16th century

The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 (MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 (MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582). The Habsburg Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Ottoman Empire, Safavid Persia, Mughal India and Ming China were the most powerful and hegemonic states. The Renaissance in Italy and Europe saw the emergence of important artists, authors and scientists, and led to the foundation of important subjects which include accounting and political science.

Extends: [16th century](https://wikipedia.org.ai/16th century), Centuries, [Early modern period](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Early modern period), [2nd millennium](https://wikipedia.org.ai/2nd millennium)