INDEX

INTRODUCTION MEANING FEATURES CAUSES IMPACT CONCLUSION

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION TO RENAISSANCE The Renaissance was a cultural and scholarly movement which stressed the rediscovery and application of texts and thought from classical antiquity, occurring in Europe c. 1400 c. 1600. The Renaissance can also refer to the period of European history spanning roughly the same dates. This period saw a rebirth in knowledge. The Renaissance was turning from God to man. Science and the arts were becoming more important. Christopher Columbus discovered America and Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel. William Shakespeare was writing his famous plays. Secular music is non-religious music and it was becoming more popular during this time. There was a rise in instrumental music and dance music, too. MEANING OF RENAISSANCE Renaissance means rebirth. This period saw a rebirth in knowledge. The Renaissance was turning from God to man. The term Renaissance was first used by artist and art historian Giorgio Vasari, a Florentine in Italy. There remains debate about what exactly constituted the Renaissance. Essentially, it was a cultural and intellectual movement, intimately tied to society and politics, of the late fourteenth to early seventeenth centuries, although it is commonly restricted to just the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is considered to have originated in

Italy. Traditionally people have claimed it was stimulated, in part, by Petrarch, who had a passion for rediscovering lost manuscripts and a fierce belief in the civilizing power of ancient thought, and in part by conditions in Florence. At its core, the Renaissance was a movement dedicated to the rediscovery and use of classical learning, that is to say knowledge and attitudes from the Ancient Greek and Roman eras. Renaissance literally means rebirth. Renaissance thinkers believed the period between themselves and the fall of Rome, which they labeled the middle Ages, had seen a decline in cultural achievement compared with the earlier eras. Participants intended, through the study of classical texts, textual criticism and classical techniques, to both reintroduce the heights of those ancient days and improve the situation of their contemporaries. SALIENT FEATURES OF RENAISSANCE: 1. It was the deep study of Greco-Roman classics and arts. The Renaissance was characterized by the deep study of the Greek and Roman classics and arts, with the sole objective of recapturing the spirit of the Greek and Roman cultures by the European scholars and artists in their own literary, artistic and philosophical works. The ancientGreco-roman culture is usually described as classical antiquity . It is for this reason that the Renaissance is generally understood in terms of the revival or rebirth of antiquity, with a new attitude and approach 2. It reflected the spirit of inquiry with a sense of curiosity. In the medieval age, all human activities both mental as well as physical were rigidly controlled and guided by the paramount authority of the pope and church. The human mind was virtually enslaved by the papal authority; and there was no intellectual freedom. The leaders, scholars, and scientists of the Renaissance period rejected outright most of the attitudes and ideas of the medieval age. The Renaissance ushered in an age of reason and a scientific temper, with a sense of curiosity to know the unknown and to discover the undiscovered. The spirit of enquiry, thus, dominated the age in the study and production of literary, artistic and scientific works. The religious and dogmatic approach was outright rejected in favor of a new rational and humane approach. 3. It promoted the spirit of humanism.

The medieval writers and artists concentrated their energies on theological subjects including god, whereas the Renaissance scholars and artists focused their mind on the study of humanities. The spirit of humanism replaced god and man became the center of life. All the efforts were made to promote the creative, rational, and aesthetic powers of man and the influence of the church and clergy minimized on the lives of the people. The spirit of secularism, thus came to be widely promoted. Scholars, men of letters, and artists, who promoted the study of Greek classics, came to be known as humanists. 4. It caused original thinking. The Renaissance was characterized by original thinking, as the foundation of original thinking was laid by the Renaissance thinkers like Roger Bacon and Peter Aberald. Human mind was liberated from intellectual slavery of the papal authority, as the authority of the church was questioned. Some scholars made the study of the original Greek texts of the new testaments and discovered some errors in the Latin Bible of the medieval age, viz., the Vulgate. However, the greatest contribution of the Renaissance scholars was the revival of secular learning and literature by recapturing the spirit of the Greek classics. 5. It championed the equal rights for women. Unlike in the medieval age, the Renaissance humanists championed the cause of equal rights and equal opportunities of women with men in all walks of life, including in their intellectual development. Women were allowed to shoulder responsibilities and play a key role in government, diplomacy and promotion of arts. It thus ushered in a new era of emancipation of woman in history of mankind. 6. It caused emergence of the Renaissance gentlemen. Humanist education led to the emergence and development of a new variety of personality, viz., the gentlemen. The Renaissance gentlemen replaced the knight and monk of the medieval age. The gentlemen stood for the refinement of mind and self control, irrespective of monetary status and sophisticated culture replaced chivalry. The Renaissance gentleman was marked by a disciplined mind, graceful manners, love of music, development of the beauty of the physical body, nobility of character, and love for learning literature, and art.

7. It caused transition from medieval to modern age. The Renaissance caused a transition from the medieval age to modern age, from the era of dogmas and blind faith in the papal authority of the Roman Catholic Church to the new era of reason, humanism, and observation and experimentation. It caused fundamental changes in the attitude and values of man towards himself and the world toward him. The Renaissance man attached utmost significance to secularism, which centered around humane, natural, worldly, and sensual aspects of life, and relegated god, super natural and ascetic aspects to the periphery.

8. It was a gradual movement. The Renaissance movement was a gradual movement that started first in the city of Florence in Italy and later spread all over Italy and then to other parts of Europe. It was, moreover, a class movement and not a mass movement because it was led by the intellectual class of scholars, artists and artisans of all sorts. CAUSES OF RENAISSANCE The Renaissance first began in Italy. From Italy, the Renaissance spread to other countries in Europe because of: 1. Original thinkers and the new spirit of enquiry. The human mind and human activities were dominated by the church authority in the medieval age. With the passage of time some scholars began to think independently. Peter Abelard, Roger Bacon, St.Francis, Daten were the moving spirits of the new era. All of them injected a new spirit of enquiry, a scientific temper among the people, but roger bacon outshone all of them. He openly challenged both the church authority and Aristotle, and advocated knowledge of the creator through knowledge of the created world. Instead of total dependence on the Aristotelian works, bacon strongly recommended the use of laboratory investigation and also the use of reason. Anything that goes against reason is to be rejected outright. Such original thinkers were the forerunners of the renaissance. 2. The invention of a movable type printing press:

By Gutenberg in 1438.Other printers soon learned to use this new machine. Books could be printed more quickly. They did not have to be written by hand. Their price fell. People could afford to buy books. Ideas and learning spread easily when more people read books. This helped the spread of ideas and learning. So the Renaissance started. 3. Fall of Constantinople. The city of Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. In the year 1453, it fell into the hands of the ottoman Turks. As a result of which, the Greek scholars and thinkers of that city migrated along with their original manuscript to various parts of Europe. But the majority of them went to Italy, where they instilled in the people, the spirit of enquiry and an enthusiasm for the study of the classics. This naturally provided a fresh impetus to the renaissance. 4. Contact between Europe and Asia through crusades and sea routes. The coming together of westerners and easterners through the crusades and also through the newly discovered sea routes brought about not only wealth but also an inner urge and a broader vision to reorient life, which to a great extent provided an impetus to renaissance. 5. The decline of feudalism. Some nobles went on the Crusades. When the nobles were away, many serfs left the manors. They lived as freemen in towns. Feudalism declined in Europe. Townspeople had greater freedom than serfs. Many of them were educated. They had more ideas about art and learning. They looked at things in a new way. Hence the Renaissance was started in this way 6. The decline of Church influence. In the early middle Ages, Rome in Italy was the centre of the Catholic Church. However France controlled the Church in the early 14th century. She moved it from Rome to Avignon in southern France.In1378; another Pope was elected in Rome. There were two Popes. Both wanted to be the head of the Catholic Church. This quarrel for leadership lasted until 1417.It reduced people's support for the Church. It also reduced Church influence. As a result, many Europeans became

interested in the world around them, and not just in religion. That is why the Renaissance began.

7. Patronage of rulers, popes and noble families a. Patronage of rulers. The progressive rulers, popes and some noble families patronized this new movement. European rulers such as Francis of France, Andrew VIII of England, Charles V of Spain patronized the renaissance movement. b. Patronage of Popes. Pope Nicolas V started the collection of old manuscripts in the Batican city, another Pope named Leo X patronized artist, scientist and literary men of the renaissance. IMPACT OF RENAISSANCE 1. Spirit of enquiry. One of the greatest merits of the renaissance is the revival of spirit of enquiry, scientific temper, the curiosity to know the unknown and to explore the unexplored. The human beings then engaged themselves in inventing and discovering the thinks which made our life richer, fuller, convenient and more comfortable than it was in the past. 2. The spirit of humanism. The renaissance promoted human interest in everything concerning the happiness and welfare of man. The apostles of the new culture came to be known as humanist. 3. Stimulus to vernaculars. Humanism provided an impetus to the growth of vernacular. Writers began to write in vernacular literature such as Italian, German, French, English, etc. 4. Weakening of church authority.

As a spirit of enquiry reached its zenith, everything preached by church was questioned, as a result of this many people revolted against the established authority of the church. 5. Strengthening of monarchy. As a result of the renaissance the kings with their secular outlook and the middle class were set against the Papal authority. This led to the strengthening of monarchy. 6. Intellectual revolution due to printing press. With the invention of the printing press by john Gutenberg in the 15 century, it resulted into circulation of books and pamphlets, which resulted into immeasurable change.
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7. Triple revolution. There was revolution in art and science of warfare. There was revolution in the social condition by breaking down of feudal lords and lifting up of common man. It caused a political revolution by championing the cause of autocratic monarchs. 8. Navigation, colonization and Commerce due to invention of marine compass. With the invention of marine compass in the magnetic needle caused almost a revolution in navigation; which facilitated colonization and overseas commerce which in turn caused several bloody wars in human history.

9. Impetus to art and science. The renaissance provided a tremendous impetus to the growth of various kinds of arts and literature; it also encouraged the study of sciences and patronized the scientists who made numerous scientific inventions and discoveries. CONCLUSION

Renaissance played a very important role in the later medieval period. The intellectual class put in their endeavors in order to reduce the influence of papal authority. It was with the idea of renaissance, the concept of spirit of enquiry, scientific temper, spirit of humanism which brought in the kaletoscopic changes in a human being. To conclude, the Renaissance was a time of new awakening in Europe including the general loss of power by the church, an Increase in literacy and education, and an exploration period. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Land Marx in world history -Manohar Wadhwani 2. Renaissance of 12th century - David Thomson 3. The History of Europe - - - - - V.D.Mahajan 4. Websites: a. www.google.co.in b. www.wikipedia.com