The Reformation Chapter Notes | History Class 9 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

Dive into the transformative 16^th century, where the Reformation shook the foundations of Europe’s religious landscape. This bold movement began as an effort to reform the powerful Roman Catholic Church but sparked a historic split, giving birth to Protestant churches. From Martin Luther’s fiery critique in Germany to King Henry VIII’s defiance in England, the Reformation reshaped faith, politics, and society. These notes unravel the causes, key figures, and far-reaching impacts of this pivotal era, revealing how it laid the groundwork for modern nation-states and new economic ideas.

The Reformation

• Religious movement in Europe during the 16^th century.
• Aimed to reform the Roman Catholic Church, leading to Protestant churches.
• Divided Christian Church into Catholics (loyal to the Church) and Protestants (who formed separate churches).
• Occurred in countries like England, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia.
• Named Reformation for its goal of reforming the Catholic Church.

Causes of the Reformation

Catholic Church was powerful in medieval times, with the Pope as supreme head, ruling autocratically.
Corrupt Church practices:

• Owned vast properties; collected religious taxes called tithe and Peter’s Pence.
• Issued indulgences, certificates sold to absolve sins, to fund St Peter’s Church.
• Sold Church positions to highest bidders.
• Church officials lived luxuriously, neglected duties, and charged fees for salvation promises.
• Corrupt practices angered common people and state rulers.
• Erasmus criticized Church practices in his book In Praise of Folly, setting stage for Reformation.
• Popes interfered in state politics; kings wanted to tax Church wealth, resisted by Papacy.
• King Henry VIII of England seized Church lands and passed an act to dissolve monasteries.
• Martin Luther, a German priest, opposed indulgence sales.
• In 1517, Luther wrote 95 theses criticizing Church practices, posted them on Wittenberg Church doors.
• Luther faced the Diet of Worms; ordered to be outlawed but protected by German rulers.
• Luther’s actions sparked the German Protestant Movement, the immediate cause of the Reformation.

Impact of the Reformation

Profoundly influenced European society.

Rise of Powerful States

• Reformation led to powerful nation-states with defined boundaries, shared culture, history, and ethnicity.
• Fostered nationalism, especially in Germany and England.
• Kings declared themselves heads of state and Church.
• In England, King Henry VIII curbed Church powers, nullified Pope’s authority via Parliament, becoming supreme head of Church of England.
• England, France, Spain, Portugal, and Holland became powerful nation-states.
• Reformation reduced Church influence, making rulers supreme in their countries.

Schism within the Church

• Caused major disagreements, ending uniformity in Church doctrines, dogmas, and rituals.
• Church split into Catholic and Protestant factions.
• In Germany, Protestant movement succeeded with German rulers’ support to weaken Pope and Catholic Church.
• In England, Reformation stemmed from conflict between Catholic Church and rulers; King Henry VIII broke away, becoming head of Church of England.
• In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli spread Lutheranism, condemning idol worship, rituals, and ceremonies.
• John Calvin, a French scholar, popularized Protestantism in Switzerland after Zwingli’s death, declaring Bible as sole authority for salvation, leading to Calvinism.
• In Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), Protestant Lutheran Church became official.

Example: The schism within the Church, caused by the Reformation, is evident in King Henry VIII’s creation of the Church of England, which rejected the Pope’s authority, allowing him to divorce and remarry, unlike Catholic rules, thus splitting Christians into Catholics and Protestants.

Counter Reformation

• Church split led many Catholics to reform Catholic Church internally, called Counter Reformation.
• Resulted in new religious orders, like Society of Jesus, founded by St Ignatius of Loyola.
• St Francis Xavier, Loyola’s follower, spread Christianity in China and Japan.

Mercantilism

• Economic theory to maintain favorable trade balance by boosting exports, limiting imports.
• Rulers aimed for state prosperity and security.
• Term coined by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, describing European trade restrictions.

Features:

• Country’s strength depends on gold/silver mines and favorable trade balance (exports > imports).
• Wealth seen as ultimate power source.
• Supported charging low interest on loans for profit.
• Considered land and labor as sole production factors, advocating food grain self-sufficiency.
• Encouraged large populations for production and wars, supported equal immigrant rights.
• Promoted restricting foreign goods imports to maintain trade balance.