Questions & Answers - CBSE Class 10 (60 from NCERT PDF)
20 Short (2M), 20 Medium (4M), 20 Long (8M) based on PDF exercises/content.
Short Questions (2 Marks Each) - 20 Total
1. First printed book in China? (PDF p.102)
Answer: Diamond Sutra.
2. Gutenberg's first book? (PDF p.104)
Answer: Bible.
3. Martin Luther's work? (PDF p.106)
Answer: 95 Theses.
4. First press in India? (PDF p.115)
Answer: Goa.
5. Rammohun Roy's newspaper? (PDF p.117)
Answer: Sambad Kaumudi.
6. First Indian woman's autobiography? (PDF p.119)
Answer: Amar Jiban.
7. Vernacular Press Act year? (PDF p.122)
Answer: 1878.
8. Ukiyo art in? (PDF p.103)
Answer: Japan.
9. Index of Prohibited Books year? (PDF p.107)
Answer: 1558.
10. Penny magazines for? (PDF p.111)
Answer: Women.
11. Battala publications? (PDF p.121)
Answer: Cheap books.
12. Grimm Brothers year? (PDF p.110)
Answer: 1812.
13. Offset press? (PDF p.112)
Answer: 1870s.
14. Marco Polo brought? (PDF p.104)
Answer: Woodblock.
15. Menocchio executed year? (PDF p.107)
Answer: 1599.
16. Sultana’s Dream year? (PDF p.119)
Answer: 1905.
17. First Tamil book? (PDF p.115)
Answer: 1579.
18. Lending libraries? (PDF p.109)
Answer: 1730s.
19. Sholes invention? (PDF p.112)
Answer: Typewriter.
20. Gandhi on press? (PDF p.122)
Answer: Liberty sine qua non.
Medium Questions (4 Marks Each) - 20 Total
1. Woodblock printing in China? (PDF p.102)
Answer: Woodblock printing started in China around AD 594, where text was carved on wood, inked, and stamped on paper. It was used for books like the Diamond Sutra (AD 868), the first dated printed book. This technology spread due to civil service exams increasing demand for textbooks, and by the 17th century, it included fiction and urban culture books.
2. Gutenberg's contribution? (PDF p.104)
Answer: Johann Gutenberg developed the movable type printing press in 1448, adapting the olive press and using moulds for metal letters. His first printed book was the Bible (1455, 180 copies). This innovation allowed faster production, reducing book prices and increasing accessibility, leading to the print revolution in Europe.
3. Print's impact on Reformation? (PDF p.106)
Answer: Print helped spread Martin Luther's 95 Theses (1517), criticizing Catholic practices like indulgences. Thousands of copies circulated, sparking the Protestant Reformation. Luther praised printing as "God’s highest act of grace," enabling widespread religious debates and challenging Church authority.
4. Reading mania in Europe? (PDF p.109)
Answer: In 17th-18th century Europe, literacy rose (e.g., 60-100% among English men), leading to reading mania. New forms included chapbooks for the poor, novels for women, and lending libraries (1730s). This created a new reading public, blending oral and print cultures.
5. Print and French Revolution? (PDF p.109)
Answer: Print popularized Enlightenment ideas by Voltaire and Rousseau, creating a public sphere for debate. It challenged despotism and contributed to the French Revolution (1789) by spreading notions of liberty and equality, though some argue it reflected rather than caused the revolution.
6. Innovations in 19th century? (PDF p.112)
Answer: 19th-century print innovations included power-driven cylindrical presses, offset printing (1870s) for color, and the typewriter (1867). These improved speed, quality, and serialization of novels, making books more affordable and visually appealing with dust jackets.
7. Print's arrival in India? (PDF p.115)
Answer: Print came to India with Portuguese missionaries in Goa (mid-16th century), printing the first Tamil book (1579) and Malayalam (1713). The English East India Company imported presses in the late 17th century, leading to Indian-language newspapers by the 1780s.
8. Religious debates in India? (PDF p.117)
Answer: Print enabled religious reforms in India; Ulema used cheap lithographs for fatwas, Hindu reformers like Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi (1821) against sati. This sparked public debates on widow remarriage, idolatry, and monotheism across communities.
9. Women and print in India? (PDF p.119)
Answer: Conservative Hindus and Muslims feared women's reading would corrupt them, but liberal families encouraged education. Women like Rashsundari Debi wrote Amar Jiban (1876), and Begum Rokeya Hossein published Sultana’s Dream (1905), highlighting women's issues via print.
10. New forms in India? (PDF p.120)
Answer: New print forms in India included novels (e.g., Chandu Menon's Indulekha, 1889), lyrics, essays on social issues, and cheap Battala books in Bengal. These catered to diverse audiences, including women and the poor, fostering cultural expression.
11. Print and poor in India? (PDF p.121)
Answer: Cheap printed books reached India's poor through public libraries (mid-19th century) and Battala publications in Bengal bazaars. Mill workers in Bombay set up libraries, and autobiographies like Kashibaba's exposed caste discrimination.
12. Censorship in colonial India? (PDF p.122)
Answer: Colonial India faced press censorship; after 1857 revolt, the Vernacular Press Act (1878) allowed seizure of nationalist presses. Despite this, publications grew, and Gandhi emphasized press liberty for swaraj.
13. Fear of print in Europe? (PDF p.107)
Answer: Authorities feared print's spread of rebellious ideas; Catholic Church created Index of Prohibited Books (1558). Heretic Menocchio was executed (1599) for reinterpreting Bible, showing print's threat to orthodoxy.
14. Children's print in 19th century? (PDF p.110)
Answer: 19th-century children's print included school textbooks, fairy tales like Grimm Brothers' collection (1812), and penny dreadfuls. This shifted from oral folklore to printed moral stories, promoting education.
15. Print in Japan? (PDF p.103)
Answer: Hand-printing reached Japan via China (AD 768-770); books on women, tea ceremony, and ukiyo art (everyday life pictures) flourished in Edo. Kitagawa Utamaro's art exemplified this visual culture.
16. Manuscripts in India? (PDF p.114)
Answer: Before print, Indian manuscripts were handwritten on palm leaves or paper, in various scripts, often illustrated. They were fragile and not widely copied, limiting knowledge access.
17. Luther on printing? (PDF p.106)
Answer: Martin Luther called printing "God’s highest and extremest act of grace," as it enabled the rapid spread of Reformation ideas, making the Bible accessible in vernacular languages.
18. Mercier on press? (PDF p.109)
Answer: Louise-Sebastien Mercier declared the printing press as "the most powerful engine of progress," believing it would sweep away despotism and enlighten the world during the French Revolution era.
19. Vellum use? (PDF p.104)
Answer: Vellum, parchment from animal skin, was used for luxury manuscripts before paper became common. It was expensive, limiting books to elites until print reduced costs.
20. Gandhi's view on press? (PDF p.122)
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi viewed liberty of the press as "the sine qua non of swaraj," emphasizing its role in nationalist movements against colonial censorship.
Long Questions (8 Marks Each) - 20 Total
1. Explain print revolution's impact on Europe. (PDF p.105, NCERT Q similar)
Answer: The print revolution in Europe, starting with Gutenberg's press (1448), transformed society by making books cheaper and accessible, producing 20 million copies by 1500. It created a new reading public among commoners, merging oral and print cultures through chapbooks and ballads. Religiously, it fueled the Protestant Reformation by spreading Luther's ideas (1517), leading to Church splits and debates. Authorities feared anarchy, censoring via the Index (1558), as seen in Menocchio's execution (1599). Politically, print fostered Enlightenment ideas, contributing to revolutions like the French (1789) by enabling public opinion. Overall, print democratized knowledge, challenged despotism, and promoted individualism, though it also spread heretical views. In exams, link to figures like 5.3 and quotes from Luther.
2. Describe print's role in French Revolution. (PDF p.109, NCERT Q4)
Answer: Print culture played a pivotal role in the French Revolution (1789) by popularizing Enlightenment philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau, whose ideas on liberty and equality influenced revolutionaries. Newspapers, pamphlets, and books created a public sphere for debating absolutism and Church privileges. Cartoons and prints mocked monarchy, as in "The dream of worldwide democratic republics." While some historians argue print reflected rather than caused the revolution, it undeniably spread discontent and unified public opinion against despotism. Mercier proclaimed the press as progress's engine, predicting tyranny's end. In India parallel, print aided nationalism. Discuss with examples of periodicals and rising literacy.
3. Analyze women's engagement with print in Europe and India. (PDF p.110,119)
Answer: In 19th-century Europe, women became avid readers with rising literacy, accessing penny magazines and novels by Jane Austen and Brontes, which portrayed domestic life. Women also wrote, challenging stereotypes. In India, conservatives feared corruption from reading, restricting women to sacred texts. However, reformers encouraged education; Rashsundari Debi secretly learned and wrote Amar Jiban (1876), exposing orthodoxy. Muslim women like Begum Rokeya wrote Sultana’s Dream (1905), imagining women's utopia. Print empowered women to voice issues like seclusion. Compare contexts: Europe more liberal, India tied to reforms. Highlight libraries' role in access.
4. Discuss colonial censorship in India. (PDF p.122, NCERT Q similar)
Answer: Colonial India imposed strict press censorship to curb nationalism. Early presses (1820s) faced restrictions after petitions for freedom. Post-1857 revolt, the Vernacular Press Act (1878) empowered magistrates to seize seditious presses without warrants, targeting Indian-language newspapers. Despite repeals (1882), it suppressed voices like Balgangadhar Tilak's. Nationalists used print for anti-colonial propaganda, leading to repeated crackdowns. Gandhi called press liberty essential for swaraj. Print's resilience grew publications from 1780s onwards. Analyze impacts: Stifled debates but fueled underground literature. Link to global censorship like Church's Index.
5. Explain print's evolution in China, Japan, Korea. (PDF p.102-103)
Answer: Print originated in China with woodblock (AD 594), producing Diamond Sutra (868); exams and urban novels drove demand. Korea advanced with movable metal type (12th century). Japan, via Chinese missionaries (AD 768-770), developed hand-printing for poetry, prose, and ukiyo art in Edo, depicting everyday life. These Asian innovations predated Europe, focusing on aesthetics and education. China used accordion books, Japan illustrated collections. Compare with Europe's mechanical press: Asia manual, artistic; influenced global via Marco Polo. Discuss cultural adaptations, like women's reading in China.
6. How did print influence religious reforms in India? (PDF p.117, NCERT Q3)
Answer: Print catalyzed religious reforms in 19th-century India by enabling public debates. Ulema printed fatwas on Islamic law, Deoband issued thousands. Hindu reformers like Rammohun Roy used Sambad Kaumudi (1821) against sati, promoting widow remarriage. Parsees debated via Jam-i-Jamshed, Christians printed tracts. This cross-community dialogue challenged orthodoxies on idolatry, polygamy. Print made scriptures vernacular-accessible, empowering individuals. However, it intensified sectarianism sometimes. Link to Europe's Reformation: Similar challenge to authority. Highlight women's role in reforms via print.
7. Describe 19th-century print innovations and impacts. (PDF p.112)
Answer: 19th-century innovations included Richard Hoe's power-driven press (1840s), offset for color (1870s), and Sholes' typewriter (1867). These enabled mass production, serialization (Dickens), and visual enhancements like dust jackets. Impacts: Cheaper books boosted literacy, children's literature (Grimm 1812), women's novels, workers' autobiographies. In colonies, aided nationalism. Globally, print fostered individualism and public opinion. Discuss economic shift: From handmade to industrialized printing, paralleling Industrial Revolution.
8. Analyze print's role for poor and workers. (PDF p.111,121)
Answer: Print reached Europe's poor via chapbooks and ballads sold by pedlars, blending oral tales. Workers wrote autobiographies exposing conditions. In India, cheap Battala books and public libraries (mid-19th) educated the poor; Jyotiba Phule's Gulamgiri (1871) critiqued caste. Bombay millworkers established libraries. Print empowered marginalized voices, fostering social awareness and reforms. Compare regions: Europe entertainment-focused, India reform-oriented. Highlight libraries as knowledge democratizers.
9. How did manuscripts differ from printed books in India? (PDF p.114)
Answer: Pre-print Indian manuscripts were handwritten on palm leaves or paper, in diverse scripts like Persian, Sanskrit, illustrated but fragile and expensive, limiting access to elites. Printed books, from 1780s, were mass-produced, cheaper, vernacular, enabling wider dissemination. This shifted from oral to reading culture, aiding reforms. Manuscripts artistic, personal; print standardized, public. Discuss transition: Portuguese presses (1556) introduced technology, leading to newspapers and novels.
10. Evaluate fear of print among authorities. (PDF p.107)
Answer: Authorities feared print's potential for rebellion; Catholic Church banned books via Index (1558), executing heretics like Menocchio (1599) for Bible reinterpretation. Monarchs saw it as undermining authority, leading to censorship. Yet, print enabled Enlightenment and revolutions. In India, colonial Vernacular Press Act (1878) reflected similar fears. Evaluate: Print's dual role—progressive yet disruptive. Quote Luther and Mercier to contrast views.
11. Discuss new publication forms in India. (PDF p.120)
Answer: India's new print forms included novels like Baba Padmanji's Yamuna Paryatan (1857) on women's plight, Chandu Menon's Indulekha (1889) satirizing society. Lyrics (bhand), essays, and Battala bazaar books catered to masses. Women wrote domestic fiction. These reflected social issues, promoting reforms. Impacts: Fostered nationalism, cultural identity. Compare with Europe: India more reform-focused due to colonialism.
12. How did print create a new public in Europe? (PDF p.105)
Answer: Print created Europe's new public by lowering book prices, increasing literacy, and producing diverse content like almanacs for peasants, novels for women. Lending libraries and periodicals encouraged communal reading. This blended oral (ballads) with print, enabling debates. Impacts: Reformation, revolutions. Discuss social strata: Aristocrats vellum, poor chapbooks.
13. Explain children's print evolution. (PDF p.110)
Answer: Children's print evolved from oral folklore to dedicated presses (France 1850s), with Grimm Brothers' tales (1812) moralizing stories. Penny dreadfuls entertained, schoolbooks educated. In India, similar with folk tales printed. Impacts: Promoted literacy, nationalism via stories. Analyze gender: Boys adventure, girls domestic.
14. Assess print's impact on workers. (PDF p.111)
Answer: Print empowered workers by allowing autobiographies like Thomas Wood's, exposing hardships. In India, Kashibaba's Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal critiqued caste-labor divide. Libraries self-educated them. Impacts: Fueled labor movements, social reforms. Evaluate: Print as tool for class consciousness.
15. Describe Asian print innovations. (PDF p.102)
Answer: China innovated woodblock (594 AD), accordion books; Korea metal type (12th century); Japan hand-printing with ukiyo. These focused on education, art. Influence: Spread to Europe via Polo. Discuss cultural: China exams, Japan visuals.
16. How did print aid Indian nationalism? (PDF p.122)
Answer: Print aided Indian nationalism by spreading anti-colonial ideas via newspapers like Kesari, despite Vernacular Press Act (1878). Gandhi used Harijan for swaraj. Visuals like Bharat Mata fostered identity. Impacts: Unified diverse groups. Compare with French Revolution.
17. Analyze Ulema's use of print. (PDF p.117)
Answer: Ulema used cheap lithographs for religious texts and fatwas, Deoband issuing thousands. This democratized Islamic knowledge, sparking debates on women's rights. Impacts: Modernized reforms, but intensified orthodoxy. Link to Hindu parallels.
18. Discuss Begum Rokeya's contribution. (PDF p.119)
Answer: Begum Rokeya Hossein wrote Sultana’s Dream (1905), a feminist utopia with role-reversed genders, critiquing purdah. She founded schools for girls. Impacts: Inspired women's education, reforms. Contextualize in conservative society.
19. Explain Battala's significance. (PDF p.121)
Answer: Battala in Bengal produced cheap, scandalous books for masses, including religious and profane. Significance: Made print accessible to poor, blending high-low culture. Impacts: Increased literacy, social commentary.
20. Evaluate Gutenberg's press legacy. (PDF p.104)
Answer: Gutenberg's movable type (1448) legacy: Mass book production, knowledge democratization, Reformation trigger. Legacy: Foundation for modern media, though initial elite-focused. Global spread to Asia, colonies.
Practice Tip: 2M: 2min; 4M: 5min; 8M: 12min; use PDF figures/timelines.
