Despite having a rich tradition of handwritten manuscripts, students in pre-colonial Bengal's village schools often learnt to write without actually reading any texts. What does this tell us about the limitations of manuscripts as a tool for spreading literacy, and how did the arrival of print technology address these limitations?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 15:03 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Manuscripts were expensive, fragile, and written in varying scripts that were difficult to read. This meant they could not be widely used in everyday life. In pre-colonial Bengal's village schools, teachers dictated from memory while students only wrote — many became literate without ever reading any text.
Print technology addressed these limitations by reducing the cost of producing books, allowing multiple copies to be made quickly. Books could now reach a wider readership, transforming a "hearing public" into a "reading public" and making literacy more meaningful and accessible.
Source: Chapter 5 — Manuscripts Before the Age of Print; A New Reading Public
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Explanation
- The examiner wants two parts: limitations of manuscripts + how print solved them. Cover both clearly.
- Key facts to cite: manuscripts = expensive, fragile, hard to read → Bengal students wrote but never read. Print = cheaper, multiple copies, wider reach.
- Avoid over-explaining. At 3 marks, two focused paragraphs are ideal — one per part of the question.
- The phrase "hearing public" → "reading public" is textbook language; using it shows direct familiarity with the source.