Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Medieval Europe from Class 7 Social_Science. In this lesson, we will understand the Religious Movement, the reasons for the Reformation Movement, the role of Martin Luther and others, and the meaning of Counter Reformation. We will also learn about the causes of geographical explorations, the pace of sea voyages, their global impact, and how to trace sea routes on a world map. Let us begin our journey into the fascinating past. Do you know what is meant by Renaissance? The word Renaissance means Re-birth. It also means Revival. It refers to the significant developments that took place around 1400 to 1600 C.E. in the fields of European literature, art, architecture, and science. This movement denotes creative developments in intellectual and cultural aspects, transforming Europe from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age. It occurred in Italy. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us understand the features of the Renaissance. Humanism and Rationalism were the most important ones. What is Humanism? Humanism is the belief that man plays the major role in all happenings of the world. Scholars who studied Ancient Greek literature were called Humanists. They believed that Man was the most important being in the world, not a sinner, but the greatest creation of God. What is Rationalism? Rationalism means examining every idea in a logical manner and without any prejudices. An idea is accepted only after it is found to be true. During the Renaissance, ideas of Heaven, Hell, and the Heavenly world were completely rejected. Keen interest was given to the things of this world, and more emphasis was placed on present life. [CHECKPOINT]
Apart from these, there are two other features. Firstly, Classical languages like Greek and Latin were rejected in favour of the local language for writing literature. Secondly, creativity in art practice was encouraged, with artists choosing new themes. Architecture became chiefly human-centric. For instance, churches were not just places of worship but also centres of artistic and architectural structures. Now, let us explore the reasons for the Renaissance. Ideological freedom was the primary reason. Other reasons include the attack on the city of Constantinople, the influence of geographical discoveries, the invention of printing, the spread of education, and the decline of the feudal system. [CHECKPOINT]
Let me describe the attack on Constantinople for you. In the mid 15th Century, specifically in 1453 C.E., the Turkish Sultan, Mohammed the Second, attacked Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Turks seized the city from Emperor Constantine. For 11 centuries before 1453 C.E., this city was a centre of knowledge. The Turks were not broad-minded like the Arabs and had no respect for learning. Fearing them, scholars fled to Italy and other parts of Europe with their valuable Greek and Latin works. They settled in Italian cities and began to propagate their ancient knowledge. Thus, learning shifted from Constantinople to Italy, inspiring the Renaissance movement. [CHECKPOINT]
Besides, geographical explorations increased European wealth as they found sea routes to India, America, and other countries. This transformed Europe into a colonial power and led to the disintegration of the feudal system. Now, how did the printing press contribute? Invented in the 15th Century, it brought revolutionary changes to knowledge dissemination. Earlier, a person could print only two books a year. With the printing machine, one could print 24,000 copies in a year. Book prices dropped, demand increased, and printing became more legible and beautiful than handwritten scripts. Books became easily available to interested readers. Around 1450 C.E., John Gutenberg, a German, used movable type nails in his press in Maines. Earlier, blocks were used. This technology spread rapidly across Europe, welcomed by scholars and Popes. In 1477, William Caxton established an improved printing machine in England. [CHECKPOINT]
During the Renaissance, literature was written in national or local languages, helping spoken languages prosper. Petrarch was the first author, greatly admiring Ancient Greek and Roman literature. His lyrics and sonnets are well-known and inspired young writers. Dante was a great Italian poet, and The Divine Comedy is his greatest epic. Boccaccio was an expert storyteller, known for his work Decameron. John Calvin, a religious reformer, gave a new style to French prose literature. Cervantes, an important Spanish writer, satirized medieval knights in his famous work Don Quixote. Knights were those honoured for exemplary royal military service. William Shakespeare is the most important English dramatist. He wrote excellent plays like Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and Macbeth, making him a great dramatist like Kalidasa. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us look at contributions to architecture, art, and sculpture. Renaissance architectural beauty is seen in St. Peter's Church in Rome, St. Paul's Church in London, and other churches. Architects rejected the ornate Gothic style and used circular arches instead of pointed ones. Donatello was a prominent sculptor, known for his excellent Image of David. Similarly, Michael Angelo created the magnificent Image of Moses. In the 16th Century, Italy had many talented artists, prominently Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo. Leonardo da Vinci was a wonderful painter, sculptor, scientist, engineer, architect, and mathematician. Virgin on the Rocks, The Last Supper, and Mona Lisa are his famous paintings. [CHECKPOINT]
Da Vinci surpassed all his contemporaries in every field. He prepared models of a Flying Machine, Submarine, Parachute, and Tanker, though his scientific achievements remained unknown to the public for a long time. He was a great architect who constructed canals and citadels in Italy, and had expertise in music and philosophy. It is said he could write with both hands simultaneously. We can say that modern science began developing during the Renaissance, with revolutionary progress in astronomy. Copernicus of Poland knew the Earth was one of many planets revolving around the Sun. Since this went against Church beliefs, his findings could not be published. The Church then believed Ptolemy's statement that the Sun revolved around the Earth. [CHECKPOINT]
Later, the German mathematician Kepler proved Copernicus's findings were true. The Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei invented the telescope and strongly supported Copernicus. The Orthodox Church arrested him and subjected him to the Inquisition. After a forced confession, he was freed. Sir Isaac Newton of England proved that gravitational force causes objects thrown in the air to fall down. William Harvey (1478 – 1557) discovered the circulation of blood in the human body. Vesalius, a Belgian scientist, published a valuable book about blood circulation and was sentenced to death for questioning Church beliefs! Galileo also proved through experiments that objects of different weights dropped from the same height touch the ground at the same time, demonstrating this with cannon balls from the Tower of Pisa. Thus, the Renaissance significantly influenced modern society and civilizations. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us move to Religious Reformation. During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church controlled society and imposed wrong decisions. Instead of living simple, pious lives, the Pope and clergy lived in luxury. Conflicts between Kings and Popes declined respect for the Popes. Kings could not tolerate Papal interference in politics, and clergy sold church positions to accumulate wealth. This led John Wycliffe, John Hus, Martin Luther, and others to expose church wrongdoings. John Wycliffe, called the Morning Star of Religious Reformation, was an Oxford University professor who exposed church irregularities. John Hus strongly condemned church immorality. When summoned by the Church Court and forced to accept its policies, he refused, saying he could not accept ideas against his conscience. He was declared a criminal and burnt alive. [CHECKPOINT]
Another reason for differences in the Catholic faith was the sale of Letters of Forgiveness. Pope Leo the Tenth needed money to reconstruct St. Peter's Church. He popularised the belief that buying indulgences freed one from sin and granted a license to heaven. Martin Luther questioned this, asking if the Pope could wash away sins with money, he could do it for free. Luther, a priest at St. Augustine Church, rebelled against the Pope and clergy's luxury. He wrote 95 statements against indulgences and nailed them to the Wittenburg Church door. He translated the Bible into German for common people and used German instead of Latin in services. Though the Pope ordered his punishment, Luther had royal support and escaped it. His followers were called Protestants, meaning those who rebelled. This sect spread globally and led to the political ideology of Liberalism. [CHECKPOINT]
Many people doubted the Catholic Church and moved away. Realizing the need for internal reforms, the Church started a Counter Reformation movement to cleanse itself. This refers to the Catholic Church's attempts to reform its internal functioning. Ignatius Loyola led this movement. A Spanish Military General, he saw Protestant popularity rising and Catholic popularity falling. Honest and enthusiastic, he worked hard to restore faith. He established the Society of Jesus in 1541 C.E. Its members, called Jesuits, focused on Catholic preaching, spreading education, and providing health facilities. Their efforts helped the Church regain public trust. The effects of this movement included the division of Jesus's followers into Catholics and Protestants, the end of illegal church practices, and kings gradually becoming more powerful than the Pope in political struggles. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us learn about Geographical Explorations. Until the 15th Century, Europeans were unaware of all world places. Believing the Earth was flat with a steep edge, they traded only along European coasts. Curiosity, trade desires, and adventurous spirits drove them to explore new lands. Church leaders' flat-Earth belief made navigators afraid of sea voyages. The reasons for explorations were: First, the 1453 C.E. Turkish occupation of Constantinople blocked European trade routes, making new sea routes to East Asia imperative. Second, Marco Polo's reports of wealthy Asian countries like India and China stimulated trader interest. Third, high European demand for Asian goods and spices like saffron, teak, cotton, tamarind, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, sandal, musk, cardamom, diamond, and nutmeg. [CHECKPOINT]
Fourth, scientific inventions like the compass, astrolabe, and huge caravel ships proved a boon to navigators. Fifth, religious motivation drove Christian missionaries to propagate their faith in Asia and Africa. The Portuguese were the first to undertake sea voyages. Prince Henry strongly desired a sea route to India and China, establishing a navy school for this purpose, earning him the name Henry the Navigator. His encouragement inspired explorations. Every year, his school's students voyaged along Africa's west coast. By the early 16th Century, sailors gathered sufficient wind, wave, and tide data, with European sailors, astronomers, and geologists compiling this information. [CHECKPOINT]
The map in your textbook shows major sea routes from the Iberian Peninsula across the Atlantic, around Africa's southern tip, across the Indian Ocean to India, and across the Atlantic to the Americas, marking routes of Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan. Now, the discoveries. Portuguese sailor Bartholomeo Diaz reached Africa's southern tip in 1488. Powerful winds hit his ships, so he named it Cape of Storm. King John the Second renamed it Cape of Good Hope due to raised expectations. Another Portuguese, Vasco da Gama, followed Diaz's route to the Cape of Good Hope, then to Melindi island on Africa's east coast. He crossed the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, reaching Calicut on India's west coast in 1498, discovering a new sea route. He actually arrived at Kappad, 10 kilometers from Calicut, ruled then by Zamorin kings. [CHECKPOINT]
Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus sailed west, believing the Earth was round, with support from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He crossed the Atlantic to the Bahamas, thinking it was India, and called the natives Red Indians. It was actually the West Indies. He never knew he discovered a new place. In August 1492, he sailed from Paulos Harbour with 88 sailors on three ships. After two months without land, sailors rebelled. Columbus promised a prize and one year's salary to the first who sighted land. On 12th October 1492, they sighted land. Next, the Discovery of South America. Captain Pedro Cabral's Portuguese fleet drifted west due to heavy winds, accidentally discovering Brazil. Amerigo Vespucci followed Columbus's route, declaring it a New World, not India. German Geographer Martin Wald Simuller suggested naming it America after Vespucci, which was approved. [CHECKPOINT]
Ferdinand Magellan, an adventurous Portuguese navigator, was the first to circumnavigate the world. He started from Spain in 1519 with 5 ships and 267 co-navigators. They touched South America's southern tip, crossed the Pacific, and reached the Philippines. Magellan was killed in a skirmish with natives. His followers returned to Spain in 1522 on the ship Victoria, proving the Earth was round. Victoria was the first ship to complete circumnavigation. Magellan desired a western route to eastern countries. After crossing a narrow southern South American strait, he entered a tranquil ocean. The strait became Magellan Strait, and the ocean became the Pacific, meaning calm, Ocean. [CHECKPOINT]
Geographical discoveries strongly influenced Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. First, Expansion of Trade: Europeans turned new lands into commercial colonies, expanding global trade and capturing Asian markets for European profit. Second, Slave Trade: Europeans enslaved natives of the West Indies, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil, selling them cruelly and inhumanely. Third, Spread of Christianity: Christian principles spread globally, shaping colonialism. Fourth, Political effect: Severe competition for colonies and wealth arose among European nations, establishing colonial bases in Asia, Africa, and America. Colonisation means political and economic control over another country's territory, like England colonizing India. Important dates: 1488, Bartholomeo Diaz reached Africa's southern tip. 1498, Vasco da Gama reached Calicut. 1492, Columbus reached America. 1519 to 1522, Magellan's circumnavigation. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us practice the textbook exercises. Fill in the blanks. One: Renaissance began in Italy. Two: The famous artists of the Renaissance period are Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo. Three: Columbus called native Americans Red Indians. Four: The ship that first circumnavigated the world is Victoria. Five: Religious reformation in Germany was started by Martin Luther. Answer in one word or sentence. Six: Two features of the Renaissance are Humanism and Rationalism. Seven: The printing press inspired the Renaissance by increasing book production to 24,000 copies yearly, lowering prices, improving legibility, and making books widely available. Eight: Three famous Renaissance authors are Petrarch, Dante, and Boccaccio. Nine: William Shakespeare is the most important English dramatist, known for plays like Julius Caesar and Macbeth. Ten: Two well-known Renaissance scientists are Copernicus and Galileo Galilei. [CHECKPOINT]
Eleven: Counter Reformation is the Catholic Church's attempt to reform its internal functioning. Twelve: Marco Polo was a traveler who reported Asian wealth, stimulating European exploration. Thirteen: Copernicus discovered that Earth is one of many planets revolving around the Sun. Discuss questions. Fourteen: Renaissance contributions include literature in local languages by authors like Petrarch and Shakespeare; architecture replacing Gothic styles with circular arches in churches like St. Peter's; sculptures like David by Donatello; paintings like Mona Lisa by Da Vinci; and scientific advances like Copernicus's heliocentric theory, Galileo's telescope, and Harvey's blood circulation discovery. Fifteen: Martin Luther started the German Reformation, nailed 95 statements against indulgences, translated the Bible to German, used German in services, and gained royal support, leading to the Protestant sect and Liberalism. Sixteen: Geographical discoveries expanded global trade, initiated the cruel slave trade, spread Christianity, shaped colonialism, and caused political competition among European nations for colonies. [CHECKPOINT]
Finally, complete the textbook activities. Activity one: Prepare an album with photographs and descriptions of Renaissance architecture, sculpture, and paintings. Activity two: Gather more information on religious leaders John Wycliffe and Ignatius Loyola. Activity three: Collect information on important navigators who discovered new lands. Activity four: Read B.G.L. Swamy's book South America in our stomach, and list fruits and vegetables introduced by Europeans to India. Also, complete the activity to learn more about Martin Luther, the key figure of the Reformation movement. I hope this lesson has helped you understand Medieval Europe clearly. Keep practicing these facts, dates, and concepts regularly. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]