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Read the extract given below and answer the questions:
India had a very rich and old tradition of handwritten manuscripts – in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, as well as in various vernacular languages. Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or on handmade paper. Pages were sometimes beautifully illustrated. They would be either pressed wooden covers or sewn together to ensure preservation. Manuscripts continued to be produced well after the introduction of print, down to the late nineteenth century. Manuscripts, however, were highly expensive and fragile. They had to be handled carefully, and they could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles. So manuscripts were not widely used in everyday life. Even though pre-colonial Bengal had developed an extensive network of village primary schools, students very often did not read texts. They only learnt to write. Teachers dictated portions of texts from memory and students wrote them down. Many thus became literate without ever actually reading any kinds of texts.
Question (i) What is meant by manuscripts?
Answer:
Manuscripts are handwritten works , usually done on palm leaves, bark of trees or handmade paper. Their pages were beautifully illustrated.
Question (ii) Mention any two languages in which the manuscripts were written.
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Answer:
Manuscripts were written in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, as well as in various vernacular languages.
Question (iii) Write any two features of the manuscripts.
Answer:
(i) Manuscripts were highly expensive and fragile
(ii) Manuscripts were not widely used in everyday life.
Question (iv) Did the use of manuscripts stop after the introduction of print?
Answer:
No, the manuscripts continued to be produced after the introduction of print, down to the late 19th century. They were still enjoyed by the elite, as they were expensive and unique.
Question (v) Why were manuscripts difficult to read?
Answer:
Manuscripts could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles.
Question (vi) What were manuscripts written on?
Answer:
Many manuscripts were written on palm leaves, bark of trees or on handmade paper.
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