CH 5 PRINT CULTURE AND THE MODERN WORLD

Chapter 5 – Print Culture and the Modern World | Notes & Worksheet

📚 CHAPTER NOTES

🇨🇳 1. The First Printed Books — East Asia

Earliest print technology developed in China, Japan and Korea using hand printing (woodblocks).

China:

Woodblock printing from AD 594 — rubbing paper against inked woodblocks
Traditional Chinese 'accordion book' — folded and stitched
Imperial state was the major producer; textbooks for civil service exams printed in large numbers
By 17th century: merchants, rich women, common people began reading for leisure — fiction, poetry, plays
Late 19th century: Western presses imported; Shanghai became hub of new print culture

Japan:

Buddhist missionaries introduced hand-printing around AD 768–770
Oldest book: Diamond Sutra (AD 868) — 6 sheets + woodcut illustrations
Ukiyo prints ('pictures of the floating world') — art by Kitagawa Utamaro (born 1753)
Libraries packed with books on women, tea ceremony, cooking, flower arrangements

Korea:

Tripitaka Koreana: Buddhist scriptures on ~80,000 woodblocks (mid-13th century)
Jikji: World's oldest book printed with movable metal type (Zen Buddhism)

🇪🇺 2. Print Comes to Europe

11th century: Chinese paper reached Europe via the Silk Route
1295: Marco Polo returned from China, bringing woodblock printing knowledge to Italy
Luxury editions handwritten on vellum (animal skin parchment) — for the rich
Handwritten manuscripts were expensive, fragile, and had limited circulation
Early 15th century: woodblocks used for textiles, playing cards, religious pictures

Key Inventor: Johann Gutenberg — developed the first-known printing press at Strasbourg, Germany in the 1430s.

Gutenberg and the Printing Press:

Son of a merchant; adapted the olive press; used movable metal types for the Roman alphabet
By 1448: system perfected. First book = The Bible (180 copies in 3 years)
Could print 250 sheets per side per hour
1450–1550: Printing presses spread across Europe
By 1500: 20 million books; by 1600: 200 million copies
This shift = the Print Revolution

📢 3. The Print Revolution and Its Impact

3.1 A New Reading Public:

Print reduced cost of books; multiple copies produced with ease
Shift from 'hearing public' (oral culture) to 'reading public'
Printers published illustrated ballads and folk tales to reach non-readers
Oral culture entered print; hearing and reading publics became intermingled

3.2 Religious Debates and Fear of Print:

Print enabled wide circulation of ideas, including dissenting views
1517: Martin Luther wrote 95 Theses criticising Roman Catholic Church — printed and posted on church door in Wittenberg
Led to the Protestant Reformation. Luther's New Testament sold 5,000 copies in weeks
Luther said: 'Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one'

3.3 Print and Dissent:

Menocchio, an Italian miller (16th century), reinterpreted the Bible — executed by Roman Church's Inquisition
Roman Church maintained Index of Prohibited Books from 1558

📖 4. The Reading Mania

17th–18th centuries: literacy rates rose; churches set up schools in villages
By end of 18th century: literacy rates 60–80% in some parts of Europe
New literature: almanacs, ballads, folktales, romances; chapbooks sold for a penny
France: Bibliothèque Bleue — low-priced small books in cheap blue covers
Periodical press from early 18th century: combined current affairs and entertainment
Newton, Voltaire, Rousseau reached wider audiences through print

4.1 Print Culture and the French Revolution — Three Arguments:

First: Popularised Enlightenment ideas (Voltaire, Rousseau) — attacked tradition, superstition, despotism
Second: Created a new culture of dialogue and debate; public questioned existing institutions
Third: By 1780s, literature mocked the royalty; circulated underground, built hostile sentiments

Mercier proclaimed: "Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world! Tremble before the virtual writer!"

🏭 5. The 19th Century

Children, Women and Workers:

Primary education became compulsory → children became important readers
Children's press in France, 1857; Grimm Brothers published folk tales in 1812
Famous women novelists: Jane Austen, Bronte sisters, George Eliot
Lending libraries educated white-collar workers and artisans
Workers wrote political tracts and autobiographies

Further Innovations:

Mid-19th century: Richard M. Hoe's cylindrical press — 8,000 sheets per hour
Late 19th century: offset press — up to 6 colours
1930s (Great Depression): cheap paperback editions introduced

🇮🇳 6. India and the World of Print

Manuscripts Before Print:

Rich tradition in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, and vernacular languages
Written on palm leaves or handmade paper; pressed between wooden covers
Expensive, fragile, limited circulation; students only learnt to write — teachers dictated from memory

Print Comes to India:

Printing press first came to Goa with Portuguese missionaries in mid-16th century
By 1674: ~50 books printed in Konkani and Kanara languages
First Tamil book: 1579 at Cochin; first Malayalam book: 1713
1780: James Augustus Hickey began Bengal Gazette — first English newspaper in India
Warren Hastings persecuted Hickey for criticising the Company
First Indian newspaper: Bengal Gazette (weekly) by Gangadhar Bhattacharya

🕌 7. Religious Reform and Public Debates

19th century: intense debates on widow immolation, idolatry, monotheism in print
Rammohun Roy: Sambad Kaumudi (1821); Hindu orthodoxy countered with Samachar Chandrika
1822: Persian newspapers — Jam-i-Jahan Nama, Shamsul Akhbar; Gujarati — Bombay Samachar
Ulama used cheap lithographic presses for Persian/Urdu translations of holy scriptures
Deoband Seminary (1867): published thousands of fatwas on daily Islamic life
Newspapers created pan-Indian identities by connecting communities across regions

📰 8. New Forms of Publication

Novel acquired distinctively Indian forms; short stories, lyrics, political essays also emerged
Raja Ravi Varma produced images for mass circulation in late 19th century
By 1870s: caricatures and cartoons in journals commented on social and political issues

Women and Print:

Journals argued for women's education; liberal families sent women to schools
Rashsundari Debi: wrote Amar Jiban (1876) — first full autobiography in Bengali
Kailashbashini Debi, Tarabai Shinde, Pandita Ramabai wrote about women's hardships
Battala in central Calcutta: area devoted to printing popular books for women

Print and the Poor:

Cheap books sold at crossroads in Madras; public libraries from early 20th century
Jyotiba Phule: Gulamgiri (1871) — injustices of caste system
Ambedkar and Periyar wrote powerfully on caste; read all over India
Kashibaba (Kanpur millworker): Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal (1938)

⚖️ 9. Print and Censorship

Before 1798: Company's early censorship targeted Englishmen critical of Company misrule
1835: Governor-General Bentinck revised press laws; Thomas Macaulay restored earlier freedoms
After revolt of 1857: colonial government demanded clamp down on 'native' press
1878: Vernacular Press Act passed (modelled on Irish Press Laws)
Government could censor, warn, seize presses for seditious reports
Tilak wrote about Punjab revolutionaries in Kesari (1907) → imprisoned in 1908

📋 Key Terms to Remember

Term	Meaning
Calligraphy	Art of beautiful and stylised writing
Vellum	Parchment made from the skin of animals
Platen	Board pressed onto the back of paper to get impression from type
Compositor	The person who composes the text for printing
Galley	Metal frame in which types are laid and text composed
Ballad	A historical account or folk tale in verse, usually sung or recited
Chapbook	Pocket-size books sold by travelling pedlars (chapmen)
Ulama	Legal scholars of Islam and the sharia
Fatwa	A legal pronouncement on Islamic law by a mufti
Despotism	System of governance where absolute power is exercised by one person
Inquisition	A former Roman Catholic court for identifying and punishing heretics
Heretical	Beliefs which do not follow the accepted teachings of the Church
Seditious	Action, speech or writing seen as opposing the government

✏️ WORKSHEET & ANSWERS

Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World

Part A: Write in Brief — Q1: Give Reasons

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

Woodblock printing was developed in China. It was Marco Polo who brought this knowledge back to Europe after returning from China in 1295. Before his return, Europeans had no contact with this technology. After 1295, Italians began producing books with woodblocks and the technology spread across Europe.

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

Martin Luther used print to spread his ideas about reforming the Catholic Church. His 95 Theses (1517) were printed and read widely, leading to the Protestant Reformation. Luther's New Testament sold 5,000 copies within a few weeks. Print helped him reach millions quickly. He called printing 'the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.'

Print allowed people to read, question and reinterpret religious texts independently. Menocchio, an Italian miller, used printed books to challenge Church teachings and was executed after being tried by the Inquisition. Fearing that print would spread heretical ideas and weaken the Church's authority, the Roman Church began maintaining an Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.

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

The colonial government used laws like the Vernacular Press Act (1878) to suppress Indian newspapers and public debate. Gandhi believed that without freedom of the press and speech, Indians could not openly discuss colonial misrule or build public opinion against British rule. Press freedom was the essential tool through which nationalism could be spread and people mobilised for Swaraj.

Part B: Write in Brief — Q2: Short Notes

(a) The Gutenberg Press

Johann Gutenberg developed the first-known printing press at Strasbourg, Germany in the 1430s. He adapted the olive press and used metal types for the 26 letters of the Roman alphabet — called the movable type printing machine. By 1448, the system was perfected and the first book printed was the Bible (180 copies). The press could print 250 sheets per side per hour. By 1550, printing presses were set up in most European countries and 20 million books were produced by 1500. This led to the Print Revolution.

(b) Erasmus's idea of the printed book

Erasmus was a Latin scholar and Catholic reformer. He had deep anxiety about the effects of print. In Adages (1508), he wrote that the huge number of books was harmful to scholarship as it created a 'glut.' He feared that along with good books, printers were filling the world with 'stupid, ignorant, slanderous, scandalous and seditious books,' which would destroy the value of truly valuable publications. He saw uncontrolled printing as dangerous to scholarship.

The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 by the colonial government, modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It gave the government extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. If a report was judged seditious, the newspaper was warned; if ignored, the press was seized and printing machinery confiscated. It was directed against nationalist vernacular newspapers. Despite this, nationalist newspapers continued to grow across India.

Part C: Write in Brief — Q3: Spread of Print Culture in 19th Century India

(a) Women

Print opened new worlds for women. Many journals carried writings by women and argued for their education. Liberal husbands began educating their womenfolk. Rashsundari Debi secretly learnt to read and wrote the first full-length Bengali autobiography, Amar Jiban (1876). Kailashbashini Debi, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai wrote about women's hardships. Women-focused journals discussed education, widowhood and widow remarriage. However, some conservative families feared literate women would become 'unruly.'

(b) The Poor

Cheap small books were sold at crossroads in 19th-century Madras, accessible to poor people. Public libraries from early 20th century expanded book access. Reformers like Jyotiba Phule wrote Gulamgiri (1871) on caste injustices. Ambedkar and Periyar wrote powerfully on caste, read all over India. Kashibaba (Kanpur millworker) published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal (1938). Bangalore cotton millworkers set up libraries for self-education in the 1930s.

Reformers used print as a powerful tool to challenge tradition. Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi (1821); the Hindu orthodoxy countered with Samachar Chandrika. Religious and social debates on widow immolation, idolatry and monotheism were conducted in print. Deoband Seminary published thousands of fatwas. Print helped reformers reach a wider audience, debate in public, and create awareness about social evils. Newspapers created pan-Indian identities, connecting communities across regions.

Part D: Discuss Questions

Q1. Why did some people in 18th century Europe think that print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism?

Books were seen as means of spreading reason, rationality and progress. Philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau used print to attack superstition, tradition and despotic power of kings and the Church. Louise-Sebastien Mercier proclaimed: 'The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress.' People believed books could change the world and liberate society from tyranny. Once exposed to rational ideas through books, people would question unjust rulers and demand change. Mercier's novel heroes were 'transformed' by reading books.

Q2. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? (One from Europe, One from India)

EUROPE — Erasmus feared the flood of books was harmful. He wrote that printers were filling the world with 'stupid, ignorant, slanderous and seditious books,' destroying good literature. The Roman Catholic Church feared that people like Menocchio would reinterpret holy texts in dangerous ways, weakening the Church's authority. Hence the Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.INDIA — Conservative Hindus believed a literate girl would be widowed; Muslims feared educated women would be corrupted by Urdu romances. The colonial government feared nationalist newspapers would spread anti-British sentiments, leading to the Vernacular Press Act (1878).

Q3. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in 19th century India?

(1) Very cheap small books sold at crossroads in Madras made printed material accessible to the poor. (2) Public libraries from early 20th century expanded access. (3) Jyotiba Phule (Gulamgiri, 1871), Ambedkar and Periyar used print to write powerfully about caste injustices, giving a voice to the oppressed. (4) Kanpur millworker Kashibaba published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal (1938), showing links between caste and class exploitation. (5) Bangalore cotton millworkers set up libraries for self-education in the 1930s.

Q4. Explain how print culture assisted the growth of nationalism in India.

(1) Newspapers like Bengal Gazette reported on colonial misrule and stirred nationalist sentiments. (2) Vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist after 1857, reaching common Indians in their own languages. (3) Tilak used Kesari to write about deported Punjab revolutionaries → imprisoned in 1908, inspiring widespread protests. (4) Print connected communities across regions, creating pan-Indian identities. (5) Cheap printing of political tracts allowed nationalists to debate ideas publicly and mobilise the masses. (6) Gandhi recognised that press freedom was essential for the freedom struggle — it was a key vehicle for expressing public opinion against British rule.

Part E: Key Dates Timeline

AD 594Woodblock printing begins in China

AD 868Diamond Sutra — oldest Japanese printed book

1295Marco Polo brings woodblock printing knowledge to Europe

1430sGutenberg develops first printing press in Germany

1517Martin Luther's 95 Theses; Protestant Reformation begins

1558Roman Church begins Index of Prohibited Books

1579First Tamil book printed at Cochin

1780Hickey starts Bengal Gazette — first English newspaper in India

1810First printed edition of Ramcharitmanas, Calcutta

1812Grimm Brothers publish collected folk tales

1821Rammohun Roy publishes Sambad Kaumudi

1857Children's press set up in France

1871Jyotiba Phule writes Gulamgiri

1876Amar Jiban by Rashsundari Debi — first Bengali autobiography

1878Vernacular Press Act passed in India

1908Tilak imprisoned for writing in Kesari