Genre Studies- Unit- II Early Tudor Period(1487- 1557)

 Early Tudor Period(1487- 1557)

England underwent huge changes during the reigns of three generations of Tudor monarchs. Henry VIII ushered in a new state religion, and the increasing confidence of the state coincided with the growth of a distinctively English culture.

When Henry VII came to the throne, a new era may be said to have begun. During the period of Tudor sovereignty, England passed from the mediaeval to early modern times. It was a remarkable period when English life and thought were stirred by the Renaissance and the Reformation. The five Tudor rulers gave to England the much longed for peace after the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. England emerged as the queen of the seas under the encouragement of the Tudors. All the events mark off the ge of the Tudors from the medieval age. 

When Henry VII ascended the throne in 1485, the nobles were very powerful. They had huge armies and were a threat to the monarch. Henry checked the power of the nobles and restored the ancient strength of the monarchy. He strengthened himself through matrimonial alliances with Spain and Scotland. His eldest son, Arthur, married Catherine of Aragon, daughter of King Ferdinand of Spain; and his daughter, Margaret, married James IV of Scotland. The first voyages of discovery began during his reign when John Cabot and his son discovered Newfoundland and Labrador in northern America.

Henry VIII who was responsible for bringing the Reformation to English shores. His famous fight with the pope over his divorce, brought about the breach with Rome. Henry declared himself the supreme head of the Church in England through the Act of Supremacy. He ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in order to curb the power of the pope. This affected English society in several ways. People from different walks of life came forward to buy the monastic property. Henry gave the bulk of the property to squires or local gentry. In Tudor England, land was synonymous with power and prestige. The emergence of the landed class may be considered as the most important social consequence of the dissolution of the monasteries.

The poor were particularly affected by the dissolution of the monasteries. Many people who depended on the monasteries were thrown out of work. Thus the problem of the poor became more acute. In the plundering of the monasteries, many priceless libraries were destroyed and many irreplaceable manuscripts were lost.

During the reign of Edward VI that the Church of England became definitely Protestant. An English Bible was introduced. The first act of Uniformity was passed. By this act, a Common Prayer book in English was introduced and made compulsory. Priests were permitted to marry. 

When Mary ascended the throne, there was a swing back to the Catholic religion. she gave the people a choice to either 'turn or burn'. John Rogers, the editor of a Protestant Bible was burnt. Her main object was to restore the Catholic Church to its full medieval power. Many Protestants were persecuted and burnt at the stake.