Social Science — CBSE Class 10 board question

Print played a significant role in creating the conditions for the French Revolution in three main ways:

1. Spread of Enlightenment ideas: Print popularised the writings of thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau, which attacked the Church's sacred authority and the state's despotic power. Readers began to question tradition and judge everything through reason and rationality.

1. New culture of debate: Print created a public culture of dialogue where existing values, norms, and institutions were re-evaluated. New ideas of social revolution emerged from this environment.

1. Criticism of monarchy: By the 1780s, literature, cartoons, and caricatures mocked the royalty, suggesting the monarchy indulged in sensual pleasures while common people suffered. This underground literature fuelled hostility against the monarchy.

However, print did not directly shape minds — people accepted some ideas and rejected others, but print opened up possibilities of thinking differently.

Source: Print Culture and the Modern World, Section 4.2

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Examiners expect three clearly labelled points corresponding to the three arguments given in the textbook. Always conclude with the qualification that print enabled but did not directly cause the Revolution — this shows critical thinking and matches the textbook's balanced view. Avoid writing a general essay; stick to these specific arguments. Mentioning Voltaire and Rousseau adds accuracy and earns marks.