Print Culture And The Modern World Class 10

Vipin Sir has explained the chapter in such a way that you will definitely love to watch it and learn the chapter from him.

Class 10 History Chapter 5 - Video Lecture

Print Culture and the Modern World Class 10  - Important Questions

1. How was the imperial state of China became the major producer of printed materials? 

 Ans. (i)   China possessed a huge bureaucratic system which recruited its personnel through civil service examinations. Textbooks for this examination were printed in vast numbers under the sponsorship of the imperial state.

(ii)     From the sixteenth century, the number of candidates went up and that increased the volume of print.

(iii)    As urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified. Reading increasingly became a leisure activity in cities. The new readership liked fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies and romantic plays.

(iv)    Print was no longer used just by scholar officials but also by Merchants who used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information.

(v)     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.

2. Why did Shanghai become the hub of the new print culture?

 Ans.  (i)   As Western powers established their outposts in China Western style schools were established.

(ii)     Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported in the late nineteenth century

(iii)    Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture, catering to the Western-style schools

3. Why production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever-increasing demand for books?

Ans. (i)  Copying was an expensive, laborious and time-consuming business.

(ii)     Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle, and could not be carried around or read easily.

(iii)    Their circulation therefore remained limited. There was a great need for even quicker and cheaper reproduction of texts.

4. How did Gutenberg develop the Printing Press?                                                                      

Ans. (i) Gutenberg (from his childhood) had seen wine and olive presses.

(ii)     He learnt the art of polishing stones.

(iii)    He learnt the art of making jewel and became a master goldsmith.

(iv)    He also acquired the expertise to create lead moulds used for making trinkets.

(v)     The olive press provided the model for printing press, the moulds were used for casting the metal types for the letter of the alphabet. By 1448, Gutenberg perfected the system.

(vi)    Drawing on this knowledge, Gutenberg adapted existing technology to design his printing machine. The first book he printed was the Bible. About 180 copies were printed and it took three years to produce them.

5. Explain the term Protestant Reformation. Or Write a short note on Martin Luther 

Ans.  (i)  The religious reformer Martin Luther wrote Ninety Five Theses criticizing many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. A printed copy of this was posted on a church door and he challenged the Church to debate with his ideas.

(ii)     Luther’s writings were immediately reproduced in vast numbers and read widely. This lead to a division within the Church and to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

(iii)    Deeply grateful to print, Luther said, ‘Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one.’ Several scholars, in fact, think that print brought about a new intellectual atmosphere and helped spread the new ideas that led to the Reformation.

(iv)    Luther’s translation of the New Testament sold 5,000 copies within a few weeks and a second edition appeared within three months