Print Culture and the Modern World – Very Short Answer Type Questions
Class
Class 10
Subject
Social Science – History
Chapter
Print Culture and the Modern World (India and the Contemporary World – II)
CBSE Board Examinations:
- Strictly based on NCERT Class 10 History Chapter 5.
- Covers all subtopics: The First Printed Books, Print Comes to Europe, Impact of Print, India and the World of Print, etc.
- Ideal for Very Short Answer, 1-mark, and objective questions practice.
- Useful for Board Exams, Class Tests, Term Exams, and Rapid Revision.
These 50 Very Short Answer Type Questions with Answers are prepared strictly according to the
NCERT Class 10 History textbook chapter “Print Culture and the Modern World”. The questions
are arranged topic-wise to help CBSE students revise quickly and effectively for the board examination.
Print Culture and the Modern World – Very Short Answer Questions (VSAQs)
1. The First Printed Books
The following questions cover the origin of printing in China, woodblock printing, and early printed materials in East Asia.
Q1. In which country did the earliest print technology develop?
Ans. The earliest print technology developed in China.
Q2. What was the earliest form of printing technology used in China called?
Ans. It was called woodblock printing.
Q3. Why did printing grow quickly in China?
Ans. Printing grew because civil service examinations required many books for scholars.
Q4. Name any one type of book printed in China during the early period.
Ans. Books on Confucian classics were widely printed in China.
Q5. Which East Asian country became a major centre of printing after China?
Ans. Japan became a major centre of printing.
Q6. What kind of books became popular in Edo (Tokyo) in Japan?
Ans. Illustrated novels, poetry books and advice books on proper behaviour became popular.
2. Print Comes to Europe
These questions focus on manuscript culture, Gutenberg and the spread of the printing press in Europe.
Q7. What were handwritten books in medieval Europe called?
Ans. They were called manuscripts.
Q8. Who invented the printing press with movable metal type in Europe?
Ans. Johann Gutenberg invented it.
Q9. In which country did Gutenberg develop his printing press?
Ans. He developed it in Germany.
Q10. Name Gutenberg’s most famous printed book.
Ans. His most famous work was the Gutenberg Bible.
Q11. What was the main disadvantage of manuscripts?
Ans. Manuscripts were slow to produce and very expensive.
Q12. By around 1500, what name was used for books printed in Europe?
Ans. Early printed books were often called “printed books” or “the new art of printing”.
3. The Print Revolution and Its Impact
This section deals with how printing changed ideas, knowledge and the reading public in Europe.
Q13. What is meant by the term “print revolution”?
Ans. It means the dramatic change from handwritten manuscripts to printed books.
Q14. How did printing affect the cost of books?
Ans. Printing made books cheaper and more easily available.
Q15. Name one group that benefited from cheaper printed books in Europe.
Ans. The middle classes such as traders and professionals benefited greatly.
Q16. Which language did early printed books in Europe mainly use?
Ans. They mainly used Latin at first.
Q17. Why were books later printed in vernacular languages?
Ans. To reach ordinary people who did not know Latin.
Q18. Which religious movement in Europe used print to spread its ideas?
Ans. The Reformation used print to spread its ideas.
Q19. Name one Reformation leader who used print effectively.
Ans. Martin Luther used print to circulate his writings.
4. The Reading Mania
These questions highlight the rapid increase in readership and new kinds of printed material.
Q20. What do historians mean by “reading mania”?
Ans. It refers to the strong desire of people to read more and more printed material.
Q21. Name any one new form of popular literature that became common in Europe.
Ans. Almanacs or chapbooks became common popular literature.
Q22. Which two new social groups became important readers in the 18th and 19th centuries?
Ans. Women and children became important new readers.
Q23. Why did publishers start printing books for children?
Ans. Because schooling expanded and children needed books for education and stories.
Q24. Give one example of reading for entertainment in this period.
Ans. People read novels and romances for entertainment.
Q25. How did the reading mania help spread new ideas?
Ans. More people reading meant new ideas reached wider sections of society.
5. The Nineteenth Century
This part focuses on technological advancements, mass literacy and cheap popular literature.
Q26. What kind of press replaced the hand-operated presses in the 19th century?
Ans. Power-driven cylindrical presses replaced hand-operated presses.
Q27. Name one reason for the increase in demand for printed material in the 19th century.
Ans. The spread of compulsory primary education increased demand.
Q28. What type of literature was produced for the working class?
Ans. Penny magazines and cheap serialised novels were produced.
Q29. What is meant by serialised novel?
Ans. A serialised novel is printed in parts or chapters in newspapers or magazines.
Q30. How did cheap printed material affect common people?
Ans. It allowed even poor people to buy and read books and newspapers.
Q31. Name any one new form of popular reading in the 19th century.
Ans. Detective and crime stories became a popular form of reading.
6. India and the World of Print
These questions cover the arrival of print in India, growth of presses and Indian language publications.
Q32. Where was the first printing press set up in India?
Ans. It was set up in Goa.
Q33. Who introduced the first printing press in India?
Ans. Portuguese missionaries introduced it.
Q34. Name any two early centres of printing in British India.
Ans. Calcutta and Madras were early centres of printing.
Q35. In which century did printing expand in India under British rule?
Ans. Printing expanded mainly in the 19th century.
Q36. Name one Indian language in which early books and newspapers were printed.
Ans. Early printing took place in Bengali (also in Urdu, Hindi, Tamil etc.).
Q37. How did missionaries use print in India?
Ans. They used print to spread religious teachings and education.
Q38. How did print help the spread of social reform in India?
Ans. Reformers used print to criticise social evils and spread new ideas among people.
Q39. Name any one Indian reformer who used print for spreading ideas.
Ans. Raja Rammohan Roy used newspapers and pamphlets to spread his ideas.
7. Religious Reform and Public Debates
This section discusses how print was used in religious discussions and reform movements in India.
Q40. How did different religious groups use print in India?
Ans. They used it to publish scriptures, commentaries and religious pamphlets.
Q41. How did print create a “new public” in India?
Ans. It created a public that read, discussed and debated religious and social issues.
Q42. Name one social evil that reformers attacked using print.
Ans. Reformers attacked sati and other practices like child marriage using print.
Q43. How did print help in questioning caste inequalities?
Ans. Writings by lower castes and reformers exposed caste injustice and demanded equality.
Q44. Why were religious debates sometimes bitter in print?
Ans. Because groups criticised each other’s beliefs and practices openly in print.
8. New Forms of Publication
Here are questions about newspapers, writings by women, Dalits and other new groups of writers.
Q45. Name one important new form of publication that spread political ideas in India.
Ans. Newspapers became an important new form of publication.
Q46. How did women use print in the 19th and 20th centuries?
Ans. Women wrote autobiographies, articles and books about their lives and education.
Q47. How did Dalits make use of print?
Ans. Dalits used print to criticise caste discrimination and assert their rights.
Q48. Why were small booklets and pamphlets important?
Ans. They were cheap, easy to distribute and could reach many people quickly.
9. Print and Censorship
These questions focus on colonial control over the press and nationalist use of printed media.
Q49. What is censorship?
Ans. Censorship is the control or banning of printed material by the government.
Q50. Why did the colonial government pass press laws in India?
Ans. To restrict nationalist writings and stop criticism of British rule in newspapers and books.
These very short questions and answers on Print Culture and the Modern World are concise and exam-focused, making them ideal for quick revision before the CBSE Class 10 board exams.