Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India.
[question] Question. Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India. [solution] Solution: Print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India by providing easy access to nationalist ideals and ideas of freedom and equality to the masses. Social reformers could now print their opinions in newspapers, which sparked off public debates. The power of reason made the common people question the authority of colonial power. Interestingly, when the British tried to censor and...
What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India?
[question] Question. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India? [solution] Solution: 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 s...
Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India.
[question] Question. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India. [solution] Solution: The people who feared the effect of easily available printed books were the ones who held some power, whether in terms of religion, caste, class or politics. The fear was that their power and authority would get eroded if ideas questioning their power and authority gained mass popularity. In Europe, for example, the Roman Catholic Chu...
Why did some people in eighteenth century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism?
[question] Question. Why did some people in eighteenth century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism? [solution] Solution: Some people in eighteenth-century Europe thought that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism. Its easy and cheap availability meant that literacy would no longer be restricted to the upper classes. While the clergy and monarchs feared the enlightenment that a vast reading public would gain, reformers like Martin Luther...
What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to:
[question] Question. What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth century India mean to: (a) Women (b) The poor (c) Reformers [solution] Solution: (a) Women: The spread of print culture in nineteenth-century India brought about educational reforms for women. Liberal husbands and fathers educated their womenfolk at home or sent them to schools for women. Women who had been restricted to a domestic life for generations, now found a new medium of entertainment. They also began to write articl...
Write short notes to show what you know about:
[question] 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 [/question] [solution] Solution: (a) The Gutenberg Press: It was established by Johann Gutenberg. By 1448, he had perfected the system of printing with olive and wine presses, using contemporary technological innovations. The first book that he printed was the Bible, making 180 copies in 3 years. Although these books were printed, a uniqu...
Give reasons for the following:
[question] Question. Give reasons for the following: (a) Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295. (b) Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it. (c) The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited books from the mid-sixteenth century. (d) Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association. [/question] [solution] Solution: (a) Woodblock print was invented around the sixth century in Chi...