Print Culture and the Modern World NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 7 with Answers

We have Provided the NCERT/CBSE Solutions chapter-wise for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 7 Print Culture and the Modern World with Answers by expert subject teacher for latest syllabus and examination. Students can take a free NCERT Solutions of Print Culture and the Modern World. Each question has right answer Solved by Expert Teacher.

CBSE Solutions Class 10 Social Science Print Culture and the Modern World

Write in Brief

Q1.Give reasons for the following:

(a) 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, in 1295. Marco Polo returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China, and he brought the knowledge of woodblock print with him on his return.

(b) Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.

Answer: In 1517, Martin Luther wrote ‘Ninety Five Theses’ and a printed copy of this was posted on a church door in Wittenberg. He had criticised the malpractices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. His writings were immediately printed and reproduced in vast numbers and read widely. This criticism 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. Luther was in favour of print and praised it as “the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.”

(c) The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited books from the mid-sixteenth century.

Answer: Print and popular literature encouraged many distinctive interpretations of religious faiths and ideas. In the 16th century, Manocchio, a miller in Italy began to read books available readily in his locality. He gave a new interpretation of the Bible and formulated a view of God, and creation that enraged the Roman Catholic Church.
As a result, Manocchio was hauled up twice, and ultimately executed when the Roman Church began its inquisition, and to repress the therapeutical ideas. After this several control measures were imposed on publishers and booksellers. In 1558, the Roman Church decided to maintain an Index of prohibited books

(d) 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 opinion. Therefore, he said the fight for Swaraj was a fight for liberty of speech, press, and freedom for association.

Q2. Write short notes to show what you know about:

(a) The Gutenberg Press

Answer: The Gutenberg Press was the first printing press of Europe. It was invented by Johannes Gutenberg of Strasbourg. He grew up in a large agricultural estate and had knowledge and experience in operating olive and wine presses. He invented the printing press around the year 1448 with the Bible being the first book to be printed.

(b) Erasmus’s idea of the printed book

Answer: Erasmus’s idea of the printed book: Erasmus was a Latin scholar and a Catholic reformer. He criticised the excesses of Catholicism but maintained a distance from Martin Luther, He expressed a deep anxiety about printing, He considered that most of the printed books were stupid, ignorant, slanderous, scandalous, raving, irreligious and seditious. The increase in the number of such books was very unfortunate because of their devaluating effect on the valuable books. Such excesses would be dangerous and therefore, should be stopped.

(c) The Vernacular Press Act

Answer: Modelled on the Irish Press Laws, it was passed in 1878. This law gave the government tyrannical rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. If a seditious 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.

Q3. What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to:
(a) Women

Answer: With the introduction and development of print, lives and feelings of women began to be written in particularly vivid and intense ways. Women’s reading increased enormously in middle-class homes. Liberal husbands and fathers began educating their womenfolk at home, and sent them to schools when women’s schools were set up in the cities and towns after the mid-nineteenth century. Many journals began carrying writings by women, and explained why women should be educated.Literature encouraged women to say about their own lives. Many women such as Kailashbashini Debi, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai wrote books highlighting the experiences and miserable lives of women.

(b) The poor

Answer: They benefitted from the spread of print culture in India on account of the availability of low-price books and public libraries. 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 Sawal”.

(c) Reformers

Answer: Indian reforms of 19th century utilized print culture as the most potent means of spreading their reformist ideas and highlight the unethical issues. They began publishing various vernacular and English and Hindi newspapers and books through which they could spread their opinions against widow immolation, child marriage, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry to the common people of the country. In this way the spread of print culture in the 19th century provided them a space for attacking religious orthodoxy and to spread modern social and political ideas to the people of different languages across the country.

Discuss

Q1. Why did some people in 18th century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism?

Answer:

  • The spreading of new ideas after the coming of 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.
  • Books as Medium of Progress By the eighteenth 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 liberate society from despotism and tyranny.
  • Writings of Scholars: The writings of thinkers such as Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine and Voltaire were also widely printed and could gain popularity. Thus their ideas about science, rationality and reasoning found their way into popular literature.
  • 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.

Q2. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India.

Answer: The religious authorities and monarchs, as well as many writers and artists were upset to see the easy availability of printed books. They were apprehensive of the effects that the easier access to the printed word and the wider circulation of books, could have on people’s minds. They feared that if there was no control over what was printed and read then rebellious and irreligious thoughts might spread. If that happened, there would be complete chaos.

For example:
(i) In Europe, the Roman Catholic Church tried to check the flow of printed books by imposing severe control over publishers and booksellers. The Church also began to maintain an Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.

(ii) In India, the colonial government introduced the Vernacular Press Act in 1878. This Act imposed stringent control on the local newspapers. The government now kept regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. There was also a certain amount of fear among the Hindu orthodoxy and upper class people.

Q4. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India?

Answer: The poor people benefited from the spread of print culture in India on account of the availability of low-price books and public libraries. 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”.

Q5. Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India.

Answer: The print culture immensely helped the growth in the growth of nationalism in India in the following ways –

  • Through vernacular press, oppressive methods of colonial rule were reported.
  • The misrule of government and its initiative on curbing the freedom of press spread the nationalist ideas that demanded freedom of press.
  • Nationalist feelings and revolutionary ideas were secretly spread by the dailies like – The Amrit Bazar Patrika, The Indian Mirror, Kesri, The Hindu, Bombay Samachar etc. Through these newspapers national leaders always tried to mobilize public opinion of Indian masses and unite them for the cause of nationalism.
  • The print culture helped in educating the people who then started to be gradually influenced by the reformist and nationalist ideas of the various Indian leaders like Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Tilak, Subhas Bose and Gandhiji etc.

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