Their presence and encouragement promoted the study of classical literature and art of Greeks and Romans.

Following the Turkish occupation, a number of scholars, artists and artisans left Constantinople moving towards the Italian city states.

This acted as a catalyst for the birth of Renaissance. It also led to the discovery of new land routes.

In 1453 A.D. Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, was captured by the Ottoman Turks.

(i) The Mughal rule started in 1526 A.D.
(ii) Vijayanagar state, founded in 1336, rose to a great power under Krishnadeva Raya.
(iii) Portuguese established their empire in the East with headquarters at Goa.
(iv) In Tamilnadu, in Madurai, Nayak rule began dividing the Pandya kingdom into seventy two palayams.
(v) The arrival of Jesuit Missions and the work of St. Francis Xavier, as a member of Society of Jesus, led to conversion of fishing community to Christianity (Catholicism) in Thoothukudi region.

(i) Zwingli of Switzerland and John Calvin of Geneva followed Martin Luther.
(ii) Zwingli worked from Zurich and was against all forms of rituals.
(iii) John Calvin also opposed all forms of display of wealth.
(iv) Calvin codified his views in his book Institutes of Christian Religion.
(v) He believed that Church should be independent of political control on religious matters.
(vi) Calvinism became more popular

(i) Inquisition was an institution of the Catholic Church to deal with heretical beliefs in opposition to the Catholic faith.
(ii) Those found guilty and who recanted were awarded milder punishments and imprisonment.
(iii) Those who refused to recant were burnt at the stake

(i) Italian universities taught humanities namely language, grammar, rhetoric, history and ethics which prepared the students for public life, commerce and administration.
(ii) The study of humanities was so popular in the Italian Universities. Students from all over the world flocked there

(i) The Italian city-states were centres of cultural activities since the fourteenth century.
(ii) With the coming of the scholars and artists from Constantinople, there was a surge of enthusiasm and interest in studying classical literature and art of Greeks and Romans.
(iii) This creative upsurge was reflected in their writings, art, architecture and music.
(iv) This cultural florescence is known as the renaissance.
(v) The origin of the word renaissance is from the Italian word 'renascita' meaning rebirth.
(vi) It is called renaissance because there was a rebirth or revival of classical Greek and Latin literature.
(vii) Many scholars in Italy went in search of manuscripts of classical literature.
(viii) Greek scholar Manuel Chrysoloras who taught Greek classics in Italy, Guarino and Giovanni Aurispa, to name just a few, visited Constantinople several times to collect Greek manuscripts.
(ix) Later they printed what they collected.
(x) This provided stimulus to the flowering of renaissance.