Question

Give reason for the following:

• A. Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.
• B. Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.
• C. The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of prohibited books from the mid-sixteenth century
• D. Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for the liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association.

Answer 1

The correct option is A

Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.

A) Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.

• Carefully written by scribes, the production of manuscripts was made possible by paper.
• Chinese paper reached Europe in the eleventh century.
• The technology of woodblock printing was already available in China.
• After many years of exploration in China, a great explorer, Marco Polo, returned to Italy in 1295.
• The knowledge of woodblock printing was brought to Italy by Marco Polo.
• After books began to be produced in Italy with woodblock technology, and the technology soon spread far and wide to different regions of Europe.
• The cheaper printed copies of books were bought by students in the University towns and by merchants.
• Woodblock printing gradually became more and more popular with the steady rise in demand for books.
• Woodblocks began to be used widely in Europe to print textiles, religious pictures with brief and simple texts, playing cards etc, by the early fifteenth century.
• With the invention of a new print technology, there was clearly a great need for even Cheaper and Quicker reproduction of texts.
• In Europe, by the early 15th century to meet the growing demands for a book, a new printing technology was developed.
• This new invention was done by Johann Gutenberg. In the 1430s, he developed the first known printing press. This invention was done in Germany (Strasbourg).
• To design his innovation, Gutenberg adapted existing technology.
• Gutenberg perfected the system by 1448.
• Per hour, 250 sheets on one side could be printed by the Gutenberg press.
• Books could now be produced much faster than was possible, carving a piece of wood by hand was done to prepare each print block.

b) Martin Luther was in favour of print and spoke out in praise of it.

Luther said printing was the greatest and ultimate gift of God, thereby showing his deep gratitude to the print.

• There was a significant effect on religion in Europe due to Print.
• Criticising many of the rituals and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, Martin Luther, the religious reformer wrote Ninety Five Theses, in 1517.
• In Wittenberg, on a church door, a printed copy of this was posted challenging the Church for a debate on his ideas.
• Luther’s writings were read widely and immediately reproduced in vast numbers.
• Within a few weeks 5,000 copies of Luther’s translation of the New Testament were sold and within three months, a second edition appeared.
• All these led to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation and a division within the Church.

c) The Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of prohibited books from the mid-sixteenth century.

• Due to the writings of Martin Luther divisions started rising within the church, which led to the beginning of Protestant Reformation.
• Even among the less educated working class people, there was a rise of individual interpretations of faith due to popular religious literature and print.
• Troubled by the questionings of faith as a result of popular readings, the Roman Church from 1558, began to maintain an Index of Prohibited Books and imposed severe controls over booksellers and publishers.
• By reading books that were available in his locality Menocchio, a miller in Italy (in the sixteenth century), the message of the Bible was reinterpreted.
• To repress heretical ideas (beliefs which are not in accordance with the teachings of the church), inquisition was begun by the Roman Catholic Church.
• Menocchio was hauled up twice as the Roman Catholic Church was enraged by Menocchio, for reinterpreting the message of the Bible and formulating a view of creation and God.
• All these events finally led to the execution of Menocchio by the Roman Catholic Church.
• A former Roman Catholic court was known as Inquisition, its purpose was to punish and identify the heretics.

d) Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is a fight for the liberty of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of association.

Modelled on the Irish Press Laws, the Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878, in India by the British Colonial Government.

• The newspapers were warned if the report was judged as seditious.
• The printing machinery was confiscated and the press was liable to be seized if the warning given to the press was ignored.
• In different provinces, vernacular newspapers were published, and the British government kept regular track of them.
• The new Vernacular Press Act provided the government with extensive rights to censor editorials and reports in the vernacular press.
• In 1922, Gandhi said the fight for Swaraj is nothing but fighting for the freedom which threatens, Freedom of Association, Liberty of the Press, Liberty of Speech.
• Gandhi said British Government was trying to crush powerful vehicles of expression and powerful vehicles of public opinion.
• Balgangadhar Tilak wrote with great sympathy when Punjab revolutionaries were deported in 1907. Balgangadhar Tilak wrote about them in Kesari.
• Balgangadhar Tilak was imprisoned in 1908 for his writings in Kesari. His arrest led to widespread protests all over India.
• In all parts of India, nationalist newspapers grew in numbers despite repressive measures.
• Nationalist newspapers encouraged nationalist activities and reported on colonial misrule.
• Libraries were promoted by social reformers who wanted to propagate the message of nationalism.