Question

How did the advent of print culture affect the poor people in India? Explain.

Hint:

Manuscripts played a key role in preserving knowledge and literature before printing, but their manual nature made them expensive and limited access to education.

Answer 1

The advent of print culture in India had significant effects on various sections of society, including the poor:
- Increased Accessibility to Knowledge: Before the printing press, books were scarce and expensive, primarily accessible to the elite. With the printing press, books and pamphlets became more widely available, reducing the cost of education and making knowledge accessible to a larger portion of the population, including the poor.
- Literacy and Education: The spread of printed material facilitated the growth of literacy rates. Printed educational materials, including textbooks, newspapers, and pamphlets, reached the masses, thus enabling the poor to acquire basic education and knowledge.
- Social Reform Movements: Print culture helped spread social reform ideas, such as those from Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Jyotirao Phule, who advocated for the rights of the lower classes, including women and Dalits. These ideas reached rural and poor areas, encouraging participation in the reform movements.
- Cultural Change: The availability of printed materials encouraged a sense of collective identity and awareness of social issues, promoting cultural transformation in rural areas and among the poor.