited because:
(i) The production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books.
(ii) Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.
(iii) Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle, and could not be carried around or read easily.
(iv) Their circulation was limited.
2. How did Gutenberg personalise the printed books? Explain. (2012)
Ans. (i) Borders were illuminated by hand with foliage and other patterns.
(ii) Books printed for rich had blank space left for decoration.
(iii) Each buyer could choose the design.
(iv) Verses were highlighted with hand and with colours.
3. In which three ways did the printed books at first closely resembled the written manuscripts? (2015)
- (i) Appearance and layout resembled the written manuscripts.
- (ii) Metal letters imitated the ornamented hand written styles.
- (iii) Borders were illuminated with foliage patterns and illustrations.
- (iv) Space for decoration was kept blank for the rich people to choose the design.
3. Describe the impact of the print revolution in Europe during 15th and 16th century. (2017, 2016)
Ans. Impact of the print revolution in Europe during the 15th and 16th century:
(i) Printing reduced the cost of books.
(ii) The time and labour required to produce each book came down, multiple copies could be produced with greater ease.
(iii) Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever-growing readership.
(iv) Publishers started publishing popular ballads folk tales with beautiful pictures and illustrations.
(v) Print created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas, and introduced a new world of debate and discussion.
(vi) Even those who disagreed with established authorities, could now print and circulate their ideas, e.g., Martin Luther was a German monk, priest, professor and church reformer. He challenged the Church to debate his ideas. This led to division within the Church and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
(vii) Print and popular religious literature stimulated many distinctive individual interpretations of faith even among little-educated working people
The Print Revolution and its Impact
1. “Print Revolution in sixteenth century Europe transformed the lives of people.” Support the statement with suitable arguments. (AI 2019)
Ans. The print revolution transformed the lives of a large section of the society in the 16th century Europe.
(a) A new reading public emerged as printing reduced the cost of books making it very affordable.
(b) 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. Common folk only heard sacred texts that was read out. Knowledge was transferred orally. People collectively heard a story, or saw a performance.
(c) Now books could reach out to wider sections of people and a reading public came into being. The line that separated the oral and reading cultures became blurred. And the hearing public and reading public became intermingled.
2. How had the Imperial State in China been the major producer of printed material for a long time? Explain with examples. (Delhi 2019)
Ans. The Imperial state of China for a long time was the major producer of printed material. China had a large bureaucracy. The Chinese civil services examinations required the use of large number or text books for its preparation in the recruitment process. Thus, large number of books and other study materials were printed under the sponsorship of the Imperial state.
From the 16th century onwards the number of examination candidates went up and thus the volume of print also increased. Thus, printing of books started rapidly all over the nation. This was further accelerated by authors and rich merchants.
3. “The print Revolution had transformed the lives of people changing their relationship to information and knowledge” Analyse the statement. (2018, AI 2014)
Ans. (i) The rate of literacy was very low in Europe till the end of the 20th century. In order to attract people towards books, the printers started printing popular ballads and folk tales with lot of illustration.
(ii) Such books were recited at gatherings and it attracted listeners.
(iii) Thus, the oral culture was printed and printed material was orally transmitted. That’s how oral and reading culture intermingled.
4. Explain the reasons favouring shift from hand printing to mechanical printing in China. (2015, 2014)
Ans. (i) The woodblock printing was much faster than hand printing.
(ii) They had to make copies of book with a great accuracy and in beauty of calligraphy.
(iii) And the books were printed on rubber paper.
5. What is meant by the print revolution? Explain its significance. (2014)
Ans. With the invention of printing press, the printing of books started at a large scale. it was called the Print Revolution. Significance:
(i) With the printing press, a new reading public emerged.
(ii) Printing reduced the cost of books.
(iii) Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever-growing readership
Long Answers Type
1. Give any three reasons favouring shift from hand printing to mechanical printing in China. (2012)
Ans. The principal reason for shifting from hand printing to mechanical printing in China were an increased demand and availability of the technology.
(a) From the earliest days China had a large 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. Sixteenth century onwards the number of examination candidates went up and that increased the volume of print.
(b) By the seventeenth century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified. Merchants began to use print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.
(c) Reading increasingly became a leisure activity for a large number of people including women. The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces, and romantic plays. Many women began publishing their poetry and plays.
(d) Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported in the late 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. This led to a gradual shift from hand printing to mechanical printing.
2. Describe any five uses of print culture in the 17th century China. (2014)
Ans. (i) By the 17th century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified.
(ii) Print was no longer used just by scholar officials.
(iii) Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.
(iv) The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces and romantic plays.
(v) Rich women began to read and many women began publishing their poetry and plays. (vi) Wives of scholar-officials published their works and courts men wrote about their lives.
3. “It is difficult to imagine a world without printed matter”. Justify the statement with suitable arguments. (2013)
Ans. Yes, it is really very difficult to imagine a world without printed matter because:
(i) Everywhere in our surroundings, we find evidence of print, i.e. in books, journals, newspapers, prints of famous paintings, etc.
(ii) We see printed materials in everyday things like theatre programs, official circulars, calendars, diaries, advertisements, cinema posters, government notifications, etc.
(iii) We read printed literature, see printed images, follow the news through different newspapers and track public debates that appear in print. We take this world as world of print and often forget that there was a time before the printing technology came
4. Describe any five strategies developed by the printers and publishers in the 19th century to sell their products. (2013)
Ans. Some of the important strategies adopted by the printers and publishers to sell books were:
(i) They brought out serialized novels. The first serialized novel was shilling series. It was a cheap series that was very popular and was sold in England in 1920’s.
(ii) The advertisers put up advertisements at strategic public locations such as building, railway station, etc. to attract buyers and improve sales.
(iii) The dust cover or the book jacket is the 20th century innovation.
(iv) One of the great innovations was the introduction of cheap paperback books in the 1930’s. During the Great Depression this kept the steady sale of books. Cheap paperback editions were brought to counter the effect of the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
(v) The shilling series was also considered an important innovation at this time.
5. Explain five effects of print revolution. (Term-I 2012)
Ans. Impact of Print Revolution:
(i) New reading public emerged.
(ii) The hearing people became reading people.
(iii) Religious debates due to fear of prints led to distinctive interpretation of faith.
(iv) Printing transformed the lives of the people.
(v) It opened new ways of looking at things.
(vi) Print culture also affected the life of poor people and women in many ways. The print gave birth to new form of popular literature. Very small books were brought out. They were sold across roads. The poor people brought these books and read with great interest. Books were cheap so the poor people could also afford them.
(vii) Women’s reading increased enormously in middle class homes. Liberal husbands and fathers began educating their women folk at home and send them to schools. Women schools were also set up.
The Reading Mania
1. What are the factors that lead to the reading mania in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe? (Term-I 2017)
Ans. As literacy spread to peasants and artisans, the literacy rate rose as high as 60 to 80 per cent in some parts of Europe.
(i) People wanted to read books and the printers produced books in ever increasing numbers.
(ii) By mid-eighteenth century, there was a common belief that books were a means of spreading progress and enlightenment.
(iii) Others felt that books could change the world, liberate society from despotism and tyranny and would bring an era when reason and intellect would rule.
(iv) Convinced by the power of print, there was virtual reading mania among Europeans of 18th century.
2. How did a new reading public emerge with the printing press? Explain. (2016)
Ans. i) Wider sections of people started having an easy access to books.
(ii) Books were printed in large numbers with greater ease.
(iii) The prices fell and they became affordable for large public.
(iv) The hearing public and reading public became intermingled
3. Print culture created the condition within which French Revolution occurred. Give any three suitable arguments to support the statement. (2016)
Ans. (i) Print popularized the ideas of enlightened thinkers on traditions, superstitions and despotism.
(ii) They advocated reasons.
(iii) People read books of Voltaire and Rousseau. Print created dialogue and debate.
(iv) People started discussion and evaluated the royalty.
(v) Print literature mocked the royalty.
(vi) This kind of print literature circulated underground and it created awareness among people and formed the basis of French Revolution.
4. ‘With the printing press a new public emerged in Europe’. Justify the statement. (2015)
Ans. See answer 2
5. ‘Print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred’. Give three suitable arguments to support this statement. (2012)
Ans. Many historians believe that print culture created the conditions within which French Revolution occurred. The arguments put forward are as follows:
(a) Print popularized the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers. Their writings provided a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism. They argued for the rule of reason rather than custom, and demanded that everything be judged through the application of reason and rationality. 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. 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.
(b) Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. All values, norms and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed by the public that had become aware of the power of reason, and recognised the need to question existing ideas and beliefs. Within this public culture, new ideas of social revolution came into being.
(c) Large amount of literature was produced that mocked the royalty and criticized their morality. In the process, it raised questions about the existing social order. This literature circulated underground and led to the growth of hostile sentiments against the monarchy.
6. ‘Access to books created a new culture of reading’. Support the statement giving three examples. (2011)
Ans. The new reading culture developed with the increased access to books. Books became available to almost everyone in the society as a result of the printing invention. This automatically meant that anyone could read a book whenever they wanted.
Novels and creative story books were quite entertaining and many people soon developed the habit of reading them. Since the books were very accessible, the literacy level went up as many people wanted to be able to read the books as everyone else did
The 19th Century
1. How did print help in empowering women folk? (Term-I 2015)
Ans. Printing helped in empowering womenfolk greatly. Lives and feelings of women were written with intensity in the books. This increased the number of women who took to reading. Liberal husbands and fathers started educating their women folk at home and some sent them to schools.
Many journals began carrying writings by women and explained why women should be educated. They also carried a syllabus and attached suitable reading matter which could be used for homebased schooling.
Social reforms and novels created a great interest in women’s lives and emotions. Women’s opinions and views began to be considered and respected.
Stories were written about how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to do hard domestic labor and treated unjustly by the very people they served. Stories about the miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women, especially widows also appeared in print. These stories paved the way for the liberation of the suppressed Indian woman
2. How did new forms of popular literature appear in print targeting new audience in the Print Culture and the Modern World 99 18th century? Explain with examples. (Term-I 2012)
Ans. (i) There were almanacs along with ballads and folktales. In England, chapbooks were carried by petty pedlars known as chapman and sold for a penny.
(ii) Bibliotheque Bleue were low-priced books sold in France.
(iii) There were the romances printed on four to six pages and the more substantial ‘Histories’ which were stories of the past.
Long Answer Type
3. Explain with example how print culture catered to the requirement of children. (2016)
Ans. (i) In Europe primary education became compulsory from the late nineteenth century, children became an important category of readers. Production of school textbooks became critical for the publishing industry.
(ii) A children’s press devoted to literature for children alone, was set up in France in 1857.
(iii) This press published new works as well as old fairy tales and folktales.
(iv) The Grimm brothers in Germany spent years in compiling traditional folk tales gathered from peasants. What they collected was edited before the stories were published in a collection in 1812.
(v) Anything that was considered unsuitable for children or would appear vulgar to the elites, was not included in the published version. Rural folk tales thus acquired a new form. In this way
4. What difference did printing technology make in the lives of women and children in the 19th century? Explain. (2014, 2012)
Ans. Impact on Women:
- (i) Women became important readers and writers. Penny magazines, especially meant for women, contained guidelines on proper behaviour and housekeeping.
- (ii) Novel began to be written in the 19th century and some of the best novelists were women like Jane Austen, Bronte sisters, George Eliot, etc.
- (iii) Their writing created a new image of women with will, strength of personality, determination and power to think
Impact on Children:
- (i) Primary education became compulsory from the late 19th century.
- (ii) School textbooks, rural folk tales in edited versions, fairy tales and new stories were published for children.
- (iii) Grimm brothers of Germany spent years to collect traditional folk tales from peasants and in France a children’s press was set up in 1857
5. How did the printed books of India attract the poor class as readers in the 19th century? Explain. (Term-I 2012)
Ans. Sources of Attraction:
(i) Very cheap small books were brought to market in the 19th century.
(ii) Public libraries were set up to give an easy access to books to those who could not buy.
(iii) Kashibaba of Kanpur published ‘Chhote Aur Bade ka Sawal’ where caste and class exploitation were linked.
(iv) Sacchi Kavitayen, the poems of another Kanpur millworker who wrote under the pen name of Sudarshan Chakra also attracted the mill workers towards reading printed books since they could see their lives and suffering reflected in such books
6. How did print culture affect the life of poor people and women in the nineteenth century India? Explain. (2012)
Ans. (i) The print culture gave birth to new forms of popular literature. Very small books were brought out. They were sold cross roads. The poor people brought these books and read with great interest. Books were cheap, even the poor could afford to buy them. Public libraries were set up.
(ii) The print culture made the women important, as readers as well as writers. Women’s reading increased enormously in middle class homes. Liberal husbands and fathers began educating their women folk at home and send them to schools. Women schools were set up.
India and the World of Print
1. How were the students taught in pre-colonial Bengal? (Term-I 2017)
Ans. Even though pre-colonial Bengal had developed an extensive network of village primary schools, students very often did not read texts. They only learnt to write. Teachers dictated portions of texts from memory and students wrote them down. Many thus became literate without ever actually reading any kinds of texts.
2. Enumerate any three features of handwritten manuscripts before the age of print in India. (2016)
Ans. Three features of handwritten manuscripts: (i) Before the age of print everything had to be written by hand.
(ii) Handwritten manuscripts were expensive and it was a laborious and time-consuming business.
(iii) Skilled hand writers could not meet the ever-increasing demand for books.
(iv) As initially paper was not available, bark of trees, palm leaves, vellum, etc. were used to write manuscripts
3. Examine the role of missionaries in the growth of press in India. (2012)
(i) The printing press first came to Goa in Western India through Portuguese missionaries in mid 16th century.
(ii) Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several texts and nearly 50 books were printed in Konkani.
(iii) Catholic priests printed the first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin.
(iv) The first Malayalam book was printed in 1713.
(v) The Dutch Protestant missionaries had printed 32 Tamil texts
4. Explain giving three points how did the print culture develop in India. (2011)
Ans. Kurasani paper was introduced to India in the eighth century by Arabs. Indian manuscripts were written in mainly four colors – gold and silver, black and red.
Printing came to India in 1556. The first book printed in India was in Portuguese language in Old Goa. It was Doctrina Christa by St. Francis Xavier. With development of printing technology more books started to be printed.
Experimentation with the themes of the books started. This led to the publication of different books in vernacular languages. Novels, story books and books for children helped to earn readership.
Long Answer Type
1. Printing press played a major role in shaping the Indian society of the 19th century, support with examples. (Term-I 2017, 2012)
Ans. Printing press played a major role in shaping the Indian society:
(a) It made people aware about various social issues and problems. For example, it created intense debate and controversy between social and religious reformers and the orthodox Hindus.
(b) The ideas of reformers reached the wider population of the common people through printed reading material. For example, the “Sambad Kaumudi” carried the ideas of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
(c) The Deoband Seminary founded in 1867, published thousands of fatwas telling the Muslim readers how to conduct themselves in their everyday lives
The print culture had a significant impact on the growth of nationalism in India.
(i) In spite of passing a Vernacular Press Act, nationalist newspapers grew in numbers.
(ii) They reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist actvities.
(iii) The British Government tried to put down the criticism but there were more protests.
(iv) Punjab revolutionaries were deported,’ Tilak wrote in Kesari.
(v) It led to his imprisonment in 1908 provoking large protest
2. Describe the attitude of liberal and conservative Indians towards women’s reading. (2016)
Ans. (i) Liberal husbands and fathers began educating their women folk at home and sent them to schools.
(ii) Conservative Hindus believed that a literate girl would be widowed and Muslims feared that educated women would be corrupted by reading romantic books.
(iii) Kailash Bashini Devi wrote books highlighting the experiences of women-how women were imprisoned at home, kept in ignorance, forced to do hard domestic labour.
3. Explain briefly the initial efforts made by foreigners to introduce printing press in India. (2016)
Ans. (i) The Portuguese missionaries first introduced printing press in India in the mid 16th century.
(ii) Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several texts.
(iii) By 1674 about 50 books had been printed in the Konkani and Kannada language.
(iv) Catholic priest first published printed books in Tamil in Cochin and in 1713 first Malayalam book was printed.
(v) Dutch Protestant missionaries had printed nearly 32 texts in Tamil which were later translated.
(vi) The English language press did not grow in India till quite late even though official of the East India Company began to import presses from late 17th century.
(vii) From 1780, James Augustus Hickey began to edit the Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine; it was a private English enterprise and was free from colonial influence.
(viii) Hickey published a lot of advertisements including those that related to import and sale of slaves.
(ix) By the close of the 18th century, a number of newspaper and journals appeared in print.
4. How were the manuscripts written in India before the age of print? What were their drawbacks and effect? (2014)
Ans. (i) In India manuscripts were written on palm leaves or on handmade paper before the age of print.
(ii) Pages were sometimes beautifully illustrated.
(iii) They would be either pressed between wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation.
(iv) Manuscripts continued to be produced till well after the introduction of print, down to the late nineteenth century.
(v) Manuscripts, however, were highly expensive and fragile. They had to be handled carefully and they could not be read easily as script was written in different styles.
5. Describe the impact of print culture on Indian women. (2012)
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 emphasising the importance of women 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 labour, 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) Hindi writing and women: While Urdu, Tamil, Bengali and Marathi print culture had developed earlier, Hindi 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 Vichar 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
Religious Reforms and Public Debates
1. How did print help to spread new ideas that led to the Reformation in Europe? (2015)
Ans. (i) In 1517, the religious reformer Martin Luther wrote ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ criticising many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
(ii) Due to writings of Martin Luther, the church got divided and a new Protestant reformation had started.
(iii) Several scholars, think that print brought about a new intellectual atmosphere and helped spread the new ideas that led to reformation.
2. “Print not only stimulated the publication of conflicting opinions amongst communities but it also connected communities and people in different parts of India”. Examine the statement. (2016)
Ans. (i) Religious texts, reached a wide circle of people encouraging discussions, debates and controversies within and among different religions.
(ii) Newspapers conveyed news from one place to another creating pan-Indian identities.
(iii) Spread of ideas through printed texts and newspapers led to widespread participation of Indians.
(iv) Print propagated opinion against social evils like sati, child marriage and the purdah system. (v) New ideas emerged through the clashes of opinions.
3. Martin Luther remarked Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one. Explain this remark in the light of the religious reforms that took place in Europe in the 16th century. (2014, 2012)
Ans. (i) Martin Luther wrote ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ criticising the malpractices in the Roman Catholic Church. He posted a printed copy of it on the door of a church in Wittenberg.
(ii) Luther’s writing immediately became popular through printed copies and was read widely.
(iii) 5000 printed copies of Luther’s translation of the New Testament were sold in a week.
(iv) All these led to a religious debate and marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
(v) Printing technology played a key role in bringing religious reforms in the 16th century. Hence Martin Luther’s remarks were apt, effective and practical.
4. How did print introduce as new world of debate and discussion? What were its implication in sphere of religion? Explain. (2012)
Ans. (i) Print created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas leading to debate and discussion. Those who disagreed with established authorities could now print and circulate their own views.
(ii) Through printed messages, they could persuade people to think differently.
(iii) Implication on the sphere of religion — The religious reformer. Martin Luther, wrote ‘The Ninety-five Theses’ criticizing many practices of Roman Catholic Church. This led to a division within the church and marketed the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
New Forms of Publication
1. Why were women not educated in India in the early part of the nineteenth century? Give any two reasons. (Term-I 2015)
Ans. (i) This was because of the superstitions and myths that prevailed in the society.
(ii) Conservative Hindus believed that a literate girl would be widowed and Muslims feared that educated women would be corrupted by reading Urdu romances.
2. For what purpose did Ram Chaddha, publish ‘Istri Dharm Vichar’? (2015)
Ans. (i) In Punjab, a similar folk literature about discussing women issues was widely printed from the early 20th century.
(ii) Ram Chaddha published the fast selling ‘Istri Dharm Vichar’ to teach women how to be obedient wives.
3. Explain the new visual culture in print which developed in the nineteenth century. (2012)
Ans. (i) With the setting up of an increasing number of printing presses, visual images could be easily reproduced in multiple copies.
(ii) Painters like Raja Ravi Verma produced images for mass circulation.
(iii) Cheap prints and calenders were easily available in the bazar. By the 1870s, caricatures and cartoons were also being published in Journals and newspapers commenting on social and political issues.
Long Answer Type
4. “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 example. (2014)
Ans. From the late 19th century, issues of caste discrimination began to be written.
(i) Jyotiba Phule, the Maratha pioneer of low caste, started protest movement. He wrote about the injustice of the caste system in his Gulamgiri.
(ii) B. R. Ambedkar in Maharashtra and E. V. Ramaswamy in Madras wrote powerfully on caste. Their writing were read by people all over India.
(iii) Local protest movements and sets also created a lot of journals and tracts.
(iv) Kashibaba a Kanpur millworker wrote and published Chhote Aur Bade ka Sawal’.
(v) Bangalore cotton millworkers set up libraries to educate themselves. (vi) Workers were overburdened and lacked the education to write much but they kept reading.
2. Evaluate the role of print in connecting various communities in different parts of India. (2014)
Ans. (i) In Bengal as the debate developed, tracts and newspapers proliferated, circulating a variety of arguments.
(ii) To reach a wider audience, the ideas were printed in the everyday spoken language of ordinary people.
(iii) Ram Mohan Roy published the ‘Sambad Kaumudi’ from 1821 and the Hindu orthodoxy commissioned the ‘Samachar Chandrika’ to oppose his opinion.
(iv) A wider range of people could not participate in these public discussions and express their views but they read the opinions.
(v) New ideas emerged through these clashes of opinions.
(vi) Newspapers conveyed news from one place to another, creating pan-Indian identities.
3. Explain how print culture assisted the growth of Nationalism in India. (2012)
Ans. Print culture, i.e., press and literature played a crucial role in growth and spread of nationalism in India.
(i) In the 19th century, huge quantity of national literature was created. It inspired people to throw away the British yoke.
(ii) India Mirror, Bombay Samachar, The Hindu, Kesari-Indian newspapers exerted deep imprint on the minds of people.
(iii) 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.
(iv) Gandhiji spread his ideas of Swadeshi in a powerful way through newspapers. Many Vernacular newspapers came up in India to spread nationalism.
4. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in the 19th century India? Describe. (2012)
Ans. Effects of Print culture on poor people:
(i) Cheap small books were brought to the markets in Madras and were then sold.
(ii) Public libraries were set up from early 20th century expanding the access to books.
(iii) Issues to caste discrimination were written by Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule and it was read by people. ‘Gulamgiri’ of Jyotiba Phule exposed the ill treatment given to the low castes.
(iv) Local protest movements and sets criticised ancient scriptures.
(v) Workers in factories wrote and published to show links between caste and class exploitation.
(vi) Bangalore cotton mill workers set up libraries to educate themselves
Print and Censorship
1. Why did Roman Catholic church impose control over publishers and book sellers? (2018)
Ans. The Roman Catholic Church imposed control over publishers and booksellers because scholars and writers started interpreting religious books, which everyone could read and understand.
The public started questioning the Church authorities regarding the rules and regulations imposed and the religious beliefs. The Church wanted to maintain its supremacy and prevent people from questioning them, imposed control over booksellers and publishers.
2. How did Governor General Willian Bentinck react to the petition filed by editors of English and vernacular newspapers? (2014)
Ans. In 1835, faced with urgent petitions by editors of English and vernacular newspapers, Governor-general William Bentinck agreed to revise press laws.
3. Why did British Government curb the freedom of the Indian press after the revolt of 1857? (2016)
Ans. After the revolt of 1857, the attitude to freedom of press changed. Enraged English officials clamped down the Indian press because of their nationalist activities.
(i) In 1887, the Vernacular Press Act was passed. It provided the government extensive right to censor reports.
(ii) 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 could be confiscated
3. What restrictions were imposed by the Vernacular Press Act on the Indian Press? Explain. (2016)
Ans. (i) The Vernacular Press Act provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the Vernacular press.
(ii) The government kept regular track of the Vernacular newspapers published in different provinces.
(iii) When a report was judged as seditious, the newspaper was warned.
(iv) If the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery could be confiscated.
4. Why did the Roman Catholic Church begin to keep an index of prohibited books from the mid 16th century? (2015, 2013, 2012)
Ans. (i) Printed religious literature stimulated a variety of interpretations of faith, even among the little educated working class in the early 16th century.
(ii) Menocchio, an Italian miller, reinterpreted the Bible in a way that enraged the Roman Catholic Church.
(iii) Such instances worried the Church about people reading the various interpretations of the religion and questioning the Church.
(iv) Hence, it imposed severe controls over publishers and booksellers and began maintaining an index of prohibited books.
5. What led the colonial government to pass the Vernacular press Act in 1878? How did it affect the vernacular newspapers? (2014)
Ans. (i) The Vernacular Press Act was passed because the vernacular newspapers were assertively nationalist. They openly criticized and debated the government policies.
(ii) The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was passed which empowered the government to censor reports and editorials.
(iii) The government kept a regular tract of vernacular newspapers. If a report was judged seditious, the newspaper was warned and if warning
6. Evaluate the efforts made by the British in India to impose censorship on the press. (2013)
Ans. (i) By the 1820’s, the Calcutta Supreme Court passed certain regulations to control press freedom and the country began encouraging publication of newspaper that would celebrate British Rule.
(ii) In 1835, faced with urgent petitions by editors of English and Vernacular newspapers, Governor General Bantick agreed to revise press laws.
(iii) In 1878, the Vernacular press Act was passed, modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive right to censor reports and editorials in the Vernacular Press. From now the government kept regular track of the Vernacular newspaper 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 could be confiscated
Long Answer Type
7. What led the colonial government to pass the Vernacular Press Act in 1879? How did it affect the vernacular newspaper?
Ans. (i) Nationalists in India used print media to publish the evil effects of British rule and spread new ideas.
(ii) As Vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial government decided to take strong measures.
(iii) In 1878 the Vernacular Press Act was passed which provided the government with intensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the Vernacular press.
(iv) Despite repressive measures nationalist newspapers grew in numbers in all parts of India.
