The 16th century in England is generally known as the Tudor period, which historically lasted from 1485 to 1603. Among the famous Tudor sovereigns were Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I. In fact, the early years of the Tudor period were marked by significant changes in trade and in the arts of war. Henry VII made commercial treaties with European countries. Economically, England, which had always been a sheep-raising country, was by now manufacturing and exporting significant amounts of cloth. As lands were enclosed to permit grazing on a larger scale, people were driven off the land to the cities, and London grew into a metropolitan market with sophisticated commercial institutions. These changes had an impact on the traditional feudal social order, which also began to decline; also, due to the introduction of cannons and firearms, the feudal system of warfare became obsolete. Yet, it would be a mistake to imagine these changes as sudden and dramatic. In fact, it was a slow and long process whereby England was transformed into a modern state.