Chapter 7 - Print Culture And The Modern World

The earliest kind of print was done in China in 594 AD. The printing was done by pressing the inked woodblock on the paper, and as the paper of that time could not be printed on both sides so, the craftsmen did a peculiar thing; they folded the paper on one side and then printed on both the sides, these were the Accordion books. The printing was sponsored by the imperial state.

Many factors played a huge role in diversifying the print system;

• The civil services examination was taken by the state, and the print was done for the examination. Also, the books for the same were printed and sponsored by the state.

• As the candidates increased so did the volume of print, and it led to a boom in printing.

• The culture of reading spread among merchants, officials and it became an activity which people did in their leisure time.

• The printed material was also imported, and rich women also started to read.

The Buddhist missionaries of China were the ones who introduced hand printing in Japan. Handprinting meant that using blocks and other material with the help of hand. It was introduced during the time span of AD 776-780. The first printed book of Japan was printed in AD 868 and was known as Diamond Sutra.

Johannes Gutenberg who was born in Mainz in Germany. He was the one who invented the first movable type printing in Europe. He and his father were a goldsmith, so they were aware of how to cut punches for making moulds. Thus, he used the same technique in the press that he invented.

Numerous changes were brought by the different innovations of print culture. People started becoming aware of everything and every issue around them. It led to widespread reading. Because of the printing press, people started using books on a large scale, and printed books became very cheap. Calligraphists lost their job. People began to be aware of the government and its deeds.

There were many thinkers of Europe who wrote their thoughts and affected and changed the mentality of people in the 18^th century Europe, Thomas Paine, Jean Jacques Rousseau

And Voltaire was the important thinkers of Europe and also Albert Einstein.

In the year of 1517, Martin Luther wrote the novel The Ninety Five These. He wrote it against the contemporary practice of the church with respect to indulgences. He was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.

It is a popular literature book, which is small in size. It was used earlier by people in the middle ages of Europe. It is a small pamphlet type book which contains, poems, stories and ballads. It was carried by petty peddlers and sold by them in the city. It was also known as ‘penny chapbook’ as it was sold for a penny.

Manuscripts in India had a very rich tradition, and it was written in Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit. It was copied on Palm Leaves or handmade paper. It was beautifully illustrated by artists and written in beautiful handwriting by scribes after this it was pressed between two wooden covers or sealed at the end of one side.

Jesuit priests learnt Konkani and Kannada languages and then printed the first Malayalam book in 1713. The first printing press was introduced by Portuguese missionaries in the 16^th century in Goa.

Children’s press was set in the year 1857 in France. It published old and new fairy tales, folk tales and other material that kids liked to read.

James Augustus Hickey was the author of Bengal Gazette. He was a British officer who was against the people of his own country for the idea of ruling India and torturing Indians.

Conversation Hindu and Muslim did not allow their girls to study because they thought that allowing all the girls to study can corrupt their mind, change their thoughts and mindsets. They thought that educating women would turn them rebellious and would start questioning their role in the society. Hindus thought that educated women would break traditional practices and Muslims thought they would get swayed away by reading Urdu romances.

The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was based on the Irish Law which gave the government the power to censor the reports of the press if they found it disturbing or against themselves (the government).

The Calcutta supreme court passed some regulations to control the press and what it. In 1835 many publications started protesting for their demand regarding the revision of the press and then Governor – General Bentinck agreed to revise the press Laws.

Rashsundari Devi learnt and read secretly in her kitchen. She faced many problems and was suppressed by her family and in-Laws. But she fought and was determined to learn and later wrote a book Amar Jiban.

Woodblocks were made by cutting out different shapes from wooden blocks. These blocks and shapes were dipped in ink, and then were pressed against a paper to print the required design and syllable. This kind of print was done in China in 594 AD. The craftsmen did a peculiar thing - they folded the paper on one side and then printed on both the sides. These were the Accordion books. The printing was sponsored by the imperial state.

The first printed book of Japan was printed in AD 868. It was also known as Diamond Sutra. The Buddhist missionaries of China were the one who introduced hand printing in Japan. Hand-printing meant using blocks and other material with the help of hand. It was introduced during the time span of AD 776-780.

The first printing press came to India in Goa with the Portuguese. By the end of the 17^th century,, the Jesuit priest learnt Konkani and Kanara Language and wrote books in these languages.

Menocchio was a miller in Italy. He read many books that were available in his locality. After reading these books, he wrote his notion in his reinterpretation which enraged all the priests and the Church.

The cartoons and caricatures in the newspaper were spread on a large scale, and ,they formed and changed the opinions of the people who read the printed material. Cartoons and caricatures were spread on a large scale. It spread a message that the government was interested in sensual pleasures and desires.

In the year of 1517, Martin Luther wrote the novel The Ninety Five These. He wrote it against the contemporary practice of the church with respect to indulgences. He was a social activist and Baptist minister who was responsible for the Protestant Reformation and played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968.

After the Great Depression people went without work and had no money. To popularize the printed books and make it sustainable in the market, the Cheap paperback was used, so that people could afford and buy these books for themselves.

The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was based on the Irish Law which gave the government the power to censor the reports of the press if they found it disturbing or against themselves (the government).

Print revolution affected the lifestyle of people in many ways:

• Because of print revolution, books could reach a wider population and were easily available.

• Many people who disagreed with the established authority, and were not able to express their thoughts, could now easily publish what they felt.

• What many thinkers wrote was now available to a wider population, so the thought process and opinions of many people changed.

• Novels created an interest in women’s lives and their thoughts and aspirations.

• Reading became common, as a result, literacy rates of the population increased. Books were printed for primary schools, service exams and other institutions. A children’s press was established in France in 1857 which published folk tales, fairy tales and other fables for children.

Johannes Gutenberg who was born in Mainz in Germany was the one who invented the first movable type printing in Europe. He and his father were goldsmiths, so they were aware of how to cut punches for making moulds thus he used the same technique in the press that he invented.

• Because of print, now books could reach a wider population and were easily available.

• Many people who disagreed with the established authority, and were not able to express their thoughts, they could now easily publish what they wrote.

• What many thinkers wrote was now available to a wider population so, the thought process and opinions of many people changed.

• Novels created an interest in women lives and their thoughts and aspirations, in fact, they created an interest in their own lives.

• Access to books led to an increase in the literacy rates of many parts of Europe, and books began to be printed on a large scale.

• There was experimentation with the different themes of the booksand the genres. Books started to cover themes like poetry, romance, war, women and even spiritual thoughts.

• Novels were printed, and even stories for children were printed which included folk tales, fairy tales and even moral stories.

• A children’s press was established in France in 1857 which performed the function of printing for children.

Woodblocks were made by cutting out different shapes from wooden blocks. These blocks and shapes were dipped in ink and then were pressed against a paper to print the required design and syllable. This kind of print was done in China in 594 AD. The craftsmen did a peculiar thing - they folded the paper on one side and then printed on both the sides. These were the Accordion books. The printing was sponsored by the imperial state. It became popular due to the full reasons:

1. The demand for books could not be met by handwritten manuscripts.

2. Circulation of manuscripts was difficult as they were difficult to handle and fragile.

3. Due to the demand for books, woodblock printing became cheaper.

1. The earliest kind of print was introduced in China in 594 AD.

2. The printing was done by pressing the inked woodblock on the paper, and as the paper of that time could not be printed on both sides so, the craftsmen did a peculiar thing they folded the paper on one side and then printed on both the sides, these were the Accordion books.

3. The printing was sponsored by the imperial state in China.

4. The Civil Services Examination was conducted by the state, and the print was done for the examination also the books for the same were printed and sponsored by the state.

5. As the candidates increased so did the volume of print, and it led to a boom in printing.

6. The culture of reading spread among merchants, officials and it became an activity which people did in their leisure time.

7. The printed material was also imported, and rich women also started to read.

8. By the seventeenth century, not only the officials but the merchants also used the print technology in their lives for their professional and other needs.

9. Women who were rich also started reading books and started printing and publishing their own books. Many scholar official’s wives were involved in doing this work.

10. The print was now not just a leisure activity.

1. At the end of the 20^th century (1920) many newspapers were published apart from James Augustus Hickey’s Bengal Gazette.

2. These newspapers contained articles of many nationalist leaders who moved and inspired the population of India.

3. All the diverse communities of India got connected through the print media, thus the print carried people and their identity from one place to another creating pan-Indian identities.

4. The views of reformers like Gangadhar Tilak and Raja Ram Mohan Roy were now read by public.

5. The newspapers highlighted the misrule and the cruelties of the British rule.

6. The newspaper wrote in different languages so people from all the regions in India could understand. This led to the awareness regarding the British Rule, and resulted in widespread movement in India in 1857.

• The print culture that surfaced in the world affected the population on a very large scale. The women writers helped in making big changes in the contemporary period of India.

• Because of print, now books could reach a wider population and were easily available to everyone. Many women started writing their thoughts.

• Women started to express their thoughts and opinions because of the exposure to print and awareness. Even after so many restrictions and taboos some rebel women fought and read what they wanted to.

• Even after a lot of restrictions and taboos, some rebel women fought and read what they wanted to read.

• There is a story of a North-Indian girl who was forbidden by her family to read. She was only allowed to read in Arabic-Quran as a result of which she read secretly. She also wrote a book which was published by herself. Astonishingly it was found that the language she wrote was not what her family permitted, but she wrote in the language she was interested in.

• Then there is the story of a woman named Rashsundari Devi who was brutally suppressed by her family. She was never allowed to read and write, so she secretly read in her and later wrote a book AMAR JIBAN and published it.

Thus, these great women by letting their thoughts out got involved in changing society and affecting it by giving their contribution.

1. Print culture promoted many social values; it inculcated values like reading.

2. It also allowed people to widen their thinking and their minds to liberate.

3. Their thinking was rationalised, and they got involved in reasoning.

4. As information flooded the minds of people, they started putting forward their opinions which led to discussions and debates.

5. People thought differently after reading books and different ideas of other humans.

6. The print culture promoted democracy, libertarianism and a society which involved in free speech.