The “Print Culture and the Modern World” chapter covers the history of print culture and its impact on the world. Chapter 5 contains details on the development of early print technology in China, Japan, and Korea. We will also learn about how print spreads to Europe as we progress. The chapter also covers the rise of print culture in India.
Let’s look at some of the important years mentioned in the chapter.
- 594 AD: Earliest print technology developed in China.
- 868 AD: Oldest Japanese book, the Diamond Sutra, printed.
- 1295: Marco Polo brought Chinese woodblock printing to Italy.
- 1430s: Johann Gutenberg developed the printing press.
- 1448: Gutenberg perfected the printing press system.
- 1450-1550: Printing presses established across Europe.
- 1508: Erasmus criticized printing in ‘Adages’.
- 1517: Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses challenged the Church.
- 1558: Roman Church maintained Index of Prohibited Books.
- 1579: First Tamil book printed by Catholic priests in Cochin.
- 1710: Dutch missionaries printed 32 Tamil texts.
- 1713: First Malayalam book printed by Catholic priests.
- 1780: James Hickey edited the first English newspaper in India.
- 1812: Grimm Brothers published German folk tales.
- 1867: Deoband Seminary founded, published religious texts.
- 1880s: Naval Kishore and Shri Venkateshwar Presses published religious texts.
- 1907: Tilak’s sympathetic writings led to his imprisonment.
- 1919: Sedition Committee Report increased newspaper controls.
- 1922: Gandhi emphasized freedom of speech, press, and association.
- 1942: Defence of India Act censored Quit India movement reports.
Let’s look at a collection of 40 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and 2 “match the following” questions for this chapter. The MCQs cover is all about events and concepts from the chapter. These questions will help you prepare well for exams.
Print Culture and the Modern World Multiple choice questions for Class 10 History Chapter 5
Question 1. What was one of the earliest forms of print technology?
a) Metal press
b) Silk screen
c) Hand printing
d) Digital printing
Answer:
c) Hand printing
Question 2. Which book is considered the first printed in Europe using movable type?
a) The Quran
b) The Bible
c) The Diamond Sutra
d) The Gutenberg Bible
Answer:
d) The Gutenberg Bible
Question 3. Who is credited with developing the first movable type printing press?
a) Martin Luther
b) Thomas Macaulay
c) Johann Gutenberg
d) Isaac Newton
Answer:
c) Johann Gutenberg
Question 4. What was the main reason for the spread of print culture in Europe?
a) Rise in literacy rates
b) Development of new printing technology
c) Demand for religious texts
d) All of the above
Answer:
d) All of the above
Question 5. How did print culture influence the Reformation?
a) By limiting the spread of new ideas
b) By enabling widespread dissemination of reformist ideas
c) By supporting the Catholic Church
d) By reducing access to religious texts
Answer:
b) By enabling widespread dissemination of reformist ideas
Question 6. What did the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 aim to do?
a) Encourage freedom of the press
b) Censor the vernacular press
c) Promote British rule
d) Suppress English newspapers
Answer:
b) Censor the vernacular press
Question 7. What was the main content of early printed books in China?
a) Scientific texts
b) Religious texts
c) Novels
d) Historical records
Answer:
b) Religious texts
Question 8. What led to the emergence of a new reading public in Europe?
a) Reduction in the cost of books
b) Increase in the literacy rate
c) Production of multiple copies
d) All of the above
Answer:
d) All of the above
Question 9. What was the fear associated with the spread of print culture?
a) Decline in the quality of literature
b) Spread of rebellious and irreligious thoughts
c) Decrease in book production
d) Increase in oral traditions
Answer:
b) Spread of rebellious and irreligious thoughts
Question 10. What role did print culture play in the growth of nationalism in India?
a) Encouraged the spread of British culture
b) Provided a platform for anti-colonial ideas
c) Promoted Western education
d) Limited access to vernacular texts
Answer:
b) Provided a platform for anti-colonial ideas
Question 11. Which book by Jyotiba Phule discussed caste discrimination?
a) Amar Jiban
b) Gulamgiri
c) Kesari
d) Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal
Answer:
b) Gulamgiri
Question 12. What was the significant change in book production after the printing press was introduced?
a) Books became more expensive
b) Books were produced manually
c) Books could be produced faster
d) Books were less decorative
Answer:
c) Books could be produced faster
Question 13. What was the first Tamil book printed by Catholic priests in India?
a) The Bible
b) The Diamond Sutra
c) A Tamil translation
d) The Vedas
Answer:
c) A Tamil translation
Question 14. What did the Defence of India Act during the First World War allow?
a) Freedom of the press
b) Censorship of war-related reports
c) Promotion of nationalist activities
d) Encouragement of anti-colonial ideas
Answer:
b) Censorship of war-related reports
Question 15. What was the main purpose of penny magazines in the nineteenth century?
a) To educate women
b) To entertain the elite
c) To promote British rule
d) To discuss scientific ideas
Answer:
a) To educate women
Question 16. How did print culture affect the working class in nineteenth-century Europe?
a) Increased literacy
b) Provided political tracts and autobiographies
c) Created a reading mania
d) All of the above
Answer:
d) All of the above
Question 17. What was a major concern of religious authorities regarding printed books?
a) Increase in book prices
b) Loss of control over religious teachings
c) Decrease in book production
d) Limited access to religious texts
Answer:
b) Loss of control over religious teachings
Question 18. What impact did print culture have on the French Revolution?
a) Promoted royalist ideas
b) Popularized Enlightenment ideas
c) Restricted access to revolutionary texts
d) Supported the Catholic Church
Answer:
b) Popularized Enlightenment ideas
Question 19. Who wrote ‘The Ninety-Five Theses’ that challenged the Catholic Church?
a) Erasmus
b) Johann Gutenberg
c) Martin Luther
d) Isaac Newton
Answer:
c) Martin Luther
Question 20. What was the primary content of the Bengali newspaper ‘Kesari’?
a) British rule celebrations
b) Nationalist activities and colonial misrule
c) Scientific discoveries
d) Entertainment news
Answer:
b) Nationalist activities and colonial misrule
Question 21. Who was the first to bring out an Indian newspaper in English?
a) James Augustus Hickey
b) Gangadhar Bhattacharya
c) Thomas Macaulay
d) Warren Hastings
Answer:
a) James Augustus Hickey
Question 22. What was one of the significant uses of printed books in early modern China?
a) Literary fiction
b) Educational textbooks for civil service exams
c) Religious tracts
d) Political pamphlets
Answer:
b) Educational textbooks for civil service exams
Question 23. Which European country saw the first use of the printing press?
a) France
b) Italy
c) Germany
d) England
Answer:
c) Germany
Question 24. How did the ‘Vernacular Press Act’ impact Indian newspapers?
a) Encouraged freedom of the press
b) Increased government censorship
c) Reduced nationalist sentiments
d) Promoted British propaganda
Answer:
b) Increased government censorship
Question 25. Who published ‘Amar Jiban,’ the first full-length autobiography in Bengali?
a) Tarabai Shinde
b) Pandita Ramabai
c) Rashsundari Debi
d) Kailashbashini Debi
Answer:
c) Rashsundari Debi
Question 26. What was the main content of the ‘Battala’ publications in Bengal?
a) Political tracts
b) Religious tracts and popular literature
c) Scientific texts
d) Educational materials
Answer:
b) Religious tracts and popular literature
Question 27. Which act was passed in 1919 to strengthen controls over newspapers in India?
a) Vernacular Press Act
b) Defence of India Act
c) Sedition Committee Report
d) Indian Press Act
Answer:
c) Sedition Committee Report
Question 28. What was the fear regarding women’s education in conservative Hindu and Muslim families?
a) Women would become too independent
b) Women would lose interest in domestic duties
c) Literate women would face social problems
d) Educated women would be corrupted
Answer:
d) Educated women would be corrupted
Question 29. What role did public libraries play in the early twentieth century in India?
a) Restricted access to books
b) Expanded access to books for poor people
c) Promoted British literature
d) Reduced literacy rates
Answer:
b) Expanded access to books for poor people
Question 30. Which type of literature became popular among the working class in the nineteenth century?
a) Religious texts
b) Scientific journals
c) Political tracts and autobiographies
d) Romance novels
Answer:
c) Political tracts and autobiographies
Question 31. What impact did the Defence of India Rules have during the First World War?
a) Promoted nationalist newspapers
b) Allowed censorship of reports
c) Encouraged freedom of speech
d) Supported anti-colonial movements
Answer:
b) Allowed censorship of reports
Question 32. Which poet’s works are known as the ‘Diwan’?
a) Martin Luther
b) Johann Gutenberg
c) Hafiz
d) Isaac Newton
Answer:
c) Hafiz
Question 33. What was the main content of ‘Penny Magazines’ in the nineteenth century?
a) News about wars
b) Scientific discoveries
c) Educational content for women
d) Political tracts
Answer:
c) Educational content for women
Question 34. Who is the author of ‘My Childhood and My University’?
a) Maxim Gorky
b) Martin Luther
c) Johann Gutenberg
d) Thomas Macaulay
Answer:
a) Maxim Gorky
Question 35. Which invention significantly boosted book production in the mid-nineteenth century?
a) Hand printing press
b) Cylindrical press
c) Digital printing
d) Silk screen printing
Answer:
b) Cylindrical press
Question 36. What did the ‘Jikji’ of Korea contain?
a) Zen Buddhist teachings
b) Christian scriptures
c) Hindu Vedas
d) Islamic texts
Answer:
a) Zen Buddhist teachings
Question 37. What was a key feature of printed books for the rich in the fifteenth century?
a) High-quality paper
b) Ornamental handwritten styles
c) Mass production
d) Digital illustrations
Answer:
b) Ornamental handwritten styles
Question 38. What was the content of the ‘Sedition Committee Report’ of 1919?
a) Encouraged nationalist newspapers
b) Strengthened controls over newspapers
c) Promoted British rule
d) Allowed freedom of speech
Answer:
b) Strengthened controls over newspapers
Question 39. What role did ‘Gutenberg’s Bible’ play in the print revolution?
a) It was the first book printed in China
b) It was the first book printed using movable type
c) It reduced the cost of books
d) It was printed in multiple languages
Answer:
b) It was the first book printed using movable type
Question 40. Which of the following best describes ‘The Print Revolution’?
a) A new way of producing books
b) A development in hand-printing technology
c) A transformation in the relationship to information and knowledge
d) A decline in the literacy rate
Answer:
c) A transformation in the relationship to information and knowledge
Match the columns for Class 10 History Chapter 5
Question 1
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. First book printed by Gutenberg | A. 1817 |
| 2. First Tamil book printed | B. 1867 |
| 3. Establishment of the Deoband Seminary | C. 1448 |
| 4. Sambad Kaumudi published | D. 1579 |
| 5. Appearance of the first printed edition of the Ramcharitmanas | E. 1821 |
| F. 1810 |
Answer:
| Column A | Correct Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. First book printed by Gutenberg | C. 1448 |
| 2. First Tamil book printed | D. 1579 |
| 3. Establishment of the Deoband Seminary | B. 1867 |
| 4. Sambad Kaumudi published | E. 1821 |
| 5. Appearance of the first printed edition of the Ramcharitmanas | F. 1810 |
Fill in the Blanks for Class 10 History Chapter 5 – Print Culture and the Modern World
1. James Mill divided Indian history into three periods: ___, ___, and British.
Answer:
Hindu, Muslim
2. The British thought that surveys were important for ___.
Answer:
effective administration
3. The first book printed by Johann Gutenberg was the ___.
Answer:
Bible
4. The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was intended to ___ the vernacular press.
Answer:
censor
5. The ___ brothers collected traditional folk tales in Germany.
Answer:
Grimm
6. Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses challenged the practices of the ___ Church.
Answer:
Roman Catholic
7. The Deoband Seminary was founded in the year ___.
Answer:
1867
8. The first printed edition of the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas came out in the year ___.
Answer:
1810
9. The Gutenberg press could print ___ sheets on one side per hour.
Answer:
250
10. The first Malayalam book was printed by ___ missionaries.
Answer:
Dutch Protestant
11. By the mid-nineteenth century, ___ editions of the Ramcharitmanas flooded north Indian markets.
Answer:
cheap lithographic
12. The writings of thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau were widely read and influenced the ___ Revolution.
Answer:
French
13. The first Tamil book printed by Catholic priests in India was a Tamil ___.
Answer:
translation
14. The first printed book in Japan, the Diamond Sutra, was printed in the year ___.
Answer:
868
15. The mid-eighteenth century conviction that books could change the world was expressed by novelist ___.
Answer:
Louise-Sebastien Mercier
Other Chapters MCQ for Class 10 History
- Chapter 2 – Nationalism in India MCQ
- Chapter 3 – The Making of a Global World MCQ
- Chapter 4 – The Age of Industrialisation MCQ
- Chapter 5 – The Rise of Nationalism in Europe MCQ
