Print Culture and the modern world

 

### I. The Beginnings of Print

* **Origin:** The earliest kind of print technology was developed in **China, Japan, and Korea**.

* **Chinese Woodblocks:** From AD 594, books in China were printed by **rubbing paper** against the inked surface of **woodblocks**.

* **Japan's Print:** Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology to Japan around AD 768-770. The oldest Japanese book is the **Buddhist Diamond Sutra (AD 868)**.

* **Europe's Introduction:** Woodblock print only came to Europe after **1295**, introduced by the explorer **Marco Polo** upon his return to Italy from China.

### II. The Print Revolution and Its Impact

* **Gutenberg Press:** **Johann Gutenberg** of Strasbourg, Germany, developed the first functional printing press in the **1430s**.

    * He used the existing olive press technology and devised a system for casting **metal movable type** for the letters of the alphabet.

    * The **Gutenberg Bible** (around 180 copies printed in three years) was the first book printed with this press.

* **Print and Religion (Martin Luther):**

    * In 1517, religious reformer **Martin Luther** wrote the **'95 Theses'** criticising the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

    * Printed copies of his writings spread instantly, leading to the **Protestant Reformation**.

    * Luther acknowledged the power of print, calling it the 'greatest gift of God'.

* **Fear of Print:** The **Roman Catholic Church** feared the critical and heretical ideas spread by print. To counter this, it began maintaining an **'Index of Prohibited Books'** from the mid-sixteenth century.

### III. Print Culture and Modern India

* **Coming to India:** The **Portuguese missionaries** introduced the first printing press to Goa in the mid-16th century.

* **Early Newspapers:** The first weekly paper, the **Bengal Gazette**, was published by James Augustus Hicky in 1780.

* **Reformers' Tool:** Indian reformers like **Raja Rammohun Roy** (published *Sambad Kaumudi*) used print to debate social evils like Sati and advocate for social change.

* **The Poor:** Print made reading accessible to the poor through affordable small books (like chapbooks) and the establishment of **public libraries**.

* **Women and Print:** Print allowed women to read, learn, and write in private. **Rashsundari Devi** wrote her autobiography, ***Amar Jiban***, published in 1876.

* **Censorship:** The British colonial government passed the **Vernacular Press Act in 1878** to tighten control over the vernacular press, allowing them to seize the assets of any newspaper that published 'seditious' material.

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NCERT Textual Questions & Answers (Point-Wise)

### 1. Give reasons for the following (Q1, Write in Brief)

#### (a) Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.

* **Reason:** Woodblock printing was already established in China.

* **Introduction:** It was introduced to Europe in 1295 after the explorer **Marco Polo** returned to Italy from his long travels in China and brought the knowledge of this technique with him.

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

* **Dissemination of Ideas:** Luther used the printing press to quickly disseminate his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church, notably the **'95 Theses'**.

* **Scale of Impact:** His translation of the New Testament sold 5,000 copies in a few days—a feat only possible due to print.

* **Belief:** He believed print was a powerful medium for mass communication and change, calling it 'the ultimate gift of God'.

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

* **Challenge to Authority:** The Church faced increasing dissent and criticism from printed literature that offered alternative interpretations of religion.

* **Control Mechanism:** To counter the spread of these 'heretical' ideas and maintain its authority over religious thought, the Church instituted a list of books that Catholics were forbidden to read.

#### (d) Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association.

* **Public Opinion:** Gandhi believed these three liberties were essential tools for shaping and mobilising public opinion against the colonial government.

* **Self-Rule (Swaraj):** He argued that without the freedom to speak, publish, and organise, the masses could not effectively express their views or unite to fight for self-rule (Swaraj).

### 2. Write short notes (Q2)

#### (a) The Gutenberg Press

* **Inventor:** Developed by **Johann Gutenberg** of Strasbourg, Germany, in the **1430s**.

* **Innovation:** It used a perfected system of **metal movable type** cast in moulds, allowing for faster and cheaper mass production of books.

* **First Work:** He refined the press by 1448, and the **Gutenberg Bible** was the first major book printed.

#### (b) Erasmus's Idea of the Printed Book

* **Context:** Erasmus, a Catholic reformer and scholar (1466-1536), was not against printing but was critical of its side effects.

* **Critique:** He feared that the sheer volume and easy availability of printed books would lead to the proliferation of material that was poorly written, ignorant, or even scandalous.

* **Concern:** He believed this 'plethora' of cheap print devalued valuable scholarly works and promoted shallow thinking.

#### (c) The Vernacular Press Act

* **Year:** Enacted by the British government in **1878**.

* **Purpose:** It was designed to control and suppress the growing nationalist sentiment being published in Indian vernacular (local language) newspapers.

* **Mechanism:** It allowed the government to censor reports deemed seditious. If a newspaper ignored the warnings, the government could seize the printing press and its machinery.

### 3. What did the spread of print culture in nineteenth-century India mean to (Q3)

#### (a) Women

* **New Avenues:** Print created a new culture of reading and intellectual stimulation for women.

* **Resistance:** Conservative families often feared that educated women would be widowed or corrupted, leading many women to learn and read secretly.

* **Writers:** Some women began to write and publish their own experiences and views (e.g., **Rashsundari Devi**).

#### (b) The Poor

* **Affordability:** The production of cheaper books (like chapbooks and small books) meant that reading materials became accessible to the poor.

* **Public Libraries:** Libraries were set up across India, allowing access to knowledge for everyone, including factory workers and urban poor.

* **Self-Expression:** Some factory workers started their own libraries and even wrote their own works (e.g., **Kashibaba's *Chhote aur Bade Ka Sawal***).

#### (c) Reformers

* **Vehicle for Change:** Reformers used print to spread their ideas for social change and challenge orthodox practices like Sati, child marriage, and caste discrimination.

* **Debate:** They used newspapers and books to publish counter-arguments against traditionalists, initiating public debate and reaching a wide national audience.

### 4. Discuss (Q4)

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

* **Reason and Rationalism:** They believed print was the most effective means to disseminate the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau, promoting reason and science.

* **Public Debate:** Print was seen as a way to create a 'public sphere' where people could debate existing institutions and challenge the absolute authority (despotism) of monarchs and the Church.

* **Mercier's View:** Writers like **Louise-Sebastien Mercier** proclaimed that 'the printing press is the most powerful engine of progress' and that it would sweep away tyranny.

#### 2. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books?

* **Europe (Roman Catholic Church):**

    * **Fear:** They feared that the easy availability of books would lead to the spread of irreligious (heretical) and rebellious thoughts.

    * **Action:** This fear resulted in the Church establishing the **Index of Prohibited Books** to control the literature accessible to the public.

* **India (Colonial Government):**

    * **Fear:** The British feared that vernacular newspapers were spreading nationalist and anti-colonial ideas, leading to potential rebellion.

    * **Action:** This fear resulted in the enactment of the **Vernacular Press Act (1878)** to strictly censor the local-language press.

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

* **Platform for Dissent:** Print provided a powerful medium for Indian nationalists to express their critique of colonial misrule and mobilise the masses against the British.

* **Dissemination of Ideas:** Nationalist leaders used newspapers (e.g., *Kesari*, *The Hindu*) and pamphlets to spread unifying ideas of self-rule (Swaraj) and political unity across the subcontinent.

* **Public Debate:** It allowed for public debate on social and political issues, encouraging people to question colonial authority and take collective action.

* **Linguistic Unity:** Print encouraged the use of vernacular languages, fostering regional identity and simultaneously uniting speakers of different languages under a common national struggle.