Jyotiba Phule, B.R. Ambedkar, and Periyar all used print to address a common social problem. What was that problem, and why was print a particularly powerful tool for their cause compared to earlier forms of communication?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 15:05 · grounding rag
Model Answer
The common problem addressed by Jyotiba Phule, B.R. Ambedkar, and Periyar was caste discrimination and social inequality suffered by lower-caste communities.
Print was a particularly powerful tool because it allowed their ideas to reach a wide audience quickly and at low cost. Earlier, knowledge was transmitted orally — people collectively heard texts recited or read aloud, which was slow and easily controlled by dominant groups. Print enabled these reformers to independently circulate their writings, challenge upper-caste authority, persuade people to think differently, and move them to action — without needing the permission of established social or religious authorities.
Source: Print Culture and the Modern World, Chapter 5, Section 3.2
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Explanation
- The question links a historical fact (three reformers) to a concept (why print mattered). Examiners want both parts answered.
- Name the social problem clearly: caste oppression / untouchability / social inequality.
- For "why print was powerful," contrast it with oral culture (as the textbook does) and stress: wide circulation, low cost, independence from authority, ability to persuade.
- The phrase "print created the possibility of wide circulation of ideas… even those who disagreed with established authorities could now print and circulate their ideas" (Section 3.2) is the key textbook line to reflect.
- Don't write more than ~80 words in the answer — this is 3 marks only.