First Printed Books Chapter 5 Class 11 History Notes

First Printed Books Class 11 Notes: The Renaissance, meaning ‘rebirth’, was a period of cultural transformation in Europe from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Coined by Jacob Burckhardt in 1860, it saw Italian universities flourish as centers of legal studies. Humanism, emphasizing human achievement, emerged from the writings of Cicero. Florence became a hub of Renaissance activity, nurturing ‘Renaissance Men’ like Dante Alighieri.

This period marked the transition from the Middle Ages (5th to 14th centuries) to the Modern Age, starting in the 15th century. In this article, you will find all the important notes related to the Class 11 Chapter, “First Printed Books”, specially curated by a team of experts at GeeksforGeeks.

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.

A “Renaissance Man” refers to someone with diverse interests and skills. Many notable figures during this time were scholars, diplomats, theologians, and artists all in one.

The Renaissance promoted equality and challenged superstitions and rituals in society. It had a profound impact on social, political, and economic life.

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.

Europeans owed their debt of gratitude for this technological marvel to other civilizations, particularly the Chinese, who pioneered printing technology, and the Mongol rulers, whose courts European traders and diplomats frequented, thereby becoming acquainted with printing practices. This indebtedness extended to other crucial innovations such as firearms, the compass, and the abacus, all of which European societies adopted and adapted from foreign influences.

Before the advent of printing, texts existed in limited quantities as hand-written copies, a painstaking process that required considerable time and effort. However, in 1455, Johannes Gutenberg, a German inventor, introduced the first printing press, revolutionizing the dissemination of knowledge. With Gutenberg’s innovation, 150 copies of the Bible were produced in a fraction of the time it would have taken a monk to transcribe a single copy by hand.

By the turn of the sixteenth century, Italy emerged as a hub for printing classical texts, predominantly in Latin. The availability of printed books marked a significant shift, enabling individuals to purchase and access literature without solely relying on lecture notes. This newfound accessibility facilitated the swift and widespread circulation of ideas, opinions, and information, fostering a culture of intellectual exchange and discourse.

The proliferation of printed materials also played a pivotal role in cultivating the habit of reading among the populace. With books readily available for purchase, individuals could acquire copies for personal consumption, thereby nurturing a thirst for knowledge and expanding literacy rates.

The rapid dissemination of humanist culture from Italy to other regions across the Alps during the late fifteenth century can largely be attributed to the circulation of printed books. Unlike earlier intellectual movements that remained confined to specific locales, the advent of printing technology facilitated the broader dissemination of ideas, propelling the spread of humanist thought beyond Italy’s borders.

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.

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FAQs on First Printed Books Class 11 Notes

What was the first book printed Class 11 history?

By 1448, Gutenberg perfected the system. The first book he printed was the Bible.

What is Renaissance man class 11?

The term ‘Renaissance Man’ stood for the person who had interest in various fields, skills and innovations. Many individuals of the Renaissance period had deep interests in art and culture.

What is the first printed book?

Johannes Gutenberg (1400-1468) is said to be the inventor of the printing press, although the earliest printed book known is the ‘Diamond Sutra‘ printed in China in 868 CE.