Decline of feudalism and the Renaissance
As towns, trade and a merchant class grew, feudalism weakened. The Renaissance, meaning rebirth, began in Italy in the 14th century and put human beings and reason at the centre.
Why feudalism declined
- Rise of the middle class: merchants grew rich and wanted a higher place in society.
- Powerful kings rose, and wars between feudal lords weakened the lords.
- New towns and cities grew with a revival of trade. Elected representatives ran them, and people were free to move and choose any work.
- Peasants and artisans left villages for towns, to find a better living and escape feudal exploitation.
- Towns encouraged crops such as cotton and sugarcane, and peasants were paid in cash.
- Money became the medium of exchange. Lords began to take money from their vassals (people who held land from them) instead of services.
- Merchants backed strong kings against the lords, so the feudal order broke down.
What was the Renaissance?
Renaissance means rebirth. It was a new awakening in art, learning and thought. It began in Italy around the 14th century and spread across Europe. It ended the Age of Faith, when people accepted the Church's word without question. It began the Age of Reason. People showed fresh interest in the learning of ancient Greece and Rome, the classical civilisations. The printing press made books cheap, so new ideas spread fast. The Bible was printed and read by many people.
Why the Renaissance began in Italy
- Italy was divided into small city states, many built on the ruins of ancient Rome.
- Cities such as Venice lay on trade routes. Merchants brought wealth and new ideas from far lands.
- Trade gave rise to new methods: book keeping, bills of exchange (written orders to pay money), banking and public debt.
- The city states gave political freedom, which suited new thinking, art and study.
- Rich citizens had more leisure for study and paid artists and scholars.
The spirit of the Renaissance
| Idea | What it means | Where it showed |
|---|---|---|
| Humanism | Human beings are at the centre. They have creative power and a right to joy in this life. | Study of art, history, language, literature and ethics: the humanities were born. |
| Rationalism | Use reason, not blind faith. | People questioned old beliefs, including the Church's. |
| Spirit of inquiry | Learn by observing and experimenting. | Growth of science and the voyages of discovery. |
| Realism in art | Show people as they really look, with correct body proportions. | Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa; free standing statues such as Donatello's David. |
| Vernacular languages | Write in the local language of the people instead of Latin. | Dante's Divine Comedy, Machiavelli's The Prince and Cervantes' Don Quixote. |
| Nationalism | Pride in one's own nation and language. | Italian, French, English, German and Spanish grew as languages of literature. |
Medieval mind and Renaissance mind
Other famous Renaissance artists were Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. Erasmus wrote the famous book In Praise of Folly. Your NIOS lesson lists it with books in local languages, but Erasmus wrote it in Latin.
When you choose humanities subjects such as history or languages, you use a word born in the Renaissance. Your printed NIOS lessons go back to the printing press that spread Renaissance ideas.
1 marks: “Which Italian painter made the Mona Lisa?” Leonardo da Vinci.
2 marks: “Give any two causes of the decline of feudalism.” (1) Growth of towns and trade freed people from feudal control. (2) A rich merchant class rose and backed strong kings against the lords. Money also replaced services.
3 marks: “Explain three ways in which trade and the city states of Italy helped the Renaissance grow there.” (1) Cities such as Venice lay on trade routes, so merchants brought wealth and new ideas from far lands. (2) Trade led to banking, book keeping and bills of exchange, and rich citizens paid artists and scholars. (3) The city states, many built on Roman ruins, gave political freedom and leisure for study.
Renaissance = Rebirth, born in Italy in the 1300s. Its spirit is HRI: Humanism, Reason, Inquiry.