Print Culture and the Modern World
1. Where did the print technology first develop in the World?
Answer:
The earliest kind of print technology was first developed in China, Japan, and Korea. This was a
system of hand printing.
2. How were books printed in China since AD 594?
Answer:
• The earlier kind of Print technology was a system of Hand printing.
• From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper also invented
there against the inked surface of woodblocks. As both sides of the thin, porous sheet
could not be printed, the traditional Chinese ‘accordion book’ was folded and stitched
at the side.
• Superbly skilled craftsmen could duplicate, with remarkable accuracy, the beauty of
Calligraphy (an art of beautiful and stylized writing.)
3. “The imperial state in China was the major producer of printed material.” Support this statement with examples.
OR
“From the 16th century the volume of print increased in China”. State reasons.
Answer: 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.
4. Describe any five uses of print culture in the 17th century China.
Answer: (i) By the 17th century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified.
(ii) Print was no longer used just by scholar-officials.
(iii) Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.
(iv) The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces and romantic plays.
(v) Rich women began to read and many women began publishing their Poetry and plays. (vi) Wives of scholar-officials published their works and courtsmen wrote about their lives.
5. Mention any three reasons for the limited circulation of manuscripts in Europe before Marco Polo introduced the printing technology.
Answer : (i) Handwritten manuscript production could not keep up with the ever-increasing demand for books.
(ii) Copying was a costly, time-consuming, and difficult process.
(iii) The manuscripts were fragile, difficult to handle, and difficult to transport or read.6.What is manuscript? Mention any two limitations of it during nineteenth century.
OR
Why were manuscripts not widely used in everyday life? Give three reasons.
Answer : Manuscripts were documents or books written by hand.
They were not used widely because :
(i) They could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books.
(ii) They were expensive as copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.
(iii) Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle and could not be carried around or read easily.
(iv) Their circulation was limited.
7. How had the earliest printing technology developed in the world? Explain with example.
Answer : (i) The earliest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan and Korea. In China woodblock were used for hand printing.
(ii) Upto the 6th century print was used only by the scholar officials but later it became common.
(iii) The Buddhist missionaries introduced hand printing technology from China to Japan.
(iv) It was Marco Polo, a great explorer, who brought printing knowledge of woodblock from China to Italy.
8. How did print help to spread new ideas that led to the reformation in Europe?
Answer : (i) In 1517, the religious reformer Martin Luther wrote 'Ninety Five Theses' criticising many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
(ii) Due to writings of Martin Luther, the church got divided and a new protestant reformation had started.
(iii) Several scholars, in act think that print brought about a new intellectual atmosphere and helped spread the new ideas that led to reformation.
9. Explain the reasons favouring shift from hand printing to mechanical printing in China.
Answer : The reasons favouring shift from hand printing to mechanical printing in China are:
(i) Textbooks of Civil Service Examination were printed in vast numbers under the sponsorship of the imperial state. From the sixteenth century, the number of examination candidates went up and that increased the volume of print.
(ii) By the seventeenth century, print was no longer used just by scholar officials. Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.
(iii) Reading increasingly became a leisure activity. The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces, and romantic Plays. (iv) Rich women began to read, and many women began publishing their Poetry and plays. Wives of scholar-officials published their works and courtesans wrote about their lives. The new reading culture was accompanied by a new technology.
(v) Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported in China and Shanghai became the new hub of the new print culture.
10. "The shift from hand printing to mechanical printing led to the print revolution in Europe. Explain the statement with examples.
Answer : (i) Between 1450 and 1550, printing presses were set up in most countries of Europe. Printers from
Germany travelled to other countries seeking work helping start new presses. As the number of
printing presses grew, book production boomed.
(ii) The second half of the 15th century saw 20 million copies of printed books flooding the markets in
Europe. The number increased to 200 million copies in 16th century. This shift from hand printing
to mechanical printing led to the print revolution.
(iii) It transformed the lives of people by opening the door of knowledge to a vast literate population.
(iv) It encouraged debates and discussions on written texts and encouraged freedom of opinion on important issues.
11. "Printing brought the reading public and hearing public closer." Substantiate the statement with an appropriate argument.
or
How did a new reading public emerge with the printing press? Explain
Answer : (i) Printing reduced the cost of books. The time and labor to produce each book came down. Multiple copies could be produced easily.
(ii) Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever-growing readership. Common people could not read books earlier, only the elite could. Common people heard a story or saw a performance collectively.
(iii) The rate of literacy was low in European countries too, so publishers reached out to people by making them listen to books being read out.
(iv) Printers published popular ballads and folktales, profusely illustrated. These were then sung and recited at village gatherings in taverns in towns. Oral culture thus entered print and printed material was orally transmitted. Hearing and reading public, thus became one.
12. “Catholic church began to maintain an Index of Prohibited Books from 1558”. Give reasons.
Answer : (i) Print stimulated even little-educated working people. Menocchio, a miller in Italy,
began to read books that were available in his locality and he reinterpreted the
message of the Bible and formulated a view of God and Creation that enraged the
Roman Catholic Church.
(ii) When the Roman Church began its inquisition to repress heretical ideas (Beliefs which
do not follow the accepted teachings of the Church) Menocchio was hauled up twice
and ultimately executed.
(iii) The Roman Church, troubled by such effects of popular readings and questioning of
faith, imposed severe controls over publishers and booksellers and began to maintain
an Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.
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