CBSE Class 10 Social Science History Chapter 5 Notes

Print culture and the modern world class 10 notes explain how the development of printing technology changed human history. This chapter tracks the journey of books from hand-copied manuscripts in East Asia to the mechanical revolution in Europe. It highlights how printed materials sparked the French Revolution, spread religious ideas, and eventually transformed literacy and society across India.

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Class 10 History Chapter 5 Notes

Class 10 history chapter 5 print culture and the modern world notes explores the evolution of print culture is not merely the story of machines and technology; it is the story of how human ideas, revolutions, and social reforms spread across the world.

From hand-printed manuscripts to modern newspapers, print technology transformed the way people thought, learned, and communicated, shaping societies and political movements globally.

The Origins of Print: East Asia- Ch 5 History Class 10 Notes

The earliest forms of printing developed in China, Japan, and Korea, where woodblock printing was used for centuries.

China

By the 17th century, China experienced a growth in urban culture, leading to increased demand for printed material. Printing expanded beyond scholar-officials to merchants, students, and leisure readers. By the late 19th century, Shanghai emerged as a major printing hub with the introduction of Western mechanical presses, greatly boosting mass production.

Japan

Hand-printing was introduced to Japan by Buddhist missionaries between AD 768–770. The oldest surviving Japanese printed book is the Diamond Sutra (AD 868), a Buddhist text. Printing played a crucial role in spreading religious teachings and literature.

The European Print Revolution

Print technology reached Europe through trade routes. Chinese paper arrived via the Silk Route in the 11th century, and in 1295, Marco Polo introduced woodblock printing ideas to Italy after returning from China.

Gutenberg’s Breakthrough

Before printing, manuscripts were costly, fragile, and slow to produce. In the 1430s, Johann Gutenberg of Germany revolutionized printing by developing the first mechanical printing press using movable metal type.

• By 1448, Gutenberg perfected his system

• The first book printed was the Bible

• He produced 180 copies in just three years, a remarkable achievement for the time

This innovation made books cheaper and more accessible, laying the foundation for mass literacy.

Impact of the Print Revolution

Rise of a New Reading Public

With the sudden availability of books, a new reading culture emerged. To reach the illiterate population, printers published illustrated folk tales, ballads, and pamphlets, allowing stories to be understood through visuals.

Religious Conflict and Dissent

The Reformation

In 1517, Martin Luther wrote the Ninety-Five Theses criticizing the Roman Catholic Church. Print enabled his ideas to spread rapidly across Europe, leading to the Protestant Reformation. Luther famously called print “the ultimate gift of God.”

Censorship

The Church feared the spread of rebellious ideas and imposed strict controls. A miller named Menocchio was executed for interpreting the Bible in his own way. In 1558, the Church published the Index of Prohibited Books to restrict reading material.

The Age of Enlightenment

By the 18th century, literacy rates in Europe rose to 60–80%.

• Cheap books like penny chapbooks in England

• Bibliothèque Bleue in France made reading affordable

Print popularized the ideas of thinkers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Newton, encouraging debate and critical thinking. These ideas played a key role in inspiring political change, particularly the French Revolution.

Innovations in the 19th Century

The 19th century witnessed major advancements in printing technology:

• Richard M. Hoe developed the power-driven cylindrical press

• Offset printing allowed multi-color printing

• By the 20th century, electric presses had greatly increased speed and efficiency

These innovations enabled newspapers, magazines, and books to reach wider audiences than ever before.

Print Culture in India

India had a long tradition of handwritten manuscripts on palm leaves and handmade paper, written in Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and regional languages.

Arrival of the Printing Press

• The first printing press arrived in Goa in the mid-16th century, brought by Portuguese missionaries

• In 1780, James Augustus Hickey started the Bengal Gazette, India’s first newspaper

Print and Religious Reform

Print became a powerful tool for social reform:

• Raja Rammohun Roy published Sambad Kaumudi (1821) to promote reformist ideas

• Orthodox groups responded with Samachar Chandrika

Print, Social Reform, and the Marginalised

Print gave voice to earlier unheard communities.

Caste Reform

• Jyotiba Phule wrote Gulamgiri (1871), exposing caste oppression

• Leaders like B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker used print to fight discrimination

Women’s Voices

• Rashsundari Devi published Amar Jiban (1876), the first autobiography by an Indian woman

• Tarabai Shinde highlighted the hardships faced by upper-caste widows

Workers’ Education

By the 1930s, mill workers in cities like Kanpur and Bangalore formed libraries and wrote poems to express their struggles and aspirations.

Censorship in India

As print began supporting nationalism, the British government imposed controls. In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act allowed censorship of newspapers in Indian languages. Despite restrictions, nationalist publications continued to grow, strengthening the freedom movement and spreading political awareness.

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1. How Printing First Started

Long ago, books were not made by machines. People in East Asia made them by hand. This part shows how the very first books moved from China to other places.

Old Books in Asia

• Woodblock Printing: Around the year AD 594, people in China used wood blocks to print. They put ink on a carved block of wood and pressed paper against it.

• Accordion Books: The paper was very thin. You could not print on both sides because the ink would show through. So, people folded and tied the paper to make a book.

• Japan’s First Book: People from China took this idea to Japan. The oldest book there is called the Diamond Sutra, made in AD 868.

Moving to Europe

• Paper Travels: Paper reached Europe through the Silk Route. Before this, Europeans wrote on expensive animal skin.

• Marco Polo: This famous traveler went to China. When he came back to Italy in 1295, he told everyone about woodblock printing.

• Problems with Handwriting: Writing books by hand was too slow. The books were easy to break and cost a lot of money.

2. Gutenberg and the First Machine

A man named Johann Gutenberg changed everything. He made a machine that could print books much faster. You can find more about this in print culture and the modern world class 10 notes pdf files.

The Big Invention

• The Wine Press Idea: Gutenberg grew up seeing how people pressed olives and grapes. He used that same idea to make a printing press.

• Metal Letters: He made small metal letters that could be moved around. This let him print many different pages quickly.

• The First Bible: The first book he made was the Bible. He printed 180 copies in three years. Back then, that was very fast!

Changes in Printing

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3. How Books Changed Minds

When books became cheap, more people started reading. This led to many new ideas and even big fights over what was right or wrong.

Religious Fights

• Martin Luther: He was a man who did not like some things the Church was doing. He wrote his ideas down and printed them.

• Protestant Reformation: Because of the printing press, thousands of people read his words. This started a big change in the Christian religion.

• Banning Books: Some leaders were scared of books. In 1558, the Church made a list of books that no one was allowed to read.

The French Revolution

• Thinking for Yourself: Writers like Voltaire wrote books that told people to use their own brains. They said people should not just follow the King blindly.

• Making Fun of Kings: Print was used to make cartoons that laughed at the rich leaders while the poor had no food. This made people angry enough to start a revolution.

4. Books for All People

In the 1800s, almost everyone started learning how to read. This was a "Reading Mania." Even children and workers wanted their own books. You can see this in print culture and the modern world class 10 notes handwritten notes.

Reading for Everyone

• For Kids: People started printing special storybooks for children. In Germany, the Grimm Brothers collected old fairy tales and printed them.

• For Women: Penny magazines were made just for women. They had stories and tips on how to run a home.

• Cheap Books: To help poor people buy books, printers made "Shilling Series." These were very low-cost books.

New Look for Books

• Book Covers: Printers started making paper covers (called dust jackets) to make books look nice and keep them clean.

• Fast Machines: A man named Richard M. Hoe made a press that could print 8,000 sheets in just one hour!

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5. Printing Comes to India

Printing arrived in India and helped people talk about their problems. Many students look for print culture and the modern world class 10 notes digraj sir to learn about this.

India’s First News

• Goa: The first printing press in India was brought by priests to Goa in the mid-1500s.

• The First Newspaper: James Augustus Hickey started the Bengal Gazette. He wanted to print the truth about everyone.

• Reformers: Leaders like Raja Rammohan Roy used newspapers to tell people to stop bad old customs like Sati.

Fighting for Freedom

• The Caste System: Jyotiba Phule wrote a book called Gulamgiri. He used it to show how unfair the caste system was to many people.

• Stopping the News: The British were unhappy with Indian newspapers. They passed the Vernacular Press Act in 1878 to stop people from writing against them.

• Nationalism: Leaders like Balgangadhar Tilak used his paper Kesari to ask people to fight for a free India.

Simple Tip: Check out the print culture and the modern world class 10 notes digraj sir pdf to see a list of all the famous Indian books mentioned in this chapter!

CBSE Class 10 Social Science History Chapter 5 Notes FAQs

What is an accordion book?

It is an old type of book where the paper is folded like a fan. Since you could only print on one side of the thin paper, folding it was the best way to make a book.

Why did some leaders fear books?

They were afraid that if people read new ideas, they would stop obeying the King or the Church. They thought books would make people rebellious.

Who was Marco Polo?

He was a traveler from Italy. He went to China and brought the secret of woodblock printing back to Europe.

What was the 'Reading Mania'?

This happened when books became very cheap and easy to find. Suddenly, everyone—even kids and workers—wanted to read all the time.

What did the Vernacular Press Act do?

It was a law made by the British in India. It allowed the government to shut down any Indian newspaper that wrote bad things about British rule.