Social Science — CBSE Class 10 board question

"Not everyone welcomed the printed book" — this was because many feared the effects of easier access to printed material on people's minds.

Key concerns:

1. Religious authorities and monarchs feared that if print went uncontrolled, rebellious and irreligious thoughts would spread among the people.

1. Destruction of authority — It was feared that the authority of 'valuable' literature would be undermined by the wide circulation of cheap, unregulated books.

1. Writers and artists also expressed anxiety that the new printed literature would erode established cultural values.

1. Protestant Reformation (1517) — When Martin Luther printed his Ninety-Five Theses criticising the Roman Catholic Church, it caused a split within the Church. This alarmed Catholic authorities about print's dangerous potential.

1. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church began keeping an Index of Prohibited Books from the mid-sixteenth century to control what people read.

Source: Chapter 5, Section 3.2 — Religious Debates and the Fear of Print

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• The examiner expects at least 4–5 distinct points for 5 marks.
• Always name specific examples: Martin Luther, the Roman Catholic Church, the Index of Prohibited Books — these fetch marks.
• Avoid vague statements; link each fear to a consequence or example.
• The Index of Prohibited Books is a perfect concrete example from 16th-century Europe — mention it even if not directly in the passage (it appears in the exercise hints, confirming it is syllabus content).
• Keep the answer focused on Europe as the question specifies.