Print Culture and the Modern World Chapter Notes Class 10 History

Here are the notes based on the introduction of the chapter “Print Culture and the Modern World”:

Introduction – Print Culture and the Modern World

• Print is an essential part of modern life, seen in books, newspapers, advertisements, and public materials.
• It influences how we consume literature, news, and debates.
• People often overlook that print has its own history, shaping the world we live in today.
• The chapter explores:
  • The origins of print in East Asia
  • Its spread to Europe and India
  • The impact of print technology on society and culture
• The introduction of print led to significant social changes and advancements in communication.

1. The First Printed Books

1.1 Print in China

• Early Printing Technology:
  • Originated in China, Japan, and Korea as a hand-printing system.
  • From AD 594, books were printed using woodblock printing on paper.
  • Traditional Chinese books were accordion-style, folded and stitched at the side.
• Role of the Imperial State:
  • The Chinese imperial state was the largest producer of printed material.
  • Books were printed for civil service examinations, which grew in demand from the 16th century.
• Spread of Print Culture:
  • By the 17th century, print diversified beyond scholar-officials.
  • Merchants used print for trade information.
  • Reading became popular among urban readers, women, and courtesans.
  • Genres included: Fiction, poetry, autobiographies, plays, and literary anthologies.
• Technological Advancements:
  • In the late 19th century, Western printing techniques and mechanical presses were introduced.
  • Shanghai became a center for print culture, influenced by Western-style schools.

1.2 Print in Japan

• Introduction of Hand-Printing:
  • Buddhist missionaries introduced printing to Japan in AD 768-770.
  • The oldest Japanese printed book is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra (AD 868), with text and illustrations.
  • Printing was also used for textiles, playing cards, and paper money.
• Growth of Print Culture:
  • Books became cheap and widely available, allowing poets and prose writers to be published.
  • Visual printing became popular, influencing illustrated books.
  • By the late 18th century, urban Edo (Tokyo) saw a rise in elegant illustrated books on: Women, etiquette, tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, cooking, and famous places.
  • Libraries and bookstores were filled with a variety of hand-printed materials.

2. Print Comes to Europe

• Introduction of Printing to Europe:
  • Silk Route brought Chinese paper to Europe in the 11th century.
  • Marco Polo introduced woodblock printing to Italy in 1295 after returning from China.
  • Italians started woodblock book production, and the technique spread across Europe.
• Growth of Book Production:
  • Handwritten books on vellum were reserved for the rich and aristocrats.
  • Cheaper printed books were popular among merchants and university students.
  • Booksellers expanded their trade, exporting books and employing many scribes (over 50 per bookseller).
  • Handwritten manuscripts remained expensive and could not meet the rising demand.
  • Woodblock printing was widely used for textiles, playing cards, and religious pictures by the 15th century.
• Need for Faster Printing Technology:
  • Manuscripts were fragile, time-consuming, and costly to produce.
  • Growing demand for books led to the invention of mechanical printing.
  • Johann Gutenberg developed the first printing press in 1430s in Strasbourg, Germany.

2.1 Gutenberg and the Printing Press

• Gutenberg’s Background and Innovation:
  • Son of a merchant, grew up on an agricultural estate.
  • Learned skills from wine and olive presses, goldsmithing, and mould-making.
  • Used an olive press model for his printing press and designed metal moulds for letters.
  • By 1448, he perfected the movable type printing press.
• Impact of Gutenberg’s Press:
  • The first book printed was the Bible (about 180 copies in 3 years).
  • Early printed books resembled handwritten manuscripts, with decorative borders and illustrations.
  • Spaces were left for hand-painted decorations in books for the wealthy.
• Spread of Printing Technology in Europe:
  • Between 1450-1550, printing presses were set up across Europe.
  • German printers traveled to different countries, starting new presses.
  • Book production skyrocketed:
    • 15th century: 20 million books printed.
    • 16th century: 200 million books printed.
  • Shift from hand-printing to mechanical printing led to the Print Revolution.

3. The Print Revolution and Its Impact

• The Print Revolution:
  • It was not just a new way of producing books but also transformed people’s relationships with information, knowledge, and institutions.
  • It influenced popular perceptions and opened new perspectives.

3.1 A New Reading Public

• Impact of the Printing Press:
  • Reduced book costs and made mass production easier.
  • Books became widely available, leading to an expanding readership.
• Cultural Shift in Reading:
  • Before print, reading was limited to elites; common people relied on oral culture (sacred texts, ballads, folk tales).
  • With print, books could reach wider sections of society and created a new reading public.
  • Literacy rates were low, but publishers reached non-readers by printing illustrated books (e.g., ballads, folk tales) for oral transmission in gatherings.
  • The boundary between oral and reading cultures blurred.

3.2 Religious Debates and the Fear of Print

• The Spread of Ideas:
  • Print allowed the circulation of ideas, fueling debates and challenging authorities.
  • New ideas could be spread widely, leading to changes in various spheres, including religion.
• Fear of Uncontrolled Print:
  • Many feared that unregulated printed material could lead to rebellious thoughts and challenge the authority of religious and political institutions.
  • Religious authorities and monarchs were concerned about the impact of print.
• Religious Reformation:
  • In 1517, Martin Luther posted his Ninety Five Theses challenging the Roman Catholic Church, sparking the Protestant Reformation.
  • Luther’s writings were widely circulated due to print, including his translation of the New Testament, which sold 5,000 copies quickly.
  • Luther praised print as a gift of God, as it helped spread his ideas and shape the Reformation.

3.3 Print and Dissent

• New Religious Interpretations:
  • Popular religious literature led to many personal interpretations of faith.
  • Menocchio, an Italian miller, read available books, reinterpreted the Bible, and created views that angered the Catholic Church.
  • He was executed after being arrested for heretical ideas.
• Church Response:
  • The Catholic Church began imposing strict controls over print, including the Index of Prohibited Books (1558), to prevent the spread of dissenting ideas.

4. The Reading Mania

• Rising Literacy Rates
  • By the 17th and 18th centuries, literacy increased due to church-run schools.
  • By the late 18th century, literacy rates reached 60-80% in some parts of Europe.
• Growing Demand for Books
  • As literacy spread, book production increased to meet demand.
  • Pedlars sold books in villages, making reading accessible to common people.
• Popular Literature
  • England: Penny chapbooks (cheap books sold for a penny).
  • France: Bibliothèque Bleue (small books with blue covers, printed on cheap paper).
  • Other types:
    • Romances (stories of love and adventure).
    • Histories (narratives of the past).
    • Newspapers & journals (current affairs, wars, trade news).
• Scientific and Philosophical Ideas in Print
  • Scientific discoveries by Isaac Newton were widely circulated.
  • Philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Thomas Paine spread ideas of reason and rationality.

4.1 ‘Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world!’

• Books and Enlightenment
  • By the mid-18th century, books were seen as tools for progress and freedom.
  • Many believed books could overthrow despotism and promote reason.
• Mercier’s View
  • French novelist Louis-Sebastien Mercier saw books as powerful enough to challenge tyranny.
  • He claimed the printing press would spread knowledge and destroy despotism.

4.2 Print Culture and the French Revolution

• Did Print Lead to the French Revolution?
  Historians argue that print culture helped create the conditions for the French Revolution.
• Three Key Arguments:
  1. Spread of Enlightenment Ideas
     • Thinkers like Voltaire & Rousseau challenged tradition, superstition, and absolute monarchy.
     • Print encouraged rational thinking and criticism of the Church & state.
  2. Creation of a Culture of Debate
     • Public discussions questioned traditional norms and institutions.
     • New ideas about social revolution emerged.
  3. Criticism of Monarchy
     • Cartoons & satirical literature mocked the royal family, exposing their extravagance while common people suffered.
     • Underground literature spread resentment against the monarchy.
• Limitations of Print’s Influence
  • People read both revolutionary and pro-monarchy literature.
  • Print did not directly shape minds, but it encouraged people to think critically.

5. The Nineteenth Century

Mass literacy increased in Europe, introducing new readers: children, women, and workers.

5.1 Children, Women, and Workers

• Children as Readers
  • Compulsory primary education (late 19th century) increased demand for schoolbooks.
  • Children’s Press (France, 1857) published fairy tales and folk stories.
  • The Grimm Brothers in Germany collected and edited traditional folk tales for children (1812).
• Women as Readers & Writers
  • Women read penny magazines, household manuals, and novels.
  • Famous women novelists:
    • Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, George Eliot – wrote about strong, independent women.
• Workers and Reading Culture
  • Lending libraries (from the 17th century) helped educate workers & artisans.
  • Self-educated workers wrote political tracts & autobiographies.
  • Shorter working hours (mid-19th century) allowed workers time for self-improvement.

5.2 Further Innovations in Printing

• Technological Advancements
  • 18th century: Metal printing press developed.
  • Mid-19th century:
    • Richard M. Hoe (New York) created the power-driven cylindrical press (printed 8,000 sheets/hour).
  • Late 19th century:
    • Offset press printed in six colors.
  • Early 20th century:
    • Electrically operated presses boosted production.
    • Better quality plates, automatic paper reels, and photoelectric controls improved efficiency.
• New Marketing Strategies
  • Novels serialized in periodicals to attract readers.
  • Cheap book series like the Shilling Series (1920s, England).
  • Dust covers (book jackets) introduced in the 20th century.
  • Great Depression (1930s) led to cheap paperback editions to maintain book sales.

6. India and the World of Print

6.1 Manuscripts Before the Age of Print

• India had a rich tradition of handwritten manuscripts in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, and vernacular languages.
• Manuscripts were written on palm leaves or handmade paper and often beautifully illustrated.
• They were fragile, expensive, and difficult to read due to different writing styles.
• Pre-colonial Bengal had many village schools, but students learned by writing, not reading texts.
• Teachers dictated from memory, and students copied, making many literate without actually reading books.

6.2 Print Comes to India

• Portuguese missionaries brought the printing press to Goa in the mid-16th century.
• Jesuit priests printed books in Konkani and Kanara (by 1674, 50 books were printed).
• Catholic priests printed the first Tamil book (Cochin, 1579) and first Malayalam book (1713).
• Dutch Protestant missionaries printed 32 Tamil texts by 1710.

English Printing in India

• The English East India Company imported presses in the late 17th century, but English newspapers grew slowly.
• James Augustus Hickey started Bengal Gazette (1780) – a weekly magazine claiming independence from colonial influence.
• He published advertisements, gossip, and criticized British officials.
• Governor-General Warren Hastings persecuted Hickey and promoted officially controlled newspapers.
• First Indian newspaper: Bengal Gazette (by Gangadhar Bhattacharya), linked to Rammohun Roy.

7. Religious Reform and Public Debates

• Early 19th century: Intense debates on religious issues began in colonial India.
• Reformers criticized old practices and campaigned for change, while traditionalists opposed them.
• Print media (tracts, newspapers) spread new ideas and allowed public participation in debates.

Hindu Reform and Debates

• Widow immolation, monotheism, Brahmin priesthood, and idolatry were key debate topics.
• Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi (1821) to promote reform.
• Hindu orthodoxy launched Samachar Chandrika to oppose him.
• Persian newspapers: Jam-i-Jahan Nama and Shamsul Akhbar (1822).
• Gujarati newspaper: Bombay Samachar (1822).

Muslim Concerns and Print Culture

• The ulama feared British policies would weaken Islam and change Muslim personal laws.
• Cheap lithographic presses printed Persian and Urdu religious texts.
• Deoband Seminary (1867) published fatwas guiding Muslim daily life.
• Urdu print helped different Muslim sects debate and counter opponents.

Spread of Hindu Religious Texts

• First printed Ramcharitmanas (1810) in Calcutta.
• Mid-19th century: Cheap lithographic editions became widely available.
• Naval Kishore Press (Lucknow) and Shri Venkateshwar Press (Bombay) published religious books in local languages.
• Religious texts became portable, readable, and accessible, even for illiterate people.

Impact of Print on Religious Debates

• Print spread both reformist and orthodox views, leading to discussions and controversies.
• Newspapers connected different regions, creating a shared Indian identity.

8. New Forms of Publication

• Printing increased readership, leading to new forms of writing.
• People wanted stories that reflected their emotions, relationships, and lives.
• Novels, short stories, essays, and lyrics became popular.
• Printing also led to visual culture—mass production of paintings, prints, calendars, caricatures, and cartoons.

8.1 Women and Print

• Women’s education increased, and many journals encouraged female literacy.
• Some conservative families opposed women’s reading, fearing it would corrupt them.
• Examples of women breaking barriers:
  • Rashsundari Debi secretly learned to read and wrote Amar Jiban (1876), the first Bengali autobiography.
  • Kailashbashini Debi (1860s), Tarabai Shinde & Pandita Ramabai (1880s) wrote about women’s struggles.
• Women’s journals (early 20th century) discussed education, widowhood, remarriage, and nationalism.
• Battala (Calcutta) became a hub for printing religious texts, scandalous literature, and illustrated books.

8.2 Print and the Poor

• Cheap books were sold at market crossroads in Madras.
• Public libraries (early 20th century) improved book access in cities and villages.
• Caste discrimination was discussed in print:
  • Jyotiba Phule’s Gulamgiri (1871) criticized caste oppression.
  • B.R. Ambedkar & E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar) wrote against caste injustice.
• Workers and Print:
  • Factory workers were mostly illiterate, but some wrote about their struggles.
  • Kashibaba’s Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal (1938) linked caste and class exploitation.
  • Sudarshan Chakr (1935-1955) wrote poems on worker hardships.
  • Bangalore cotton mill workers (1930s) set up libraries for education and nationalism.

9. Print and Censorship

• Before 1798, the East India Company did not focus much on censorship.
• Early restrictions were against Englishmen in India who criticized the Company’s misrule.

Censorship in the 19th Century

• 1820s: The Calcutta Supreme Court imposed press regulations.
• 1835: Press laws were revised by Governor-General Bentinck, restoring some freedom.
• 1857 Revolt: After the uprising, British hostility towards Indian newspapers increased.
• 1878 Vernacular Press Act:
  • Based on Irish Press Laws.
  • Allowed censorship and seizure of nationalist newspapers.
  • If a paper published seditious content, the printing press was confiscated.

Nationalist Resistance

• Despite censorship, nationalist newspapers grew.
• They criticized British rule and promoted nationalist movements.
• 1907: When Punjab revolutionaries were deported, Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote about them in Kesari.
• 1908: Tilak was imprisoned, leading to mass protests across India.