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The Renaissance
The Renaissance
Introduction
The word ‘Renaissance’ means rebirth or regeneration. The Renaissance marked the rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman cultures in medieval Europe around the early 15th century CE. The Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe and initiated the awakening of the modern world. Art, science, literature, ideas like modern democracy, human rights, began to emerge with the Renaissance. Italy is considered as the birthplace of the Renaissance and Italian cities like Florence, Venice, Rome and Milan were the centres of the Renaissance culture. The Renaissance was accompanied by two other movements – the Reformation and Geographical discoveries. The Reformation was a religious movement against the Roman Catholic Church and its head- The Pope. The movement finally led to the establishment of the Protestant Church in Germany by Martin Luther in the early 16th century CE. The Geographical Discoveries were discoveries initiated by adventurous sailors from Spain and Portugal to explore new continents for raw materials and markets.
Definition of the Renaissance
Renaissance is a French word which has originated from the Italian word ‘Renascita’ which means rebirth. The word ‘Renascita’ was used for the first time by Girorgio Vasari, an Italian painter to explain the revival of classical (ancient Greek and Roman Culture) in the 16th century CE. The word Renaissance was used first in the 19th century CE by the French historian Jules Michelet. According to Michelet Renaissance was the ‘discovery of the world and the discovery of man’. Michelet was the first to define the Renaissance as a definite period in European history to indicate a major break in the middle ages and beginning of the modern age. Jerry Brotton defines the Renaissance as ‘a profound and enduring upheaval and transformation in culture, politics, art and society in Europe from the years 1400 and 1600’.
According to Robert Ergang the Renaissance was an age characterized by-
1. Decay of Feudalism
2. Study of Classical Literature
3. Rise of Nation States
4. Beginnings f Modern Science
5. Invention of the Printing Press, Gun Powder and Mariner’s Compass
6. Opening of new trade routes
7. Discovery Of America
Causes of the Renaissance –
1. Decline of Feudalism
After the breakup of the Roman Empire, Europe experienced the Middle Ages up to the 14th century CE. The Middle Ages were characterized by feudalism and domination of the Roman Catholic Church. Feudalism was a system where a feudal lord held a piece of land which was known as a ‘fief’. The lords would employ peasants known as serfs who would work on their fields. The serfs had no ownership of the land . The feudal lord administered his fief from his castle known as a Manor. The feudal lord was an intermediary between the king and the common people. The economy was mainly agrarian.
Gradually many of the serfs took to small manufacturing and became artisans. This led to the growth of trade. The focus now began to shift towards trade. As a result of trade cities emerged. There was also a growth of mercenary armies which fought on the behalf of the kings and helped them to defeat the feudal lords. The invention of the gunpowder added special power to the kings’ armies which further helped them to defeat the feudal lords. Rather than land grants, the kings began to make money payments to their officers. The allegiance of the people also began to shift from the feudal lord to the king. All these factors led to the decline of feudalism.
2. Rise of the Middle Class
In the Middle Ages the society was divided into 3 classes- the clergy (priests), the nobility and the common people (third estate). The king was at the apex (top) of the social organization. By the end of the Middle Ages, a new class known as the ‘Middle Class’ began to emerge. This class was drawn from the peasant class and the nobility. The middle class mostly took up trade as their main profession. They made profits during the Crusades and became financially strong. They now began to assert themselves and secure a position in the social organization. They further strove to improve their economic and social statues. For this they took up more business initiative and worked towards the expansion and growth of the economy. Most of the artists, scientists and writers who pioneered (started) the Renaissance movement belonged to the middle class.
3. Rise of National States
The decline of feudalism led to the formation of many nation states with the king at the helm of administrative matters. The nobility had limited authority. Some medieval towns, specially in Italy had their own governments. The King, assisted by a bureaucracy became the head of the administration. The national states territorially and functionally absorbed the fiefdoms. This ushered the end of feudalism. The middle class supported the king with the finance. This freed the king from his financial dependence on the feudal lords. A sense of national feeling became more intense. Alongside a national culture grew with the development of national customs, beliefs, language and literature. The foundation of National States included-
1. Territorial Unification 2. Centralization of government functions
3. Growth of a national feeing 4. Rise of a separate national culture or identity.
4. Economic Factors
The Renaissance age saw the beginning of wide scale international trade. The discovery of the USA and an all water route to the east boosted maritime trade. England laid in the foundation of overseas colonies in Asia and America which served as sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods. Trading companies like the East India Company were founded. There was growth of capitalism and private trade which led to a growth in prosperity.
5. Change in Ideology
The development in the field of science and technology nurtured a secular spirit. In the middle ages the ideology of the people was centred around the ‘other world’. But the growth in trade and the consequent urbanization changed the perspective of the people and made them more ‘this worldly’. Worldly life became an end in itself rather than a mere passage to the other world. Man was not regarded as sinful and became central to the persuasion of art, literature and scientific research. This fostered the spirit of humanism. Humanism is an ideology which considers man as the centre of all artistic, literary and scientific pursuits.
6. Religious Reforms
By the end of the middle ages there was a general feeling of antipathy towards the clergy and the Papacy. In the 14th century the British Parliament passed a series of acts which limited the authority of the Pope. In 1534 Henry VIII, the ruler of England established the Church of England where the monarch of England would be the supreme head. All these movements finally culminated in the Protestant Movement which is termed as the Reformation.
In the 16th century the Roman Catholic Church was the most important institution in Europe. The Pope, known as the Bishop of Rome was the supreme law giver, judge and administrator of the Church. He passed the final judgement in all ecclesiastical matters.
Abuses of the Church- specially the sale of indulgences was one of the main causes of the Protestant movement. This meant the remission of punishment of sin for money. The Church monks moved from place to another as ‘Pardon Sellers’ and sold the indulgences. Impact of humanism, conflict between the national states and the church and economic conflict of the church with the people contributed to the genesis of the Protestant movement.
Martin Luther was the founder of the Protestant Movement and he established the Protestant Church. He was a German monk belonging to the Augustine order. He visited Rome in 1510 CE and he was shocked to see the vices of the Church. According to him man could be saved by directly turning to God. This made the whole institution of the Church redundant. Rather than the clergy he insisted on a direct communion with God.
In 1517 Martin Luther presented his 95 Theses which decried the sale of indulgences. He received support from many Germans and soon became a national leader. He stated that the Church was made up of all the Christians rather than just the clergy. He founded the Protestant where the emphasis was laid on the the teachings of the Bible and a moral conduct.
7. Crusades
The Crusades were holy wars fought between the European Christians and the Arabs from th 11th century to 13th century CE. Arabs captured Palestine in the 7th century CE and many of the Christian pilgrim places like Jerusalem came under the control of the Arabs. The Crusades were fought to win these places back. The Europeans came in contact with the Arabs and there was establishment of trade relations between the two. The exchange of ideas broadened the thinking of the Europeans.
8. Fall of Constantinople
Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE. The ruler of the Ottoman Turks was Sultan Mehmud II. The Turks burnt the library at Constantinople which had many Greek and Roman manuscripts. Some scholars took the remaining manuscripts and fled to Rome. Rome became, thus a centre for culture.
9. Invention of the Printing Press
The Printing Press was inaugurated in Germany due to the efforts of Johann Gutenberg, Johann Fust and Schoffer in the first half of the 15th century. Due to printing the number of books increased and their prices decreased. Books were now available to a larger number of people and led to the dissemination of knowledge and ideas. People were eager to receive more knowledge. People also got to know about other cultures. Printing in a way also encouraged literature in regional languages like French, English, German etc.
Introduction
The word ‘Renaissance’ means rebirth or regeneration. The Renaissance marked the rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman cultures in medieval Europe around the early 15th century CE. The Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe and initiated the awakening of the modern world. Art, science, literature, ideas like modern democracy, human rights, began to emerge with the Renaissance. Italy is considered as the birthplace of the Renaissance and Italian cities like Florence, Venice, Rome and Milan were the centres of the Renaissance culture. The Renaissance was accompanied by two other movements – the Reformation and Geographical discoveries. The Reformation was a religious movement against the Roman Catholic Church and its head- The Pope. The movement finally led to the establishment of the Protestant Church in Germany by Martin Luther in the early 16th century CE. The Geographical Discoveries were discoveries initiated by adventurous sailors from Spain and Portugal to explore new continents for raw materials and markets.
Definition of the Renaissance
Renaissance is a French word which has originated from the Italian word ‘Renascita’ which means rebirth. The word ‘Renascita’ was used for the first time by Girorgio Vasari, an Italian painter to explain the revival of classical (ancient Greek and Roman Culture) in the 16th century CE. The word Renaissance was used first in the 19th century CE by the French historian Jules Michelet. According to Michelet Renaissance was the ‘discovery of the world and the discovery of man’. Michelet was the first to define the Renaissance as a definite period in European history to indicate a major break in the middle ages and beginning of the modern age. Jerry Brotton defines the Renaissance as ‘a profound and enduring upheaval and transformation in culture, politics, art and society in Europe from the years 1400 and 1600’.
According to Robert Ergang the Renaissance was an age characterized by-
1. Decay of Feudalism
2. Study of Classical Literature
3. Rise of Nation States
4. Beginnings f Modern Science
5. Invention of the Printing Press, Gun Powder and Mariner’s Compass
6. Opening of new trade routes
7. Discovery Of America
Causes of the Renaissance –
1. Decline of Feudalism
After the breakup of the Roman Empire, Europe experienced the Middle Ages up to the 14th century CE. The Middle Ages were characterized by feudalism and domination of the Roman Catholic Church. Feudalism was a system where a feudal lord held a piece of land which was known as a ‘fief’. The lords would employ peasants known as serfs who would work on their fields. The serfs had no ownership of the land . The feudal lord administered his fief from his castle known as a Manor. The feudal lord was an intermediary between the king and the common people. The economy was mainly agrarian.
Gradually many of the serfs took to small manufacturing and became artisans. This led to the growth of trade. The focus now began to shift towards trade. As a result of trade cities emerged. There was also a growth of mercenary armies which fought on the behalf of the kings and helped them to defeat the feudal lords. The invention of the gunpowder added special power to the kings’ armies which further helped them to defeat the feudal lords. Rather than land grants, the kings began to make money payments to their officers. The allegiance of the people also began to shift from the feudal lord to the king. All these factors led to the decline of feudalism.
2. Rise of the Middle Class
In the Middle Ages the society was divided into 3 classes- the clergy (priests), the nobility and the common people (third estate). The king was at the apex (top) of the social organization. By the end of the Middle Ages, a new class known as the ‘Middle Class’ began to emerge. This class was drawn from the peasant class and the nobility. The middle class mostly took up trade as their main profession. They made profits during the Crusades and became financially strong. They now began to assert themselves and secure a position in the social organization. They further strove to improve their economic and social statues. For this they took up more business initiative and worked towards the expansion and growth of the economy. Most of the artists, scientists and writers who pioneered (started) the Renaissance movement belonged to the middle class.
3. Rise of National States
The decline of feudalism led to the formation of many nation states with the king at the helm of administrative matters. The nobility had limited authority. Some medieval towns, specially in Italy had their own governments. The King, assisted by a bureaucracy became the head of the administration. The national states territorially and functionally absorbed the fiefdoms. This ushered the end of feudalism. The middle class supported the king with the finance. This freed the king from his financial dependence on the feudal lords. A sense of national feeling became more intense. Alongside a national culture grew with the development of national customs, beliefs, language and literature. The foundation of National States included-
1. Territorial Unification 2. Centralization of government functions
3. Growth of a national feeing 4. Rise of a separate national culture or identity.
4. Economic Factors
The Renaissance age saw the beginning of wide scale international trade. The discovery of the USA and an all water route to the east boosted maritime trade. England laid in the foundation of overseas colonies in Asia and America which served as sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods. Trading companies like the East India Company were founded. There was growth of capitalism and private trade which led to a growth in prosperity.
5. Change in Ideology
The development in the field of science and technology nurtured a secular spirit. In the middle ages the ideology of the people was centred around the ‘other world’. But the growth in trade and the consequent urbanization changed the perspective of the people and made them more ‘this worldly’. Worldly life became an end in itself rather than a mere passage to the other world. Man was not regarded as sinful and became central to the persuasion of art, literature and scientific research. This fostered the spirit of humanism. Humanism is an ideology which considers man as the centre of all artistic, literary and scientific pursuits.
6. Religious Reforms
By the end of the middle ages there was a general feeling of antipathy towards the clergy and the Papacy. In the 14th century the British Parliament passed a series of acts which limited the authority of the Pope. In 1534 Henry VIII, the ruler of England established the Church of England where the monarch of England would be the supreme head. All these movements finally culminated in the Protestant Movement which is termed as the Reformation.
In the 16th century the Roman Catholic Church was the most important institution in Europe. The Pope, known as the Bishop of Rome was the supreme law giver, judge and administrator of the Church. He passed the final judgement in all ecclesiastical matters.
Abuses of the Church- specially the sale of indulgences was one of the main causes of the Protestant movement. This meant the remission of punishment of sin for money. The Church monks moved from place to another as ‘Pardon Sellers’ and sold the indulgences. Impact of humanism, conflict between the national states and the church and economic conflict of the church with the people contributed to the genesis of the Protestant movement.
Martin Luther was the founder of the Protestant Movement and he established the Protestant Church. He was a German monk belonging to the Augustine order. He visited Rome in 1510 CE and he was shocked to see the vices of the Church. According to him man could be saved by directly turning to God. This made the whole institution of the Church redundant. Rather than the clergy he insisted on a direct communion with God.
In 1517 Martin Luther presented his 95 Theses which decried the sale of indulgences. He received support from many Germans and soon became a national leader. He stated that the Church was made up of all the Christians rather than just the clergy. He founded the Protestant where the emphasis was laid on the the teachings of the Bible and a moral conduct.
7. Crusades
The Crusades were holy wars fought between the European Christians and the Arabs from th 11th century to 13th century CE. Arabs captured Palestine in the 7th century CE and many of the Christian pilgrim places like Jerusalem came under the control of the Arabs. The Crusades were fought to win these places back. The Europeans came in contact with the Arabs and there was establishment of trade relations between the two. The exchange of ideas broadened the thinking of the Europeans.
8. Fall of Constantinople
Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE. The ruler of the Ottoman Turks was Sultan Mehmud II. The Turks burnt the library at Constantinople which had many Greek and Roman manuscripts. Some scholars took the remaining manuscripts and fled to Rome. Rome became, thus a centre for culture.
9. Invention of the Printing Press
The Printing Press was inaugurated in Germany due to the efforts of Johann Gutenberg, Johann Fust and Schoffer in the first half of the 15th century. Due to printing the number of books increased and their prices decreased. Books were now available to a larger number of people and led to the dissemination of knowledge and ideas. People were eager to receive more knowledge. People also got to know about other cultures. Printing in a way also encouraged literature in regional languages like French, English, German etc.