The print revolution and its impact - Concepts - Chapter 5 Class 10 History - Print Culture and the Modern World - History

Print Revolution transformed the lives of people. It changed their relationship with institutions and knowledge. It influenced their perception and way of looking at things.

A NEW READING PUBLIC :

• Due to printing , multiple copies of book s could be produced easily. The cost of books came down. And a new reading public emerged.
• Books became accessible to everyone and even common people started reading, unlike the old times when reading was only restricted to the elite. 
• Earlier, common people lived in a world of oral culture. They heard sacred texts, ballads (historical folk tale,usually sung) recited and folk tales narrated. 
• Knowledge was transferred orally.
• The transition from oral culture to printed books was not easy, as the books could only be enjoyed by the people who knew how to read and write.
• To deal with this problem, printers began publishing picture books or popular ballads into books so that they could be easily understood.
• That is how Oral culture entered Print, and the line that separated oral and reading cultures became blurred . Eventually, hearing public became reading public.

RELIGIOUS DEBATES AND FEAR OF PRINT :

• Print made the circulation of ideas possible , which encouraged the scope of debate and discussion.
• Now anybody, who disagreed with the established societal norms could print their ideas and try to persuade people about why they are right.
• People feared that if there would be no control on what was to be printed or read, then rebellious and irreligious thoughts might spread.
• As a result, there was widespread criticism of the new printed literature that began to be circulated.

PORTRAIT OF MARTIN LUTHER.

PROTESTANT REFORMATION :-

• It was a 16th century movement to reform the catholic church dominated by Rome.
• Martin Luther was one of the main reformers. 
• Several traditions of anti catholic christianity developed out of the movement.
• In 1517, Martin Luther wrote 95 Theses criticizing many practices/ rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
• These writings were widely produced and read, One copy was posted on a Church door in Wittenberg (city in Germany) .
• It challenged the church to debate his ideas,which gave rise to the protestant reformation.
• Luther even said,’ Printing is the ultimate gift of god and the greatest one’.
• Scholars felt that print had brought a new intellectual atmosphere and helped spread new ideas.

PRINT AND DISSENT :

• Print gave rise to multiple interpretations of faith even among the lesser educated people.
• In 16th century, MENOCCHIO, a miller in Italy, began reading books and interpreted the Bible in such a way that his view of god and creation enraged the catholic church.
• When the Catholic Church began enquiring his views further, he was hauled and ultimately executed.
• Roman Catholic church became troubled by such effects of readings and questioning of faith.
• From 1558, they imposed controls over the publishers and booksellers to maintain an Index of prohibited books.

A Chapbook in England named, History of Jack and the Giant Killer.