PREVIOUS YEAR

HISTORY
QUESTIONS-X
PRINT CULTURE AND THE MODERN WORLD

VERY ASWER TYPE QUESTIONS (1 Mark)

1. How had hand printing technology introduced in Japan? [Delhi 2019]

Ans. Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand printing technology into Japan
around 768-770 AD.

2. Why was printing of textbooks sponsored by the Imperial State in

China? [AI Ajmer 2019]
Ans. The printing of textbooks sponsored by the Imperial state in China because it had
a bureaucratic system which conducted civil services examinations to recruit its
personnel and therefore textbooks for this examination were printed in large number.

3. Why did the Roman Catholic Church impose control over publishers and
booksellers? [CBSE 2018]
Ans. The Roman Church was troubled by the spread of heretical ideas and the effects of
popular readings and questionings of faith. It thus imposed controls over publishers
and booksellers.

4. Why could not manuscripts satisfy' the increasing demand of books in Europe during
fourteenth century? [CBSE 2018]
Ans. Copying was laborious and time consuming business, very expensive and thus their
circulation remained limited. The manuscripts were too fragile to handle.

5. Which place (city) had the breakthrough of first printing press? [CBSE 2016]
Ans. Strasbourg, Germany had the breakthrough of the first printing press.

6. Mention any one technique of preserving the manuscript in India. [CBSE 2016]
Ans. The manuscripts in India were preserved by pressing them between wooden covers
or being sewn together.

7. Name the Chinese traditional book, which was folded and stitched at the
side. [CBSE 2015]
Ans. The Chinese traditional book, which was folded and stitched at the side, was known
was accordion book.

8. Mention any one characteristic feature of the off-set press. [CBSE 2015]
Ans. One characteristic of the off-set press was that it could print up to six colours at a
time.

9. Name the first edition of the Indian religious text published in

vernacular. [CBSE 2014]
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
HISTORY
QUESTIONS-X
Ans. This first edition of the Indian religious text published in vernacular was the
Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas.

10. Name the oldest Japanese book. [CBSE 2014]

Ans. The oldest Japanese book, printed in 868 AD, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (3 Marks)

11. 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 in China, was the major producer of printed material because:
(a) China had a bureaucratic system which conducted civil services examinations to
recruit its personnel.
(b) Textbooks for this examination were printed in large number, under the
sponsorship of the imperial state.
(c) From the sixteenth century, the number of candidates, who were taking
examination, went up. It led to increased volume of printed material.

12. Explain any three features of handwritten manuscripts before the age of print in
India. [CBSE 2010, 2014, 2016]
Ans. The three features of the handwritten manuscripts before the age of print in India are:
a. In India, there is rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts in different
languages which were copied on palm leaves or on handmade papers.
b. These manuscripts were highly expensive, fragile and needed careful handling.
c. These were preserved by pressing between the wooden covers or sewn together.
d. Heading the manuscripts was not easy as they were written in different styles
which limits its use.

13. What were the limitations of written manuscripts in India? Explain. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. The following were the limitations of written manuscripts in India.
(a) Manuscripts were very expensive and fragile. They had to be treated carefully
and they were difficult to read as the script was written in different styles,
(b) Manuscripts were not widely used in everyday life of the common populace. Even
though pre-colonial Bengal had developed a vast network of village primary
schools, students usually did not read texts.
(c) Students only learnt to write. Teachers read out part of texts from memory and
students wrote them down on paper. Students thus became literate without
ever actually reading any kinds of texts.

14. Examine the role of missionaries in the growth of press in India. [CBSE 2013]
Ans. The following points sum up the role of missionaries in the growth of press in India.
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
HISTORY
QUESTIONS-X
(a) The printing press first came to Goa with Portuguese missionaries in the mid-
sixteenth century. Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several tracts.
(b) By 1674, about 50 books had been printed in the Konkani and in Kanara
languages. Catholic priests printed the first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin and in
1713 the first Malayalam book was printed by them.
(c) By 1710, Dutch Protestant missionaries had printed 32 Tamil texts; many of them
were translated from older works.

15. How did new form of popular literature appear in print targeting new audience in the
18th century? Explain with examples. [CBSE 2012]
Ans. New forms of popular literature like almanacs, newspapers and journals, appeared in
print targeting new audiences in the eighteenth century in the following ways.
(a) Books could reach a wider population. Even those who disagreed with existing
customers could express themselves through print.
(b) Journals carrying views of women writes explained why women should be
educated.
(c) Novels carried themes related to women’s life and emotions. Such journals were
often written and edited by women themselves.
(d) With the expansion of compulsory education, children became important readers.
A children s press was devoted for children literature alone. It published old fairy
tales and folk tales along with new works. Grimm Brothers spent years compiling
folk tales. All that was considered unsuitable was not included.
(e) Fictional narratives, poetry. autobioquaplies. anthologies and romantic plays were
preferred by new readers.

16. How did print introduce debate and discussions? Explain any three
points. [CBSE 2011]
Ans. Print introduced diverse reading material to masses, which they interprated in their
own way and developed their own thoughts. This gave rise to debate and discussion
in the following ways.
(a) Varied opinions: People developed reasoning and hence began to debate on
religious, social and economic issues. They developed different opinions. Social
reformers offered a variety of interpretations of various beliefs and practices.
(b) Shaped opinions: Published matter not only spread new deas and views but
also shaped the nature of debate. A wider section of people could now participate
in public discussion and express their views. New ideas emerged due to clash of
opinions.
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
HISTORY
QUESTIONS-X
(c) Social reforms: This was a time of intense controversies between social and
religious reformers and orthodoxy over social customs and polities. People began
to reason and discuss critically the established social and religious norms.
Samachar Chandrika opposed the opinions of Raja Rammohan Roy, which were
published in Sambad Kaumudi in 1821.

17. Explain the effects of print culture in the religious sphere in early modern
Europe. [Foreign 2010]
Ans. The following were the effects of print culture in the religious sphere in early modern
Europe.
(a) It was apprehended that easier access to the printed and wider circulation of
books could pollute people’s mind. People could turn rebellious and irreligious
through would spread.
(b) After reading the literature people developed the attitude towards reasoning,
debate and discussion and began to challenge the existing norms of religion and
society.
(c) Because of criticizing practices and rituals of Roman Catholic Church, there was
a division in religion—Catholics and Protestants.
(d) Severe controls were imposed over publishers and booksellers for circulating
heretical ideas.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (5 Marks)

18. The 'print revolution' had transformed the lives of people changing their relationship
to information and knowledge.” Analyse the statement. [CBSE 2018]
Ans. Print revolution was a development in terms of producing the books in a newer and
faster way which transformed the lives of the people, their relationship with
information and knowledge and opened ways for newer perception in the world. The
introduction of printing press brought the following changes a new culture of reading
emerged, cost of the books came down, reduced the time and labour engaged in
publishing, produced multiple copies and the market got flooded with books.
The print culture helped in the circulation of ideas, debates and discussion. It was
used by the rebellions to let the people know the truth and take action against the
established authorities.
In the 17th and 18th centuries number of schools were opened by the churches to
spread literacy in the villages and to the peasants and artisans which caused a virtual
reading mania.
During this period the literacy increased which rose the number of readers among the
children, women and workers.
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 PREVIOUS YEAR
HISTORY
QUESTIONS-X
19. What was the attitude of the liberal and conservative Indians towards women’s
reading? How did women like Kailashbhashini Debi respond to this in their
writings? [CBSE 2014, 2015]
Ans. Women’s reading increased among the middle class because their lives and feeling
began to be written and also the liberal husbands and fathers focused on their
education.
The conservative Hindu families believed that the literate girl would be widowed. The
conservative Muslim families thought that by reading Urdu romances their women
would be corrupted. Kailashbhashini Debi from Bengal, wrote about the experiences
of the women such as how they are imprisoned at home, ignorance, forced work,
unjust treatment at home and society etc.

20. How did a new reading public emerge with the printing press? Explain. [CBSE 2009]
Ans. a. The introduction of printing press brought the following changes - a new culture of
reading emerged, cost of the books came down, reduced the time and labour
engaged in publishing, produced multiple copies and the market got flooded with
books.
b. Earlier, the society was divided into the oral culture and reading culture. The
common people had the oral culture while only the rich people had the reading
culture.
c. The common people heard the texts collectively which were read out or recited or
narrated to them.
d. The reading culture was only limited upto the elites and they only read the books
individually and silently. The reason behind this culture may be the books were
expensive, produced less in numbers and also the literacy rate was very low in
most of the European countries.
e. To solve the problem of illiteracy as a bander in the wider reach of the printed
books, the popular ballads and folk tales beautifully illustrated with pictures were
published which were sung and recited in the village gatherings and the taverns
in towns. Hence the line separating the oral culture and the reading culture
started becoming blurred.

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