The Dissolution of the Monasteries was a process initiated by King Henry VIII in England between 1536 and 1541. It involved the disbanding of monastic communities and the confiscation of their properties. This was part of the larger movement known as the English Reformation, where the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. The dissolution aimed to increase the crown's wealth and power, as many monasteries owned vast amounts of land and resources. The process led to the redistribution of monastic lands to loyal subjects, significantly altering the social and economic landscape of England during that period.