NCERT History Class 10 | Print and Censorship – Concept and Notes
Topic & sub-topics covered: Print and Censorship class 10: Print Culture and The Modern World (All single detail notes are exam-oriented).
We have discussed in-depth and exam-oriented pointers that can be asked in the board exam of class 10th about “Print and Censorship” which is taken from the NCERT History book for class 10th chapter no. 5 “Print Culture and The Modern World“.
Download NCERT History Chapter 5 Class 10th Notes PDF for “Print Culture and The Modern World”
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NCERT Class 10 History Chapter 5 Print Culture And The Modern World Class 10th Notes & Concept
Print and Censorship Class 10
1. Early Colonial Press Control:
- Before 1798, the East India Company was not heavily concerned with censorship, primarily targeting English critics of Company actions in India to prevent attacks on its trade monopoly.
2. Changes in Press Regulations (1820s – 1835):
- In the 1820s, the Calcutta Supreme Court introduced regulations to control press freedom, aiming to promote newspapers supportive of British rule.
- Governor-General Bentinck revised press laws in 1835, restoring earlier freedoms under the influence of liberal colonial official Thomas Macaulay.
3. Post-1857 Revolt Shift in Press Attitude:
- After the 1857 revolt, English demands for press control intensified, especially targeting assertively nationalist vernacular newspapers.
- The Vernacular Press Act of 1878, modelled on Irish Press Laws, granted extensive censorship rights to the government over vernacular press content.
4. Impact on Nationalist Press and Responses:
- Despite repression, nationalist newspapers proliferated, reporting on colonial misrule and fostering nationalist activities.
- Attempts to suppress nationalist criticism triggered militant protests, leading to cycles of persecution and protests, exemplified by Balgangadhar Tilak’s imprisonment in 1908 for supporting Punjab revolutionaries, sparking widespread protests across India.
Next & Previous Topics of NCERT/CBSE History Class 10 Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World
MCQs on NCERT Civics Class 10 Chapter 4 Topic – Print and Censorship Class 10
Here are top exam oriented mcq’s type questions on “Print and Censorship class 10” that you should prepare for your CBSE or state board exams:
Question 1. Before 1798, censorship by the colonial state under the East India Company was directed against:
A) Indian writers
B) Englishmen critical of Company rule
C) Religious texts
D) Nationalist leaders
Answer: B) Englishmen critical of Company rule
Question 2. The East India Company feared criticism of its officers because:
A) It could lead to rebellion in India
B) Critics in England might attack its trade monopoly
C) It would weaken its administrative control
D) Indian leaders might use it to gain power
Answer: B) Critics in England might attack its trade monopoly
Question 3. Which court passed regulations to control press freedom in the 1820s?
A) Calcutta High Court
B) Madras High Court
C) Calcutta Supreme Court
D) Bombay High Court
Answer: C) Calcutta Supreme Court
Question 4. Why did the Company encourage the publication of newspapers in the 1820s?
A) To promote Indian culture
B) To celebrate British rule
C) To support freedom movements
D) To curb nationalist sentiments
Answer: B) To celebrate British rule
Question 5. Who formulated new press rules in 1835, restoring press freedom?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Thomas Macaulay
C) Warren Hastings
D) Lord Canning
Answer: B) Thomas Macaulay
Question 6. After the revolt of 1857, the colonial government:
A) Liberated the press completely
B) Tightened control over the native press
C) Abolished vernacular newspapers
D) Supported nationalist journalism
Answer: B) Tightened control over the native press
Question 7. The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was modelled on:
A) French Revolutionary Laws
B) British Parliamentary Acts
C) Irish Press Laws
D) American Press Regulations
Answer: C) Irish Press Laws
Question 8. The Vernacular Press Act provided the government with the right to:
A) Seize newspapers and confiscate printing machinery
B) Control English-language newspapers
C) Promote nationalist activities
D) Reward loyal press editors
Answer: A) Seize newspapers and confiscate printing machinery
Question 9. What would happen if a vernacular newspaper ignored government warnings under the Vernacular Press Act?
A) The editor would be imprisoned
B) The newspaper would be nationalized
C) The press and machinery would be confiscated
D) The newspaper would be banned permanently
Answer: C) The press and machinery would be confiscated
Question 10. What was the primary role of nationalist newspapers in colonial India?
A) To support British rule
B) To criticize colonial misrule and encourage nationalist activities
C) To promote British policies
D) To publish religious literature
Answer: B) To criticize colonial misrule and encourage nationalist activities
Question 11. What provoked militant protests among Indian nationalists?
A) British support for nationalist newspapers
B) Attempts to suppress nationalist criticism
C) Introduction of the Irish Press Laws
D) Abolition of vernacular newspapers
Answer: B) Attempts to suppress nationalist criticism
Question 12. Which revolutionary leader was deported in 1907, leading to widespread protests?
A) Lala Lajpat Rai
B) Balgangadhar Tilak
C) Bhagat Singh
D) Punjab revolutionaries
Answer: D) Punjab revolutionaries
Question 13. What was the outcome of Balgangadhar Tilak’s writings in the Kesari in 1907?
A) He was rewarded for his journalism
B) He was imprisoned in 1908
C) His newspaper was nationalized
D) He joined the British government
Answer: B) He was imprisoned in 1908
Question 14. What was the reaction to Balgangadhar Tilak’s imprisonment in 1908?
A) Nationalist newspapers ceased operations
B) Widespread protests erupted across India
C) The British government relaxed censorship laws
D) The press supported colonial policies
Answer: B) Widespread protests erupted across India
Question 15. What characterized the colonial government’s attitude towards the press post-1857?
A) Supportive and liberal
B) Stringent and repressive
C) Indifferent and neutral
D) Encouraging and unbiased
Answer: B) Stringent and repressive
Question 16. Which act exemplified the colonial government’s attempts to curb press freedom?
A) Indian Press Act, 1908
B) Vernacular Press Act, 1878
C) Censorship Act, 1857
D) Press Restriction Act, 1825
Answer: B) Vernacular Press Act, 1878
Question 17. How did nationalist newspapers respond to repressive colonial measures?
A) By shifting focus to non-political topics
B) By growing in number and challenging colonial rule
C) By allying with the British government
D) By ceasing publication
Answer: B) By growing in number and challenging colonial rule
FAQ on Print and Censorship Class 10
Q1. How did the East India Company’s approach to press control change before and after 1798?
Answer: Before 1798, the East India Company primarily targeted English critics to safeguard its trade monopoly. After 1798, it became more concerned with press censorship to promote newspapers supportive of British rule in India.
Q2. What were the key amendments in press regulations during the 1820s and 1835, and how did they impact press freedom?
Answer: In the 1820s, regulations were introduced to control press freedom, aiming to promote newspapers favourable to British rule. Governor-General Bentinck’s amendments in 1835 restored some freedoms, influenced by liberal officials like Thomas Macaulay.
Q3. How did the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 affect nationalist newspapers, and what were the responses to government censorship?
Answer: The Vernacular Press Act granted extensive censorship powers over vernacular press content. Despite the repression, nationalist newspapers proliferated, reporting on colonial misrule and triggering cycles of persecution and protests, notably seen in Balgangadhar Tilak’s imprisonment in 1908, sparking widespread protests.