Test: Print Culture & Modern World - 2 - UPSC MCQ

The first printed books originated in China, Japan, and Korea through a method of hand printing, where paper was pressed against inked woodblocks to create texts and images.

• (i) The first printed books originated in China, Japan, and Korea through hand printing.
  This is correct as hand printing was the initial method of producing printed books in East Asia.
• (ii) The first printed book in Japan was the Buddhist Diamond Sutra.
  This is accurate as the oldest Japanese book, printed in AD 868, is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra.
• (iv) The print revolution led to the emergence of a new reading public.
  This statement is correct as the advent of the printing press made books more accessible, creating a new reading audience.
• (iii) Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1480s.
  This statement is incorrect as Gutenberg developed the printing press in the 1430s.
• Therefore, the correct option is Option C: (i), (ii) and (iv).

The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century was significantly influenced by Martin Luther's act of posting the Ninety-Five Theses, which criticized Roman Catholic Church practices and sparked widespread debate and division within the Church, ultimately leading to the Reformation movement.

Menocchio's reinterpretation of religious texts led to a controversial perspective that challenged the Roman Catholic Church, resulting in conflict and his eventual interrogation and execution.

• Option A: Menocchio - Protestant Reformation
  Explanation: Menocchio was an Italian miller who reinterpreted the Bible's message and faced the Roman Catholic Church's inquisition for his controversial views. He was not directly associated with the Protestant Reformation. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.
• Option B: Martin Luther - Ninety-Five Theses
  Explanation: Martin Luther is well-known for writing the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, which criticized the practices of the Roman Catholic Church and played a crucial role in sparking the Protestant Reformation. This pair is correctly matched.
• Option C: Louise-Sebastien Mercier - Index of Prohibited Books
  Explanation: Louise-Sebastien Mercier was an 18th-century French novelist who advocated for the impact of books in spreading progress and enlightenment. He did not establish the Index of Prohibited Books, which was created by the Roman Catholic Church to regulate and control the reading material deemed heretical. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.
• Option D: Richard M. Hoe - Offset Press
  Explanation: Richard M. Hoe from New York perfected the power-driven cylindrical press in the mid-19th century. The offset press, however, was introduced later in the 19th century. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.

The first Indian language book printed by Catholic priests in Cochin was a Tamil book in 1579. This marked a significant early development in the history of printing in India, showcasing the spread of printed material in regional languages.

The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 resulted in extensive government censorship over vernacular newspapers in colonial India, aiming to control and regulate the content published in these newspapers, impacting the freedom of the press significantly.

• Assertion (A) is correct. The statement accurately reflects the impact of the proliferation of printing presses in the late 19th century, enabling the easy replication of visual images.
• Reason (R) is also correct. Artists like Raja Ravi Varma indeed produced images for mass distribution, contributing significantly to the emerging visual culture.
• The Reason provides a logical explanation for the Assertion, as it directly supports the idea that the replication of visual images by artists like Raja Ravi Varma played a crucial role in shaping popular perceptions during that time.

• Option A: (a) Jyotiba Phule - Gulamgiri (1871) is correctly matched. Jyotiba Phule wrote "Gulamgiri" in 1871, which criticized the caste system's injustices.
• Option B: (b) B.R. Ambedkar - Sacchi Kavitayan is incorrect. Sacchi Kavitayan is a collection of poems by Sudarshan Chakr, not B.R. Ambedkar.
• Option C: (c) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker - Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal is incorrect. "Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal" was authored by Kashibaba, a millworker from Kanpur, not E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker.
• Option D: (d) Sudarshan Chakr - Gulamgiri (1871) is incorrect. Sudarshan Chakr wrote poems compiled in "Sacchi Kavitayan", not "Gulamgiri". "Gulamgiri" was written by Jyotiba Phule.