Class 10 Social Science Chapter 5 Print Culture and the Modern World (History) Practice Paper 1

Class: X Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Chapter: 05 - Print Culture and the Modern World Time: 1½ Hours Max. Marks: 40

General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory.

2. This question paper contains 20 questions divided into five sections A, B, C, D and E.

3. Section A contains 10 MCQs of 1 mark each.

4. Section B contains 4 questions of 2 marks each.

5. Section C contains 3 questions of 3 marks each.

6. Section D contains 1 question of 5 marks.

7. Section E contains 2 Case Study Based questions of 4 marks each.

SECTION A - Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)

Q1. In which year did Marco Polo return to Italy from China with knowledge of woodblock printing?
(a) 1195
(b) 1295
(c) 1395
(d) 1495

Q2. Who developed the first known printing press in Germany in the 1430s?
(a) Martin Luther
(b) Johann Gutenberg
(c) Marco Polo
(d) Erasmus

Q3. What was the name of the first book printed by Gutenberg?
(a) The Quran
(b) The Bhagavad Gita
(c) The Bible
(d) The Diamond Sutra

Q4. Which Japanese art form depicted ordinary human experiences and influenced European artists?
(a) Origami
(b) Ukiyo
(c) Haiku
(d) Kabuki

Q5. In which year did Martin Luther write his Ninety Five Theses?
(a) 1417
(b) 1517
(c) 1617
(d) 1717

Q6. What were cheap books in France called, printed on poor quality paper and bound in blue covers?
(a) Penny chapbooks
(b) Biliotheque Bleue
(c) Battala publications
(d) Shilling Series

Q7. Who was the first to edit the Bengal Gazette in 1780?
(a) Gangadhar Bhattacharya
(b) Rammohun Roy
(c) James Augustus Hickey
(d) Warren Hastings

Q8. Which Act was passed in 1878 to control the Indian vernacular press?
(a) Press Control Act
(b) Vernacular Press Act
(c) Censorship Act
(d) Sedition Act

Q9. Who wrote the first full-length autobiography in Bengali language titled "Amar Jiban"?
(a) Tarabai Shinde
(b) Pandita Ramabai
(c) Rashsundari Debi
(d) Kailashbashini Debi

Q10. What was the name of the book written by Jyotiba Phule about caste system injustices?
(a) Gulamgiri
(b) Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal
(c) Sacchi Kavitayan
(d) Istri Dharm Vichar

SECTION B - Short Answer Questions (2 marks each)

Q11. Explain how the woodblock printing technique worked in ancient China.

Q12. What were the two main fears people had about the spread of printed books in early modern Europe?

Q13. How did print culture create a new reading public in Europe?

Q14. Mention any two ways in which women benefited from print culture in nineteenth century India.

SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (3 marks each)

Q15. Describe the role of Martin Luther and print in the Protestant Reformation.

Q16. How did the colonial government try to control the Indian press? Mention any three measures.

Q17. Explain how manuscripts were produced and preserved in India before the age of print.

SECTION D - Long Answer Question (5 marks)

Q18. "Print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred." Discuss this statement by explaining the three types of arguments historians have put forward.

SECTION E - Case Study Based Questions (4 marks each)

Q19. Case Study 1: "From the sixteenth century, the number of examination candidates went up in China and that increased the volume of print. By the seventeenth century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified. Print was no longer used just by scholar-officials. Merchants used print in their everyday life, as they collected trade information. Reading increasingly became a leisure activity. The new readership preferred fictional narratives, poetry, autobiographies, anthologies of literary masterpieces, and romantic plays." Based on the above passage, answer the following questions:

(i) Why did print volume increase in sixteenth century China? (1 mark) (ii) How did merchants use print in their everyday life? (1 mark) (iii) Name two types of literature preferred by the new readership in China. (2 marks)

Q20. Case Study 2: "Rashsundari Debi, a young married girl in a very orthodox household in East Bengal, learnt to read in the secrecy of her kitchen in the early nineteenth century. Later, she wrote her autobiography Amar Jiban which was published in 1876. It was the first full-length autobiography published in the Bengali language. Since social reforms and novels had already created a great interest in women's lives and emotions, there was also an interest in what women would have to say about their own lives." Based on the above passage, answer the following questions:

(i) Where did Rashsundari Debi learn to read? (1 mark) (ii) What was the name of her autobiography and when was it published? (1 mark) (iii) Why was there interest in women's autobiographies in the nineteenth century? (2 marks) DETAILED ANSWER KEY - PAPER 01

SECTION A - Answers to MCQs

Ans 1.
(b) 1295 Marco Polo returned to Italy in 1295 after many years of exploration in China, bringing back knowledge of woodblock printing technology. Ans 2.
(b) Johann Gutenberg Johann Gutenberg developed the first known printing press in Strasbourg, Germany in the 1430s. Ans 3.
(c) The Bible The first book Gutenberg printed was the Bible. About 180 copies were printed and it took three years to produce them. Ans 4.
(b) Ukiyo Ukiyo (pictures of the floating world) depicted ordinary human experiences and traveled to Europe, influencing artists like Manet, Monet and Van Gogh.

Ans 5.
(b) 1517 In 1517, Martin Luther wrote Ninety Five Theses criticizing many practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. Ans 6.
(b) Biliotheque Bleue In France, cheap books were called Biliotheque Bleue - low-priced small books printed on poor quality paper and bound in cheap blue covers. Ans 7.
(c) James Augustus Hickey James Augustus Hickey began to edit the Bengal Gazette from 1780, a weekly magazine that described itself as 'a commercial paper open to all, but influenced by none'.

Ans 8.
(b) Vernacular Press Act The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878, modelled on the Irish Press Laws, providing the government extensive rights to censor reports and editorials. Ans 9.
(c) Rashsundari Debi Rashsundari Debi wrote Amar Jiban, published in 1876, which was the first full-length autobiography published in the Bengali language. Ans 10.
(a) Gulamgiri Jyotiba Phule, the Maratha pioneer of 'low caste' protest movements, wrote about the injustices of the caste system in his Gulamgiri (1871).

SECTION B - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 11. The woodblock printing technique in ancient China worked as follows: • From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper against the inked surface of woodblocks. • Paper was invented in China itself and was rubbed against the carved woodblock. • As both sides of the thin, porous sheet could not be printed, the traditional Chinese 'accordion book' was folded and stitched at the side. • Superbly skilled craftsmen could duplicate the beauty of calligraphy with remarkable accuracy.

Ans 12. The two main fears people had about printed books were:

1. Fear of rebellious and irreligious thoughts: It was feared that if there was no control over what was printed and read, then rebellious and irreligious thoughts might spread among people.

2. Destruction of valuable literature: Religious authorities and monarchs feared that the authority of 'valuable' literature would be destroyed if common people had access to all kinds of printed material. Ans 13. Print culture created a new reading public in the following ways: • Printing reduced the cost of books, making them affordable to wider sections of people. • The time and labour required to produce each book came down significantly. • Multiple copies could be produced with greater ease, flooding the market.

• Books reached out to an ever-growing readership, creating a new culture of reading that went beyond the elite class. Ans 14. Two ways in which women benefited from print culture in nineteenth century India:

1. Education and learning: Many journals began carrying writings by women and explained why women should be educated. Liberal husbands and fathers began educating their womenfolk at home using printed materials.

2. Expression of views: Women began to write and publish their own works. They could express their views on social reforms, highlight their experiences, and write about injustices they faced, as seen in works by Rashsundari Debi, Tarabai Shinde, and Pandita Ramabai.

SECTION C - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 15. Martin Luther and print played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation: • In 1517, Martin Luther wrote Ninety Five Theses criticizing many practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. • A printed copy was posted on a church door in Wittenberg, challenging the Church to debate his ideas. • Luther's writings were immediately reproduced in vast numbers and read widely across Europe. • This led to a division within the Church and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. • Luther's translation of the New Testament sold 5,000 copies within a few weeks, and a second edition appeared within three months.

• Luther himself acknowledged the power of print, saying "Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one." Ans 16. The colonial government tried to control the Indian press through the following measures:

1. Early regulations: By the 1820s, the Calcutta Supreme Court passed certain regulations to control press freedom. The Company began encouraging publication of newspapers that would celebrate British rule.

2. Vernacular Press Act, 1878: This Act provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. The government kept regular track of vernacular newspapers, and if a report was judged as seditious, the newspaper was warned and could have its press seized.

3. Repressive measures: Governor-General Warren Hastings persecuted James Augustus Hickey for publishing gossip about Company officials. During various periods, newspapers were suppressed, penalties were imposed, and printing machinery was confiscated. Ans 17. Manuscripts in India before the age of print: • India had a very rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, and various vernacular languages. • Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or on handmade paper by scribes.

• Pages were sometimes beautifully illustrated with designs and calligraphy. • They would be either pressed between wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation. • However, manuscripts were highly expensive and fragile, requiring careful handling. • They could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles. • Manuscripts continued to be produced till well after the introduction of print, down to the late nineteenth century.

SECTION D - Answer to Long Answer Question

Ans 18. Many historians have argued that print culture created the conditions within which the French Revolution occurred. Three types of arguments have been put forward:

1. Popularization of Enlightenment Ideas: • Print popularized the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau. • Their writings provided critical commentary on tradition, superstition, and despotism. • They argued for the rule of reason rather than custom and demanded rational judgment of everything. • They attacked the sacred authority of the Church and the despotic power of the state. • This eroded the legitimacy of the social order based on tradition. • Those who read these books saw the world through new eyes - questioning, critical, and rational.

2. Culture of Dialogue and Debate: • Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate among the public. • All values, norms, and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed. • The public became aware of the power of reason and recognized the need to question existing ideas and beliefs. • Within this public culture, new ideas of social revolution came into being. • People began to participate actively in discussions about society and governance.

3. Literature Criticizing the Monarchy: • By the 1780s, there was an outpouring of literature that mocked the royalty and criticized their morality. • This literature raised questions about the existing social order. • Cartoons and caricatures suggested that the monarchy remained absorbed only in sensual pleasures while common people suffered immense hardships. • This literature circulated underground and led to the growth of hostile sentiments against the monarchy. Conclusion: While print helped spread ideas and opened up possibilities for thinking differently, people did not read just one kind of literature. They were exposed to both revolutionary ideas and monarchical propaganda, and they interpreted things their own way. Print did not directly shape their minds but opened up the possibility of thinking differently.

SECTION E - Answers to Case Study Based Questions

Ans 19. (i) Print volume increased in sixteenth century China because the number of examination candidates for the civil service examinations went up, and textbooks for these examinations were printed in vast numbers under imperial sponsorship. (ii) Merchants used print in their everyday life to collect trade information that helped them in their business activities. (iii) Two types of literature preferred by the new readership in China were: • Fictional narratives and romantic plays • Poetry and autobiographies (Also accept: anthologies of literary masterpieces) Ans 20.

(i) Rashsundari Debi learnt to read in the secrecy of her kitchen. (ii) Her autobiography was named "Amar Jiban" and it was published in 1876. (iii) There was interest in women's autobiographies in the nineteenth century because: • Social reforms and novels had already created great interest in women's lives and emotions. • People wanted to know what women would have to say about their own lives and experiences. • There was growing awareness about women's issues and their confinement in orthodox households.

• Readers were curious to understand the challenges and injustices women faced from their own perspective.