Class 10 Social Science Chapter 5 Print Culture and the Modern World (History) PYQ

Class: X Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Book: History Type: PYQ (Board Exam) Board: CBSE Chapter 5 : Print Culture and the Modern World

SECTION A : Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark Each)

Q1. Who among the following published "Samvad Kaumudi"? [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Rashsundari Debi
(b) Tarabai Shinde
(c) Raja Rammohan Roy
(d) Ram Chaddha Ans:
(c) Raja Rammohan Roy. He published the Bengali weekly newspaper Samvad Kaumudi in the early 19th century, advocating social reform. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q2. Which aspect was common among the writings of Kailashbashini Debi, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai? [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Demanded economic equality for masses
(b) Highlighted experiences of women
(c) Raised awareness about cultural heritage
(d) Motivated Indians for national freedom Ans:
(b) Highlighted experiences of women. All three writers focused on issues of women's rights, education, and social reform in 19th century India. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q3. Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand printing technology into ______ around A.D. 768-770. [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) India
(b) Japan
(c) Korea
(d) Europe Ans:
(b) Japan. Buddhist missionaries from China brought hand-printing technology to Japan, where the oldest printed book, the Diamond Sutra, was later produced. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q4. Where did the development of print first begin? [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) East Asia
(b) Europe
(c) India
(d) America Ans:
(a) East Asia. The earliest kind of print technology developed in China, Japan and Korea using woodblock printing technique. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q5. Who said "Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one"? [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Voltaire
(b) Martin Luther
(c) Johann Gutenberg
(d) Erasmus Ans:
(b) Martin Luther. He praised the printing press for helping spread the Protestant Reformation ideas widely and quickly. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q6. Who wrote "Gulamgiri"? [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) B.R. Ambedkar
(b) Jyotiba Phule
(c) Periyar
(d) Raja Rammohan Roy Ans:
(b) Jyotiba Phule. He wrote Gulamgiri (1873), drawing parallels between the conditions of lower castes in India and Black slaves in America. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q7. Which of the following was the first newspaper published in India? [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Bengal Gazette
(b) Samvad Kaumudi
(c) Bombay Samachar
(d) Kesari Ans:
(a) Bengal Gazette. James Augustus Hickey started Bengal Gazette in 1780, India's first newspaper, from Calcutta. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q8. The Vernacular Press Act was passed in the year: [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) 1857
(b) 1878
(c) 1905
(d) 1919 Ans:
(b) 1878. The Vernacular Press Act gave the British government extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in Indian language newspapers. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q9. Who invented the first printing press with moveable type in Europe? [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Marco Polo
(b) Johann Gutenberg
(c) Martin Luther
(d) Richard Hoe Ans:
(b) Johann Gutenberg. Around 1440s, Gutenberg developed the printing press with moveable metal type, revolutionising book production in Europe. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q10. What were "Chapbooks"? [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) Books sold in churches
(b) Pocket-size books sold by travelling pedlars
(c) Government-published textbooks
(d) Religious manuscripts Ans:
(b) Pocket-size books sold by travelling pedlars called "chapmen". These became very popular from the 16th century print revolution onward. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION B : Short Answer Questions (3 Marks Each)

Q11. "The shift from hand printing to mechanical printing led to the print revolution in Europe." Explain. [CBSE 2023] [3] • Mass Production: Gutenberg's press could produce books rapidly. This led to a massive fall in book prices, making them affordable for ordinary people. • New Reading Public: Publishers began printing popular ballads, folk tales with illustrations. A new culture of reading emerged among common people. • Spread of Ideas: Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament sold thousands of copies quickly, fuelling the Protestant Reformation and challenging the Catholic Church.

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Q12. How did print culture help in the growth of nationalism in India? [CBSE 2024] [3] • Vernacular Press: Newspapers in Indian languages (Bengali, Hindi, Marathi) spread awareness of colonial exploitation and united people against British rule. • Nationalist Leaders: Tilak's Kesari and Gandhi's writings spread nationalist ideas to masses. Print made political awareness accessible to all literate Indians. • Social Reform: Reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy used print to campaign against sati, child marriage, and caste discrimination, creating a reform-minded public.

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Q13. "By the seventeenth century, as urban culture bloomed in China, the uses of print diversified." Explain. [CBSE 2022] [3] • Literacy Growth: Urban culture increased literacy, creating demand for books including novels, plays, poetry and entertainment literature. • Variety of Materials: Print was no longer limited to official texts. Merchants and scholars used printed calendars, dictionaries, and guidebooks. • Fiction & Entertainment: Fictional narratives, romantic stories, and adventure tales became popular among a wider audience beyond the scholarly elite.

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Q14. How did print culture affect women's lives in 19th century India? [CBSE 2023] [3] • Women Writers: Kailashbashini Debi, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai wrote about women's oppression, miserable lives, and demanded education and equality. • Autobiographies: Rashsundari Debi published her autobiography "Amar Jiban" (1876) - one of the first full-length autobiographies in Bengali language. • Access to Education: Print made reading materials available to women. Conservative families feared this, but liberal reformers supported women's education through print.

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Q15. What were the measures taken by the British government to control the vernacular press in India? [CBSE 2022] [3] • Censorship: After 1857 revolt, the government tightened controls on press. Seditious Material was confiscated and editors were warned or prosecuted. • Vernacular Press Act (1878): Modelled on the Irish Press Laws, it gave government extensive rights to censor Indian language newspapers and seize printing presses. • Enforcement: Newspaper editors had to submit reports for scrutiny. If reports were found "seditious," the press could be confiscated and the editor imprisoned.

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SECTION C : Long Answer Questions (5 Marks Each)

Q16. Explain the role of print culture in creating conditions for the French Revolution. [CBSE 2024] [5] Ans: Print culture significantly contributed to the French Revolution: • Spread of Enlightenment: The writings of Voltaire and Rousseau criticised monarchy, superstition, and the Church. Print made these ideas accessible to common people. • Culture of Dialogue: Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. People discussed and debated social and political issues openly in salons and coffee houses.

• Cartoons & Satire: Cartoons and caricatures mocking the royalty and Church were widely circulated, eroding the authority of the old order. • Public Opinion: For the first time, literature and newspapers created a sense of "public opinion" - an informed and questioning citizenry that challenged absolute monarchy. • Revolutionary Ideas: Print did not directly cause the Revolution, but it created conditions by opening up possibilities for thinking differently about tradition and authority. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q17. Trace the development of print technology from East Asia to Europe. [CBSE 2023] [5] Ans: Print technology evolved across centuries and continents: • China (6th century): Earliest print technology was woodblock printing. Books were printed by rubbing paper against inked wooden blocks. Imperial State was the major publisher. • Japan (AD 768-770): Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology. The Diamond Sutra (AD 868) is the oldest known printed book. • China's Innovation: Around 1040s, Bi Sheng invented moveable type made of earthenware (clay). Wooden and metal types followed in China and Korea.

• Europe - Gutenberg (1440s): Johann Gutenberg developed the printing press with moveable metal type. His Bible was the first major book printed, taking 3 years to produce 180 copies. • Print Revolution: By 1500, printing presses were set up in most European countries. Book production soared - approximately 20 million copies by 1500, transforming European society. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q18. How did the coming of print culture change the lives of women and the poor in 19th century India? [CBSE 2022] [5] Ans: Print transformed the social landscape for marginalised groups: • Women Writers Emerged: Women like Rashsundari Debi, Kailashbashini Debi, and Tarabai Shinde wrote about women's experiences, demanding education and rights. • Women's Education: Liberal reformers promoted women's reading. Schools for women were established. However, conservatives feared educated women would abandon traditions.

• Lower Caste Voices: Jyotiba Phule's "Gulamgiri" exposed caste oppression. B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar wrote extensively on Dalit rights using the print medium. • Workers' Literature: Factory workers and labourers gained access to printed materials about their rights, trade unions, and social justice movements. • Cheap Books: From the late 19th century, cheap printed editions flooded markets in India, making knowledge accessible to the poor for the first time in history. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q19. Explain the impact of print on Indian society in the 19th century. [CBSE 2021] [5] Ans: Print had a transformative impact on Indian society: • Social Reform: Raja Rammohan Roy used print to campaign against sati and promote widow remarriage. Print became the primary tool for social reformers. • Religious Debate: Different religious groups used print to propagate their ideas. The ulama published cheap lithographic editions of holy texts in Urdu and Persian. • Nationalist Awakening: Newspapers like Kesari (Tilak), Amrita Bazar Patrika, and others spread nationalist ideas.

Gandhi used Young India and Harijan for his campaigns. • Legal Restrictions: The British enacted the Vernacular Press Act (1878) to curb the growing influence of Indian language newspapers on public opinion. • Cultural Renaissance: Print enabled preservation and spread of Indian literature, folklore, and classical texts, sparking a cultural revival across regions. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q20. "Print popularised the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers." Explain with examples. [CBSE 2020] [5] Ans: The Enlightenment ideas spread rapidly through print: • Voltaire & Rousseau: Their writings criticised the established social order. Print made their ideas available to a vast reading public across Europe. • Collective Reading: Ideas were discussed in coffee houses and salons. People read books aloud in groups, debating social and political issues freely. • Questioning Tradition: Print encouraged rational thinking and questioning of religious dogma, absolute monarchy, and social inequality.

• Martin Luther: His 95 Theses challenging the Catholic Church were printed and distributed widely. Within weeks, thousands of copies reached people across Europe. • Democratic Ideas: Print helped spread ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity. These became the foundation of modern democratic thought and revolutions. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ --- End of Chapter 5 PYQ ---