CHANGING CULTURAL

TRADITIONS
Shift in artistical, social, political spheres

SUDITI SINHA [Date] [Course title]

 CHANGING CULTURAL
TRADITIONS
SR.N TITLE
O
1. OBJECTIVE
2. INTRODUCTION
3. MEANING OF RENNAISANCE
4. FACTORS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ERA
 THE BLACK PLAGUE
 SETTINGS AND PLACES INVOLVED
 CULTURAL CONDITIONS
 ITALIAN CITIES
5. START OF A NEW ERA
 EVENTS
6. UNIVERSITIES AND HUMANITIES
7. A HUMANIST VIEW OF HISTORY
8. SCIENCE
9. PHILOSOPHY
10. CONTRIBUTIONS
 ART, ARCHITECTURE AND MUSIC
 PRINTED BOOKS AND LIBRARIES

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11. ASPIRATIONS OF WOMEN
12. DEBATES WITHIN CHRISTIANITY
13. INDIAN RENNAISANCE
14. IMPACT OF A CULTURAL REVOLUTION
15. RELEVANCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PHOTO GALLERY
MAP

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OBJECTIVE

The most vital objective is to analyse and understand the microscopic details of the cultural shift that took
place during the 15th and 16th century.

We intend to understand

 the events that took place in this age.

 the monarchy of the cities and countries in which this ensued.
 the factors responsible for the renaissance coming to pass.
 how new disciplines and fields of study sprang to existence.
 the cause of existence of universities.
 on humanities and a humanist view of knowledge and history.
 Contributions of different countries and communities to the new disciplines of science and
philosophy
 Different causes for the renewed interest in art, architecture and music
 Creation of printed books and exchange of ideas
 Various aspirations of women
 Debates within Christianity
 The Indian renaissance
 And last, but not the least, the impact of this change in cultural traditions.

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MEANING OF RENNAISANCE
INTRODUCTION

The shift from the medieval period to modernity is usually referred to as Renaissance.

In this project we are going to look at this revolution minutely and observe how this explosion of ideas
came to take place, the conditions of the sites where these events occurred and what exactly happened
during this period. The shift from medieval to modern is clearly visible as we see the foundations of
science and philosophy take root. But the modern western civilisation and the eastern civilisation were
also defined by humanist principles put forward in this era. One cannot talk about the renaissance without
talking about the ethereal pieces of art and music which were created. Their beautiful buildings have even
survived till today. Ideas were exchanged with books and printed pamphlets, which were also responsible
for a scientific revolution and freeing of the world from the strong catholic church ideology. Feminism
also was started in the 15th and 16th century. Women started defining their aspirations and expectations in
this period.

The renaissance coincided with the holy crusade wars which enabled in more cultural exchange and more
resources accumulation of the Church. People started questioning the divine rights of church and new
movements were initiated.

We are not only focusing on the European continent. Indian renaissance, an exploration of our Indian
identity has also been given importance.

Finally, the impact of such vital key point of history has been analysed.

The renaissance was able to impact our modern world to a major extent and we are still able to see the
political and social ramifications in our world today.

The word Renaissance means a revival of interest in something (origin: French). It is actually a social,
cultural and political revolution that mostly took place in European cities.

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Historians usually refer to the period of the 15th- 16th century when a sudden revival of artistical,
architectural, and literature occurred. Many factors were responsible for this.

The common people became more wealthy, different cultures started interacting with each other and more
literate population meant an increase in classical and philosophical knowledge.

The church also started commissioning works of art and architecture as its resources expanded thanks to
the crusades.

Wealthy merchants became patrons of artists and musicians which led to an increase in the overall
cultural wealth of the cities. Florence, Venice, Bruges and other northern European cities became the
centres of this revolution.

Some of the notable artists involved were Raphael, Michelangelo, El Greco, Jan van Eyck, and Botticelli.

The famously misunderstood political theorist Machiavelli, Poet Dante Algieri, Scientists Galileo Galilei
and Leonardo Da Vinci were also important contributors of this movement.

FACTORS
AND
CONDITIONS
OF THE ERA The black plague
In 1348 -1350 one of the most devastating event happened to the European population. It began in Genoa
and Venice. The two important trading cities of the expanding Italian city-states and had just begun to get
wealthy. Then, in 1348, in he month of august, a number of rats made their way down the rope line from
the trading ships and into one of the worst time periods of the history of humankind.

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There were three forms of the Plague. They were Pneumonia, Septis, and Bubonic Plague or the Black
Plague wiped out 25-million people in a shocking turn of events. One in three people died, and the other
two-thirds were forever affected by the loss of loved ones and the need for civil reform.

Europeans across the continent were affected. Plague hit almost all of Italy and France, southern Spain
and northern Africa. It was a devastating event in time.

Due to the demographic decline, the prices of food dropped and land values declined by 30–40% in most
parts of Europe between the years 1350 and 1400. For ordinary people it meant a significant
improvement. The survivors got the benefits. The prices of food were cheaper and lands were more
abundant, and many of them inherited property from their dead relatives.

Settings and places involved

Florence was the first of the sites where this movement started. Thanks to the vital role played by the
Medici family (banking family turned ducal rulers), Florence became a cultural hub of artists, poets,
philosophers and architects. Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo were also all born
in Tuscany, which implies that this site may have just been lucky. In the 15th century, the Renaissance
was quickly spreading from its point of origin in Florence to the rest the continent. England, France,
Germany and Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Russia and Spain were the main cities who reaped the benefits.
The people involved in this movement had also begun to be aware of it and started referring to it in their
creations.

Cultural conditions
The Middle Ages were characterized by their unique socio- cultural conditions.

Italy was not a unified area, and different political groups controlled different Italian regions. The south
was under the rule of The Kingdom of Naples, the Republic of Florence and the Papal States (centre),
the Milanese and the Genoese (north and west respectively), and the Venetians (east). 

The region was mostly under the feudal system. Merchant Republics were also a political force.
Merchants became responsible for the continuous exchange of ideas along with their goods.

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START OF A NEW ERA

EVENTS
The renaissance can be mainly divided into four different eras: Proto renaissance, Early Renaissance,
High Renaissance and Mannerism.

The notable period was the high renaissance. And some of its artists are still world famous whose artwork
has stood against the test of time. One such artist was Leonardo Da Vinci who was an Artist, Scientist,
Mathematician and an engineer. Several of his sketches contain prototypes for then futuristic machines
such as airplanes. He was a man beyond his time and has thus, forever been immortalized through his
everlasting paintwork of Mona Lisa.

The other two notable high renaissance artists were Michelangelo and Raphael.

Michelangelo’s best-known work is the ceiling of Sistine chapel dated 16 th century. The design mainly
comprises of nine scenes from the book of genesis.

This work has survived till today to be admired as one of the most beautiful homages to God.

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Raphael admired both Da Vinci, and Michelangelo. His work combines the artistic techniques of both the
artists as well as his master, Perugino. His works include ‘The school of Athens’ (1510- 1511) as a part of
group of wall frescoes. It sums up the products of the cultural revolution.

UNIVERSITIES AND HUMANITIES

European Universities were founded between 14th century to 16th century. They were created to educate
classes of lawyers, doctors, clergymen, and teachers.

Administrators of increasing bureaucracies were also were educated in universities. Large number of
intellectual and religious leaders of the Renaissance period came from universities.

Scholars also recognised the importance of universities in their writings. Professors also turned into
historians for their own universities. Universities were seen as living institutions and fitting dispensed
original knowledge into larger intellectual, political, religious, and social contexts.

humanism
Renaissance Humanism focused on classical literature and redefining society with new morals and goals.
It didn’t have a major religious aspect and solely emphasised on the betterment of humankind. It involved
‘studia humanitas’ which is known as humanities in the modern age. It includes topics such as: grammar,
history, poetry and philosophy.

Political philosophy was also on the rise because of Niccolò Machiavelli and Thomas More who also
emphasised on the ideologies of greek and roman thinkers. Their inspiration was Ibn Khaldun.

The purpose of humanism was to create a universal man whose person combined intellectual and
physical excellence and who was capable of functioning honourably in virtually any situation

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A HUMANIST VIEW OF HISTORY

Humanists believed that age before the so-called new age was the dark ages as due to the collapse of the
Roman empire and the occupation of the so-called inferior rulers. Yet, the new age was still largely the
rule of the church over people. Many scholars argued against calling this period the Renaissance as it had
not gained much traction outside Europe. This period was also characterised by the Humanists
questioning the Church as the middle men for contact with God. The church believed that humanity was a
dark and ignorant species which was obsessed with its own vices. This clashed with the humanist view of
the idealistic, virtuous and moral humans. This is what ultimately led to segmentation of church
Catholicism into other schools of thought.

The humanists were also deists which summarised could be understood as an indifferent God. They
believed that instead of praying for salvation to an uncaring supreme being, we should focus on doing
good deeds and spreading joy in the world. Their historical view also was based on creating a humanistic
paradise on Earth.

Periodisation

5th–14th century The Middle Ages

5th–9th century The Dark Ages

The Early Middle

9th–11th century
Ages

11th–14th century The Late Middle Ages

15th century The Modern Age

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onwards

Science

The Works of The Scholars

the Greeks translated works of Arabic and Persian scholars for further
transmission to other Europeans. These were works on natural science,
mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and chemistry. Ptolemy’s Almagest
(a work on astronomy, written in Greek before 140 CE and later
translated into Arabic)

The Scholars
Among the Muslim writers who were
regarded as men of wisdom in the Italian world were Ibn Sina* (‘Avicenna’
in Latin, 980-1037), author of a medical encyclopedia.
Ibn Rushd (‘Averroes’ in Latin, 1126-98), an Arab philosopher of Spain,
tried to resolve the tension between philosophical knowledge (faylasuf)
and religious beliefs. His method was adopted by Christian thinkers.
Humanists reached out to people in a variety of ways. The Arabs developed
the concept of irrational numbers, founded analytical geometry and

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established algebra and trigonometry as exact sciences. Their development
of computational mathematics surpassed all the achievements of the past.

Philoso
phy The Fourteen Century
In the fourteenth century, many scholars
began to read translated works of Greek writers like Plato and
Aristotle. For this they were indebted not to their own scholars but to
Arab translators who had carefully preserved and translated ancient
manuscripts (Plato was Aflatun, and Aristotle Aristu in Arabic).

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CONTRIBUTIONS

Art
How were the artists inspired?
Art, architecture, and books were wonderfully effective in
transmitting humanist ideas.
They were inspired by studying works of the past.

a thousand years after the fall of Rome, fragments of art were

discovered in the ruins of ancient Rome and other deserted cities

In 1416, Donatello (1386-1466) broke new ground with his

Life like statues

Architecture
They actively encouraged the study of Rome’s history. The ruins in

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Rome was carefully excavated by archaeologists…

This inspired a ‘new’ style in architecture, which was a revival

of the imperial Roman style

Artists and sculptors were also to decorate buildings with paintings,

sculptures and reliefs.

The most impressive example is Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) –

immortalized by the ceiling he painted for the Pope in the Sistine
Chapel, the sculpture called ‘The Pieta’ and his design of the dome of
St Peter’s Church, all in Rome. The style of painting, sculpture and
decorative arts identified with the Renaissance emerged in Italy in the
late 14th century; it reached its zenith in the late 15th and early 16th
centuries, in the work of Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo and Raphael. In addition to its expression of classical
Greco-Roman traditions, Renaissance art sought to capture the
experience of the individual and the beauty and mystery of the natural
world.

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Print Culture & Modern World

The First Printed Books

Marco Polo was a great explorer from Italy. He returned from China

in 1295 and brought the knowledge of woodblock printing along with

him. Thus, printing began in Italy and travelled to other parts of

Europe

Earlier in Italy, texts existed in a few hand-written copies. In 1455, 150

copies of the Bible were printed in the workshop of Johannes

Gutenberg (1400-1458)

Gutenberg perfected the system by 1448. The first book printed by him

was the Bible.

With the print technology, a new reading public emerged. Books

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became cheaper because of printing. Numerous copies could now be

produced with much ease. This helped in catering to an ever growing

readership. This helped in increasing the literacy rate to a good extent

How were the books famous around the world?

As the demand for books increased, booksellers all over Europe

began exporting books to many different countries. Book fairs were

held at different places. Production of handwritten manuscripts was

also organized in new ways to meet the expanded demand. Scribes

or skilled hand writers were no longer solely employed by wealthy

or influential patrons but increasingly by booksellers as well. More

than 50 scribes often worked for one bookseller

LIBRARIES
Libraries were created solely for exchange of thoughts and literary pursuit was commended here. Many
libraries contained works of a diversely variating writers due to the conception of free thinking. Humanist
writings also found their home in these literal abodes. They were also signals of competition between the
wealthy and literate.

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ASPIRATIONS OF WOMEN

What were the jobs given to women?

The women of the Renaissance, like women of the Middle Ages, were

denied all political rights and considered legally subject to their

husbands. Women of all classes were expected to perform, first and

foremost, the duties of housewife. Peasant women worked in the field

alongside their husbands and ran the home. The wives of middle class

shop owners and merchants often helped run their husbands'

businesses as well. Even women of the highest class, though attended

by servants.

Women who fought for rights

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Venetian Cassandra Fedele (1465-1558), ‘every woman ought to seek

and embrace these studies.’ She was one of a handful of women who

questioned the idea that women were incapable of achieving the

qualities of a humanist scholar

Fedele’s writings bring into focus the general regard for

education in that age. She was one of many Venetian women writers

who criticized the republic ‘for creating a highly limited definition of

freedom that favored the desires of men over those of women’.

Isabella d’Este (1474-1539). She ruled the state while her husband was

absent, and the court of Mantua, a small state, was famed for its

intellectual brilliance. Women’s writings revealed their conviction

that they should have economic power, property and education to

achieve an identity in a world dominated by men.

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DEBATES WITHIN CHRISTIANITY

Revolt
In the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, many scholars in

universities in north Europe were attracted to humanist ideas. Unlike

professional scholars in Italy, humanism attracted many members of

the Church. They were against unnecessary rituals and called the

Christians to practice religion in the way laid down in the ancient texts

of their religion. Some humanists felt that the Church had become an

institution of greed. Printed translations of Bible in local languages

opened the eyes of the people.

Martin Luther (1483-1546): He was German monk who launched a

campaign against the Catholic Church in 1517. He argued that there

was no need of priests to establish a contact with God. This movement

was called the Protestant Movement. It led to the churches in

Germany and Switzerland breaking their connection with the Pope and

the Catholic Church

Other German reformers were even more radical. They blended the

idea of salvation with the end of all forms of social oppression. This

appealed to peasants oppressed by feudalism. Luther did not support

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radicalism. On his advice, the German rulers suppressed the peasants’

rebellion in 1525. But radicalism survived and merged with the

resistance of Protestants in France. Eventually, the Catholic Church

allowed Protestants to worship as they chose. This happened not only

in France but also in many other parts of Europe. The rulers in

England ended the connection with the Pope. From then onwards, the

king/queen became the head of the Church.

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THE INDIAN RENAISSANCE

What is a renaissance?
Renaissance stands for rebirth and Indian renaissance means revival

of knowledge and development of science and arts.

The account of social, regional, cultural awakening in India is

referred as Indian renaissance

Indian Renaissance, was a cultural, social, intellectual, and artistic

movement that took place in the Bengal region of the British Raj, from

the late 18th century to the early 20th century.

"Father of the Bengal Renaissance"

Raja Ram Mohan Roy (22 May 1772 – 27 September 1833) was an Indian

reformer who was one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha, the

precursor of the Brahmo Samaj, a social-religious reform movement in

the Indian subcontinent.  Roy is considered to be the "Father of the

Bengal Renaissance" by many historians

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one of the few people in his day who really

understood the importance of the new era. He believed that the goal

of human society should not reside in the isolation of independence,

but in the brotherhood of interdependence of persons and nations.

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His attempt was to establish Indian people in the full consciousness of

their own cultural personality, to make them comprehend the reality

that was unique in their civilizations in the spirit of sympathetic

cooperation.

HOWEVER, he was not the only one. Several intellectuals started trying to combine western modernism
and Indian traditionalism to create a truly national identity. Raja Ravi Varma of the Travancore court is
one such example. His paintings show a mix of realism and Indian imagery.

Rabindranath Tagore was a great poet and writer who wrote deeply simple spiritual poetry and stories of
the Indian world.

Munshi Premchand chose to showcase the social prevailing problems of the time.

Abanindranath Tagore was heavily influenced by Chinese spiritualism and his paintings showcase the
mystical Indian Spirit.

Several artists created their own versions of BHARAT MATA who was really the ancient goddess Kali
Devi. She was represented as exploited and tortured by the British. Some paintings showcased her as
proud and indomitable to represent her unbroken spirit.

Thus, our nationalist identity evolved as a reaction to western ideas and traditions of ancient Indians.

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THE IMPACT OF A CULTURAL REVOLUTION

Many historians still argue on the existence of renaissance. This period was characterised
major leaps in the fields of philosophy, art and literature yet, it was also coinciding with constant
religious based wars and European brutalities. Despite the largely optimistic writings of old and
white historians, one cannot ignore the killings of the people residing out of the continents. The Poor also
did not recognise much difference in their day-to-day life as the now rich peasants and traders competed
for power amongst themselves.

Despite their differences many current historians agree that this period was od great importance. We can
still see echoes of this past in 21st century in the sheer amount of beautiful artwork and pieces of writing
which has survived till now. Politicians still read the works of great but misunderstood Machiavelli and
critics still analyse the divine comedy, a great piece written by Dante Alighieri who was recently
referenced in the Disney Film Coco. Foundations of many field were established in that period thanks to
Newton, Galileo, Da Vinci and others. Science and Philosophy found many great minds in that period.

The relentless persecution of the Church against its enemies ultimately led to creation one of the most
famous secret society which is rumoured to be responsible for the French Revolution.

Much of the ideas that were proposed then still continue to define our world. And the concept of Black
Plague is now more than ever, relevant.

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R elevance in the 21
century
st

Before the renaissance, a pandemic broke out that was responsible for
wiping out large portions of the population residing in the European and
middle eastern regions. People in this time were stricken by immense
grief and misery. The fatalities and death were enough to plunge the
world into the dark ages. The events of this time were eerily similar to
the times we reside in today. COVID-19 has taken more people than the
Black plague and caused more sadness and torture for its victims. But
the renaissance, the sudden burst of creativity and this pure combustion
of ideas and dreams and hope offers us hope that things will get better in
the future. The renaissance in itself is a testament of human will and
what beautiful heights humanity can achieve despite all the politics, wars
and general problems of existence.

CONCLUSIO
N
This project helped further our understanding on the renaissance and a largely European history.

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We finally got details on what exact events took place in this age. The movement started
following the black plague and led to an explosion of ideas and thoughts. The continent moved
away from feudalism and Church thanks to humanism and liberalism. We also understood the
reason of why Florence was the birthplace of the revolution: the resourceful Medicis.
New disciplines that observed, interpreted and analysed the world around us were created due to an
encouraging atmosphere of new artists, philosophers and writers. Universities existed to train the
next generation in the literary arts, sciences and philosophies and to make them functioning
members of the ‘modern’ society. Women also found their voice and started fighting the good
fight. Christianity also came under scrutiny due to its liberal and humanist followers.
And The Indian renaissance also occurred as a reaction to the western foreigners’ ideas and brutal
repressions.

The renaissance in the end is a pure representation of Human creativity and collaboration that has resulted
in timeless monuments which tell countless stories of ancient humans and their life.

B ibliography
 NCERT 11TH HISTORY TEXTBOOK, THEMES IN
WORLD HISTORY
 https://classroom.synonym.com/list-cities-italian-
renaissance-19413.html
 So How Did the Renaissance Begin? | ITALY Magazine

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 Renaissance City-States - History Crunch - History
Articles, Summaries, Biographies, Resources and More
 Universities - Renaissance and Reformation - Oxford
Bibliographies
 What was the humanist view of history? (philosophy-
question.com)
 Humanist History | The Pluralism Project
 Renaissance - Wikipedia
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Science_in_the_Renaissance
 https://explorable.com/renaissance-science
 https://www.thesaurus.com/
 https://www.ipl.org/essay/Impact-Of-Religion-In-The-
Renaissance-PJXZS8RSWU
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_violence
 https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-was-the-impact-of-
renaissance/


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PHOTO GALLERY

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MAP

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