Social Science — CBSE Class 10 board question

Johann Gutenberg developed the movable type printing press by 1448, adapting the olive press and using metal moulds for casting alphabet types. His first printed book was the Bible, with about 180 copies produced in three years — fast by the standards of the time.

His invention triggered the print revolution: between 1450–1550, printing presses spread across Europe, and by the end of the fifteenth century, 20 million printed copies flooded European markets. This drastically reduced the cost and time of book production, making books accessible to wider sections of society and creating a new reading public.

Source: Chapter 5, Section 2.1 — Gutenberg and the Printing Press

---

Examiners look for three clear points for 3 marks:

1. What Gutenberg invented — movable type printing press, how he developed it (background in goldsmithing, moulds, olive press model).
2. His first achievement — printing the Bible (~180 copies).
3. Impact — spread of presses across Europe, boom in book production, reduced costs, new reading public.

Avoid writing a long essay. Three focused points, each in 1–2 sentences, is ideal. The phrase "print revolution" is a key term from the textbook — use it.