How were manuscripts written in India before the age of print? What were their drawbacks and effects?

(a) (i) There were handwritten manuscripts in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and various vernacular languages.
(ii) Manuscripts were copied on palm leaves or on handmade paper.
(iii) There were illustrations on pages.
(iv) To preserve them, these were either pressed between wooden covers or sewn together.
(b) Drawbacks: (i) Manuscripts were, however, highly expensive and fragile.
(ii) They had to be handled carefully.
(iii) They also could not be read easily as the script was written in different styles. In view of the above manuscripts were not widely used in everyday life. Their use remained limited. Even in schools. teachers used to dictate portions of texts to students. Many people, thus, became literate without ever actually reading any kind of texts.