Question

Why did some people fear the easy available printed books? Choose one example from Europe and one from India.

Answer 1

Hint:
Print introduced a new world of debate and discussion by creating the possibility of wide circulation of ideas.
The fear was that “irreligious” and “rebellious” thoughts might spread if there was no control over what was printed and read.



Complete answer:
Print introduced a new world of debate and discussion by creating the possibility of wide circulation of ideas. Even those people who do not agree with the higher authorities could now print and circulate their ideas. Therefore not everyone welcomed the printed books, and those who did were also in a dilemma about it. Many were concerned about the effects of the easier access to the printed books and their wider circulation, on people’s minds.

The fear was that “irreligious” and “rebellious” thoughts might spread if there was no control over what was printed and read. This could shatter the authority of ‘valuable’ literature. This anxiety was the basis of widespread criticism among the religious authorities and monarchs, as well as many writers and artists, regarding the new printed literature that had begun to circulate.
Examples:
Europe: In the sixteenth century, a miller in Italy named Menocchio began to read books that were available in his locality. He reinterpreted the message of the Bible and drew up a view of God and Creation that provoked anger in the Roman Catholic Church. Interrogation was begun by the Roman Church to repress heretical ideas and ultimately Menocchio was executed.

India: Conservative Muslims feared that educated women would be corrupted by reading Urdu romances while Hindus believed that a literate girl would be widowed .Hence an intense controversy developed between the Hindu orthodox and social and religious reformer over matters such as widow immolation, monotheism, Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry.


The answer is 3. Civil Disobedience Movement


Note:
There is another example from Europe which led to the beginning of the protestant reformation.
In 1517, Martin Luther, a religious reformer, wrote Ninety five theses criticizing many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
He challenged the church to debate his ideas. Luther’s writing was immediately reproduced in vast numbers and widely spread.
This led to a division within the church and ultimately to the beginning of the protestant reformation.