Write short notes to show what you know about:

(a) The Gutenberg Press

(b) Erasmus’s idea of the printed book

(c) The Vernacular Press Act

(a) The Gutenberg Press — Gutenberg was the son of a merchant. He invented Gutenberg press. Gutenberg adapted existing technology to design his innovation. The olive press provided the model for the printing press, and moulds were used for casting the metal types for the letters of the alphabet. Gutenberg developed metal types for each of the 26 characters of the Roman alphabet and devised a way of moving them around so as to compose different words of the text. This came to be known as the moveable type printing machine. It remained the basic print technology over the next 300 years. The Gutenberg press could print 250 sheets on one side per hour. The first book printed here was the Bible. About 180 copies were printed and it took three years to produce them. By the standards of the time this was fast production.

(b) Erasmus's idea of the printed book — Erasmus, a Latin scholar and a Catholic reformer was against printing of books. He criticised the printing of books because he thought that most of the books are stupid, ignorant, scandalous, raving, irreligious and seditious. He insisted that the printing of books will be hurtful to scholars. The learned section and their writings will lose their value due to swarming books.

(c) The Vernacular Press Act — The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878. It was modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. From now on, the government kept regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. When a 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. This act helped the government to keep a tab on growing patriotism and movements in India.