History

Print Culture and the Modern World

Question:

Write short notes to show what you know about:
a) The Gutenberg Press
b) Erasmus's idea of the printed book
c) The Vernacular Press Act
c) The Vernacular Press Act

Answer:

Gutenberg was the son of a merchant and grew up on a large agricultural estate. Since his childhood he had seen the way wine was made by pressing the fruits. Later he learnt the art of polishing stones and became a master goldsmith. He also learnt to create lead moulds used for making trinkets.

Using all the skills he had acquired, he developed on the existing print technology and invented the first printing press in 1430s.
He made moulds, using metal, for the letters of the alphabet. He used these moulds for printing.
By 1448, Gutenberg perfected the printing system.
The first book he printed was the Bible.
180 copies were printed in three years.
Erasmus was a Latin scholar and a Catholic reformer. He criticised the excesses of Catholicism. He expressed a deep anxiety about printing. He felt that though there were a few books that were good most of the books were harmful to the human intellect.
Erasmus felt that it created glut and too much of any thing was harmful. He said that books were full stupid, ignorant, slanderous and scandalous raving. Many books were irreligious and the value of publication was lost due to these books according to Erasmus.
In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed, as vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist. The Act was modelled on the lines of the Irish Press Laws.
The Vernacular Press Act provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. When a report was judged as rebellious, the newspaper was warned, and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery confiscated.
In spite of these repressive measures, nationalist newspapers grew in numbers in all parts of India. These papers reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities.

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Print Culture and the Modern World

Q 1.

Name the first Weekly that appeared in India. Who bought it out ? (CBSE 2014)

Q 2.

Which material was used to print pictures in Japan?

Q 3.

What were Biliotheque Blue ?

Q 4.

Explain the main features of the first printed Bible. [CBSE Sept. 2010]
Or
Describe any three main features of the first printed Bible. [CBSE 2014]

Q 5.

Name any four Indian women writers of the 19th century.

Q 6.

Who said "Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one ? ] [CBSE 2010. 11, 12]

Q 7.

Who invented power driven cylindrical press ? What were its advantages ?

Q 8.

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]

Q 9.

What is calligraphy?

Q 10.

Write a brief note on Martin Luther.

Q 11.

How was sale of books promoted in small towns?

Q 12.

What is manuscript ?

Q 13.

Who printed the first Tamil book ?

Q 14.

Name the first weekly that appeared in India. Who brought it out ? (CBSE 2014)

Q 15.

Name an Act which was passed by the British government to keep a regular track of the vernacular newspapers.

Q 16.

What medium was used for writing ancient Indian scriptures?

Q 17.

Who started publishing Sambad Kaumudi from 1821?

Q 18.

What was Vernacular Press Act ? (CBSE 2014)

Q 19.

’Liberty of speech … liberty of the press … freedom of association. The government of India is now seeking to crush the three powerful vehicles of expressing and cultivating public opinion, the fight for swaraj, for Khilafat … means a fight for this threatened freedom before all else….’
Who said these words ?

Q 20.

Why did some people in eighteenth century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism?

Q 21.

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

Q 22.

What was the role of cartoons and caricatures in the French Revolution ?

Q 23.

Name two scholars whose writings inspired French people.

Q 24.

Write about the different innovations in the printing technology during the 19th century ? [CBSE Sept. 2010]

Q 25.

Write short notes to show what you know about:
a) The Gutenberg Press
b) Erasmus's idea of the printed book
c) The Vernacular Press Act
c) The Vernacular Press Act

Q 26.

Give a brief description of the first form of print technology.

Q 27.

Give a brief description of the first form of print technology.

Q 28.

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

Q 29.

What were Chap books ? (CBSE 2014)

Q 30.

Name any four languages in which Indian manuscript was prepared before the age of print.

Q 31.

Who wrote Gulamgiri ? (CBSE 2014)

Q 32.

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

Q 33.

Study the given paragraph and answer the following questions that follow :
Liberty of speech…. liberty of the press freedom of association. The government of India is now seeking to crush the three powerful vehicles of expressing and cultivating public opinion. The fight for Swaraj, for Khilafat …. means a fight for this threatened freedom before all else ….'
(i) Who said these words ?

(ii) Name the freedoms he is talking about.

Q 34.

Who was Marco Polo?

Q 35.

Who invented the letter press?

Q 36.

When did the first printing press come to India?

Q 37.

Who was the author of Amar Jiban ?

Q 38.

Analyse the impact of print revolution on religion. [CJBS £ 2012]

Q 39.

How did China remain a major producer of printed materials for a long time ? [CBSE 2013]
Or
"The imperial state in China, was the major producer of printed material.” Support this statement with examples.  [CBSE 2013. 2012. 2014]

Q 40.

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

Q 41.

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

Q 42.

The shift from handprinting to mechanical printing led to the print revolution.’ Explain.

Q 43.

How did the print revolution influence the reading habit of the people of Europe?

Q 44.

How did the print media affect the women in India?

Q 45.

Write a short note on Indian manuscripts

Q 46.

Who brought out the first Indian newspaper published in English?

Q 47.

How did the print revolution influence the reading habit of the people of Europe?

Q 48.

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

Q 49.

Not everyone welcomed the printed books, and those who did also had fears about it.' Explain by giving examples.

Q 50.

Many historians have argued that print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred.' Explain. [CBSE 2009 (O)]
Or
"Print culture created the conditions within which French revolution occurred."Give any three suitable arguments to support the statement. [CBSE Sept. 2010, 2011]