CHAPTER 7- PRINT CULTURE AND THE MODERN WORLD (HISTORY SOCIAL SCIENCE CLASS 10)

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

By the mid-eighteenth century, there was a common conviction that books were a means of spreading progress and enlightenment. Many believed that books could change the world, liberate society from despotism and tyranny, and herald a time when reason and intellect would rule. Louise-Sebastien Mercier, a novelist in eighteenth-century France, declared: ‘The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress and public opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.’ Print popularised the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers. Collectively, their writings provided a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism.

The writings of Voltaire and Rousseau were read widely; and those who read these books saw the world through new eyes, eyes that were questioning, critical and rational. Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. All values, norms and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed by a public that had become aware of the power of reason, and recognised the need to question existing ideas and beliefs.

By the 1780s there was an outpouring of literature that mocked the royalty and criticised their morality. Cartoons and caricatures typically suggested that the monarchy remained absorbed only in sensual pleasures while the common people suffered immense hardships. This literature circulated underground and led to the growth of hostile sentiments against the monarchy. Print media was one important reason for French Revolution and the end of despotism.
2. Why did some people fear the effect of easily available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India.
Not everyone welcome the printed book. Many were apprehensive that easier access to the printed literature and easy access to books would influence people’s mind. Printed message could persuade people to think differently and if there is no control over print media rebellious thoughts might spread. Religious authorities and monarchs expressed the anxiety that valuable literature would be destroyed if there was no control over printed material. Their apprehension came true in 1517 when religious reformer martin Luther wrote ninety five thesis criticising many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.

The English language press did not grow in India till quite late even though the English East India company began to import presses from the late 17th century. During the 19th century newspaper in India proliferated circulating a variety of arguments against Brahmanical priesthood, widow immolation and monotheism. In North India the Ulama were deeply anxious about the collapse of the Muslim dynasties. They started printing cheap lithographic press published Persian and Urdu translations of holy scriptures and printed religious newspapers. Religious texts therefore reached a very wide circle of people encourage discussions debates and controversies with and among different religions. Print not only simulate the publication of conflicting opinions among communities but it also connected communities and people in different parts of India. Newspapers conveyed news from one place to another creating pan India identities.
3. What were the effects of the spread of print culture for poor people in nineteenth century India?

The printing press first came to Goa with Portuguese missionaries in the mid-sixteenth century. Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and printed several tracts. By 1674, about 50 books had been printed in the Konkani and in Kanara languages. Catholic priests printed the first Tamil book in 1579 at Cochin, and in 1713 the first Malayalam book was printed by them. By 1710, Dutch Protestant missionaries had printed 32 Tamil texts, many of them translations of older works. 

Very cheap small books were brought to markets in nineteenth-century Madras towns and sold at crossroads, allowing poor people travelling to markets to buy them. Public libraries were set up from the early twentieth century, expanding the access to books. These libraries were located mostly in cities and towns, and at times in prosperous villages. For rich local patrons, setting up a library was a way of acquiring prestige. 

Workers in factories were too overworked and lacked the education to write much about their experiences. But Kashibaba, a Kanpur millworker, wrote and published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal in 1938 to show the links between caste and class exploitation. The poems of another Kanpur millworker, who wrote under the name of Sudarshan Chakr between 1935 and 1955, were brought together and published in a collection called Sacchi Kavitayan. By the 1930s, Bangalore cotton millworkers set up libraries to educate themselves, following the example of Bombay workers. 

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

By the 1870s, caricatures and cartoons were being published in journals and newspapers, commenting on social and political issues. There were imperial caricatures lampooning nationalists, as well as nationalist cartoons criticising imperial rule. Vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial government felt the need to control the press. These newspapers were the most important reason for the revolt of 1857.The Imperial government tried to impose rules to control the print media. Despite repressive measures, nationalist newspapers grew in numbers in all parts of India. They reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities. Attempts to throttle nationalist criticism provoked militant protest. This in turn led to a renewed cycle of persecution and protests. When Punjab revolutionaries were deported in 1907, Balgangadhar Tilak wrote with great sympathy about them in his Kesari. This led to his imprisonment in 1908, provoking in turn widespread protests all over India. 

5. Impact of Print Technology

Print technology transformed the lives of people changing their relationship to information and knowledge. It influenced popular perceptions and opened up new ways of looking at things. With the printing press multiple copies could be produced easily. Banks flooded the market and reached common men quickly. Earlier knowledge was transferred orally through ballad and folk culture, now instead of hearing public a reading public came into being. Gradually oral culture entered print and printed material was orally transmitted. The line that separated reading culture was gone and now hearing public and reading public intermingled. Now due to the proliferation of print material lot reformation started in Europe Martin Luther wrote ninety five thesis criticising many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. A new sect of protestant evolved. In India print media was responsible for nationalistic thoughts and ideas to be spread among Indian against the Imperialistic rule. As in Europe print media was one major reason for The French Revolution in India it was responsible for the Indian Sepoy mutiny in 1857.

6. Spread of Print Technology

Even in early seventeenth century China was the major producer of printed material. Urban culture of reading bloomed in China. Reading increasingly became a leisure activity. This new reading culture was accompanied by a new technology. Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported in the late nineteenth century as Western powers established their outposts in China. Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture, catering to the Western-style schools. From hand printing there was now a gradual shift to mechanical printing. 

Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology into Japan around AD 768-770. The oldest Japanese book, printed in AD 868, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, containing six sheets of text and woodcut illustrations. In medieval Japan, poets and prose writers were regularly published, and books were cheap and abundant. In the eleventh century, Chinese paper reached Europe via the same route. Paper made possible the production of manuscripts, carefully written by scribes. Then, in 1295, Marco Polo, a great explorer, returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China. China already had the technology of woodblock printing. Marco Polo brought this knowledge back with him. Now Italians began producing books with woodblocks, and soon the technology spread to other parts of Europe.