Question 3 - Past Year Questions - 5 marks - Chapter 5 Class 10 History - Print Culture and the Modern World - History

Explain briefly the initial efforts made by foreigners to introduce the printing press in India.

Answer:

Hickey’s weekly magazine, BENGAL GAZETTE.

Points to remember :

• Portuguese missionaries introduced print in india.
• Jesuits learnt konkani and produced books in konkani and kanara.
• First tamil book in 1579, first malayalam book in 1713.
• English language press developed in India much later.
• In 1780, James Hickey began publishing weekly magazine Bengal Gazette.
• A lot of newspapers and magazines began to be printed.

Answer to be written :

• The Portuguese Missionaries first introduced  printing press in India in the mid-16th century.
•  Jesuit priests learned Konkani and printed many books. By 1674 about 50 books had been printed in the  Konkani and Kanara language.  
• Catholic priests first published printed books in Tamil in Cochin in 1579 and in 1713 first Malayalam book was printed. 
• The English language press did not grow in India   till very late even though officials of the East  India Company began to import presses from late 17th century.
•   From 1780, James Augustus Hickey began to edit  the Bengal Gazette, a weekly magazine; it was  a private English enterprise and was free from  Colonial influence.  Hickey published a lot of advertisements i ncluding  those that related to import and sale of slaves. 
•  By the end of the 18th century, a number of   newspapers and journals appeared in print.