Q and Ans: Print and Culture

 Chapter: Print and Culture

Answer the following questions

Many historians argued that the conditions within which French Revolution occurred were created by the print culture”. Support this statement with three suitable arguments.

Answer:

Following are the arguments which were given in support of the above statement:

1 Print popularised the ideas of enlightened thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau, and those who read these books, started Question ing everything and developed critical and rational thinking.

 2 These thinkers attacked the sacred authority of the Church and despotic power of the State.

All existing values, norms and institutions, which were never Question ed earlier, were revalued through debates and discussions by the public in print.

3 By 1780s, there was an outpour of literature that mocked royalty and criticised their morality. The existing social order was criticised. Through cartoons and caricatures, they made people aware that while common people were going through tremendous hardships, the monarchy remained absorbed in merry-making and did not care about sufferings of common people. This ultimately led to the growth of a hostile feeling against the monarchy.

Q Explain the shortcomings os manuscript.

Ans. Shortcomings of manuscript:

1 Manuscripts were highly expensive and fragile and could not be carried around easily.

2 They could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles.

3 Production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books.

4 Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.

5 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

Q Write a short note on Gutenberg Press. (2012)

Answer:

Gutenberg Press. 

1 A breakthrough in print technology occurred at Strasbourg, Germany where Johann Gutenberg developed the first known printing press in 1430s. 

2 Gutenberg developed metal types for each of the 26 characters of the Roman alphabet and devised a way of moving them around so as to compose different words of the text.

3 This came to be known as the moveable type printing machine, and it remained the basic print technology over the next 300 years. 

4 Books could now be produced much faster than was possible when each print block was prepared by carving a piece of wood by hand. 

4 The Gutenberg press could print 250 sheets on one side per hour. 

5 The first book printed by Gutenberg was the Bible and it took three years to print 180 copies.

Q What was an "accordion book"? Describe any two features of hand printing in china.

Ans. An accordian book was a chinese traditional book.

These books were printed by subbing paper, against the inked surface of woodblocks

In the accordian back both sides of thin, parous sheet Could not be printed, Hence the book was folded and Sticke stitched at side

These books could be duplicated by stilled craftmen with remarkable accuracy.

Q. What were the causes of reading mania? 

Ans. Key Causes of Reading Mania:

Increased Literacy: Churches and schools, especially in villages, boosted literacy rates among peasants and artisans, creating a new audience for books.

Cheaper & Accessible Books: Printers produced books in huge numbers, using peddlers to sell cheap, small books (chapbooks in England, Bibliotheque Bleue in France) to the masses, making them affordable.

New Forms of Literature: Novels, romances, and historical stories became popular, appealing to broader audiences.

Rise of Periodicals: Newspapers and journals emerged, carrying news, trade info, and entertainment, further encouraging reading habits.

Enlightenment Ideas: Philosophers like Newton, Voltaire, and Rousseau popularized ideas of reason and rationality, which were spread through print, making people eager for intellectual content and debate.

Belief in Print's Power: People increasingly saw print as a tool for progress, enlightenment, and challenging despotism, creating a cultural shift towards reading. 

Q. Explain impacts of reading mania on children. 

Ans.  Impacts were 

1. Primary education became compulsory from the late 18th century. 

2. A separate press for children was set up in France in 1857. 

3. Publication of old fairy tales and folk tales was done.

4. A collection of traditional folk tales gathered from pgents was publication by Green brothers in Germany. 

Editing was done for anything that was UN suitable for children before it was sent for printing. 

Q. Explain any three factor responsible for invention of printing techniques?

Ans. The demand for books were continuously increasing and the production of hand written manuscript would not satisfy the demand

It was very expensive laborious and time consuming to copy the manuscript.

Manuscript were fragile difficult to handle and could be carried arround or read easily.

Q. Explain the impact of reading mania on women. 

Ans. Impacts are

1. With the speed of print culture, women became readers as well as writers. In Europe some of well known women writer are Jain Austin, Bronte sisters and George Eliote.

In 19th century the number of women leaders in middle class households increased. Many journals and articles were written by them.

There was a strong movement in support of women's education. Reading matter was made available which could be used for home schooling. As a result education among women spread widely. women began to document their experience says and grievances. Many women like Russian Sundari Devi, kailashbashini Debi, Pandita Ramabai, Tarabai Shinde wrote about women's life.