1605

1605 was a year marked by significant political, literary, and colonial developments across Europe and Asia, with several events that would have a lasting cultural impact.

In England, the year is best known for the Gunpowder Plot. On 5 November 1605, a Catholic conspiracy led by Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament and kill King James I. The plot was foiled, leading to widespread arrests and harsh measures against Catholics in the years that followed.

In Spain and its cultural sphere, Miguel de Cervantes published the first part of Don Quixote in 1605. The novel, originally released as El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha, is regarded as a foundational work of Western literature and a landmark in the development of the modern novel.

In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Battle of Kircholm occurred in September 1605. The Commonwealth forces under Jan Karol Chodkiewicz defeated a Swedish army, marking a significant Swedish setback in the ongoing power struggles in the region.

In the Mughal Empire, Akbar the Great died in October 1605 at Fatehpur Sikri, and his son Jahangir succeeded to the throne, beginning a new phase in Mughal governance and court culture.

In North America, Port-Royal was established in Acadia in 1605, becoming the first permanent French settlement in the region and a base for early French exploration and trade.

These events illustrate 1605 as a year of disruption, literature, and the spread of colonial projects that would shape regional histories for decades.