First Printed Books: Short Notes

Meaning of Renaissance

The word “Renaissance” comes from French and means “rebirth.” It was coined by a Swiss scholar named Jacob Burckhardt in 1860. During the 14th to 17th centuries, a new cultural movement emerged that emphasized individualism. Italian cities like Rome, Venice, and Florence were at the center of this movement, which revived ancient Greek and Latin cultures....

First Printed Books

During the sixteenth century, Italy stood as the epicenter of artistic brilliance, drawing individuals from across the globe who sought to witness firsthand the masterpieces of renowned painters, sculptors, and architects. However, while artistic wonders were confined to Italy’s borders, the written word embarked on a transformative journey that transcended geographical boundaries, thanks to the revolutionary invention of printing technology....

First Printed Books: Timeline

Year Event 1300 Humanism taught at Padua University in Italy 1341 Petrarch was given the title of ‘Poet Laureate’ in Rome 1349 University established in Florence 1390 Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales published 1436 Brunelleschi designs the Duomo in Florence 1453 Ottoman Turks defeat the Byzantine ruler of Constantinople 1454 Gutenberg prints the Bible with movable type 1484 Portuguese mathematicians calculate latitude by observing the sun 1492 Columbus reaches America 1495 Leonardo da Vinci paints The Last Supper 1512 Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel ceiling 1516 Thomas More’s Utopia published 1517 Martin Luther writes the Ninety-Five Theses 1522 Luther translates the Bible into German 1525 Peasant uprising in Germany 1543 Andreas Vesalius writes On Anatomy 1559 Anglican Church established in England, with the king/queen as its head 1569 Gerhardus Mercator prepares cylindrical map of the earth 1582 Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII 1628 William Harvey links the heart with blood circulation 1673 Academy of Sciences set up in Paris 1687 Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica published...

Printing in China

In China, print technology began around AD 594, where books were printed by pressing paper against inked woodblocks. Initially, the Imperial State in China was the primary producer of printed material, especially for bureaucratic purposes such as civil service examinations. As the number of examination candidates increased from the 16th century onwards, so did the demand for print. With the rise of Urban Culture, print found new uses, such as merchants utilizing it to gather trade information, and it also contributed to the emergence of a reading culture, becoming a leisure activity. Wealthy women began to read and publish their poetry and plays, while even courtesans started writing about their lives. This reading culture was further propelled by the adoption of Western printing techniques and the importation of mechanical presses in the late 19th century, marking a shift from hand printing to mechanical printing. Shanghai emerged as the central hub of this new print culture....

Printing in Japan

In Japan, hand printing technology was introduced by Chinese Buddhist missionaries around AD 768-770. The oldest known Japanese book, the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, was printed in 868 AD, featuring text and woodcut illustrations spread across six sheets. Printed pictures were also found on textiles, playing cards, and paper money, making books cheap and readily available. By the late 18th century, urban centers like Edo (now Tokyo) housed collections of paintings depicting an elegant urban culture. In these urban circles, libraries and bookstores offered a variety of hand-printed materials covering various topics such as women, musical instruments, calculations, cooking, proper etiquette, tea ceremonies, and famous places....

First Printed Books: Short Notes

Church had a big influence on people’s lives. Renaissance means ‘rebirth’ in French. Fall of feudalism, religious wars, and trade growth led to the Renaissance. Renaissance began in Italy, then spread to Rome, Venice, and Florence. Printing press invented by Gutenberg in 1455, Caxton set up first press in 1477. Printing press made more books available and helped spread education. Milan, Naples, Venice, and Florence became trade centers. Humanism started in Italy in the 14th century, Petrarch is called the ‘Father of Humanism’. Dante wrote ‘The Divine Comedy’. William Tyndale translated the Bible into English. Boccaccio wrote ‘Decameron’, a collection of 180 stories. Leonardo da Vinci painted ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’. Michelangelo painted ‘The Last Judgement’. Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton were Renaissance scientists. Kepler popularized the theory of the earth revolving around the sun. Newton’s theory of gravitation was a big scientific breakthrough. Aristocratic families dominated medieval Europe. Renaissance promoted equality and criticized superstitions and rituals. Renaissance literature influenced political thinking. Reformation movement protested against the church and pope in the 16th century. Martin Luther wrote Ninety-Five Theses challenging church authority. Reformation strengthened nation-states. Society of Jesus founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1540 to counter Protestantism....

FAQs on First Printed Books Class 11 Notes

What was the first book printed Class 11 history?...