WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History And Environment Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas And Initiatives Question And Answers

Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas And Initiatives Short Questions And Answers

Question 1. Write a note on Bose Institute.
Answer:

Bose Institute

Introduction: Bose Institute is a research institute in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Plant Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Animal physiology, Immunotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Environmental science. The institute was established in 1917 by Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose, who was the founder of modern scientific research in India. Bose Institute was a pioneer in developing the concept of interdisciplinary research in India in synch with global trends. Its alumni have achieved renown in India and the world.

Establishment: Acharya J. C. Bose founded the Institute in 1917 to investigate fully “the many and ever-opening problems of nascent science which includes both life and non-life sciences”. Acharya Bose’s early career included many marvelously inventive and pioneering experiments on electromagnetism which, in J. J. Thomson’s words, marked “the dawn of the revival in India of interest in researches in the Physical Sciences”, and on the commonality of the response of plants and inorganic materials to electric and mechanical stimuli. Those early successes lay behind the stated purpose. Bose’s successors remained true to that purpose.

Activities: Dr. D. M. Bose and Dr. Biva Chowdhury were the first to experimentally record Meson tracks. They made further pioneering contributions to the susceptibility measurement of paramagnetic compounds.

The Institute actively participated in the pioneering discovery of Cholera Toxin and its role in the pathogenesis of Cholera by Prof. S. N. De. This led to a breakthrough in the understanding of the molecular mechanism of toxin-receptor interaction in microbial pathogenesis.

Prof. B. B. Biswas and his group demonstrated a multiplicity of RNAP from higher plant sources. It is, therefore, not surprising to find Bose Institute’s research activities today spanning a wide compass, a feature that makes it unique amongst all research institutes in India.

The Institute’s 600 staff and students mostly work out of two campuses in the city of Kolkata, which house its various academic departments and sections, together with a Library and other service units.

The J.C. Bose Museum is a special attraction on the Main Campus. It contains a fine collection of manuscripts, instruments, etc. that record Bose’s life and work; these are on permanent display. In addition, there are four special-purpose Field Stations.

Recent Research: In recent years the impact of scientific research has been assessed on objective criteria, e.g. Citation Index, Impact factors, and Peer Review.

When the research activities in India were independently assessed by the National Information System for Sciences And Technology (NISSAT) of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the research work from Bose Institute was rated High impact in Biology and Biomedical research areas.

Question 2. Discuss the contributions of Charles Wilkins in the field of the printing press in Bengal.
Answer:

Charles Wilkins:

1. Introduction: Charles Wilkins is perhaps one of the most significant figures in the history of printing in Bengal at his time. He was a writer employed by the East India Company. In 1770 he sailed to India where he quickly distinguished himself by showing extraordinary proficiency in Persian, Sanskrit, and Bengali

2. ‘A Grammar of the Bengali Language’: In 1778 Governor General Warren Hastings asked him to prepare the earliest known set of Bengali types for N. B. Halhed’s A Grammar of the Bengali Language. The success of the enterprise and Hicky’s scurrilous attacks on the Company led the Company to feel that it would be better off setting up its press rather than employing a contract printer. Accordingly, Wilkins was asked to draw up a plan for a press.

3. Past at the Company’s Press: In December 1778 he was given the authority of the first superintendent of the Honourable Company’s Press. The Press began its operations in Malda, 175 miles north of Calcutta, and only shifted to Calcutta in 1781 when Wilkins was appointed the Persian and Bengali translator of the Committee of Revenue. He printed about thirteen works

4. Exemplary Work: In the preface to Halhed’s works Wilkins is applauded for having been a metallurgist, engraver, founder, and printer. He also exemplified how good printing is a collaborative exercise. The well-known gem-and-seal engraver Joseph Shepherd as well as the Bengali blacksmith Panchanan Karmakar were employed to help him with the designing and cutting of types, and the casting of fonts.

Question 3. Write a note on the National Council of Education.
Answer:

National Council of Education:

1. Introduction: The National Council of Education was one of the three universities in modern India set up by the British in Calcutta in 1861 which were instruments of spreading Western philosophical thought among the elite in India and creating in the words of Lord Macaulay, “a class of Indians who would be Indian in blood and color but western in thought and ideas.”

2. Universities Act, 1904: This initiative was furthered by the passing of the Universities Act of 1904. This resulted in the reorganization of Calcutta University’s Senate and Syndicate by the nomination of more white members into them, which in turn, would enable the government to control her policies. The government also decided to stop helping financially many private Indian colleges, which had come up lately and were regarded by the Government as hotbeds of nationalist agitation. The measures stirred the educated middle class to move for alternative systems of education

3. Criticism of Calcutta University: The nationalists in the freedom struggle of India dubbed the Calcutta University, another pillar of India’s education movement, as “Goldighir Ghulamkhana”, or the slave house of Goldighi, concerning the lake adjacent to Calcutta University, and the number of graduates it churned out who were used in British merchant offices as clerks. Hence, the need for setting up an institution that would impart education along with inspiring nationalist ideas was strongly felt by the luminaries of the period

4. Nationalist Agitation: The real impetus though was provided by the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, the then Governor-General of India, into East Bengal on the one hand (the area that was eventually to become Bangladesh in 1971) and West Bengal and Odisha on the other. The youth of Bengal actively participated in the Swadeshi movement, and the participation of university students drew the ire of the Raj. R.W. Carlyle prohibited the participation of students in political meetings on the threat of withdrawal of funding and grants. The decade preceding these decrees had seen Bengali intellectuals increasingly calling for Indigenous schools and colleges to replace British institutions

5. Establishment of National Council of Education: On 16 November 1905, the Landholders’ Society organized a meeting at Park Street, attended by around 1500 delegates, including Rabindranath Tagore, Aurobindo Ghosh, Raja Subodh Chandra Mullick, and Brajendra Kishore Roychowdhury. The idea of the National Council of Education was raised and developed here. In a meeting held on 9 November 1905 at the Field and Academic Club, Subodh Chandra Mullick pledged one lakh rupees for the foundation of a National University in Bengal. The objective of setting up the institution was to challenge British rule over education by offering education to the masses ‘on national lines and under national control’.

Generous sums of money were also donated by Brojendra Kishore Roy Choudhury, Maharaja Suryya Kanto Acharya Choudhury, and Rashbihari Ghosh, who was appointed the first president of the university. Aurobindo served as the first Principal of the college. The organization in its beginning period was intimately associated with the nascent revolutionary nationalism in Bengal at the time. It was during his time as Principal that Aurobindo started his nationalist publications Jugantar, Karmayogin, and Bande Mataram. The student mess at the College was frequented by students of East Bengal who belonged to the Dhaka branch of the Anushilan Samiti and was known to be the hotbed of revolutionary nationalism, which was uncontrolled or even encouraged by the college.

Question 4. Give an account of the growth of the Bengali printing press from the middle of the 19th century.
Answer:

Early Development:

Growth of the Bengali Printing Press from the Middle of the 19th Century: From 1780 to 1790, a total of 19 weekly and 6 monthly magazines were published from various printing presses in Calcutta. Gangakishore Bhattacharya was the first Bengali publisher and bookseller in Calcutta who published the book ‘Annadamangal’ of Bharatchandra. In 1800, the total number of printed books on Calcutta was 650. Gradually the number of other types of books printed and sold also increased rapidly. Barnaparichaya of Vidyasagar (1855) was published from 1869 to 1880 – a total number of 50,000. In 1885-1886 there were 1094 printing presses in India, of which 229 were in Bengal.

Contribution of Vidyasagar: The commercial initiative of the Bengali Press in the latter half of the 19th century was taken by Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar. He had tried to bring about the commercial advantages of the Press in Bengal. It must be said that he had a great influence on the Bengali publication industry of those days.

He along with his friend Madanmohan had founded the Sanskrit Press in 1847 at Patoldanga 62, Amherst Street. He became the absolute owner of the press in 1856. This press published many copies of this and his other work regularly. For instance, nearly 50,000 copies of his work Barnoparichay were sold in the year 1856.

He also opened the Sanskrit Press Depository, the first book shop in College Street. Those days he used to earn a princely sum of three to four thousand rupees every month by just selling his educational books.

For this reason, he is considered the first commercial book vendor of modern Bengal. However, later on, he transferred the exclusive rights of his bookstore to Brajanath Mukherjee in 1864.

In 1885 in the autumn of his life, he opened another book store Kolkata Pustakalay on 24, Sukia Street. His own and other copyrighted books were published and sold from this place. For these reasons, Vidyasagar is also called Vidyabanik or the commercial educationist.

Serampore Press: In the second half of the 19th century, Serampore Press was printing books in 34 languages. Here William Kerry printed the first Bengali book. He was assisted in this work by William Ward and Marshman. These persons were nicknamed as Serampore Trio.

Battle Publishers: Besides this, many low-priced books and photographs for the common man were published by the Battala Publishers (1840-70). The printers were mostly located in Chitpur, Shobha Bazaar, Kumartoli, Jorashankho, Mirzapur, Simla, and Sealdah.

Question 5. Give an account of the talent of Upendrakishore in the area of printing.
Answer:

Upendrakishor Roy:

1. Introduction: Upendrakishore Roy Choudhury (12th March, 1863-20th December 1915) was better known as Upendrakishore Roy. He was a prominent Bengali writer, artist, violin player, and composer and was also an entrepreneur.

He was the son-in-law of Dwarkanath Ganguly, the author of the book ‘Slave Trade in Assam, father of famous writer Sukumar Roy, and the grandfather of the eminent Oscar-winning cinema director Satyajit Ray. He was one of the active members of the Brahmo Samaj.

He had very close relations with the Jorashanko Thakurbari family. He was the first person to introduce color printing in Bengal after it was started in Western countries.

2. Professional Training and Carrer: Though he was born in the Kishorganj district of Bangladesh, his professional life was spent in Calcutta. He pioneered the introduction of the modern halftone blocks in South Asia.

He had realized that the use of wooden blocks for printing his book Cheleder Ramayan was very outdated. So he went to England and learned the craft of printing with modern blocks and in 1895 came to ‘India and started a successful business of making modern printing blocks.

He had also penned down his knowledge and experience in making modern printing blocks and this manuscript was also published in England in Penrose Annual Volume.

3. U.N. Roy & Sons: In 1913 he was the first Bengali in Asia to start a colored printing press. This press went by the name U. Roy & Sons and was located at 100 Garpar Road.
He was also an expert in drawing building answers: His son Sukumar Roy obtained an engineering degree in printing technology from the University of Manchester.

4. Printing Technology: U. Roy learned the technology of producing half-tone blocks. He established the screen adjusting machine in England. In 1904-05 he was mentioned in the Penrose Annual Volume X, a handbook of British Printing & Technology as, ‘Mr, Roy is a successful person in the world of printing’.

5. Contribution to Children’s Literature: Upendra Kishore made a stellar contribution to children’s literature. One of these famous works, ‘Goopi Gayen Bagha Bayen’ was successfully filmed by his grandson Satyajit Ray. Besides this, his other works included ‘Tutunir Boi’ and ‘Cheleder Mahabharat’. He started the first colored children’s magazine ‘Sandesh’. Though the publishing house U. Roy & Sons was a business house, many of the creations of Upendra Kishore and his son Sukumar Roy were published from this place.

Question 6. Describe the ‘Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science’.
Answer:

Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science: In 1876 Mahendralal Sarkar established the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS). This was India’s first center for discussion in the areas of basic science.

This is one of the reasons why Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar is called “The Father of the Study of Modern Science”. Professor C. V. Raman was attached to this institute from 1907 to 1933. He received his Nobel Prize in 1930 because of his research in light.

Characteristics: This institution was run by contributions from the citizens and was located at 210, Bowbazar Street. In the 19th century, Bengal this institution contributed immensely to the development of Bengal’s intellectual and cultural faculties.

This institution gave its students an environment of solely native and purely national character. The main goal of this institution is research in basic sciences. Even today the IACS is continuing to work with this goal in mind and the object is to make the lives of mankind more comfortable.

Early Phase: In the first phase the lecturers at this institution were highly qualified people. They included Father Lafont, Jagadish Chandra Basu, Chunilal Bose, Premnath Bose, and Ashutosh Mukherjee. Moreover, the IACS trust board consisted of luminaries like Vidyasagar and Keshav Chandra Sen. In 1912 the first Indian President of IACS was Raja Pyarimohan Mukherjee. His successors included Dr. Nil Ratan Sarkar, Gyan Chandra Ghosh, and Dr. Satyendranath Bose (an eminent physicist).

During the time of C. V. Raman: In 1907 with the leadership of Sir C. V. Raman IACS started developing into a new trajectory. At that time Dr. Mahendra Lai Sarkar’s son Amrit Lai Sarkar was the institute’s secretary. He led all the work of the institute. Dr. Raman published his papers on the Raman Effect in 1928. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery. Following Raman’s footsteps, many new areas of science were developed from the IACS. Prominent amongst them was K. S. Krishnan who worked on Modern Magnetism and Structural Physics. Similarly prominent scientist K. Banerjee worked on Crystallography.

Conclusion: Later on the IACS became India’s premier center for research in material sciences. Today also many students come from various places of India to study and continue research in the IACS. Some of the eminent scientists who carried out research in the later years were D. S. Bhagwantam, L. Srinivastav, N. K. Seti, C. Prasad, and Meghnad Saha.

Question 7. Write a note on Calcutta Science College.
Answer:

Calcutta Science College: In 1914 Taranath Palit and Sir Rashbehari Ghosh founded the Rajabazar Science College. Besides this, to carry on research in science and technology, Jagadish Chandra Basu established the Bose Institute.

Establishment: In Calcutta, the West Bengal Institute of Animal and Fisheries Sciences is located at 37-38, Khudiram Basu Sarani. This was established in 1915, on 2nd January. Apart from this, in the entire West Bengal, many agricultural colleges and research institutes were also established.

Research Work: Calcutta was soon made a center for research in Radio Physics by Shishir Kumar Mitra (28 August 1890-13 August 1963). Despite the tremendous research being done in the West in the field of Radio Physics, Shishir Kumar Mitra along with his colleagues made a great discovery in this area in 1930. Dr. Mitra and his fellow researcher Dr. P. Shyam conducted a considerable amount of research in the field of Radio Physics. Dr. Mitra started a separate course in Radio Physics at Calcutta University. This was the first established course in the study of Radio Physics in India. Dr. Mitra followed this up with the opening of the new Department of Radio Physics and Technology at Calcutta University. A lot of research was done about the various layers of the Ionosphere. He established the ionospheric Field Station in Haringhata about 45 kilometers from Calcutta in 1950. He was also India’s first pathfinder for Radio Broadcasting. He was the founding member of the National Institute of Sciences in Calcutta. He also served as the President of the Asiatic Society from 1951 to 1952. Because of his achievements, he was awarded the George Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935. Other awards were also showered upon him like the Joy Kishen Mukherjee Gold Medal in 1943 from the Indian Institute for the Cultivation of Science and again in 1956, he received the Calcutta Science Congress Medal from the Asiatic Society. In 1958 he was declared a Fellow of the Royal Society in London. In 1962 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Question 8. Discuss the contributions of Meghnad Saha and Prashanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the field progress of Bengal’s Science.
Answer:

Meghan Saha (6.10.1893-16.2.1956): Meghnad Saha was a space scientist and in 1916 he joined the Applied Mathematics department of the University College of Sciences. After receiving many honors in both national and international arenas, he established the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Calcutta, which was later renamed as Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics. After establishing the National Institute of Sciences, he advised the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the development of industry and national planning. Because of his efforts, the Indian Institute for the Cultivation of Science and Glass and Ceramic Research Institute was established. Meghnad Saha was born in a very poor family but he rose to great heights solely due to his efforts and brilliance. He died in a road accident while on his way to attend the Planning Commission meeting at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

Prashanta Chandra Mahalanobis (21.6.1893-28.6.1972): Prashanta Chandra Mahalanobis was the nephew of Dr. Nil Ratan Sarkar and after finishing his studies in Mathematics and Statistics from Cambridge, he joined the Indian Education Service. He established the Indian Institute of Statistical Sciences in Baranagar in 1931.

He was the first to initiate a discussion on science and technology in Bengali. The ISI was earlier known as the Statistical Laboratory.

This was started as a department in the Presidency College of Calcutta. Mahalanobis had modeled the Institute along the lines of the Institute of Statistics in the U.S. In 1951 the Institute was renamed as the Institute of Statistical Sciences by the Indian Parliament.

Question 9. Write a note on Bengal Technical Institute.
Answer:

Bengal Technical Institute: The Bengal Technical Institute was set up by a Bengali engineer Taraknath Palit in 1906. Its chief aim was to provide technical manpower to the Swadeshi (native) engineering projects.

This Institute was set up almost at the same time as the NCE. Today this institute is known as the Jadavpur Engineering College. In 1910 the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education (SPTE) was given the task of controlling the Bengal Technical Institute.

Later on, this institute was rechristened as the College of Engineering and Technology. The institute was intricately related to the National Council of Education. The NCE from 1940 got the status of a University.

On 24th December 1955 the Government of India through an act of the Parliament converted this council to the Jadavpur University. But it is to be noted that the first Mayor of Calcutta, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das had provided leased land to the engineering college. The first Principal of the Bengal National College was Aurobindo Ghosh.

Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas And Initiatives Very Short Answer

Question 1. Which was the first Bengali newspaper?
Answer: Sambad Prabhakar.

Question 2. When was Linotype used for the first time?
Answer: Linotype was first used in Ananda Bazar Patrika in 1935.

Question 3. Who was the author of ‘Alaler Ghorer Dulal’?
Answer: Pyarichand Mitra.

Question 4. Which press was set up by Vidyasagar and his friend Madanmohan?
Answer: Vidyasagar along with his friend Madanmohan set up the Sanskrit Press in 1847 at Patoldanga,62 Amherst Street.

Question 5. Who was the pioneer of the colored printing press in Asia?
Answer: Upendrakishor Roy Chowdhury.

Question 6. Which was the first college of technology in Bengal?
Answer: Bengal College of Civil Engineering was established in 1856.

Question 7. Which institution was established by Mahendra Lal Sarkar in 1876?
Answer: Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.

Question 8. Who were the founders of Rajabazar Science College?
Answer: Taraknath Palit and Sir Rashbehari Ghosh.

Question 9. What was the objective of the Bengal Technical Institute?
Answer: The main objective of Bengal Technical Institute was to provide technical manpower to the Swadeshi engineering projects.

Question 10. Who was the editor of ‘Sambad Prabhakar’?
Answer: Ishwar Chandra Gupta.

Question 11. Who was the first owner of a printing press in Bengal?
Answer: John Andrews.

Question 12. Who was the founder of ‘U K N. Roy and Sons’?
Answer: Upendra Kishore Roy Choudhuri.

Question 13. Who wrote Chheledar Ramayan?
Answer: Upendra Kishore Roy Choudhury.

Question 14. Who brought out Tattvabodhini Patrika?
Answer: Debendranath Tagore.

Question 15. Who published Hindu Patriot?
Answer: Girish Chandra Ghosh under the editorship of Harish Chandra Mukherjee.

Question 16. Who was the editor of Samachar Darpan?
Answer: J.C. Marshman.

Question 17. Who published the magazine ‘Sandesh’?
Answer: Upendra Kishore Roy Choudhury.

Question 18. Who wrote Barnaparichaya?
Answer: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Question 19. Who wrote ‘Annandamangai’?
Answer: Bharat Chandra.

Question 20. Who worte ‘Chokher Bali’?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

Question 21. Who wrote Bishbriksha?
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Question 22. Name the first pharmaceutical company in India.
Answer: Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Works.

Question 23. Name the oldest Medical School in Asia.
Answer: Calcutta Medical College.

Question 24. Who founded ‘Bengal Chemicals’?
Answer: Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy.

Question 25. Name the first Bengali person to establish a press in Calcutta.
Answer: Baboo Ram.

Question 26. Who established Serampore Mission Press?
Answer: Gangadhar Bhattacharya.

Question 27. Who established Visva Bharati University?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

Question 28. Who founded Shantiniketan?
Answer: Debendranath Tagore.

Question 29. Who wrote Rabindra Rachanabali?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

Question 30. When was Bengal Technical Institute established?
Answer: 1906.

Question 31. When was the National Council of Education created?
Answer: 1906.

Question 32. When was the Bose Institute of Science established?
Answer: 1917.

Question 34. Who is called ‘The father of the study of Modern Sciences’ in India?
Answer: Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar.’

Question 35. What is the other name of Calcutta Science College?
Answer: Rajabazar Science College or Rashbehari Siksha Prangan.

Question 36. When was Calcutta Science College founded?
Answer: 1914.

Question 37. Who founded Calcutta Science College?
Answer: Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee.

Question 38. What was the contribution of Upendrakishor Roy Chowdhury in the field of the printing press?
Answer: He was the first person to introduce modern halftone blocks in South Asia, which he learned from England. He was also the first person to start a colored printing press located at Garpar Road and named it U. N. Roy and Sons.

Question 39. What was the contribution of Meghnad Saha in the field of science?
Answer: Dr. Meghnad Saha was a space scientist and he joined the Applied Mathematics Department of the University College of Science. He established the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Calcutta, which later on came to be known as the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics.

Question 40. What were the ideals on which Visva Bharati was established?
Answer: The ideals of Visva Bharati were: the entire world’s combined knowledge to be studied there; it would be a home for students all over the world; it would be a congregation of academics from all over the world and the entire world would merge at Visva Bharati.

Question 41. When was Bengal Technical Institute established? What was the objective behind it?
Answer: Almost on the same day that the National Council of Education was set up, a rival organization, the Society for Promotion of Technical Education in Bengal was set up by Taraknath Palit. The Bengal Technical Institute came into being on July 25, 1906, under the umbrella of the SPTE, to spread technical education among the masses in West Bengal, one of the eastern region states of India.

Question 42. According to Rabindranath, what was the objective of real education?
Answer: Elaborating his ideas about the aims of education, Rabindranath said that the fundamental purpose of education was not” merely to enrich ourselves through the fullness of knowledge” Rather he believed that the purpose was also to establish the bond of love and friendship between man and man.

Question 43. What were the names of the translators of Mahabharata and Ramayana into Bengali?
Answer: Krittiba translated Ramayana in Bengali and Kabi Sanjay translated Mahabharata in Bengali.

Question 44. When was the Science College in Calcutta established under Calcutta University?
Answer: The Science College was founded in 1914 by the then legendary Sri Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta.

Question 45. In which year and who wrote Vidyakalpadruma?
Answer: The first volume of Vidyakalpadruma was published in the year 1845. It was written by Reverend Krishna Mohan Banerjee.

Question 46. Who established ‘Basu Vigyan Mandir’ and why?
Answer: On 30th November 1917, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Basu established the Bose Institute of Sciences. The objectives of the institute were to study both life and non-life sciences.

Question 47. When were Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works and the Indian Chemical Society established? Who set up these two institutions?
Answer: Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical Works Ltd. was established on April 12, 1901, by the eminent scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy. Indian Chemical Society also was established in 1924 by Prafulla Chandra Roy.

Question 48. Who was called ‘The Serampore Trio’?
Answer: The Serampore Trio was the name given to three pioneering English missionaries to India in the 18th century, who set up, amongst other things, Serampore College. The trio were Joshua Marshman, William Carey, and William Ward.

Question 49. Name two teachers of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS).
Answer: Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose and C.V. Raman were two illustrious teachers of the IACS.

Question 50. Give the names of any two books of Upendrakishor.
Answer:
The names of two books written by Upendrkishor are:
1. Goopi Gayen Bagha Bayen.
2. Tuntunir Boi.

Question 51. Who founded Serampore Mission Press and when?
Answer: The Serampore Mission Press was established in 1800 by William Carey, William Ward, and other British Baptist missionaries.

Question 52. What were the contributions of Serampore Printing Press?
Answer: The press published religious Christian tracts, Indian literary works, and translations of the Bible in twenty-five Indian vernaculars and other South Asian languages, but the major contribution of the press was printing vernacular textbooks. The press printed books on grammar, dictionaries, history, legends, and moral tales for the Fort William College and the Calcutta School Book Society.

Question 53. State the objectives of forming the National Council of Education.
Answer: The objective of setting up the institution was to challenge British rule over education. Besides, the institution was to offer education to the masses on ‘national lines and under national control’.

Question 54. Who established Visva Bharati? Why was it so-called?
Answer: Visva Bharati was established by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Vishva Bharati, which means communication of the world with India.

Question 55. What were your beliefs of Rabindranath regarding education?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore believed in open-air education and had reservations about any teaching done within four walls. This was due to his belief that walls represent the conditioning of the mind. Tagore did not have a good opinion about the Western method of education introduced by the British in India; on this subject, Tagore and Gandhiji’s opinions matched. Tagore once said, “I do not remember what I was taught, I only remember what I learned.” Tagore’s idea on education was that every person is a genius and that all students may not bloom at the same time. So he devised a new system of learning in Visva Bharati. He allowed students to continue their course till the student and his teacher both are satisfied.

Question 56. Who established Shantiniketan and when?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore established Shantiniketan in 1901.

Question 57. Who was the founder of the modern block-making system in India?
Answer: Upendra Kishor Roy Choudhuri.

Question 58. When and by whom was Bengal Technical Institute founded?
Answer: Bengal Technical Institute was founded by Taranath Palit on 25th July 1906.

Question 59. When and under whose leadership was the Bengal Gazette published?
Answer: Under the leadership of Gangadhar Bhattacharya Bengal Gazette was published in 1816.

Question 60. When and under whose leadership was Digdarshan Patrika published?
Answer: Under the leadership of Marshman, Digdarshan Patrika was published in 1818.

Question 61. Who and when started the publication of Sambad Kaumudi?
Answer: Rammohan Roy in the year 1821 started the publication of Sambad Kaumudi.

Question 62. Who and when edited the publication of Mirat-ul Akhbar?
Answer: Rammohan Roy started the publication of Mirat-ul-Akhbar in 1822.

Question 63. When and by whose initiative was the publication of Banga Dutta newspaper started?
Answer: With the initiatives of Dwarkanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore & Rammohan Roy, the Banga Dutta was published in 1830.

Question 64. By whom and in which language was Brahmanical Magazine published?
Answer: Brahmanical Magazine was published by Rammohan Roy in the English language.

Question 65. Who and when published the Bengal Gazette?
Answer: ‘The Bengal Gazette’ was published in 1780 by James Augustus Hickey.

Question 66. Who was the editor of the Calcutta General Advertiser?
Answer: James Augustus Hickey.

Question 67 Who was Upendra Kishor Roy Choudhury?
Answer: Upendra Kishor Roy Choudhury (12th March 1963 – 20th December 1915) was better known as Upendrakishore Roy. He was a prominent Bengali writer, artist, violin player, and composer and was also an entrepreneur.

Question 68. Who and on what basis wrote Chheleder Ramayan?
Answer: Upendra Kishor wrote Cheeleder Ramayan based on the woodcut block technique.

Question 69. Who and when founded U.N. Roy and Sons?
Answer: Upendranath Kishore founded U.N. Roy and Sons in 1913.

Question 70. When was Shivpur Engineering College established?
Answer: Shibpur Engineering College was established in 1835.

Question 71. Who and when founded the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science?
Answer: Mahendralal Sarkar founded the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) on 29th July 1876.

Question 72. Who and when published Sandesh magazine?
Answer: Sandesh magazine was published by Upendra Kishor in 1913.

Question 73. Who and when invented the principle of the Raman Effect?
Answer: The Raman Effect was invented by C.V. Raman in 1928.

Question 74. Name some scientists associated with Calcutta Science College.
Answer: Scientists associated with Calcutta Science College are P.C. Roy, C.V. Raman, etc.

Question 75. Who was the founder of modern scientific research in India? What is its main achievement?
Answer: Acharya Jagdish Chandra Roy was the founder of modern scientific research in India. His greatest achievement was the establishment of the Bose Institute.

Question 76. When and why was the National Council of Education established?
Answer: The National Council of Education was established in 1906 to promote technical education in Bengal.

Question 77. Who were the main members of the National Council of Education?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore, Aurobindo Ghosh, and Subodh Chandra Mallick were some of the main members of the National Council of Education.

Question 78. Who and when formed Brahmacharya Ashram?
Answer: Brahmacharya Ashram was founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1901.

Question 79. What was the main objective of Vishwa Bharati?
Answer: Rabindranath’s idea oftheVisva Bharati was put forward by resorting to the following ideals:
1. The entire world’s combined knowledge is to be studied here.
2. Visva Bharati will be the home for students from all over the world.
3. It will be a residence for the entire world’s knowledgeable personalities who will congregate here to discuss and evaluate their knowledge.

Question 80. Name some teachers of Calcutta Medical College.
Answer: Some teachers of Calcutta Medical College were Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, C.V. Raman, Sisir Kumar Mitra, etc.

Question 81. On which subjects have research facilities been provided at Bose Institute?
Answer: The Bose Institute provides research facilities in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Environmental Science, etc.

Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas And Initiatives 8 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. How did the printing press flourish in Bengal?
Answer:

Printing Press in Bengal:

Contribution of Hicky: It first occurred in the mind of Mr. James Augustus Hicky, who came to Calcutta as a trader, that great benefit might arise from setting on foot a public newspaper in the country (Bengal). Accordingly, Hicky sent to England proposals for publishing a newspaper in Bengal, to be published every Saturday under the Gazette. The British Government in England gave a nod to the proposals of Hicky. Simultaneously, in a pledge to the British Government, Hicky affirmed that no article published in the newspaper would convey the smallest offense to any individual. Hicky set up his printing press in 1780, and in the same year brought out the first newspaper of India, (the actual name in which the newspaper was published was Hicky’s Bengal Gazette) in Bengal. The printing press was set up in Bengal at a time when its state of society was of a very low order. The fact is important because several prosecutions were instituted against Hicky as his paper exposed many scandals. He was practically ruined as in 1782 the paper was closed, and the types were confiscated. It must, however, be admitted that Hicky is the pioneer of the Indian press. For his work of editing, he deserves credit for he had not surrendered to the will of the rulers of his time.

Other Newspapers: A host of newspapers followed in quick succession Hickey’s newspaper in the last two decades of the eighteenth century. Of these mention may be made of The India Gazette, The Calcutta Gazette, The Bengal Hurkaru,
The Calcutta Courier and many others.

Criticisms of the Government: The Governor- Generals like Cornwallis, Wellesley, and Minto took very much offense by the criticisms of the press. The criticisms and exposures by the independent papers mentioned above aroused anger and fear among the rulers. Wellesley thought of imposing strict supervision on the press. In 1799 rigid press censorship was imposed by Wellesley.

First Bengali Newspaper: There is a disagreement amongst scholars as to the first Bengali newspaper (newsweekly). According to some authors, the first Bengali newspaper, was, the Bengal Gazette of Gangakishore Bhattacharyya, while according to others it was the Samachar Darpan under the editorship of J. C. Marshman. However, it is admitted on all hands now that the Bengal Gazette is the first weekly newspaper published in 1818 in the Bengali language.

Missionaries of Serampore: Meanwhile, the missionaries of Serampore did an excellent job in the educational, cultural, and social fields by publishing both English and Bengali journals and books. But the efforts of the missionaries had limited success as their only desire was to Christianize the people of the country.

Restrictions on Indian Press: After Lord Hastings resigned, Adams, the officiating Governor-General, reimposed regulations to control the press. The regulations made a clear distinction between the Indian Press: Anglo-Indian and Indian press. While no restriction was imposed upon the Anglo-Indian press, several constraints were imposed upon the Indian press. Rammohan Roy fought bravely in defense of a free press against Adam’s Press Regulations (1823). It was Charles Metcalfe who took the bold step of repealing Adam’s Press Regulation in 1827.

Sambad Prabhakar: The Indian press was maturing by the mid-nineteenth century. The Sambad Prabhakar, edited by Iswarchandra Gupta, came out on 14 June 1839 as a daily paper in Bengali. Sambad Prabhakar is the first vernacular daily run by the Indians.
Act of 1857: The Revolt of 1857, gave a stunning blow to the Indian press in general. In introducing the repressive Act of 1857 Lord Canning made no distinction between publications in Indian vernacular languages and English. Many Indian papers, like Samachar Sudhabarshan, were charged with the crime of sedition before the Supreme Court. With the passing of the East India Company’s rule to the British Crown the Indian press and for that matter the Bengali press got a new lease of life. In Bengal, several newspapers came out. Of these mention may be made of Tattvabodhini Patrika (18431902) founded by Debendranath Tagore, Hindu Patriot (1849) founded by Girish Chandra Ghosh under the editorship of Harish Chandra Mukherjee, etc.

Vernacular Press Act: By the 70s of the nineteenth century Indian nationalism had been gathering momentum. The reactionary regime of Lord Lytton gave it a visible form. Various repressive Acts were passed under his Viceroyalty and one of them concerned imposing restrictions on the vernacular press. The ill-famed Vernacular Press Act of 1878 deprived newspapers published in vernacular languages of their right to criticize the government. Meanwhile, political associations came into being that built up a strong movement against the reactionary measures of the British government in India. As a consequence of this reactionary movement, the government of Lord Ripon ultimately annulled the Vernacular Press Act.

Question 2. How did Rabindranath Tagore protest against colonial education?
Answer:

Rabindranath’s View of Education:

1. Inspiration From Western Education: The young Rabindranath grew up in an atmosphere thick with Western influence. He imbibed a further dose of it in England where he studied at the University of London. However Western education led him to discover the national heritage and appreciation of the cultural legacy of the country’s great past.
2. Criticism of Education Under Colonial Rule: Rabindranath mentions his critique of colonial education in the following points: In the colonial system primary and secondary level education the emphasis was on imparting education through the medium of English. English is very different from Bengali, and to Rabindranath, the English words could hardly evoke any impression in the mind of the learner. The poet felt that the child found no joy in learning, he could not think for himself, and he simply used to memorize a lifeless vocabulary. Under the colonial system, education was linked to the child’s living world. Rabindranath Tagore realized that the quality of life did not change under the colonial system of learning through the medium of English. Rabindranath insisted on the simultaneous learning of ideas as well as linguistic skills.
3. Aim of Education: Elaborating his ideas about the aims of education Rabindranath said that the main objective of education was not “merely to enrich ourselves through the fullness of knowledge”. Rather his opinion in this regard was that the purpose also was to establish the bond of love and friendship between man and man.
4. Humanistic View: Thus it may be said that Rabindranath’s approach to education was humanistic. He believed in an inner harmony between man, nature, and God. In Rabindranath’s idea of education, teachers had to be imaginative. The teachers should understand the child and help the child to develop curiosity in him. Tagore further felt that creative learning could be encouraged only within the natural environment. Living in harmony with nature, children would be able to cultivate their natural creativity.

Question 3. What was the role of Shantiniketan in spreading education?
Answer:

Shantiniketan: The ideals of Rabindranath’s education system had two sides theoretical and practical. The theoretical side of his views on education has been described by him in numerous writings, speeches, and discussions. He gave a practical shape to these opinions by the creation of Shantiniketan, Sriniketan, and Visva Bharati. And this he did in the harsh lands (khowai) of Shantiniketan. For this, he had not asked for any moral or economic support from his countrymen. Maharshi Debendranath Tagore had set up a small ashram named Shantiniketan on nearly twenty bighas of land in Bolpur. The Maharshi had been able to rest his tired body, replenish his soul from the natural surroundings, and had a very mind-fulfilling stay at the ashram. That’s why he had named it Shantiniketan. His son Rabindranath first visited this place at the age of twelve. Nobody knew this ashram would be the place where Rabindranath would establish the educational institute of his dreams and give birth to today’s Biswaniketan.

Path Bhawan: The first school of Shantiniketan was founded on 22nd December 1901. This school was known as Patha Bhavan. Brahmabandhav Upadhyay and one Christian gentleman had helped Rabindranath greatly in this project. The country had awarded him the title Raj Chakraborty for his efforts. However, the idea for setting up a school here was originated by Bolendranath Thakur, the elder brother of the poet. However, on his sudden demise, Rabindranath took upon himself the task of fructifying the dreams of his brother.

Student’s Activities: Rabindranath started the school with just five students. He had laid down strict rules of conduct for them. The morning was to start with prayers after the ablutions. Then this was to be followed by chanting the Vedic mantras and paying respects to the teachers. The students were then made to go barefoot in saffron attires without any umbrella and sit for lessons under a tree. The food served to them was purely vegetarian. Other than cooking, almost all the work including drawing water from the well was to be done by the students.

Last years in Shantiniketan: The last forty years of Rabindranath Tagore were centered in Shantiniketan. The great poet had shifted permanently to Shantiniketan in September 1901. At that time he was the editor of Bangadarshan. The very next year on 23 November 1902 his wife Mrilanini Debi died in the ashram. However, all obstacles and tragedies could not keep the bard from realizing his dreams.

Question 4. Write about the contributions of Visva Bharati and Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer:

Contributions of Visva Bharati and Rabindranath Tagore:

Introduction: Gurudev Rabindranath took the initiative for the creation of Visva Bharati. He shared his ideas first with some Gujarati businessmen. Then he used the word Visva Bharati for the first time in the magazine Shantiniketan. Finally, in 1918, and 23rd December, he established Visva Bharati. The actual work for the institution started on the 18th of July, 1919. He was helped in his efforts by Charles Frear Andrews. Also, he was influenced by the Madras-based National University which was set up by Annie Besant.

Establishment of Visva Bharati University: After he toured Europe and America in 1821, Rabindranath Tagore formed the Bisvabharati Council and the Association for Creation of Visva Bharati. Then in December of the same year with Pandit Brajendranath Sil as the Chancellor and 10 students, the Visva Bharati University was established. The first Principal of the college was Bidhusekhar Bhattacharya. Without him, the idea of Visva Bharati would not have been fructified. He took Rabindranath’s idea of the Visva Bharati forward by resorting to the following ideals.

Objective: Visva Bharati will be the home for students from all over the world. It will be a residence for the entire world’s knowledgeable personalities who will congregate here to discuss and evaluate their knowledge. The ideals of Rabindranath and the entire world will merge at Visva Bharati.

Ideal Education System: The poet has said that the nation’s imparted education gives way to the ways of life in that country. In India, he said that the current education ensures that a person will become a clerk or a daroga (head constable). Modern education is very difficult to introduce in a country full of tillers and potters. In no other educated country, this is possible. An ideal school according to Rabindranath should be a place where economics, agricultural science, health sciences, and all other practical sciences should be taught which will help in making the lives of his countrymen more easy. This school should be a place where students study subjects that the average Indian usually deals in like cow rearing, cloth weaving, existing economic systems, and even the lives of the Adivasis in the country.

Foreign Teachers: With the encouragement of Rabindranath Tagore many foreign teachers took posts of teaching in the university. Some of them were Marc Clarke from Germany, M. Bonoya, and Silvat Levi from France. Others were Lesin from Prague, Winternitz and Tucci Formic, from Italy, Casanova from Russia, the Bakes couple from England, Casahara and Tan Yun Sun from Japan, and Dr. Harry Timber and Mrs. Timber from the USA.

Ideals of Shantiniketan: The idea of Shantiniketan was to merge the thoughts and philosophies of all countries of the world with those of India. The University came up in the Bolpur district of Bengal and it was set up a month after the end of the First World War. The war had a great influence on the poet and he wanted to create an institution that valued world peace. Brajendranath Sil tried to describe the endeavor of creating the University in his words as ‘the whole world should come to India (Shantiniketan), the people who come here will be educated in Indian ethos and culture, will adopt Indian thoughts and ways of life, and this will inspire the locals (Indians) to understand their values and culture’.

Conclusion: Simply looking for not only essentially an identity for oneself in the world is not enough, the objectives of Visva Bharati are far wider. It is to realize oneself it is to feel oneself; through others also. Man will achieve salvation here through interaction with other men. These ideals were the basis of the formation of Visva Bharati. Born out of Colonialism, Shantiniketan is a historic name in the annals of history. Ten years after Rabindranath’s death, Visva Bharati was given the status of a Central University its first Chancellor was Jawaharlal Nehru and the first Vice-Chancellor was Rathindranath Tagore, the poet’s son.

Question 5. Discuss about the correlation of nature, man, and education in the thoughts of Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer:

Education in Harmony with Nature :

1. Tagore’s Views: Tagore felt that for the students it is necessary to “dream to live in harmony with the environment”. He used to say that true education consisted of knowing the use of any useful material that had been collected and knowing its real nature. Elaborating the concept of education Tagore said: “Neither the education of the senses nor the education of the intellect, but the education of the feeling should receive the place of honor in our schools our true education is possible only in the forest, through intimate contact with nature and purifying austere pursuits(Siksha: pl45,1342 b.s.)
2. Idea of the School: Rabindranath founded his school based on his ideas of education at Shantiniketan in 1901. The school was set up following the model of the ancient (Vedic period) forest schools in India. The idea that inspired him to start the school has been wonderfully expressed in a letter written by Rabindranath to Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. He wrote that the school that he was trying to start would be conducted just along the lines of residential institutions of ancient times. Further, he expressed, “There shall not be the least trace of luxury. We shall not be able to become true Hindus if we do not learn rigid Brahmacharya (italics mine). Frivolity and luxury are degenerating in us. Wants of all descriptions are over-powering as only because we are failing to accept poverty with equanimity” (Sabuj Patra Vol. II: p30). The inauguration of Shantiniketan school, called Brahmacharyasram took place on 22 December 1901. It was started on a small scale.

3. Aims of the School: The aims were: 1. To ensure that the students are taught the importance of Indian heritage

2. To give it a universal humanist outlook

3. To provide all-round development of the students. The students had no fixed curriculum. The goal of education was to ‘synthesize knowledge and feeling’. In the words of Rabindranath, Shantiniketan was a ‘sapling’ that was to grow into Visva Bharati, a widely branching tree.

4. Cultural Synthesis: Rabindranath strongly felt that harmony and mutual understanding between the two cultures — East and West- -was essential for mutual benefit. With this end in view, Rabindranath built up an educational institution in the form of Visva Bharati. By way of explaining the aim and function of Visva Bharati Rabindranath said that being strongly impressed by the need and responsibility he had laid the initiative of an international university for promoting mutual understanding between the East and the West. The institution, he said, would invite students from the West and the East to study the different systems of Indian philosophy, literature, art, and music. It is evident from what had been said by Rabindranath that the Visva Bharati was developed as a center of Indian culture.

Question 6. Discuss the role of the press in arousing nationalist sentiments in India.
Answer:

Introduction: The introduction of the printing press in India was an event of revolutionary significance in the life of the Indian people. The awakening and growth of national consciousness among them gave rise to the nationalist press. The national movement, on its political side, was possible because of the facility of political education and propaganda provided by the press. With its help, the Indian nationalist groups were able to popularize among the people the ideas of representative government, liberty, democratic institutions, Home Rule, Dominion Status, and Independence.

Ram Mohan Roy’s Contribution: Raja Rammohan Roy was the founder of the nationalist press in India. His Sambad Kaumudi in Bengali published in 1821 and Mirat-ul-Akbar in Persian published in 1822 were the first publications in India with distinct nationalist and democratic progressive orientations. These papers were mainly the organs of the propaganda of social reform.

Magazines and Periodicals in Different Regions of India: Fardoonji Murzban was the pioneer of the vernacular (Gujarati) Press in Bombay. It was as early as 1822 that he started the Bombay Samachar which was a daily. The progressive administrative measures of Lord Bentinck gave an impetus to the growth of Indian journalism. Bang Dutt (in Bengali) with the efforts of Dwarakanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, and Raja Rammohan Roy was founded in 1830. Jam-e-Jamshed (in Gujarati), a daily, was started in Bombay in 1831 by Motiwala, a Parsee. Two more papers in Gujarati, Rast Goftar and Akbar-e-Saudagar were founded in Bombay in 1851. Dadabhai Naoroji, the founder and leader of the Indian National Congress, edited Rast Goftar. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a nationalist and social reformer, started the Somprakash in Bengali in 1858. When disturbances broke out in 1860 in the indigo-growing areas in Bengal, it strongly defended the interests of the farmers.

Indian Council’s Act, 1861: The enactment of the Indian Council’s Act of 1861 led to the growth of political awakening among the upper section of Indian society. This stimulated the expansion of both Indian and non-Indian press in the following years. The Times of India was founded in Bombay in 1861, The Pioneer in Allahabad in 1865, The Madras Mail in 1868, The Statesman in Calcutta in 1875, and The Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore in 1876.

Growth of Nationalist Press: The nationalist press also grew during this period. In Bengal, The Amrit Bazaar Patrika was founded as an Anglo-Bengali weekly in 1868 by the Ghose brothers – Hemachandrakumar, Shishirkumar, and Motilal. To circumvent the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, it was converted wholly into an English weekly. It was turned into an English daily in 1891. It propagated strong nationalist views and had been one of the most popular of nationalist newspapers.

Contribution of Surendranath Banerjee: Surendranath Banerjee, one of the prominent leaders of Indian nationalism, edited and owned The Bengali (in English) in 1879. It propagated the views of the moderate wing of the liberal school of Indian ‘political thought’. Under the guidance of Surendranath Banerjee, Dayal Singh Majeethia started The Tribune of Lahore, an English daily, in 1877. It was an influential paper in the Punjab with a liberal nationalist hue.

Socialist and Communist Press: After 1923, socialist and communist ideas began to spread slowly in India. Kranti, a Marathi weekly and an official organ of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party of India, and Spark and New Spark, both English weeklies respectively, edited by M.G. Desai and Hutchinson, had, as their declared aim, the spread of Marxism in India and support to the independent political and economic movements of the workers and peasants. Between 1930 and 1939, the workers’ and peasants’ movements gathered further strength. Socialist and communist ideas penetrated the Congress youth. Thus, came into existence the Congress Socialist Party, which published The Congress Socialist, an English weekly as its main official organ. The communists had National Front and subsequently Peoples War, both English weeklies as the principal organs of their propaganda. M. N. Roy, differing from the official communists, formed his group with independent India, with an English weekly as its main official organ.

Development of Literature: The press also helped the growth of regional literature and cultures which were provincial in form and national in content. In Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra, Gujarat, Malabar, Uttar Pradesh, and other provinces, rich provincial literature came into existence. The press, on the other hand, acted as an effective weapon in the hands of social reform groups to expose the social evils prevalent in Indian society. It also helped them to organize propaganda on a vast scale against such institutions. The press became a medium in their hands through which they propagated their principles, programs, and methods of democratic reconstruction of the Indian society.

Conclusion: Such was the vital role of the press in the building up of an increasingly strong national sentiment and consciousness among the Indian people, in the development and consolidation of their growing nationalist movement, and in the creation of national and provincial literature and cultures.

Question 7. Discuss the relation between the printed text and the dissemination of knowledge.
Answer:

Relation Between the Printed Text and Dissemination of Knowledge: During the 18th-19th century the Indian common folk were largely illiterate and would have remained so for many centuries. But some educated enlightened Indians and a small number of professional people who lived and worked in towns, however, felt the need for books. In India in the past, like in many Western countries, copyists multiplied books by hand. But with the introduction of printing, textbooks of all sorts, English and vernacular, grammar, and elementary books were published that catered to the needs of the people. Printed books became a medium for the dissemination of knowledge. The elementary Bengali textbook that deserves mention for the learning of the Bengali language is Varna Parichay by Iswarchandra Vidyasagar. However, how printing helped the dissemination of knowledge may be explained with some examples.

Baptist Mission Press: In 1800 the Baptist Mission was founded in Serampore, and the Baptist Mission Press started printing books in Bengali and other vernacular languages. In the same year, Fort William College was founded by Lord Wellesley in Calcutta. In the college young civilians were taught various languages like Bengali, Parsee, and Hindusthani. Qualified persons were appointed as teachers who needed textbooks for instruction to the students. It was the Serampore Press that supplied books to the students (trainee civilians) of Fort William College.

Vernacular Literature: The Baptist Mission and its Press printed and published textbooks, religious books, and other works in vernacular languages, and in English. Also, several books translated from English to Bengali were there in the list of publications. All this facilitated the assimilation of Eastern and Western cultures in this country.

Bengali Press: How the publication of Bengali periodicals and newspapers helped in the dissemination of knowledge may be understood from the comment made in the Oriental Star (16 May 1818) on the occasion of the appearance of the Bengali periodical Bengal Gazette. It was said that the diffusion of general knowledge and information amongst the natives must lead to beneficial effects.
Spread of Education: The printing press helped the spread of education. The middle-class people of the towns who were being educated needed the help of study materials. Printing presses fulfilled their demand. Previously, the copyist, after hard toil could at best produce two books in a year. When there was no printing press the scribes copied manuscripts by hand. The copies made by hand were sometimes illegible, and the reader was forced to guess what was written. But with the invention of printing constant proofreading and correction helped to produce the exact copy of the manuscripts. This made it possible to obtain fuller knowledge.

WBBSE Solutions for Class 10 History and Environment