Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Religious scholars (ulama) in north India adopted print technology because they feared that British colonial rule would encourage conversion and alter Muslim personal laws. To counter this threat, they used cheap lithographic presses to publish Persian and Urdu translations of holy scriptures, religious newspapers, and tracts. The Deoband Seminary (founded 1867) issued thousands of fatwas guiding Muslims in everyday conduct.

Their choice of Urdu and Persian — languages accessible to ordinary believers — shows that religious authority was no longer confined to elite scholars; it was being extended to a wider community, making Islamic teachings available to the common Muslim public.

Source: Chapter 5, Section 6 – Religious Reform and Public Debates

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• The examiner expects THREE linked points: reason for adoption (fear of colonial interference), method used (lithographic press, translations, fatwas), and significance of language choice (Urdu/Persian → wider community access, democratisation of religious knowledge).
• Mention Deoband Seminary for a specific example — examiners reward named evidence.
• Do not confuse ulama (Islamic legal scholars) with Hindu reformers like Rammohun Roy; keep the focus on north Indian Muslim context as the question asks.
• "Lithographic press" is a key term — include it.