Ans) Almanac is an annual publication giving astronomical data, information about the movements of the sun and moon, timing of full tides and eclipses and much else that was of importance in the everyday life of people.

Ans) Chapbook is a term used to describe pocket size books that are sold by travelling pedlars called ‘chapmen’. These became popular from the 16th century print revolution.

Ans) Despotism is a system of governance in which absolute power is exercised by an individual, unregulated by legal and constitutional checks.

Ans) Ulama Legal scholars of Islam and the sharia (a book of islamic law) are called the Ulamas. Fatwa Fatwa is a legal pronouncement on Islamic law usually given by a mufti to clarify issues on which the law is uncertain.

Ans) The Tripitaka Koreana are a korean collection of Buddhist scriptures of woodblock printing that belonged to the mid 13th century. These epics were engraved on about 80,000 woodblocks. They were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2007.

Ans) Vellum is a parchment made from the skin of animals. Luxury editions were handwritten on very expensive vellum meant for aristocratic circles and rich monastic libraries which scoffed at printed books as cheap vulgarities.

Ans) In letterpress printing, platen is a board which is pressed onto the back of the paper to get the impression from the type. Earlier it used to be a wooden board, later it was made of steel.

Ans) Compositor – The person who composes the text for printing.

Galley – Metal frame in which types are laid and the text composed.

Ans) Before printing, manuscripts were the medium of knowledge. It was made by coping on palm leaves or handmade papers.

Ans) The oldest book printed in Japan is the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, which was printed in 868 AD. The book consists of six sheets of text and woodcut illustrations.

Ans) The Protestant Reformation was a 16th century movement to reform the Catholic church dominated by Rome. Martin Luther was one of the main Protestant reformers. Several traditions of anti-catholic christianity developed out of the movement.

Ans) The historical narrative of a folk song, which is sung or recited, is called Gatha Geet.

Ans) Kailashbashini Devi and Pandita Ramabai

Ans) Johannes Gutenberg’s main work in printing was the invention of the movable-type printing press in Europe around 1440, which revolutionized the mass production of books. His innovations included a process for mass-producing durable metal type using an adjustable mold and a lead, tin, and antimony alloy, the use of oil-based ink, and adapting a screw press to create the mechanized printing press. 

Ans) For a very long time, the imperial state in China was the major producer of printed material. China possessed a huge bureaucratic system which recruited its personnel through civil service examination. The chinese imperial state printed textbook in vast numbers for this examination. From the 16th century, the number of examination candidates went up and that increased the volume of print.

Ans) Print culture created the favourable conditions for the French Revolution. It was a crucial factor in the French Revolution, spreading Enlightenment ideas, shaping public opinion through mass-produced pamphlets and newspapers, and creating a new culture of debate and dissent.

Ans) After the revolt of 1857, the attitude towards freedom of the press changed. Angered Englishmen demanded to put an end on the ‘native’ press. As vernacular newspapers became decisive nationalist, the colonial government began debating measures of stringent control. In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed, modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive rights to Censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. The government began to keep regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. If any report was judged as seditious, the Newspaper was warned and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized, and the printing machinery confiscated.