Current Affairs 10th Class

  Print Culture and the Modern World     CHAPTER COVERAGE ·                     Importance of Print Media ·                     Development of Printing Through Ages ·                     Contribution of China and Japan in this Process ·                     Emergence of New Technology of Printing in Europe ·                     Contribution of J. Gutenberg ·                     Modem Innovation in Printing Technology ·                     The Print Revolution and its Impact on Preachers, Intellectuals, Women and Common People ·                     India and the World of Print ·                     Religious Reforms and Public Debates ·                     New Forms of Publication ·                     Impact on Literature ·                     On Women and Poor People ·                     Colonial Rule and Censorship  

  Novels, Society and History   IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONCEPTS   1.            Commonality. Sharing of an attribute, common features.   2.            Serialised Novel. A novel whose story is published in instalments in a magazine or a journal.   3.            Epic. A long poem narrating adventures or achievements of a heroic figure or a nation.   4.            Nostalgia. Having a feeling of home sickness?sentimental yearning of the past.   5.            Novel. A novel is a modern form of literature. These are in printed form of a book narrating stories.   6.            Manuscript. Author's copy; document written by hand.   7.            Gentlemanly Classes. Class of well-bred people. People of good social position and wealth.   8.            Ballads. A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas.   9.            Epistolary Novels. Novels written in the form of series of more...

  Novels, Society and History       CHAPTER COVERAGE   ·                     The Print Culture created a Possibility of a New Form in Literature?The Novels ·                     History of the Growth of Novel Writing in Europe as well as in India ·                     Factors responsible for the Growth of Novels    ·                     Reasons for Popularity ·                     The Impact of Novels on Common People, Women and Children.   ·                     Types of Novels ·                     Eminent Authors and their Works between 17th and 20th Century ·                     Domestic Novels, Historical Novels, Serialised Novels, Epistolary Novels, etc. ·                     Indian Novels Written During the Same Period ·                     Eminent Indian Authors of Various Regions ·                     Novels Written in Industrial Age as well as During the Period of Colonialism ·                     Vernacular Press ·                     Role of Novels in Literature and in the Growth of Indian Nationalism      

  The Rise of Nationalism in Europe         CHAPTER COVERAGE  

• Emergence of Nationalism in Europe
• French Revolution in 1789
• Napoleonic Code
• Spread of Nationalism to Other Parts of Europe
• Congress of Vienna 1815
• Conservatism versus Nationalism
• Age of Revolutionaries
• Revolution in 1830 and 1848
• Frankfurt Parliament
• Unification of Germany and Italy
• Visualising a Nation
• Beginning of Imperialism
• Conflicts in the Balkans
• Emergence of Balkan Nationalism

  The Rise of Nationalism in Europe    

Nationalism. A sense of belonging to one nation. Feeling or pride and patriotism towards the country one belongs.

Absolutist. Unrestricted, despotic and authoritarian often refers to a centralized repressive monarchical government.

Utopian. An ideal situation, a vision too good to be realised in practice.

Nation-state. A state having a common and contiguous boundary with inhabitants/people sharing common language, race and religion. Majority of its citizens develop a sense of common identity and share a common history ruled by a strong government.

Plebiscite. A direct vote by which the people of a region, themselves decide to accept or reject a proposal.

Sovereignty. Supreme power.

Monarchy. Form of government headed by a monarch or a hereditary or dynastic ruler.

The Estates General. Referred to the French parliament- an elected body which was renamed as the National Assembly after the Revolution of 1789.

Civil Code. A systematic set of laws for the citizens.

Habsburg Empire. The empire that ruled Austria-Hungary including the Alpine region of Tyrol, Austria, Sudetenland Bohemia. It also included Italian provinces of Lombardy and Venetia.

Liberalism. Derived from the Latin word 'liber' meaning free. The idea of liberalism stands for freedom of individual and equality of all before law. Politically it refers to representative government.

Suffrage. The right to vote.

Elle. Elle was used to measure cloth, prevalent in German states.

Zollverein. A customs union, formed in 1834 in Prussia to remove barriers of trade.

Conservatism. A spirit or philosophy which believes in maintaining and preserving traditional values and institutions. It prefers gradual change to quick and drastic change.

Carbonari. A secret society of Italy-consisting of young revolutionaries.

Young Italy. A secret society founded by Mazzini at Marselles for organizing revolutionary activities.

Romanticism. A cultural movement which aimed at developing a particular form of national sentiment and promote a feeling of collective heritage as the basis of nation.

Das Volk. A German word meaning common people.

Republic. A state where the head of the state is elected and does not hold a hereditary position.

Feminist. People who advocate women's rights on the basis of equality of sexes.

Ideology. System of ideas reflecting a particular social and political vision.

Allegory. Symbol representing an abstract idea; an idea identified through a person or a thing.

Balkan region. A region in Europe with geographical and ethnic variation. The region covers the states of modem day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro. The inhabitants of the region are known as the Slavs.

Jacobins. A French political group who contested election after the French Revolution.

Junkers. Large landowners of Prussia.

 

  The Rise of Nationalism in Europe         CONTENT OUTLINE   Till the middle of 19th century Europe was divided into many monarchical absolutist states with diverse people speaking different languages and belonging to different racial and ethnic groups. There was no collective identity among them. A common allegiance to the ruler was the only binding force. Nineteenth century, however, saw the emergence of nationalism as a new force which brought about sweeping changes in political and mental world of Europe. This resulted in the cowering of nation-states in place of multinational dynastic empires. The concept of a modern state with a defined territory, with ruler and citizens sharing common bonds and history, became popular. This was possible only through a process of action struggle, and efforts of leaders and common people.   The French Revolution and the idea of a Nation. The first clear expression of nationalism was the French Revolution in 1789 when the commoners revolted against the absolute monarch Louis XVI.   The Revolution led to the (a)        Transfer of Sovereignty from the monarchy to a body of French citizens, (b)        The Revolution proclaimed that the people and not the ruler would henceforth constitute the nation and shape its destiny, (c)         It guaranteed equal rights under a constitution, (d)        The Estates General or the French Parliament was renamed as the National Assembly, (e)         Uniform law and standardized weights and measures were introduced, (f)         French became the common language of the nation. (g)         Revolutionary flag replaced the monarchical flag.   With the outbreak of revolutionary war the French armies began to carry the ideas of nationalism abroad.   Making of nationalism in Europe. As    has already been mentioned European countries were ruled in 19th century by various dynastic rulers over regions having diverse population, e.g., Habsburg dynasty ruled over regions of Austria, Hungary, Italian provinces of Lombardy and Venetia, German speaking Sudetenland and Polish speaking Galicia. In Hungry common people spoke Magyar. Except for allegiance to a common ruler there was hardly any political unity. Similarly Germany, Italy and Switzerland were divided into various kingdoms. Socially and politically the landed class was the dominant class. Elite class spoke French and were often connected by marriage. The majority of population was made up of peasantry. However the western and central parts of Europe were undergoing social and economic changes. Rapid growth of industrial production and brisk trade led to growth of towns and cities. It also resulted in the emergence of a commerical class and a working class population, whose existence depended on the production in the market. The new forces of 18th and 19th centuries led to the formation of new social more...

  The Rise of Nationalism in Europe   IMPORTANT DATES AND LANDMARKS   1789                -           French Revolution.   1804                -           Napoleonic Code was introduced abolishing privileges based on birth. Upheld equality before law.   1815                -           Congress of Vienna. Representatives of Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria met at Vienna to draw up a          settlement for Europe.   1830                -           Revolution in France.   1834                -           Zollverein or the customs union was formed in Prussia (largest state in Germany) abolishing tariff barriers.   1848                -           Great revolution in France and Formation of French republic and abdication of French monarch Louis Phillipe.   1848                -           Frankfurt Parliament in Germany was convened to set up an all-German national assembly to draft a German constitution.   1861                -           Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont was proclaimed the king of United Italy.   1871                -           An assembly comprising princes of German states, representatives of army and Prussian ministers headed by Otto von Bismarck gathered in the Palace of Versailles to proclaim the German empire (United Germany), headed by Kaiser William I of Prussia.   1914                -           Beginning of First World War.

  Analogy   Analogy means similarity. It can exist between any two objects in a particular manner or it may be the case that the two objects are realted to each other in the same way as the other given objects are related. Some important types of relations are as follows.   1.            Disease and Cause relationship: Disease                        Cause Poliomyelitis                   Virus Typhoid                         Bacteria   2.            Study and topic relationship: Topic                           Study Pedology                       Soil Ontology                       Reality   3.            Worker and tool relationship: Worker                         Tool Sculptor                         Chisel Jockey                           Tack   4.            Tool and action relationship: Tool                             Action Auger                            Bore Spanner                         Grip   5.            Quantity and unit relationship: Quantity                      Unit Conductivity                  Mho Luminosity                     Candela   6.            Product and raw material relationship: Product                        Raw material Shoes                            Leather Sack                             Jute   7.            Male and female relationship: Male                             Female Drone                            Bee Stag                              Doe   8.            Animal and young one relationship: Animal                         Young one Deer                              Fawn Lion                              Cub   9.            Word and Synonym relationship: Word                            Synonym Sedate                           Calm Mend                            Repair   10.          Word and Antonym relationship: Word                            Antonym Cordial                          Hostile Chaos                           Peace   11.          Word and Intensity relationship: Word                            Intensity Kindle                            Burn Error                             Blunder   12.          Worker and working place relationship: Worker                         Working Place Teacher                         School Lawyer                          Court   13.          Instrument and measurement relationship: Instrument                   Measurement Voltmeter                       Voltage Hygrometer                    Humidity   A few more examples are given to make your understanding better.   Direction (1 - 4): Select the pair among the given choices which is related in the same way as the words given in CAPITAL letters.   1.            STAIN : HONOUR :: ? (a) Lose : Fame              (b) Blot : Escutcheon (c) Doubt : Reputation     (d) Slander : Integrity (e) None of these Ans.     (b) The relation is of thing and quality.   2.            MOON : SATELLITE :: EARTH : ? (a) Sun                          (b) Solar System (c) Planet                       (d) Asteroid (e) None of these Ans.     (c) Moon is a satellite and Earth is a planet.   3.            FORECAST : FUTURE :: REGRET : ? (a) Present                     (b) Sin (c) Atone                       (d) Past (e) None of these Ans.     (d) Forecast is for future happenings while regret is for actions in past   4.            TRAITOR : COUNTRY :: ? (a) Potentate : Kingdom (b) Bureaucrat : Government (c) Apostate : Religion (d) Tailor : Law (e) None of these Ans.     (c) The relation is of betrayal.  

  Comprehensions Based on Stories   Study the following examples.   ·                     Example 1   Every child is born, with some inherited characteristics, into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment, and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. I inherited honesty and self-discipline from my father, from my mother, and inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness and so did my three brothers and sister. I had three close friends in my childhood- Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing. In fact, Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram Temple. Later, he took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram Temple from his father, Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims, and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.   1.             Every born child is inherited with some characteristics whereas the author inherited: (a) Truth-speaking           (b) Honesty (c) Loyalty                    (d) Dishonesty (e) None of these                                                          2.             All my three friends were from: (a) Hindu Brahmin families.           (b) Christian families. (c) Tamil families.                   (d) Punjabi families. (e) None of these   3.             Whose father was working as a priest with Rameswaram Temple? (a) Aravindan                       (b) Sivaprakasan (c) Ramanadha Sastry               (d) Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry (e) None of these   4.             Southern railway was catered by the contractor: (a) Ramanadha Sastry (b) Sivaprakasan (c) Aravindan (d) Surajmal Singh (e) None of these   ·                     Example 2   One day an accident befell him. I put down poison (barium carbonate) to kill the rats and mice that had got into my library. Bruno entered the library as he often did, and he ate some of the poison. Paralysis set in to the extent that he could not stand on his feet. But he dragged himself on his stumps to my wife, who called me. I guessed what had happened. Off I rushed in the car to the vet's residence. A case of poisoning! Tame Bear-barium carbonate-what to do? Out came his medical books, and a feverish reference to index began: ?What poison did you say, sir?? ?Barium carbonate?. ?Ah yes-B-Ba-Barium Salts-Ah! Barium carbonate! Symptoms-paralysis-treatment-injections of just a minute, sir. I'll bring my syringe and the medicine." A dash back to the car! Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth. Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic-Bruno squeals-10 c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Ten minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c. injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less stertorous-Bruno can move his more...

  Comprehensions Based on General Topics   Study the following examples.   ·                     Example 1   Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:   Today every major anthology of nineteenth-century poetry includes examples of the work which Christina Rossetti produced during her long literary career. Born in 1830, she began composing verse at the age of eleven and continued to write for the remaining fifty-three years of her life. Her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, himself a poet and painter, soon recognized her genius and urged her to publish her poems. By the time of her death in 1894, Rossetti had written more than eleven hundred poems and had published over nine hundred of them. Although this work has earned her recognition as the greatest woman poet of the Victorian Age, there is still no authoritative edition of her poetry.   1.            The word "anthology' (line I) probably means: (a) Writer                       (b) Collection (c) Poem                        (d) Poet (e) None of these   2.            Christina Rossetti began writing poetry: (a) only after her brother urged her to do so. (b) when she was fifty three years old. (c) when she was very young. (d) when her genius was recognized. (e) None of these   3.            RossettFs brother was probably a judge of her work because: (a) he loved his sister very much. (b) he himself published poems. (c) he was a poet. (d) he was a famous painter. (e) None of these   4.            By 1894, Rossetti had: (a) published only a few of the many poems she had written. (b) published all the poems she had written. (c) published more than eleven hundred poems. (d) published over nine hundred poems. (e) None of these   5.            At the time, when this passage was written, Christina Rossetti?s poetry: (a) was almost unknown. (b) was rarely published. (c) had made her known as the greatest woman poet of the eighteenth century (d) had not been collected in an authoritative edition. (e) None of these   ·                     Example 2   Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:   One simple physical concept lies behind the formation of the stars- gravitational instability the concept is not new. Newton first perceived it late in the l7th century imagine a uniform, static cloud of gas in space. Imagine then that the gas is somehow disturbed so that one small spherical region becomes a little denser than the gas around it so that the small region s gravitational field becomes slightly stronger. It now attracts more matter to it and its gravity increases further, causing it to begin more...