The Print Revolution
What was print revolution? It was not just a development, a new way of producing
books; it transformed the lives of people, changing their relationship to information
and knowledge. It influenced popular perceptions and opened up new ways of
looking at things
With the printing press, a new reading public emerged Printing reduced the cost of
books. The time and labour required to produce cach book has come down, and
multiple copies could be produced with greater case. Books flooded the market.
reaching out to an ever-growing readership
Access to books created a new culture of reading. Earlier reading was restricted to
the elites Common people lived in a world of oral culture. They heard sacred texts
read out, ballads recited and folk tales narrated. Knowledge was transferred orally
People collectively heard a story, or saw a performance. They did not read a book
individually and silently. Before the age of print, books were not only expensive but
also they could not be produced in sufficient numbers. Now book could reach out to
the wider sections of people. If earlier there was a hearing public, now a reading
public came into being
But the transition was not so simple. Books could be read only by the literate, and
the rates of literacy in all the countries were very low till the twentieth century How
then, could publishers persuade the common people to welcome the printed book?
To do this, they had to keep in mind the wider reach of the printed work, even those
who did not read could certainly enjoy listening to books being read out. So printers
began publishing popular ballads and folktales and such books would be profusely
illustrated with pictures. These were then sung and recited at gatherings in the
villages and in tavems in towns Oral culture thus entered print and printed material
was orally transmitted. The line that separated the oral and reading cultures became
blurred. And the hearing public and reading public became intermingled
1 1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given
below choosing the most appropriate options (x10-10)
i Books flooded the market. The reason behind this situation was
a the number of readers increased
b printing had been introduced
cbooks became accessible
d number of writers increased
u Earlier reading was restricted to elites Here elites' means
a educated and common people
b educated and powerful people
cwriters and publishers
d men in the royal family
11 knowledge transferred orally "Here synonym for 'wansferred
IN
#retained
b delivered
changed
d dismissed
iy. The antonym of the word suthent's
a inadequate
bindefinite
inactive
d indifferent
v. What did the publishen do to get a wider reach for the books!
a. They sold the books at a discount rate.
b. They included more pictures in the books
c. They started to read books for the common people
d. They published popular songs and stories with pictures
vi Pick out the statements that are true to the passage
1. After the introduction of printing press, the number of books increased
2. Earlier the knowledge was transferred only orally
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
The shift from hand printing to mechanical printing is known as the print revolution. The Print Revolution influenced people’s conception and opened new ways of looking at things. It transformed the lives of people by opening the door of knowledge to a vast literate population. It also changed people’s relationship to information and knowledge and with institution and authorities. It encouraged debates and discussions on written texts and encouraged freedom of opinion on important issues. Thus generating a new reading habit and book culture. Printing influenced the life of people in the following ways:
The ideas of scientists and philosophers now became more accessible to the common people.
Print popularized the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers. Collectively, their writings provided a critical commentary on tradition,superstition and despotism. They argued for the rule of reason rather than custom, and demanded that everything be judged through the application of reason and rationality.