Coke and Pepsi Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Coke and Pepsi - Assignment Example In terms of competition for market share, Sodastream hasn’t really threatened the domination of Coke and Pepsi. In the last 2 years, what Sodastream has simply done is to demystify the aura around soda and carbonated soft drinks. By selling syrup directly to its consumers, Sodastream has show the market that there really is nothing â€Å"fancy† about CSDs and that the capability to make your own soda at home should be more attractive, and cheaper, than having to buy readymade soda. Sodastream has always branded and marketed itself as the best environmentally friendly option to Coke and Pepsi’s CSDs. The effect of this has been that the two giants have had to increase their advertising expenditure in order to maintain their positions, keep the status quo as it should be. Sodastream’s recent Super Bowl ad managed to ruffle feathers at Coke and Pepsi because of its insinuation that Coke and Pepsi’s level of environmental consciousness was poor and unfa vorable. The ad managed to get more than enough attention, but did not run on CBS, which is a big advertising platform for both Coke and Pepsi. In summary, Coke and Pepsi have had to be more aggressive in their advertising lest Sodastream continue eating into their market share. If Sodastream is able to continue growing CSDs would still dominate, but competition would be much stiffer. All factors considered, CSDs are not going anywhere anytime soon, regardless of the new entrants. The focus on emerging markets and new products should intensify, to improve both revenues and profits from new products such as non-carbonated drinks tailored to specific markets. Exhibit 9 reveals that non-CSD drinks have as much potential as CSDs, it is only that CSDs have been the mainstay of the two companies for a long time. It is interesting to note that in places like Europe CSDs are not as popular as they are in America and Asia. Such markets can be used

Farewell Party for Miss Pushpa Essay Example for Free

Farewell Party for Miss Pushpa Essay In fact, Nissim Ezekiel makes fun of the way in which semi-educated Indians speak or write the English language. He ridicules the errors in grammar, syntax, and idioms which many Indians commit while speaking the English language. In other words, he mimicks the Indian way of speaking English with so many faults, and the poem is highly amusing. The speaker says that their dear sister, Miss Pushpa is leaving for a foreign country, and they all wish her bon voyage. In his speech, he again and again uses the present continuous tense instead of the simple present, which creates a ridiculous effect. He says that they â€Å"are all knowing† the sweet nature of Miss Pushpa who â€Å"is smiling and smiling for no reason, but simply because she is feeling†. The speaker goes on to say that her father was a renowned advocate in Bulsar or Surat, and that he is â€Å"not remembering† the correct place. Then he suddenly remembers that the place is Surat. He seems to be a poor speaker when he points out the irrelevant fact that he stayed there once with his uncle’s very old friend whose â€Å"wife was cooking nicely. † Again, the speaker starts praising Miss Pushpa, and says that she is very popular with men and ladies also. Whenever he asked her to do anything, she said,† Just now only I will do it†. Clearly the speaker means Miss Pushpa’s readiness to do any work, and the unnecessary use of â€Å"just† and â€Å"only† exhibits the Indian speaker’s ignorance of the usage of English words, creating laughter and fun. The speaker’s frequent wrong use of the present continuous instead of the simple present is further revealed in his speech when he says that he is always appreciating Miss Pushpa’s good nature, and â€Å"she is always saying yes† when he or anybody â€Å"is asking† any help. The speaker concludes his amusing speech, saying that they are wishing Miss Pushpa bon voyage. He informs that Miss Pushpa ‘will do the summing up†, when the other speakers finish their talk. What he means is that Miss Pushpa will respond to their words of praise in the end. Thus the poet makes fun of the faulty Indian way talking English. THEME: bad and ungrammatical english spoken by people of india.. this poem is a mockery on indian english, not to indians or india

The Breaking Point: Woolf’s Views on Stael Essay -- women writers

No person is capable of perfectly articulating Virginia Woolf’s opinions on certain matters. However, through the observation of her works one might be able to gather her thoughts and form a more accurate description of her ideals. A Room of One’s Own contains Woolf’s ideals dealing with women in the arts, especially those associated with liberal arts. In this piece Woolf always describes a lack of strong women writers for her research but does name a few she deems worthy. It seems odd that Woolf would overlook Germaine de Stael while researching women with literary talent. The reasons for why Stael was disregarded could range from a language barrier at the time, Stael’s ideals on how a woman should behave within society, political propaganda, or Stael’s works might have simply gone unnoticed at the time. If Woolf had read Stael’s, On Women Writers, surely she would have mentioned it somewhere in her novel. Why would it be required tha t Woolf write about Stael? To simply answer this question, Stael was an intelligent woman in her time and many of Woolf’s main arguments coincide with Stael’s. Gender Inequality is one of these major themes where Stael shares similar views. They would both agree that this inequality feeds the other motifs described in their own works, such as: the individuality of truth, the importance of monetary means, or the hatred and ridicule that society directs at women writers. Woolf might not have agreed with all of Stael’s beliefs, but she would find Stael’s views on gender inequality and the causes of these inequalities to contain the essential oil of truth she was desperately searching for. Gender Inequality was what Woolf emphasized as the major downfall of women writers and Stael shared thos... ... Both Woolf and Stael were extraordinary authors of their times, especially when one considers the hardships they faced. Woolf would indeed find much of her arguments written within Stael’s work. In her reading she would be pleased to find agreement with many of the arguments brought up by Stael, but of course she would not agree to them all. The pity Stael says women should be shown would not consist in Woolf’s vocabulary. She would insist that women be treated as equals instead of looked down upon and pitied. â€Æ' Works Cited Stael, Germaine de. On Literature Considered in Its relationship to Social Institutions: â€Å"On Women Writers.† Trans. Vivian Folkenflit. Eds. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007: 55-60. Print. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. Ed. Mark Hussey. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. Print.

Happy Ending

No guts no glory. No pain no gain. Those are my life mottos. I feel that nothing can be achieved by simply sitting and doing absolutely nothing to make dreams come true. Life can be so hard especially when you are not born with silver spoon in yuor mouth. It is also the time when true friends are hard to comeby just because you do not much money to treat them at Kentucky Fried Chicken or Burger King. That is something that I have experienced ever since my family moves to this metropilitan city and I study in the new school.In my new school I study hard to complete with all my fellow classmates who come from all walks of life but most are from rich background. They have all that I have ever wanted in my life but fail to get. They can buy branded shoes and clothes, unlike my worn out Bata. They afford the latest handphones brands with the latest technology but me? There is nothing I could do to be on par with them. So, I just let them show off their fancy gadgets without feeling remors e with the fact that I am only an ordinary student coming from a family clerk. I just feel sad that they act as if I do not have feelings.I do not feel the least discourage since I know that I can also be like them one day if I work hard enough to score in my SPM exam. Day after day, night after night, I do not to do anything else but concentrate on my studies. Spm examination is just around the corner and I have no other wish apart from wanting to pass Spm with Flying colours. My parents are my inspirations. They always remind me to work hard and hange our fate, make them proud as well as prove to everybody that a son of a plain clerk can also succeed in life and deserve some respect.At times, I feel so stressed out that I almost give up and cry. Nevertheless, thinking of my parent's hope and wishes, I would never surrender and that is my final decision. I engage myseld in group discussion, have consultations with my Physics and Chemistry teachers, the two subjects that I am weak a t as well as burn as much midnight oil as possible to atain my ultimate goal-10A+ in the exam. Sometimes, I feel overworked myself but I know I have to muster every single once of my strength to pull through this ordeal and pray that it will end soon.The most awaited moment has arrived. With prayers and good luck wishes from my father and mother, I step into my examination hall with full awareness that I have to do really well in the exam to realize all my parent's dreams and mine. The torturous moments last for three weeks and as far as I am concerned time really flies but I trust myself that I have given my very best for each paper. March 2013 comes I heard on the television that the SPM result will be out today. With anticipation and nervousness I walk to school with my good friend Samah.I cannot imagine getting less than 8A+ because according to my conselor, only getting 8A+ will I be able to secure any scholarship, something which is very important to me due to my parent's inca pability to pay for my tertiary education. The moment Ms. Asiah, my form teacher hands me the result slip, my heart skips a bea. i am cold from feet to toe from the suspense. Then the moment arrives! It is the most unforgettable time of my life. I mange to get 10A+ and my prayer has been answered. Thank God for giving me apportunity to succeed and make my parents proud. That is the reward for my patience and harwork.

Safeguarding Legislation

Unit 025: Understand How to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Children and Young People1.1: Outline current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK Home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young peopleSafeguarding means taking steps to ensure children and young people feel safe and secure within the home and the setting, protecting them from abuse and neglect, ensuring that they stay safe and continue to positively develop physically, emotionally and mentally into adulthood. The table below is an outline of the main, current legislation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people:Policy Brief description/outcome The Children Act 1989 Moved emphasis on parental role from having rights over children to having a responsibility to their children. Recognises children have rights: To be listened to and discuss their concerns Protected from harm To have their rights explained to them Have their wishes and concerns considered in decision making about them Have these decisions explained to them Refuse a medical examination(UN Convention on Rights of the Child 1989) (Ratified by the UK 1991 but not formally adopted as UK Law. Has 54 articles including: Rights to be heard, safe, protected Rights to have a choice, Parents/guardians have a right to support with their parental responsibilities) Protection of Children Act 1999 (Progress Report 2009) Formalises responsibilities and role of Local Authorities in child protection. This introduced the Criminal Records Bureau and required all childcare organisations not to employ people (either salaried or voluntary) who would come in regular contact with children or young people listed on the DoH and DoEd as unsuitable to work with them. Every Child Matters 2003A Framework recognising bringing together services (Multi-Agency Working) to support children and their families to: (S) Be safe (H) Be healthy (E) Enjoy and achieve (learn while playing) (E) Economic well-being (equal opportunity) (P) Making a positive contributionThe Children Act 2004 Passed to improve child protection and ensure better multi-agency working. Introduced a Children’s Commissioner to promote the well-being and safeguarding of children and young people and placed a duty on local authorities to appoint a Director of Children’s Services to be accountable for multi-agency working and the services provided. Changed legislation on physical punishment making it an offence to hit a child if it causes mental harm or leaves a lasting mark. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006Â  (Updated 2013)Introduced the term Safeguarding and provided statutory guidance on how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the well-being of children and young people. Introduced the EYFS which became statutory in 2008 (updated 2012) Every Local Authority had the remit to set up Local Safeguarding Boards for children at risk. All settings to have Safeguarding Policies an d Procedures.East Sussex County Council (ESCC) website – Czone portal has all the up-to-date information including the above Policies and Procedures and the Safeguarding Board. Vetting and Barring Scheme Children are protected by ensuring that people who are judged to be at risk of causing harm are not allowed to work with them. CRB became Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) 2013

The High School English Classes You Should Take

The High School English Classes You Should Take SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It's no secret that colleges want you to take English class each year of high school. But what exactly are you supposed to be learning? What options do you have to exceed expectations and show off your stuff? And what if you're such a book-loving reader that in the dictionary under "bibliophile" there's a picture of you- how can you really max out your high school English experience? Read on to learn about the common core, honors and AP classes, and going beyond what the standard curriculum offers! What Do Colleges Expect? You'll be hard-pressed to find a college that doesn't expect you to have taken 4 years of English or Language Arts classes. Likewise, the vast majority of high schools require 4 years of English in order for you to graduate. These 4 years are cumulative, meaning each year builds on what you learned before, and now each year is most likely based on the common core standards. So, colleges assume that when you start freshman year, you've been learning all of this: 9th Grade is the setup year you practice basic essay-writing skills you study different literary genres you analyze narrative voice, characters, and plot 10th Grade is the building year you practice the outlining, drafting, and revising process you focus on themes and literary devices like imagery and voice 11th Grade focuses on American literature your writing gets more complex, as you do your own research and use outside sources you now start reading not just for content but also for historical context, period, setting, and point of view this is a good year to take American history as well 12th Grade looks out at the world you read British literature and sometimes world literature, depending on your high school you put all your skills together, analyzing complex literature and nonfiction you produce research papers, presentations, and maybe even multimedia projects this may be a good year to also take European or world history Common Core Reading Standards There's... a lot of choice. Having a guide helps. Want to know the type of books colleges assume you will have read by the time you get in? Here are some examples of what the common core standards want you to be reading in high school, broken down by year: Literature: Stories, Drama, Poetry Informational Texts: Literary Nonfiction and Historical, Scientific, and Technical Texts 9th - 10th Grade The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1592) "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention" by Patrick Henry (1775) "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1817) "Farewell Address" by George Washington (1796) "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe (1845) "Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln (1863) "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry (1906) "State of the Union Address" by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1941) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939) "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1964) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) "Hope, Despair and Memory" by Elie Wiesel (1997) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (1975) 11th - 12th Grade "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats (1820) Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà « (1848) Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854) "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson (1890) "Society and Solitude" by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1857) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) "The Fallacy of Success" by G. K. Chesterton (1909) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937) Black Boy by Richard Wright (1945) A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (1959) "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell (1946) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003) "Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo Anaya (1995) If you want a very long breakdown of what the common core recommends you study, check out their year-by-year guide. How Can I Exceed Expectations? Honors Classes These will most likely be similar to the standard classes your school offers, but the works you read will be more challenging and the assignments more complex and demanding. In other words, you'll do more work and put in more effort, but you'll be better prepared for college-level writing! Pro tip: in your school, honors classes may be a prerequisite for AP classes. AP English Classes There are two AP English options: AP English Language and Composition if your school offers both AP English classes, this is the one you'll take Junior year this class and exam are all about how writers do what they do: how they use rhetoric, genre, style, and how they play with audience expectations AP English Literature and Composition if your school offers both AP English classes, this is the one you'll take senior year this class and exam have to do with critical analysis, close reading, literary structure, themes, as well as imagery IB Diploma Classes There are three IB literature options: Language A: Literature this course focuses on the analysis of literary texts Language A: Language and Literature this class takes the analysis further by looking at both literary and non literary genres, and by considering how the context of writing or reading something affects its meaning Literature and Performance this class is all about the relationship between literature and theater, focusing on close reading, critical writing and the aesthetic and symbolic elements of performance Both Language A classes are offered in a variety of languages, and Literature and Performance can be taken in French or Spanish by special request, so these may be great options for non-native speakers or bilingual students. Some IB diploma classes can be taken online, but the closest you'll come to English online is the Film SL class, which is all about the history, formal elements, technical production, and of course critical analysis of film. What If I'm an English Class Junkie? Is There More? Please, sir, may I have some more... English class? In this bowl, for some reason? Check Out Your School's Electives This is the time to think just a little bit outside the box! For example, classes in creative writing offer a great window into later being able to see how someone else did it. Electives in the humanities can often offer what is basically a modified literature class. And there are many other subjects that focus on reading, analyzing, and writing about texts- subjects like philosophy, theater studies, world religions, psychology, or anthropology. Design Your Own Course Your school is your resource, so don't be afraid to get creative. Consider asking a teacher to help you set up an independent project or independent study to explore your interests! For example, in my senior year, on top of my coursework, with the help of my favorite English teacher I designed an independent study of reading and writing poetry. It was incredibly rewarding! Take High School Classes Online For instance, Stanford University has an online high school which features 7 English courses and lets you enroll to take as many of them as you want. Brown University also offers a set of online pre-college courses. They have 4 related classes on nonfiction, travel writing, formal college writing, and a humanities seminar on evolutionary thought. Take Summer Classes on College Campuses You can check out our guide to the Summer Institute for the Gifted or all the info we have collected about Stanford's two summer programs. Take Some Online College-Level Classes Are you super confident in your abilities or interested in something specific you can't find anywhere else? Maybe the best thing for you to do is prove yourself on a whole another level! Just think, doing well on a college-level course will look great on your transcript, and you might even get college credit for it! What's Next? Need to improve your acquaintance with key literary terms? Use our articles on personification, imagery, rhetorical devices, point of view, literary elements, assonance, and iambic pentameter to aid you in your quest. Still wrestling over whether AP or IB is better? Check out our guide to deciding between them. Curious how your writing skills will apply to the SAT? Read about how to improve your SAT writing score, or better yet, how to get a perfect 800 and how to get a 12 on the SAT essay. And don't forget to read about the ACT Writing test and SAT essay. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Brave New World is Possible essays

Brave New World is Possible essays The story is set six hundred years past the year of Ford. The people have had time to be inbred enough that no inkling of the word freedom remained. The world is one government ran by ten world leaders and the people enjoy life free from war, hatred, poverty, disease, and pain. The scientists have every detail worked to the point of exasperation. Standardization and progress are valued above all else. In this society, children are subject to mind programming and that is what makes it work. As a child, one is considered to be an innocent mind willing to learn, but still not sure on the difference between right and wrong. In Brave New World, Mr. Foster explained, We . . . predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future [World controllers]. Even from the conception of egg and sperm, they control the path in which each person goes. Those controlling the path had been pre-selected in controlling pre-selections. The never-ending loop makes this possible. Theoretically, in almost every aspect, Brave New World could function. That is based on the fact that sometime around the year of Ford the nuclear bombs took most of mankind away. Those that remained were put into camps that later on turned into savage reservations. The victor took advantage of this whole thing and created for the world a new population of genetically altered people. These people were conditioned from birth to know the ways of Ford. The kind of mind control techniques used may not be effective, but certainly the introduction of free love and drugs took care of that. The widespread acceptance of free love would definitely not work if it werent for the techniques of sterilization and the three-month period women can occasionally go through. However, the occasional romantic just cant get the idea of being happy, and when that happens they are dealt with...

7 Steps to Develop a LinkedIn Profile That Will Get You Noticed

7 Steps to Develop a LinkedIn Profile That Will Get You Noticed LinkedIn is a great platform that helps you to build and engage with your professional network. It allows you to create a profile that is basically a virtual resume to showcase all the work you have done throughout your  career. With these 7 steps, you can achieve the perfect LinkedIn profile in no time. Source [SocialTalent]

According to material Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

According to material - Coursework Example That it was written at a time when the Catholic doctrines were still held in high esteem (during the Middle Age) clearly portrays this. Perhaps the death of Ackermann’s wife is symbolic of the fall of the Roman Empire and Roman Catholic Church that paved way for transformation of the church in England (Parker 145). According to Luther, God, and not the church or its agents could only offer salvation. He opposed the selling of indulges (pieces of paper) that supposedly got people to heaven. His open disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church saw him write the 95 theses, where he explained his dissatisfaction with the church, and his eventual championing for the Protestant Church (Parker 91). Tears of the Fatherhood talks about the toll the thirty years of war had on Germany. It hurt the economy. Property was destroyed, lives lost, and cities ruined. Major roads were closed and for a long time Germany felt the effects of the war. Social amenities such as schools, hospitals and recreation centers were reduced to rubble. The war had excesses such as raping of young women and girls by the enemy soldiers (Parker p182). The poem uses poetic devices such as symbolism. Nature is used such as the blocked river; the river is blocked with corpses. The reader gets the picture and one is therefore able to understand how grave the effects of the war were. The title Tears of the Fatherhood depicts the mourning by the German citizens who start all over to revive the economy. However, the memories of the war will live with them, just as a father mourns the death of a child. In summary, the Communist Manifesto argued that capitalism lead to classification in the society that creates social conflicts. As such, they asserted that capitalism was unstable. The communists intended to stage a revolution and see equitable distribution of resources in the society.

Culture, Technology, and Expansion Discussion Essay

Culture, Technology, and Expansion Discussion - Essay Example in which a whole range of political and social patterns as well as institutions that have been conventionally considered part of the European history were formed. During this period, a range of cultural identities and political boundaries were developed in many European countries that included Germany, France, Italy, Iberia, British Isles, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The time from 1000 to 1300 was when there happened a chain reaction in terms of advancements in the society, political life and economy which led to the development of new traditions in art and literature, scholarship, philosophy and religion. A vast majority of these trends have become intrinsic features of the contemporary European culture. Technology played a very important role in this cultural expansion. The rapid change of economy in the medieval Europe can fundamentally be attributed to the innovations in agriculture, expansion of territories and identification of newer construction techniques for the development of cities which was not achievable without the advancement of

Creative problem solving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creative problem solving - Research Paper Example Experts (Isaksen, 1992) have indicated that environment with a higher level of trust is more likely to promote collaboration and subsequently, higher performance and productivity in the organization. Similarly, during a CPS session, it is very important for the facilitators to ensure higher level of trust by ensuring openness during the session. This can be achieved by sharing the agenda of the session and ensuring transparency regarding expectations and challenges, which can play a constructive role in supporting productivity. Another way to promote creativity and productivity during a CPS session is to provide opportunities to the participants to share their ideas and opinions. One of the ways to implement this is idea-time strategy is to provide flexible timings and extra time that promote discovery and exploration of new ideas, which subsequently results in higher level of productivity. Business experts (Isaksen, 1992) have indicated that it is usually irrational to expect profit and/or productivity without taking any risks in the market. Similarly, in a CPS session, it is important for facilitators to take risks in order to promote uncertainty that eventually causes creativity and increases productivity. However, it is imperative that facilitators should consider the notions of diversity, ambiguity, and mentality of the stakeholders, as lack of awareness of these may result in contradictory outcomes. Collaboration (Isaksen, 1992) is one of the essential requisites to promote creativity. For example, in a CPS session, facilitators can create a collaborative climate by dividing individuals into groups and/or teams that will enable the individuals to go through different processes of forming, storming, norming, and performing while eventually enhancing the level of productivity. It is human nature to expect recognition or reward in return of an attempt

Cae Inc. Recommendation To Acquire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cae Inc. Recommendation To Acquire - Essay Example These recommendations are based on the previous analysis of the firm’s current performance and Strengths, Weakness Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. An accord recommendation is established by an optimal comparison of numerical figures, estimating average values to the closest integer. In most cases, a non-US based research is more suitable for determining the future of the company since the company operates internationally in 20 countries (CAE Global Academy Official site, 2012). Recommendations to Acquire With reference to the firm’s two year price target range, it is prudent to conclude that the company’s agreed price to acquire is $ 13.6 for the shares of the firm (Zacks Investment Research, 2012). The price targets are determined by approximating the future earnings per security and then making use of the multiple of price to earnings commonly known as the price earnings ratio. As shown in the diagram below it would be appropriate for the company to acquire another firm when the share price is at its highest level since the target firm will be forced to lower its share price in preference for a better performing firm such as CAE Inc. at the lowest share price which is less than $ 9.50 the company will not be in a position to acquire the target firm given the many different rivals in the market. Source: Attachments From the SWOT analysis in the preliminary report earlier on handed, it is noted that the company has a variety of opportunities available which includes the underdeveloped health care and mining industries (Annual Report of the CAE. 2012). This analysis is important to the firm as it would be appropriate for it to make bid for the firms in the respective industries at 10Am or 1 Pm when the day’s share prices are selling at a maximum share offer. As shown in the diagram below the quoted price is highest at $ 10.08 at the indicated times. Thus the assumption from the diagram below is that the bids to be considere d by the firm must be launched at either 10am or 1pm for the respective firms. Source: Attachments The company must not ignore the potential threats available which include the reduction in the defense services and military markets globally as well as the escalating fuel and the energy prices. These must be taken into consideration when making bids for the target firm. The price consented to must incorporate possible impact of the rise in the fuel prices. This is to avoid loss making in the first years of operation after the takeover or acquisition process. The process of acquisition entails various costs which must not be ignored by the financial analysts of the firm. In this point of view, it is necessary for the company to bear in mind the momentum of the analysts’ reviews. Notably, there seem to be a positive or constructive analysis or prediction of the firm’s future growth. The momentum stands at 7 of 9 approximations predicting an upward growth of the firm by an EPS mean change of 1.33 by the year 2013 (CAE Global Academy Official site, 2012). The valuation of the firm is considerably high which must be in line with the potential target firms. From the preliminary report, it has been noted with a lot of concern that the Healthcare market which is one of the main areas of operations by the firm has a diversity of shortcomings and opportunities.

Different languages in the united states Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Different languages in the united states - Essay Example Spanish is ranked second after English, among spoken languages of United States. French comes third, and after these million of Americans speak  German, Italian, Chineese, Urdu, regularly.  There are two counties, where Navaho speakers are in highest concentration and Yupik speakers in one out of total thirty-five. US English Foundation Inc. reported 322 languages are spoken in the United States; among that English is the most common language. There are more than two Billions English speakers. Among all Americans, 96% are well versed with English. If languages are arranged alphabetically it starts from Abnaki to Zuni, whereas in order English, Spanish, French, Chinese, German is the most common language of United States. In numbers, it is found. Eight languages have a speaker more in 1 Million, 13 languages have a speaker in 0.5 Million and around 38 languages have a speaker in 0.1 Million. Furthermore, only English and Spanish are the languages spoken by +1 percent of total Amer ican population. California is the state where 207 different languages are spoken, whereas 169, 163, 145, 138,135,134, 132,130, and 129 different languages are spoken in New York, Washington, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey and Arizon respectively. Wyoming is the state where fewest languages are spoken in United States ("Languages in America "). ... Urdu, Punjabi, Gujratic, Hindi, Iranian, and Greek languages are also placed in this category. 3. Asian and pacific Island languages Chinese; Korean; Japanese; Vietnamese; Hmong; Khmer; Lao; Thai; and Tagalog is put in Asian and P Island languages. Furthermore, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam; Philippine, Polynesian, and Micronesian are also placed in this division. 4. Others All other languages named above are grouped in this category.  Ã‚  Uralic languages (such as Hungarian), the Semitic languages (Arabic, Hebrew, etc.), languages of Africa, and N North, South and Central America, etc. are placed in this class. English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, etc. is the most common immigrant language in the United States. English is the most common language of the United States. However, it is not the official language, instead of many recommendations of making English its native language.  Ã‚  American English is the title given to the diversity of English spoken in the United States; an d when it amalgamates with the Canadian English it makes up the group of languages known as North American English. Spanish is the second most spoken language in United States, because of rapid growth in their population, especially in the United States.  United States  is considered  as the  fifth largest population where Spanish is spoken. In all, 2,725 of the 3,141 counties (86.8 percent) in the United States had English and Spanish as their first and second most common languages – 2,690 with English first and Spanish second and 35 with Spanish first and English second. Frequency of Germany spoken is alternative to Spanish in the United States. It is the

Cae Inc. Recommendation To Acquire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cae Inc. Recommendation To Acquire - Essay Example These recommendations are based on the previous analysis of the firm’s current performance and Strengths, Weakness Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. An accord recommendation is established by an optimal comparison of numerical figures, estimating average values to the closest integer. In most cases, a non-US based research is more suitable for determining the future of the company since the company operates internationally in 20 countries (CAE Global Academy Official site, 2012). Recommendations to Acquire With reference to the firm’s two year price target range, it is prudent to conclude that the company’s agreed price to acquire is $ 13.6 for the shares of the firm (Zacks Investment Research, 2012). The price targets are determined by approximating the future earnings per security and then making use of the multiple of price to earnings commonly known as the price earnings ratio. As shown in the diagram below it would be appropriate for the company to acquire another firm when the share price is at its highest level since the target firm will be forced to lower its share price in preference for a better performing firm such as CAE Inc. at the lowest share price which is less than $ 9.50 the company will not be in a position to acquire the target firm given the many different rivals in the market. Source: Attachments From the SWOT analysis in the preliminary report earlier on handed, it is noted that the company has a variety of opportunities available which includes the underdeveloped health care and mining industries (Annual Report of the CAE. 2012). This analysis is important to the firm as it would be appropriate for it to make bid for the firms in the respective industries at 10Am or 1 Pm when the day’s share prices are selling at a maximum share offer. As shown in the diagram below the quoted price is highest at $ 10.08 at the indicated times. Thus the assumption from the diagram below is that the bids to be considere d by the firm must be launched at either 10am or 1pm for the respective firms. Source: Attachments The company must not ignore the potential threats available which include the reduction in the defense services and military markets globally as well as the escalating fuel and the energy prices. These must be taken into consideration when making bids for the target firm. The price consented to must incorporate possible impact of the rise in the fuel prices. This is to avoid loss making in the first years of operation after the takeover or acquisition process. The process of acquisition entails various costs which must not be ignored by the financial analysts of the firm. In this point of view, it is necessary for the company to bear in mind the momentum of the analysts’ reviews. Notably, there seem to be a positive or constructive analysis or prediction of the firm’s future growth. The momentum stands at 7 of 9 approximations predicting an upward growth of the firm by an EPS mean change of 1.33 by the year 2013 (CAE Global Academy Official site, 2012). The valuation of the firm is considerably high which must be in line with the potential target firms. From the preliminary report, it has been noted with a lot of concern that the Healthcare market which is one of the main areas of operations by the firm has a diversity of shortcomings and opportunities.

Property law coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Property law coursework - Essay Example Crane Jr, because a covenant on registered land would be registered as well and not require a DII charge. The details of the charge need careful examination to determine any existing prior rights. Bearing these aspects in view, the existence of a CI land charge suggests that Mr. Crane’s right in the property may be in the nature of an equitable charge that is acquired by a tenant or statutory owner for life.3 There have been successive charges over this land, hence applying section 97 of the Property Act of 1925, any puisne mortgage existing in Mr. Crane’s favor will be determined by the order of registration, however the Land Charges Act4 would make such a mortgage void where a subsequent purchaser of the property is concerned. However, since Mr. Crane has registered the property and the deed exists, this problem may be averted. Section 53(1) of the now-repealed Law of Property Act of 1925 had clarified that no oral interests can be created in property. However Section 53(2) included the provision for the existence of a constructive trust arising in those cases where a former co-habitee asserts a beneficial interest arising out of an informal arrangement, such as that Ms. Chandra had with Mr. Crane, in providing funds for improvement of the property from her own savings. The Land Registration Act of 2002 which has replaced the Law of property Act of 1925 also includes a formality requirement of a signature, even for documents in the prescribed electronic format that are â€Å"to be regarded for the purpose of any enactment† as a deed.5 Ms. Chandra’s interest is not a legal one and may not fall under the category of protection of land charges.6 This could have entitled her to a second legal charge over the land, which would have been enforceable even in the cases of unregistered land, where the charge has not been registered as a class C1 charge7. She has been cohabiting with Mr. Crane and there is no special law that

Family Approach Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Family Approach Research Paper Essay Abstract This research paper will in detail find influences donating to the degeneration of African American marriages, increase of African American divorces, and how structural family therapy can impact it. Structural Family Therapy was developed by Salvador Minuchin and his associates in the 1960s due to the growing curiosity in alternative ways of hypothesizing suffering and familial dilemmas. Structural family therapy is reinforced by an undoubtedly expressed model of family functioning, and has been developed and used reliably in counseling sessions for children and their families (Ginginch Worthington, 2007, 343). Also, this report will examine what can be done to change this disturbing status amongst African American families. Monetary, emotional, and cognitive stability are a few of the common reasons and profits of marriage. Studies have discovered that marital couples in contrast to unattached couples are better-off, healthier, less stressed, and tend to live well into their mid-80s (Pindgerhughes, 2002, p. 269). Thus, there are numerous welfares of being married; it could be assumed that matrimony would be a shared objective for most citizens regardless of race. However, studies have publicized a radical deterioration of marriages inside the African American families alongside an increase in separations. African Americans are the least expected to wed, when they wed, they complete this task later in life, spending a smaller amount of time wedded than White Americans, and are more likely to become divorced. Keywords: African American, Marriages, Structural Family Therapy, Minuchin Family Approach Research Paper African American Marriages There is a strong importance for research of the state of African American and marriage because there have been major changes from past African Americans’ marriages relating to this major decline. According to the National Center on African American Marriage and Parenting’s (NCAAMP) Marriage Index, in 1970, 70.3% of African Americans were wedded and those ratios steadily fallen about 61% in 1982, 51.2% in 1992, 38.9% in 2003, and  41.7% in 2010. The rate is declining so noticeably that marriage has been referred to as an â€Å"alternative life† for African Americans (Dixon, 2009). The NCAAMP’s marriage index exposed the proportions of wedded Americans which comprises 77.8% in 1970, 70.1% in 1980, 59.3% in 1990, 62% in 2000, and 59.7% in 2008. An assumption can be drawn from the above Marriage index reports that there is certainly an important variance between all married Americans and married African Americans along with a change in rates of matrimony fr om 1980 to modern periods. Additionally, the declining rates of marriage, African Americans seem to be at greater hazard for matrimonial instability (Dixon, 2009, p. 30). Many of these influences are related to high male imprisonment, low sew ratio, poverty, uncertainty toward marriage and premarital sex. Rendering to research, there are numerous dynamics affecting the decline in marriages and rise of divorces among African Americans. These influences can be characterized as organizational, ethnic, individual, and interactive. Organizational issues as economic and demographic are most commonly focused on during the course of history. The extreme sex ratios between African American males and females have emotional impact on the African American nuptial rates (Rowe, 2007, p. 19). In 2003 there were an estimated 1.8 million more African American females in the population than males (U.S. Census, 2005 Pinderhuges, 2002, 269). Another donating feature is the high confinement and mortality rate of African American males (Hill, 2006, p. 421). African American males make up about seven percent of the populace but over fifty-one percent of the prison population (DuCille, 2009, p. 605). Furthermore, the desire to marry women of different races and choosing homosexual lifestyles contribute to the African American marriage rates. Another major issue that makes African American males less desirable for marriage is their struggles of the workforce. The joblessness rate among African American males has been consistently twice that of White American men from the time of the 1930s (Holland, 2009, p. 113). Research has also discovered that companies show negative opinions of African American men comprising that they are indolent, unreliable, deceitful, contain little work ethic, drag their feet, have deprived verbal skill and many others characteristics. Consequently, these men do not have the capability to deliver for their families also make African American men postpone marriage and also become regarded as less  wanted to espouse by the female population. The second sort of factor studied is ethnical. There has been shifting cultural trends disturbing African American marriage. The sexual revolt, gay and lesbian efforts, and activist movement are activities that distress wedding rates. Forty years ago, sex without marriage was not acceptable, but now it is a communal standard of culture. The feminist movement allowed women to obtain advanced positions in the labor force declining their dependence on males, triggering them not to marry or endure unhappy marriages. And, unconventional lifestyles were presented through the gay and lesbian population (LaTaillade, 2006, p. 327). Moreover, living together (cohabitation) is a cumulative behavior particularly within the African American community. Historically, living with a partner before marriage was unacceptable, but is now widespread among African Americans and many other races. In contemporary times, individuals are determining on gaining independence before becoming married (Dixon, 2009, p. 31). The mass media industries and the way relationships are depicted on television and through music contribute to the marriage decline. Because of the support of extended family networks, divorce may seem less detrimental, making it more of an option when marriages are faced with challenges among African Americans (Hill, 2006, p. 439). Individual factors are tided in by considering individuals’ desire to marry, features they look for in spouses and what makes them commit to a relationship. For an individual to get marry the desire to be married has to be present. One study found that when compared to White American men, African American men, anticipate less improvement from marriage in their sex lives and personal friendships and these account for most of the difference in the desire to marry (Holland, 2009, 107). The mate desired characteristics and expectation of marriage and whether it is realistic plays a major role in marriage. Similar to other cultures, African Americans generally believe in the husband being superior economically, educationally and acts as the provider of the family. Unfortunately for African American women, when compared to African American men, they are more likely to attend college and to marry someone below their educational and professional status. This pattern of education continues as two-thirds of African American college graduates are women (Hill, 2006, p. 423). The desire to commit is another donating factor in related to marriage. Recent studies  have revealed the beliefs of African American males having the incapacity to pledge to an eternal relationship. Lastly, as stated above separation rates are greater amongst African Americans than another culture. The features cited directly above are funding to these separation rates as well as African American not having the means to allow them to uphold vigorous long-lasting relationships. Studies have also displayed that the African American population is less expected to pursue marriage therapy adding to the state of African American divorce rate currently. Structural Family Therapy Structural family therapy (SFT) is a counseling technique of therapy developed by Salvador Minuchin which addresses problems in functioning inside a family. Structural Family Therapists attempt to pass in, or connect, the family in therapy in order to understand the boundaries and rules which oversees its effectiveness, record the associations between family members or amongst subsystems of the family, and eventually interrupt dysfunctional relations within the household, triggering it to become stable into healthier arrangements. Minuchin states that dysfunction does not rest in the singular identification, but within the entire family system. Minuchin’s tactic is originated on the interrelationship of the entire, and the foundation that individuals cannot be detached from the whole. Therefore, Minuchin assumed that a change in the conduct of one household member will necessitate a consistent transformation in the behavior of other family member. Duplicate roles can affect the ability for a mother to parenting effectively. For example, a mother attempting to a both a parent and a friend or a father that was forced to raise his younger siblings (Rowe, 2007, p, 23). Structural therapists view the facilitation of structural variations in the dysfunctional family as the main objective, supposing that individual behavioral modifications as well as lessening of altercations will follow as the framework for the family’s communication changes (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2013, p. 329). The structural family model expresses families as systems and subsystems, roles and rules (flexible and adaptable to changes), boundaries, power, and hierarchy. Minuchin defines a functional family as one unit with clear boundaries between individuals and subsystems, promotes growth, and prevents  interruption. The primary objective when utilizing Minuchin’s model is assisting the family to change its structure or its organization. For instance, he stated that establishing a structure in which members and subsystems are clearly differentiated from one another and hierarchically integrated. Minuchin and other structuralists perceive standard family life as always altering and as a result endlessly creating adjustments to altering circumstances. What distinguishes functional from dysfunctional families is the flexibility in functional families to change or modify its structure to adjust to changing life cycle stages or to adjust to role changes or situational crises. The clarity of boundaries between subsystems within the family, and an effectively functioning spousal subsystem, help ensure stability despite changing conditions (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2013, p. 472). Due to a recent mounting body of empirical evidence, studies continue to verify the value of structural family therapy. This method it was widely evaluated during the 1980s by radical novelists and during the 1990s by those interested in the allegations of a social constructionist point of view. Structural family therapy continues to progress in response to experiments built from within the systemic field, and as part of integrative practice and multisystem approaches, with practitioners ever mindful of the need for regular feedback from family members themselves (Rowe, 2007, p. 21). By 1965, Minuchin had become director of the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, originally in the heart of the African American ghetto, where he focused on intervention techniques with low- income families (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2013, p. 130). The structural approach to therapy has been critiqued and has withstand various experiments from disbelievers; nevertheless, it has withstood throughout the years. Personal Integration The trial of integrating Christian and non-Christian clients fluctuates between different counselors. When clients unambiguously expressed a want for Christian counseling, for example, if a client initiates a prayer within a counseling session. The Bible frequently assists clients to absorb; the implementation of scriptures can inspire progression within the session. Between sessions homework examining particular biblical themes likewise inspire development. For instance, our Worthington text states that the use  of interventions make change sensible, and thus increases hope. Such interventions can involve physical manipulations, behavioral actions or interactions or making physical products (such as reports, written lists or tapes) that are completed and verbally processed. Worthington (2005) also stated that any theory of marital counseling can be used along with the counselor’s favorite techniques. The requirements of integration are increased hope and willpower, fit within the strategic framework, and make change sensible to clients (p. 262). I believe that the frequency of use of scriptures should be guided by the consumer’s articulated openness. Although traditionally I am trained as a counselor not to reference spirituality or religion unless it is first stated by the client, I believe that many consumers who are not currently attending church would be reassured when I fling open that door. After which they can be provided the opportunity to walk through the door, lock it, or leave it partly open to be entered once ready. If my clients were to inquire for details on my beliefs, I would openly speak about my spiritual journey but also specify that I still have a ways to go. Conversely, this does not take the practice of preaching on my individual Christian principles, or persisting them to trust what I have faith in. In addition, I could look for openings to propose the matter of religiousness and faith in an overall sense as a portion of my holistic approach; I would like to reassure my clienteles to discover the notion that stability in emotional and mental remedies are not exclusively associated with the rectifying of a particular issue; rather, comprehensiveness in therapeutic healing must integrate the multiple magnitudes of the client. With this instruction and initial outline, it would be up to my client to make the decision to discover how their faith and current behavior are correlated to the complications that have been facing and how their spiritual philosophies influence their mental and physical healing. Studies proposes, that it is highly probable that counselors greatly misjudge â€Å"the sum of consumers that are experiencing faith-based problems due to† consumers â€Å"frequently misguided norms that religious concerns were not suitable for conversation† in conditions that were not plainly defined as Christian therapeutic settings (Worthington Jr, 2005, p. 262). Spiritual Genograms In this course, I began to understand how past generational beliefs can still impact my current viewpoint with assumptions and predisposition. As a result, I believe that it would be important for my clients to understand their spiritual journey on both a personal and generational level. During this course, we complete a genogram in order to observe certain behavioral and health patterns; however, I would like to integrate spiritual â€Å"family trees† into my counseling sessions. Spiritual histories, spiritual lifemaps, spiritual genograms, spiritual ecomaps, and spiritual ecograms are five harmonizing assessment approaches that have recently been developed to highlight different aspects of clients spiritual lives. Spirituality can be agreed as the client’s connection with (their) God, and religious beliefs can been understood as flowing from spirituality, the open expression of the spiritual bond in specific views, approaches, and principles that have been established in a community with other individuals who hold similar experiences of transcendence (Hodges, 2005). Consequently, spirituality and religion are similar yet present differences. Therapists must understand that a single assessment approach is not ideal for all consumers and circumstances. The assessment tools examined in this article was purposefully designed to highlight different aspects of clients spiritual worldview. In a counseling session, these assessment methods can become a useful resource to providers that require assistance with clients handling with challenging issues. These interventions can be used as coping strategies since the user can visibly see their peer support networks on paper. Spiritual assessments are beneficial for clients that have misplaced their connection with God; spiritual ecograms permits the user to see where their spiritual journey is currently and where it used to be. For example, it may benefit clients with major depressive symptoms to recognize support organizations such as professional group memberships, church, and household. An alternative intervention to complete this task would be spiritual ecomaps. Counselors geared with this assessment, can assist their clients survey their previous and existing domestic and faith-based support systems. Subsequently, some assessment approaches will be implemented more effectively in some situations but preferably these assessments are seamless for clients that have gone astray. Various assessments can be used to meet the needs of the client; however, certain assessments may be more operative  with some clients than others. Consequently, the therapist must primarily evaluate the clients’ needs and what they wish to gain from counseling. This will support the therapist in selecting a suitable spiritual intervention approach. If I am offered a client that desires to change to a diverse faith but it religiously disorganized, I would implement spiritual genograms. This intervention would aid counselors to view if the clients’ preceding descendants all practiced the same religion. Accordingly, I could determine that the client has an admiration for customs which is producing the spiritual misperception. A consumer may want to change to a different spiritual belief system but does not want to insult their families; this approach can be paired with spiritual ecograms; letting them to evaluate their previous and current rapport with God. After assessing their support systems and their spiritual journey, the client could productively create the judgment on whether to alter their religion or not; the therapist should not make this choice for them. In my opinion, couples should undergo marriage education and counseling before being able to marry. My marriage and family counseling session would contain the data of African American marriages since couples need to have insight on the problem in order to prevent from being a part of the problem. Hence, unions would gain awareness on the low marriage and high divorce rates within the African American community. Thereafter, perhaps these marriages would fight harder for their marriages and maintaining their families. Conclusion In conclusion, couples receiving education on the state of African Americans marriage and divorce along with counseling prepare them with the utensils required to maintain a healthy marriage. I believe that any union seeking assistance would profit with these counseling technique both prior and during the course of marriage. Additionally, I also have faith that this these methods can produce an upsurge in couples getting and/or staying married and a reduction in the shockingly elevated rates of African American divorces. References Berenson, S.K. (2011). Should Cohabitation Matter in Family Law?. Journal of Law Studies, 13(2), 289-328. Burton, L.M., Winn, D., Stevenson, H., Clark, S. (2004). Working with African American Clients: Considering the â€Å"Homeplace† in Marriage and Family Therapy Practices. Journal of Marital Family Therapy, 30(4), 397-410. Clarkwest, A. (2006). Premarital Characteristics, Selection into Marriage, and African American Marital Disruption. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 37(3), 361-380. Dixon, P. (2009). Marriage Among African Americans: What Does the Research Reveal?. Journal of African American Studies, 13(1), 29-46. DuCille, A. (2009). Marriage, Family, Other â€Å"Peculiar Institutions† in African American Literary History. American Literary History, 21(3), 604-617. Gingrich, F., Worthington Jr, E. L. (2007). Supervision and the integration of faith into clinical practice: Research considerations. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 26(4), 342-355. Goldenberg, H., Goldenberg, I. (2013). Family therapy: An overview (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brookes/Cole. Hill, S. A.(2006). Marriage Among African American Women: A Gender Perspective. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 37(3), 421-440. Hodge, D. R. (2005). Developing a Spiritual Assessment Toolbox: A Discussion of the Strengths and Limitations of Five Different Assessment Methods. Health Social Work, 30(4), 314-323. Holland, R. (2009). Perceptions of Mate Selection for Marriage Among African American, College- Educated, Single Mothers. Journal of Counseling Development, 87(2), 170-178. Kostenberger, A. J., Johns, D. W. (2004). God, marriage, and family: Rebuilding the biblical foundation. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. ISBN: 9781581345803. Leslie, L. A., Letiecq, B.L. (2004). Marital Quality of African American and White Partners in Interracial Couples. Personal Relationships, 11(4), 559-574. Marsh, K., Darity Jr., W.A., Cohen, P. N., Casper, L.M., Salters, D. (2007). The Emerging Black Middle Class: Single and Living Alone. Social Forces, 86(2), 735-762. Martin, T. L., Bielawski, D. M. (2011). What is the African American’s Experience Following Imago Education?. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 51(2), 216-228. Mc. Clain, C. (2011). Family Stories: Black/ White Marriage During the 1960s. Western Journal of Black Studies, 35(1), 9-21. Pinderhughes, E. B. (2002). African American Marriage in the 20th Century. Family Process, 41(2), 269. Rowe, D. M. (2007). Marriage and Fathering: Raising Our Children Within the Context of Family and Community. Black Scholar, 37(2), 18-22. Worthington, E. (2005). Hope focused marriage counseling: A guide to brief therapy. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

Byzantine Influences on Islamic Architecture

Byzantine Influences on Islamic Architecture Introduction The current definition of globalization incorporates the significant idealism that one’s culture supersedes that of another, regardless of any potential beneficial amalgamation. Throughout history, the idea of conquer, and more directly, the annihilation of governmental bodies and social stratification has led to the exponential growth of social resources. It is therefore, through the inclusion these alternate, yet significant diversities that growth has been most efficiently affected. One significant assimilation was that of the Byzantine architecture into the future construction of Islamic magnates. While the disintegration of Byzantine society cannot be entirely accredited to the work of the Islamic forces, it is through constant attempts at occupation and tireless warfare, coupled with the foresight of Islamic leadership to reintegrate many of the highly effective design maxims into their architecture, that the structures that remain today occupy such religious indemnifica tion among followers. Truly, the Byzantine influence in not only early, but modern Islamic architecture has shaped not only the ceiling of religious piety, but the ideology of a charismatic and well-preserved religious force. Byzantine Architecture The Byzantine Empire itself may easily be defined as a cultural melting pot, or more definitively, the globalized integration of religious and cultural views, centralized around one spectacular city: Constantinople. It is through the re-integration of revitalized world views that throughout the rein of this Empire, substantial cultural and societal gains were enacted. These gains include the remarkable architectural advances which greatly influenced the future surrounding areas and reverent incorporation of byzantine architectural masterpieces into their framework. Not to be excluded, the Roman and Greek influences within Byzantine architecture engineered significant structures, so inspiring and well defined that they would become structural affecters even to this day. Most notably, the advances towards structural engineering as well as iconography would influence religious societies for many future generations. The definitive Byzantine structure may be characterized by a uniquely architectured high dome, including theological depictions ornately carved which often represented the religious icons of the era. The re-definition of the church foundation which occurred during this timeframe eliminated the reliance on a boxed structure with four walls and incorporated structurally definitive six to eight cornered buildings which would also serve to support the dome itself. Additionally, and especially integral to future Islamic interpretation, the use of Corinthinan capitals, or remaining Roman text carved into stone and placed within the structure of the building for aesthetic purposes, would determine future scriptural formations and lettering on the outside of mosques and buildings. While the Byzantine’s themselves were primarily Christian, and especially during the first ruler’s reign, persecuted non-christian residents, often to the death, the influence that their architecture, as well as their cultural devotion would have on future Islamic nations is highly visible in many of their structures. Timely in it’s historical prescedence, the life of Mohammed would drastically influence this empire, as Muslim forces gained strength and began to attack southern Byzantine territories. â€Å"Byzantine energies focused almost entirely to the east and to the south. The western countries, the Europe that Byzantium at one time looked to for their identity and history, began to steadily fade from their horizon.†[1] In spite of the Islamic forces, Byzantine architecture represents the preservation of Roman influence which continues to affect building design to this day. Islamic Interpretation The integration of Byzantine architecture into Islamic religious structures continues to affect modern building design in this region of the world. One of the similarities between the Byzantine (Christian Majority) and Islamic societies was the lack of iconographic interpretations. Both religions severely preached the elimination of religions depictions through idolatry or stone iconography. In this format, the singular representation of religious devotion would come form the incorporation of religious words and text that would line the walls or pillars in this mosque. Additionally, the minimization of exterior flourish would encourage entrance into the spiritual dwelling. The influence of this technique of exterior minimalization, while re-defined interior actualization would greatly affect modern construction. â€Å"The multitude of decorative treatments of surfaces in Islamic architecture, the use of almost every conceivable technique and the development of a rich repertory of de signs from geometric to abstract shapes to full-scale floral patterns, from minutely executed inscriptions in a full variety of calligraphic styles to the monumental single words that serve as both religious images and decoration is without parallel in the architecture of the non-Muslim world.†[2] Reverence beneath ornately decorated structures would encourage religious piety, and incorporate the devotion of the follower through his affectation from the surrounding architecture. Further notable incorporations of Byzantine architecture include the utilization of mosaic forms, the amalgamation of colorful tile or stone to represent an image with religious significance, the high dome structure supported by multiple pillars or bases, and an extensive palate pastel and complementary colors which would flood the interior of the structure itself. In spite of the mediated exterior flair, the re-introduction of color and style into the interior of the structures themselves can be much attributed to Byzantium influence. Utilizing marble and mosaic, coupled with centuries of preservation, the Mosque of Damascus was effectively created as a second Mecca, or identified within the Islamic religion as a powerful venue of absolute worship. The unique history of this structure incorporates the identification with the Byzantine ruling religion, as â€Å"after the Islamic conquest of Damascus in 661, during the reign of the first Umayyad caliph Muawiya Ibn Abi Sufyan, the Muslims shared the church with the Christians. The Muslims prayed in the eastern section of the ancient temple structure and the Christians in the western side.†[3] The Byzantines, a predominately Christian society, were willing to share this area of significance with the Islamic followers due to the highly divine identification which was incumbent within the location to both cultures. This diversification of venue, paired with the influence of Byzantine architects, led the caliph to construct a building which has endured calamity wh ile edifying the necessity of piety through the ornate calligraphical representations and integration of inspiring color and mosaic. Additionally, the multiple pillared structure, as well as many arches and octagonal foundation clearly represents significant influence from the Byzantine era to the Islamic interpretation. Articles from the Koran have been requisitioned to the support structures of the domed ceiling as devotees may kneel and raise their eyes to remember the sacred text above them. There is a distinct lack of man or animalistic influence, as the iconography is specifically relegated to the religious features non-idolatrated. Finally, the amazing mosaic which surrounds the entire building, coupled with the engraved marble offers direct insight into the influence of Byzantine predecessors. Example 2: Dome of the Rock Currently, one of the most important structures in Islamic religion, the Dome of the Rock, represents a venue of extreme importance and, venerated by the Muslims, it is where the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.†[4] This simple belief has served as an instrumental catapult for many different wars and battles which evolved around the structure and location of the site. Essentially, this is a monumental domed structure created by Abdul Malik ibn Marwan in approximately 685 AD. The Byzantine influence may be immediately recognized through the multiple arches, the pillars inscribed with Koranic text, and the mosaic colorization which highlights both the exterior and interior of this remarkable structure. Additionally, the layout featuring extensive foundation and lack of religious iconography represents the direct Roman influence on the Byzantine architects. In fact, this structure continues to be represented, not as an Islamic specific creation, but as a mimic to a most remark able work in Syria known as the Cathedral of Bosra, created during a time of Roman rule.[5] And, as previously identified, it was through Roman integration and inspiration that the transcendence of architecture framed the Byzantine empire. Conclusion Easily identified through didactic calligraphy, spectacular mosaic, and highly inspirational domed structures, the Islamic identification with Byzantine influence has offered society a unique example of cultural assimilation without full scale disintegration. Representatively, the Roman influence throughout the globe has offered some of the most remarkable architectural features, including dam and aqueduct construction, in addition to modern buildings and bridges. Through tri-cultural amalgamation, the Islamic Caliphs were able to integrate the most effective traits of this Byzantine interpretation and redirect those features into their own religious facilities. The bright colored, highly regimented structures remain today as a reminder of necessitated devotion for followers; they are the essential proponents of spiritual migration, and the constant belligerent behavior surrounding their maintenance offers unique perspective into a cultural clash regarding the choice of architectural foundation. The beauty and multi-cultural integration of these structures and architecture, however, is ultimately essential to preserve, as the historical implications of pre-capitalist globalization offers direct insight into the highly devout nature of mankind’s spiritual and cultural plight, the effect of which has far reaching determinations into the future. References http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=7161 http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Yasdn=historymedrencdn=educationtm=27gps=115_456_1436_699f=00tt=14bt=1bts=1zu=http%3A//www.wsu.edu%3A8080/%7Edee/MA/BYZ.HTM http://islamicart.com/main/architecture/intro.html http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/israel/jerusalem.html Kuban, Dogan. Moslem Religious Architecture: Development of Religious Architecture in Later Periods. New York, NY: Brill Academic Publishers, 1997. [1]http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Yasdn=historymedrencdn=educationtm=27gps=115_456_1436_699f=00tt=14bt=1bts=1zu=http://www.wsu.edu%3A8080/%7Edee/MA/BYZ.HTM [2] http://islamicart.com/main/architecture/intro.html [3] http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=7161 [4] http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/israel/jerusalem.html [5] Dogan Kuban, Moslem Religious Architecture, Brill Academic Publishers, 1997, p. 17

Limb Transplants -- Modern Miracle or Future Frankenstein? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Limb Transplants -- Modern Miracle or Future Frankenstein? We all know that transplants save lives. Liver, heart, renal, and other organ transplants are hardly controversial. But what happens when transplants do not save lives? What happens when they actually endanger them? At least twenty-one hands and arms have been transplanted since 1998 (and one in 1964) (1). Sure, the cosmetic and functional value of having a new hand could seem like a miracle to those without hands or arms, but do these benefits outweigh the risks? Limb attachments are not uncommon. Dr V Pathmanathan and his team, who transplanted a left arm onto baby Chong Lih Ying from her twin sister who had died at birth, had already performed over 300 such operations (2). The controversy occurs when the limb is not simply reattached, but is transplanted from one person to another. This is because limb transplant patients, like any other transplant patients, need to be given anti-rejection medication, immunosuppressive therapy (1), so that the body's immune system does not recognize the new limb's tissue as foreign and destroy it (3). In fact, Chong Lih Ying was the only limb transplant patient not to receive immunosuppressive drugs. Because her arm was transplanted from her twin, there was very little risk of rejection (2). As the name suggests, immunosuppressant drugs given to limb transplant patients greatly lower the body's immune system (4). This puts limb transplant patients at a much greater risk of cancer, infections, and other disorders (5), as has been the case in renal and liver transplants (6). Even with these drugs, the patient still has a great risk of rejection. Six weeks after Jerry Fisher's hand transplant, he had already experienced three episodes of rejection, a common and expected occurrence in limb transplant patients (7). To avoid rejection, and to regain functions of the limb, limb transplant patients must follow a strict regime of intense physical therapy. During the period immediately preceding his hand transplant, Jerry Fisher underwent a two-hour physical therapy session six days a week, as well as therapy exercises on his own every two hours (7). Even so, normal functions of the limb come slowly, and according to test results to date, a transplanted limb will never have the full function of a limb with which one was born (6). Transplant recipients must also undergo intense psychological therapy in order to view the hand as part of the self and not to associate it with the deceased body from which it came.

World Civilization Notes

HUM 1000: WORLD CIVILIZATIONS NOTES THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA Definition of key terms As we begin this course, it is crucial to first discuss our understanding of the concept ‘civilization’. This is a comparative term which is usually applied in comparison to such words as ‘barbarian’ ‘savage’ and ‘primitive’. In classical antiquity the Europeans used the word ‘barbarian’ to refer to a foreigner who was regarded as inferior (Ogutu and Kenyanchui, An Introduction To African History, 1991 p33). Do you think this is still the way we use the word barbarian?The Latin speakers referred to hunters, food-gatherers as savage. In the 17th century this term ‘savage’ referred to a person without art, literacy, or society who lived in fear of existence and death. ‘Primitive’ on the other hand, in Latin meant ‘the first or original’. Europeans used these words interchangeab ly when referring to non-Europeans while the word civilization was preserved to describe historical developments of European people (ibid). Now the term civilization is no longer confined to the above development but also extends reference to non-European communities.Attributes of civilization includes observance to law, belonging to an organized society, having a society of literate people with advanced developments in urbanization, agriculture, commerce, arts and technology. The French thinkers of the 18th century referred to a person of the arts and literature as cultured. But at the present the term is used to cover more fields than just the arts and literature. Sometimes, therefore the words ‘civilization’ and ‘culture’ are interchangeably applied. In this unit, however, more use is confined to the word ‘civilization’ especially in reference to human developments over time and in all continents.Another term that requires discussion at this stage is ‘prehistory’. Just like ‘civilization’,’prehistory’ is used in comparative terms especially in relation to history. Both terms refer to the past human activities. But whereas history as used by historians refers to the inquiry, investigation or research into a totality of human past experience, prehistory is rather confined to an inquiry or research into a totality of human past experience before the invention of writing. In our course-text (Anthony Esler, The Human Venture vol 1, 2004) this prehistoric period stretches between 5000 and 3500 BC.This period is also known as Stone Age period. Archeology plays a vital part in enabling us learn more about this prehistoric period. Through excavation and dating , a lot of prehistoric information is obtained. The Prehistoric or Stone Age Period There are two versions which explain the origins of human species. These are creation and biological explanation. The creation version exists in the Judaeo-Christian: Old Testament and its African counterpart. This Judaeo-Christian Old Testament is captured in the book of Genesis 2:6-7 in which it is written ‘But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. There is more detail about the whole sequence of creation in Genesis 1. Indeed it is written that human beings were the last to be created specific in God’s own image. This is best explained in Genesis 1:27: ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them’. This creation story is vividly portrayed by Michelangelo on the ceiling of Sistine chapel in the Vatican at Rome .The pictures showing muscled, hugely bearded figure of Jehovah dividing light from darkness with a gesture rolling the sun and the moon into being, extending his powerful right hand to bestow upon Adam the ultimate gift of life attracts numerous tourists to the Vatican. There are various aspects of creation explanations in Africa. However we use the version in The Human Venture vol. 1 (p 7). According to this version, Doondari made humankind out of the five elements; fire, water, air, iron, and stone.The oldest of all creation stories, that of the Minnite Theology carved in stone at Memphis on the Nile almost five thousand years ago, calls the creator Ptah and says that he made the first sentient beings with weapons in their hands. Similar creation myths are found among other communities. This is because human beings are always concerned with understanding ‘first things’ and how they led to more complex ones. Such myths are reinforced by science which intimates that our earth developed from ‘a ring of glowing gases cooled and solidified into planets.Around the planet earth was water which spread over much of the world and above the earth was the atmosphere. HUM 1000: WORLD CIVILIZATIONS NOTES THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA Definition of key terms As we begin this course, it is crucial to first discuss our understanding of the concept ‘civilization’. This is a comparative term which is usually applied in comparison to such words as ‘barbarian’ ‘savage’ and ‘primitive’. In classical antiquity the Europeans used the word ‘barbarian’ to refer to a foreigner who was regarded as inferior (Ogutu and Kenyanchui, An Introduction To African History, 1991 p33).Do you think this is still the way we use the word barbarian? The Latin speakers referred to hunters, food-gatherers as savage. In the 17th century this term ‘savage’ referred to a person without art, literacy, or society who lived in fear of existence and death. ‘Primitive’ on the other hand, in Latin meant ‘the first or original’. Eu ropeans used these words interchangeably when referring to non-Europeans while the word civilization was preserved to describe historical developments of European people (ibid).Now the term civilization is no longer confined to the above development but also extends reference to non-European communities. Attributes of civilization includes observance to law, belonging to an organized society, having a society of literate people with advanced developments in urbanization, agriculture, commerce, arts and technology. The French thinkers of the 18th century referred to a person of the arts and literature as cultured. But at the present the term is used to cover more fields than just the arts and literature. Sometimes, therefore the words ‘civilization’ and ‘culture’ are interchangeably applied.In this unit, however, more use is confined to the word ‘civilization’ especially in reference to human developments over time and in all continents. Another term that requires discussion at this stage is ‘prehistory’. Just like ‘civilization’,’prehistory’ is used in comparative terms especially in relation to history. Both terms refer to the past human activities. But whereas history as used by historians refers to the inquiry, investigation or research into a totality of human past experience, prehistory is rather confined to an inquiry or research into a totality of human past experience before the invention of writing.In our course-text (Anthony Esler, The Human Venture vol 1, 2004) this prehistoric period stretches between 5000 and 3500 BC. This period is also known as Stone Age period. Archeology plays a vital part in enabling us learn more about this prehistoric period. Through excavation and dating , a lot of prehistoric information is obtained. The Prehistoric or Stone Age Period There are two versions which explain the origins of human species. These are creation and biological explanati on. The creation version exists in the Judaeo-Christian: Old Testament and its African counterpart.This Judaeo-Christian Old Testament is captured in the book of Genesis 2:6-7 in which it is written ‘But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. ’ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. There is more detail about the whole sequence of creation in Genesis 1. Indeed it is written that human beings were the last to be created specific in God’s own image. This is best explained in Genesis 1:27: ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them’.This creation story is vividly portrayed by Michelangelo on the ceiling of Sistine chapel in the Vatican at Rome . The pictures showing muscled, hugely bearded figure of Jehovah dividing light from darkness with a gesture rolling the sun and the moon into being, extending his powerful right hand to bestow upon Adam the ultimate gift of life attracts numerous tourists to the Vatican. There are various aspects of creation explanations in Africa. However we use the version in The Human Venture vol. 1 (p 7). According to this version, Doondari made humankind out of the five elements; fire, water, air, iron, and stone.The oldest of all creation stories, that of the Minnite Theology carved in stone at Memphis on the Nile almost five thousand years ago, calls the creator Ptah and says that he made the first sentient beings with weapons in their hands. Similar creation myths are found among other communities. This is because human beings are always concerned with understanding ‘first things’ and how they led to more complex ones. Such myths are reinforced by science which intimates that our earth developed from ‘a ring of glowing gases cooled and solidified into planets.Around the planet earth was water which spread over much of the world and above the earth was the atmosphere. From these basic settings, life emerged from single-celled bacteria and gradually evolved into bigger creatures in the sea. And even continued evolving outside the sea. Such creatures outside the sea include birds and other beasts. Besides vegetations also developed from the moss and horsetails to such bigger plants like trees. All this took place before the hominids emerged. Herein lies the biological or evolution explanation.The evolution process which continued resulted in great geographical features such as grassland, forest, desert among others. More than two thirds of the earth was covered with water. The protruded expanse of dry land formed the seven continents. They included Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America and Antarctica. Each continent and the islands that lay between them had a range of climate and topography which provided a variety of human beings. Human Developmen t Through the excavations of Mary and Louis Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, it was established that Africa is the origin of human species.The skeleton of Don Johansson’s Lucy found scattered over a hillside in Ethiopia pushed prehuman origin back several years. Hominids or hominid like bones from more recent times include those of Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal type first found in France and Germany and their kin Peking Man and Java Man discovered in Asia. Together with theses finds were also crude stone tools, later pots, pictures and bits of clothing were unearthed. The discovery of the ‘ice man’ an intact human corpse, discovered frozen in the alpine ice in 1991came complete with deerskin coat, fur hat, stone dagger, bow and arrows and a crude copper axe.The biological evolution of human beings dates back to tens of millions of years when small fury creatures with huge eyes and long tail lived in forests, balanced on high branches and snatched at insects. Fro m these there developed primates from who emerged as long as five million years ago the line of development known as hominids of which the humans are the only surviving descendants. There were various changes that the human ancestors underwent to adapt to the environment. For instance eyes of the tree dwellers changed and developed stereoscopic (depth) vision and color sightedness, very useful capacities for leaping from branch to branch.When these ancestors moved from forests to open grassland five million years ago more changes followed. Their legs and feet changed to permit erect bipedal walking on the African savanna. The posture in turn freed the hands for carrying game and foraged nuts and berries back to the family circle. The hands developed producing the most efficient thumb for the manipulation of any primate’s. The hominid brain grew, doubling and tripling in size and evolving a capacity that enabled human beings develop culture. Gradually, a number of hominid spec ies developed, flourished for a time then died out.The Australopithecines of three and a half million years ago were perhaps four feet tall and had brain about a third of modern human’s. Hominids of the Neanderthal line were closer to us. Hominids who survived made stone tools, buried their dead with ceremony and decorated the walls of their caves with paintings of the animals they hunted. These survivors who emerged approximately thirty-five thousand years ago were the Cro-Magnon people, a subspecies of the hominid family called Homo sapiens (wise people). They were the last of the hominid line and biologically indistinguishable from us. Prehistoric MigrationsAs is established the homeland of human beings is in Africa. Around two million years ago, the ancestors began migrating to other continents of Europe and Asia. A skull found in China indicates that these ancestors reached East Asia two hundred thousand years ago. Between 70,000 and 40,000 BC human beings reached Austra lia between 40,000 and 20,000 BC they reached the Americas. Thus in about half a million years, prehistoric ancestors spread around the world. They evolved various cultures and ways of life which kept improving through the various ages. It is to these civilizations that we now turn. The Ancient Civilization of EgyptIn this topic we will look at the factors behind the rise of the ancient Egyptian civilization, the growth of the Egyptian Kingdom and its contribution to the ancient world. The Factors for the Rise of Ancient Egyptian Civilization Its appropriate to state that ancient Egypt was directly linked to the rest of Africa. Unlike at present, the Sahara desert had not developed. Hence movement between the northern and the southern parts of Africa were possible. This fact is true because some African communities in both East and West Africa argue that their ancestral homelands were in Misri which roughly refers to Egypt. 1)Egyptian civilization owes its origin and development lar gely to the water from River Nile whose Source is in the South especially in Lake Victoria. In addition, the Blue Nile which is a tributary of the White Nile flows from the Ethiopian Highlands. The heart of the land was that part of the river from the first cataract at Aswan to the fan shaped delta where it flowed into the Mediterranean Sea. The river winds six hundred miles from the cataracts to the delta. The Nile Valley is hardly more than a few miles wide, but for the last hundred miles the valley opens up into the flat triangular delta spread along the sea.It is because of this river that Egypt was described as ‘the gift of the Nile’. The river’s annual rise and fall were crucial for the life of Egypt. On its way from the south, the Nile on reaching Upper Egypt overflowed its banks and deposited over the narrow valley a layer of rich black mud, alluvium picked up along its way from the south. (2)The human resource was yet another factor. Perhaps as early as the fifth millennium BC the hunters and nomadic pastoralists who had moved to the Nile Valley realized the agricultural potential of the fertile valley. They settled into agricultural villages and planted wheat and flax for clothing.They organized themselves into clans having animal totems such as crocodile or the hippopotamus. Sometime between 3500BC and 3000BC cooperative economic effort appeared as the Egyptians began to attempt at controlling the Nile with dikes and catch basins. Copper was used more widely. The population grew. (3)There was influence from outside, for instance, there were the Mesopotamian style cylinder seals found in Egypt. Besides Sumerian pictograms appear among the earliest Egyptian hieroglyphics. In the growth of the Egyptian civilization, there was an intermediate stage rom the villages to the centralized Monarchial state. After the villages, there were the two lands of upper and Lower Egypt. The vulture of the goddess Nekhbet was sacred in Upper Egypt wh ile the cobra of Wadjet sacred in Lower Egypt. The kings of the upper valley wore white crown while those of the delta a red one. People in the upper and Lower Egypt often fought each other. The Old Kingdom This area covered approximately ten thousand square miles. In 3000 BC, this Old Kingdom was the largest or most centralized state in the world. The Pharaoh was officially the king of upper and Lower Egypt. The Lord of the two lands’ and as such was crowned and symbolically buried in each of the two lands. There were separate treasures for the two halves of his kingdom and much duplication of officials. The tendency toward fragmentation embodied in the nomes, the provinces of pharaonic Egypt posed challenge to the unity of the state. Independent totemic communities or clans prior to unification, the nomes could become centers of disunity under ambitious governors. To hold the nation together, the early pharaohs forged a powerful alliance with the temples and the priests.Thi s is because the pharaohs claimed that they themselves were incarnations of divinity. The pharaoh was believed to be the son of the sun god Re. The reigning pharaoh was also Horus, the sky god-symbolized by falcon. On his death, the Falcon flew to the horizon, and the dead pharaoh became Osiris, King of the Underworld. Therefore the Pharaoh among the ancient Egyptians was semi-divine. Every year the pharaoh performed religious ceremonies that guaranteed the rising of the river. He and his officials ruled the land in the spirit of Ma’at, a combination of truth, justice and order that was for the Egyptians the highest of virtues.In the underworld, the souls of the dead were weighed against Ma’at. In this world the pharaoh himself was its living embodiment and the guarantee that the land would be ruled in its spirit. The Egyptians developed an elaborate administrative system. The chief administrative officer under the pharaoh was the vizier whose roles included chief judg e, superintendent of public works and right hand to the king. Under the vizier were such offices as those of treasuries, agriculture, officials in charge of irrigation systems and a secretariat. There was also a provincial administration charged with governing the nomes.The rulers of these provinces, the nomarchs exercised considerable local authority. They controlled the local militia, the source of most of the military strength of the kings of Upper and Lower Egypt. The Egyptian bureaucracy was staffed by scribes . Scribes conducted census of land and people, estimated size of the harvest and calculated taxes in kind. They supervised the vital irrigation system, organized the care and feeding of the pharaohs and the building of the royal tombs. Old kingdom Egypt was an ordered state and the society was organized hierarchically .At the top was the pharaoh while at the bottom were the slaves . See the diagram on the next page. Pharaoh v Pharaonic family, Relatives and Courtiers v Th e vizier (PM) and his circle v The Priests v The Scribes v Soldiers v Workers v Peasants v Foreigners v Slaves Source: Ogutu & Kenyanchui, An Introduction To African history,1991 p. 35 The hierarchy was symbolized most massively by the pyramid tombs of the pharaohs of the fourth dynasty; the dynasty of Khufu (also known as Cheops) builder of the great pyramid at Giza, around 2550 B. C The Middle KingdomThis period which stretches from around 2200 BC to the emergence of the New Kingdom about 1550 BC is considered as a transition period between the two worlds. The period was characterized by political turbulence, famine and the invasion of marauding desert Bedouin in the delta. Egyptians longed for a return to the immemorial order of past centuries. What they got, however, was not a return to the past but a dynamic new direction to national life . Ambitious dynasts from Thebes City in Upper Egypt snatched the kingdom from the last royal house to rule in Memphis.During the twentieth an d nineteenth centuries BC, the powerful 12th dynasty restored prosperity and order along the Nile. Pharaohs during this period expanded their kingdom and trade . Egyptian merchants traded with Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Minoan Crete. Egyptian military pushed south along the Nile into Nubia and on into The Sudan . Egypt for the first time became involved in a large scale with regions in North-East Africa and the Near East However the pharaohs who succeeded those in the 12th dynasty were weak and did not continue the firm hold on the expanded kingdom .Before 1700 BC the Hyksos, an Asiatic speaking group seized power . Because they were less sophisticated than the ancient Egyptians ,the Hyksos were culturally assimilated ,adopted Egyptian names , worshipped Egyptian gods and followed other traditional royal rites.. The Hyksos introduced the use of bronze instead of softer copper . In addition they also introduced the two wheeled horse-drawn war chariot. After about one and a hal f centuries their rule was ended and more powerful pharaohs from Lower Egypt took over and established the New Kingdom. The New KingdomKing Ahmose was hailed by posterity as the father of the new kingdom and the founder of the eighteenth dynasty (Abu Bakri, ‘Pharaonic Egypt’ in G . Mokhtar, ed General History of Africa vol 2(Abridged Edition) 1990, 73) Around 1550 BC Ahmose attacked, defeated and expelled the Hyksos from Egypt to Palestine . He even followed them there and destroyed their base . Back at home he put down the rebellious nobility and Nubian princess who collaborated with Hyksos. All the loot from Ahmose’s victories, he heaped them at the feet of Amon, the sun god of Thebes .The priesthood of Amon thus became the most powerful in Egypt and Thebes the new capital. Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1490-1468BC) who married each of her half brothers in turn was, however, in her fifth year powerful enough to declare herself supreme ruler of the country. She declared h erself the child of Re; and the god’s designated ruler, had herself crowned with double crown and seated herself on the golden throne of pharaohs. The two peaceful decades of her reign were prosperous for Egypt . She concentrated her attention upon the country’s internal affairs and upon building enterprises, mainly her magnificent temple at Western Thebes .The two achievements of which she was most proud were:- 1. The expedition to punt where the Egyptian fleet obtained ebony and ivory perfumes and spices, apes ,monkeys ,leopard skins, slaves and thirty-one live myrrh trees which were ceremoniously replanted at the queen’s temple at Deir el Bahari. 2. The raising of two great obelisks at the temple of Karnak. At her death/ Thutmose the 3rd (1486-1436 BC) took over. He was a skilled archer and charioteer. The militaristic elements among the aristocracy who longed for more aggressive foreign policy loved him. He fought seventeen campaigns gainst a coalition of ci ty states of Palestine-Syria-Lebanon/region. The coalition had been plotting at Megiddo to revolt against Egypt’s domination. Consequently, the whole country as far as the southern Lebanon came under Egyptian control. Egypt was therefore firmly established as a world power with a far reaching empire (A. Abu Bakr/1990, 73). It stretched over much of the ancient Fertile Crescent, from the Euphrates to the forth cataract of the Nile. Thutmose the 3rd had well equipped army supplied with the latest swords, bows and amour of the late Bronze Age. The army also used well constructed chariots.He established garrison towns, local governors and a sophisticated system of puppet kings to control what he had conquered. He raised obelisks as far south as the fourth cataract to signify his imperial expanse. These obelisks were looted and are found in Rome, Istanbul, London and New York’s Central Park. Another outstanding pharaoh was Akhenaton (Amenhotep the 4th/ 1364-1347 BC) who was also described as heretic pharaoh, a religious visionary or the doom of his dynasty(Esler A, The Human Venture, 2004, 54). He was physically weak with a frail effeminate body with hardly the makings of soldier or statesman.He was mostly concerned with matters of the mind and spirit. In his youthful fascination, Akhenaton instituted a radical change of policy which led to the direct attack on the priesthood of Amon. Initially he continued to live at Thebes where he had a great temple to Aton (the sun disk erected east of Amon†s temple at Karnak. Later, because of resistance to his reform in Thebes Akhenaton withdrew from the city. He founded a new residence at El-Amarna in Middle Egypt which he called Akhetaton (the horizon of Aton) where he lived until his death.It was here that he changed his name from Amenhotep (Amon is satisfied to Akhenaton (He who is serviceable to Aton or spirit of Aton). Akhenaton proclaimed Aton as the sole true god to be worshipped throughout Egypt. He launched campaigns to destroy all the other cults and replaced them with the worship of Aton. Hence Akhenaton was the first ruler to advocate for monotheism thirteen and a half centuries before Christ. Aton was represented not in human form like other gods but simply by the solar disk. Rays spread down from it and at the ends of the rays there were hands.Temples of Aton were built without roofs so that the worshipper might commune directly with the god and feel his power in the sky above. The Atonist revolution did not survive the death of Akhenaton. His second successor Tutankhamun returned to the faith of his ancestors and became a worshipper of Amon. However it was not until the reign of Horemheb as the last king of the Eighteenth Dynasty that the persecution of Aton began with the same persistence that had formerly applied to Amon (Abu-Bakr, 1990, 75). The Decline of Ancient EgyptIts decline could be attributed to the following factors; 1. The empire had grown so big that it was not easy to hold it together against external attacks. The Hittites and the sea people (biblical philistines) constantly attacked the delta. 2. The weak kings undermined the state especially in the face of invaders. During the thousand years that followed the end of the New kingdom in the eleventh century/ Theban priests, Libyan mercenaries, Nubian kings, Assyrians, Persians, Macedonians and Romans ruled Egypt in turns. The Art, Thought and Achievements in Ancient EgyptSome of the art, thought and achievements are already discussed under the previous topics. For instance the roles of art and religion as well as the establishment of empire have been discussed. Perhaps what follows is to briefly itemize others; 1. The discovery of the art of writing in Egypt began as picture writing i. e. hieroglyphics carved with reed pens on papyrus. As a working script therefore, hieroglyphic writing evolved over centuries into a cursive script called hieratic. The latter looked more like moder n Arabic. 2. Scientific knowledge; Astronomy, Egyptians divided the night sky into eparate constellations, compiled detailed records of the nightly positions of some heavenly bodies and constructed on this basis a calendar that is close to the solar one in use today. Mathematics: Ancient Egyptians used mathematics to survey and re-establish boundary lines after the annual inundation had washed out the line markers up and down the Nile. They also used measurement and calculation for architecture and engineering, for predicting harvests and totaling royal tax receipts. Medicine: Ancient Egyptian medicine operated on the basis of experience and rules of the thumb.Egyptian doctors indeed showed genuine clinical concern with symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Some of the prescribed remedies include drugs, such as castor oil that may even have done the patient some good. 3. Construction; Ancient Egyptians were great builders. They built in stone. The old kingdom pyramids still stand out a s some of the wonders of the world. The forty five hundred years and the two and a half million cubic yards of solid stone in the great pyramid of Khufu is one example of human engineering feats. Obelisks were another Egyptian architectural specialist.They often stood almost a hundred feet high. Their hieroglyphic inscriptions described the achievements of the pharaohs who erected them i. e. Hatshepsut or Thutmose the 3rd. Other architectural feats include temples, tombs and sarcophaguses (stone coffins) 4. Polytheistic Religion; The sources of religion include ancient Egyptians need for supernatural help to ensure a supply of game, growing herds or desire for human support when dealing with life transition and with specific afflictions i. e. wars, pestilence, famine and oppression. 5. To express the inexpressible religious leaders turn to metaphor.This experience has brought religious discourse from the historically conditioned realities of a particular time and place i. e. the sun god sails down a celestial Nile in the mind of the Egyptian. 6. Egyptians worshipped many gods i. e. Amon-Ra, Osiris, Horus. The Origin of Civilization In The Rest Of Africa Since it is established that the earliest human species is in the land of the great lakes of East Africa, it becomes clear that the Egyptian civilization was not isolated from the areas where the earliest forms of human origins are situated. Hence there was a lot of interconnectedness between the north and the south.We use Kush and Nubia to illustrate this point. The Nubians supplied ancient Egypt with gold, ivory, ebony, ostrich, feathers and slaves. It also supplied cattle, grain, leopards (and their skins), giraffes (whose tails were used as fly whisks, oils and perfumes among others. During the Egyptian decline, Nubian army went into Egypt and even took control of the Egyptian throne. Between the 11th c. BC and the 4th c. AD, the Nubian territory constituted the state of Kush. This area generally stretches from the first cataract of the Nile and the confluence between the Blue Nile and the White Nile.The region is currently between Egypt’s Aswan Dam and the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. During around 1500 BC, the area fell under the expansionist New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. Egyptian Governors and garrisons, priests and artisans influenced Kush greatly. Sons of Kushite kings were educated at the Egyptian royal court at Thebes. Egyptian temples and gods royal rituals and hieroglyphics were all transplanted to the Sudan. The Egyptian religious complex at Napata in particular became a centre for the spread of the Egyptian culture among the Africans beyond the cataracts.During the decline of Egypt from around 1100 BC, the kingdom of Kush regained its independence and flourished, none the less; the Kushite kings still followed Egyptian ways and worshipped Egyptians gods. They recovered their deeds in hieroglyphics inscriptions and buried their dead under the pyramid like those of th e old kingdoms. Around 750 BC the Kushite kings Kashata and Piankhi marched north and liberated Egypt from Libyan rulers. For more than half a century later the Kushite pharaohs of the 25th Egyptian dynasty ruled a dual kingdom that stretched around 1400 miles from the Blue Nile to the shores of the Mediterranean.The Assyrians expelled the 25th dynasty and replaced the Kushite kings in Egypt. The golden age of Kushitic civilization was during Meroe’s ascendancy. Meroe built its cities in sun-dried bricks like Egyptians. Kushitic rulers’ succession was by consensus among the royal princes. The queen mother was uniquely powerful. Egyptian priesthoods i. e. the sun god was influential. But later it was replaced by the Kushite lion god Apedemek. The wealth of Kush lay in the location of its fertile land and its dynamic people. Kushite capital, Meroe was watered not only by the Nile but also by a significant annual rainfall.Hence there was expansive pasture and cropland. Th ere were such minerals as gold and iron. Kushite artisans exploited the iron ore so industriously that Meroe became one of the centers for the production of iron in Africa. Later Kush developed its own writing. The first centuries of Christian era witnessed the decline of Kush. Reasons could include limited land that ended up being overgrazed, the drying out of the land due to creeping of the Sahara southwards and the loss of its northern customers, Egypt. Trade in the east was taken over by Axum which destroyed the kingdom of Kush finally.THE ORIENTAL CIVILIZATION Introduction The oriental as an adjective derives from the ‘noun’ orient’ which refers to the ‘East’. The concept of ‘East as used in reference to countries in Asia was given by the Europeans. Therefore in our discussion, we will look at such civilization as those of Mesopotamia, Hebrew, Persia, India and China. THE ANCIENT CIVILIZATION OF MESOPOTAMIA Ancient Mesopotamia was situated between River Tigris and River Euphrates. Indeed it was because of these two rivers that the Greeks called the land Mesopotamia to mean land between the rivers. Between 3,500 and 539 B.C cities and temples emerged first in Sumeria in the delta at the head of the Persian Gulf. This was followed by more cities and temples in Akkladian, Babylon and climaxed in Assyria. All these constituted Mesopotamia. Gradual drying out of the sea covered delta at the mouths of the two rivers exposed the fertile side that may have attracted Neolithic farmers to migrate from the hilly areas and moved to settle in the villages at summer or Sumeria. These early inhabitants built reeds houses in the delta and hunted birds and speared fish. They were also farmers much as they hunted and gathered wild fruits.From this area, the ancient Sumerians built over centuries a type of civilization that was later emulated. The Sumerians first discovered how to tame the flooding waters of the Tigris and Euphrates. T hey constructed dykes, canals and irrigation ditches that converted the water from destructive actions to more productive uses like enabling the community to produce enough foods stuffs. The Sumerians planted barley and wheat. They cultivated date palm for fruit and palm wine. Sumerians reared sheep and goats from which wool and hair clothing was made.They used oxen to pull, plough, donkeys were beasts of burden, horses and camels were domesticated later. These latter animals were obtained during the Sumerian war encounters against their neighbouring foreigners. Mesopotamia developed such crafts as textiles, pottery and stone carving, smelting of copper and alloy of bronze. They also invented the wheel solid and spoked (The human venture vdl) P. 37) To go along with the wheel, the Sumerians invented the carts and wagons. It is assumed that they were the first to invent writing. However, their most important invention was city itself. The city became the centre of civilization.In Mes opotamia, cities had high and thick walls with special gateways. Inside the walls, the town was divided into four quarters by main streets that entered the city through four main gates. Dominant features in the city-state were king’s palace, the temple of gods, and large houses of leading citizens. Temples or Zigguarats were pyramidal, terraced towers visible from far beyond the city walls. Streets were mostly narrow and winding, crowded with shopkeepers, artisans, slaves, citizens and even priests. The city had the aristocrats who included royal officials, members of the royal family and the chief priest of the major temples.The middle class included textile manufacturers, metal work manufacturers in copper and bronze, and merchants. In the fields outside the walls were peasant, serfs and slaves. Among this lower cadre of society, very few peasants were free citizens. Most were tenant farmers holding their land in return for payment in kind to absentee landlords, serfs and s laves worked on land owned by the royal family and the chief gods of the city state. These cadres of lower members in society were subjected to strict rules enforced by supervisor who made sure that the workers irrigated farms to sustain city –life.The shadoof method was widely employed in irrigation. A shadoof was a long pivoted pole with a weight at one end and a bucket at the other. The tool was used to lift water from larger channels into the furrows where the seeds were planted. Other methods of irrigation included levees which were constantly strengthened, canals and ditches as irrigation methods were redredged to prevent silting up. Hence a good deal of cooperation was necessary for the success of the said group work. Mesopotamia women worked as weavers, pottery makers, farm workers and manual workers.In summer and Babylon, women could own property, sign legal contracts and engage in business themselves. Monarchies and cults of gods were central institutions in Sumeria n society. Temples came first. The pyramidal Ziggurats and broad temple complexes of gods and goddesses – Anu, Enhil, Enlil, Ninhursag and Imana (the last was also known as Ishtar) dominated the skyline of the Sumerian city. Each city had its own patron among the heavenly assembly, who was believed to bring rising rivers and rich harvests to keep misfortunes at bay and to maintain law and order.MESOPOTAMIAN EMPIRE An empire was the most common larger form of political organization beyond the city states. Several efforts were made at this empire building by such rulers as Sargon of Akkad, Hammurabi of Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar in the New Babylonian empire. However Persians reduced these efforts by making Mesopotamia as a Persian satrapy or province. Several factors frustrated the Mesopotamia efforts at uniting. They included i. Attacks from the outsiders who included Akkadians Gadians, Kassites and Persians. ii. The existence of fragmented feudal order in Mesopotamia.This led to division of power among land owning aristocracy. iii. The tendency of a number of regions to break up into middle sized states which enjoyed their own hegemonies and resisted efforts from outside that aimed at imposing larger order on the entire Mesopotamia. iv. Polarization among rival Mesopotamian city –states frustrated efforts by any that aimed at uniting Mesopotamia. v. The unity which occurred temporarily was due to successful confrontations accompanied by losses in human lives and destruction of property. The following are some of the successful attempts.Sargon of Akkad king of Sumerian founded a dynasty around 2300 BC His dynasty governed most of Mesopotamia for about a century. From a lesser Sumerian city – state, Sargon replaced his royal master on the throne, overthrew the dynasty of Uruk and conquered most of the Tigris and Euphrates valley. He garrisoned his conquests with Akkadian troops and built himself a new capital at Agade. Sargon’s son an d grandson ruled after him. However, a volcanic eruption may have brought drought to the region. The violent Gatians swept down from neighbouring hills destroyed Agade and its imperial Mesopotamian domain.Sargon is thus remembered as the world’s first empire builder. Hammurabi, also known as the lawgiver of Babylon (1792 -1750 BC) was born king of Babylon. The sixth in the line of Amorite rulers, Hammurabi governed Babylon for about thirty years before embarking on his expansionist venture into the rest of Mesopotamia. Employing shrewd statecraft, good timing and military force, Hammurabi expanded his empire far beyond the confines of his predecessors. For a brief [period, he and his successors had authority over all the people of Mesopotamia (Human Venture, 42)Hammurabi the law-giver introduced a code of laws covering a range of civil and criminal matters. They tackled family relations, land laws, business laws, personal injury, military service, matters touching on witchcra ft and taxes. Some of his laws are harsh seen from the present times. For instance, a principle of ‘an eye for an eye’ ‘a life for a life’ is cited for being extreme. But looked at with knowledge about our present judicial system, would you consider them strange? Hammurabi’s code observed some social hierarchy. There were laws for slaves and laws for their masters.For example, a noble was punished more harshly for the same offence than his social inferiors. Here one gets the impression that ‘might is not always right’ Does it operate in our society? At his death, Hammurabi had built so expensive an empire that his successors were unable to hold together. Attacks from enemies like Kassites, from the east weakened the empire. Within a century and a half, the empire had crumbled away. It took some time before other unifiers, this time from Assyria emerged. As the Babylonian empire declined, the Assyrians emerged as a military power right fr om the fourteenth century BC.By the later part of the eighth century BC, they were incorporating their victims into a large and growing empire. In the seventh century BC under Sennacherib and Assurbanipal, Assyrians conquered Egypt and most of Mesopotamia. Thus under Assurbanipal Assyrian empire briefly ran from the Nile valley to the Persian Gulf. However, in the last part of the seventh century BC, chaos bedeviled the Assyrian empire. In 612 BC, an allied force of Chaldeans from Babylon and Medes from the eastern mountains attacked Assyria, defeated it and destroyed its city Nineveh.One lasting legacy the Assyrians were known for was savage brutality. The Assyrian decline prepared room for the rise of New Babylonian Empire. During the New Babylonian empire, Nebuchadnezzar II (605 -562) was a dominant figure. Soon after the fall of Nineveh, while still prince of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar commanded the Babylonian army which had defeated the Egyptian forces at (carchemish in 605 BC. As king, he repeatedly attacked Palestine, destroyed Jerusalem and forced Judeans into exile At its peak, the new Babylonian empire compared in size with the Assyrian empire at its climax.It thus stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea during the sixth century BC. Nebuchadnezzar II was a great builder of canals and caravan roads as well as temples and palaces. He raised huge new walls around his capital, eleven miles long and very wide. He opened the broad processional way through the heart of the city to the Ishtar gate. He built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, towering Ziggurat featuring terraces planted with trees and exotic plants. It is said he did this to please his Median wife who missed the hills of her mountains home.Nebuchadnezzar’s successors were not able to keep the huge empire safe from external attacks. Hence in 539 BC, the Persian conqueror, also known as ‘Cyrus the Great defeated the rulers of the New Babylon Empire and ushered in a new e ra. THE HEBREW CIVILISATION Introduction In this section, we look at the Hebrew (or Jews) as a people, their efforts at establishing their Jewish Kingdom and the lasting legacy to posterity. It is at their legacy that the aspect of monotheism is critically discussed. It is also worthy noting that Hebrew history is intertwined with the Old Testament story.. The Hebrew peopleAt the beginning of the second millennium BC the Hebrews were part of the nomadic population of Semitic speakers who wandered and settled along the shores of the Arabian Desert between Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. Abraham, the founder or patriarch of the Hebrew community moved from Ur with his wives and children, servants, shepherds and flocks around him and settled for a time in Palestine (Canaan) situated around Jordan River. A section of the community moved into Egypt where tradition states they were oppressed in the New Kingdom of Egypt. Hence in the thirteenth century BC, these Hebrews resumed the ir wanderings.Their liberator, Moses held them together for forty years in the wilderness of Sinai. Moses rallied them behind a single God, Yaweh. Hence by the 1200’s BC, the Hebrews had become monotheists (The Human Venture, Vol. 1, p. 67) and promised to obey his commandments. It is believed, God’s messenger to the Hebrews, Moses wrote the Torah, also known as Pentateuch. These were the first five books of the Bible. Thus, through these books, Moses the liberator and law giver became a world historical figure. The Hebrews had some of their sections also known as Yehudim which when translated into English became Jews.Hence the genesis of the name that mostly refers to the present descendants of the Hebrews. The Hebrew Kingdom When the Hebrews ultimately settled at Palestine, all the twelve ethnic groups evolved into a kingdom. Earlier, before making this decision, the Hebrew communities were divided and disunited along clan and ethnic lines. Their leaders were called judges. At times they were also guided by charismatic prophets. Shortly before 1000 BC, however, all the twelve ethnic groups resolved to follow a single king who was to be also a war leader capable of winning wars against their enemies.Saul, David and Solomon were some of the first kings of the Hebrews. David (1010-960 BC) a gifted military leader defeated the Philistines and completed the conquest of Canaan. He cemented the political unity of the twelve ethnic groups, established a Hebrew state and began to build a Hebrew capital at Jerusalem. Generally regarded as the strongest of Hebrew rulers, David is reputed for founding a centralised kingdom of Israel in the tenth century BC. Indeed Soul, the first ruler made effort but could not score definitive victory against enemies of the Hebrews. Hence when he fell in battle, he was replaced by David.David was later succeeded by Solomon (960-920 BC), his son, reputed for his wisdom. Solomon was a shrewd diplomat and a great builder. He married many wives and kept many concubines, he built a magnificent palace for himself and a great temple for Yaweh. Solomon further strengthened and equipped his army with chariots and new iron-age weapons. Furthermore, he built, rebuilt and fortified a number of cities. Solomon also constructed ships and traded with the Phoenicians and even down the Red Sea. Hence, Solomon in a way symbolized the governmental ideals of wisdom and power in the service of the people.In his effort to ensure that the Hebrew Kingdom remained powerful in the region, Solomon employed huge amounts of labour and money. He used oppressive taxation, forced labour and other harsh measures that made him unpopular among his people. Differences among the urban and commercial northerners and the pastoral, agricultural and more religious southerners of his kingdom weakened the monarchy. The emerging rebellion split the kingdom after Solomon’s death. The Fall of the Hebrew Kingdom The split of the Hebrew Ki ngdom into Judah in the South and ruled from Jerusalem and Israel in the North marked the fall of the kingdom.The nation of Judah was made up of two of the Hebrew communities while Israel had ten of the original twelve ethnic groups. Neither of the two could withstand attacks from more powerful enemies who included the Assyrians and Babylonians. Hence in the eighth century BC, Israel was conquered by the Assyrians while Nebuchadnezzar II of New Babylonian empire defeated Judah in the sixth century (586) BC. Jerusalem and Solomon’s great temple were destroyed. Many Hebrews were held captive in Babylon. Others fled to Egypt and beyond, beginning the diaspora or dispersal of the Jewish people.Some captives escaped and returned to rebuild the temple of their Lord, Yaweh, before the end of the sixth century BC. But such short-lived Jewish states as what emerged in later periods could not withstand attacks from Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Arabs and Turks. It was not until 1948 t hat a new nation of Israel, approximating the size of the one ruled over by David, was declared. That nation of Israel is still busy fending off attacks from Arabs. The Birth of Monotheism The earliest Hebrews were organised along family, clan and ethnic lines.As earlier argued, the twelve ethnic groups were believed to have descended from the twelve sons of Abraham. Within the family, patriarchy prevailed. Male heads of families had power over wives and children. Polygamy was allowed for men wealthy enough to support several wives. Only sons could inherit property because daughters could marry away from the families. A wife retained control of the dowry she brought with her to her marriage. But she had few other property rights. Divorce was easy for men but difficult for women to secure. How does this compare with our present circumstances?There were exceptions though. Some women stepped outside the family centred system entirely. Some exercised political power – as judges, or religious authority as prophetesses e. g. Deborah. Some like Judith who slew the commander of an invading host (The Human venture, Vol. 1, p. 71) were hailed as national heroes for their deeds. Religion played a central role in Hebrew life. In fact, the many ancient Hebrew laws recorded in the Old Testament had a deep religious touch much as they also reflected the traditional Hebrew values. One such law was the principle of ‘an eye for an eye’.Other Hebrew laws also prescribed kinds of foods to be eaten, persons and communities from which to marry or be married among, or what punishments to be given out against violations of these taboos. Hebrew prophets carried the words of their god, Yaweh, carved on two stone tablets in a chest as they preached to their people. They proclaimed their divinely ordained rule in a promised land in Palestine. Over a millennium and half between Abraham and the return to Jerusalem from Babylon, the Hebrews evolved a unique conception of divinity and of humanity’s relationship to it.During Abraham’s time, the Hebrew worshipped their own god without interfering with the other community’s way of worship. But by Moses’ time, Hebrew spiritual leaders began to insist that Yaweh demanded exclusive worship in return for his special patronage. The spiritual leaders further insisted that Yaweh was the only real God in the universe. During the second millennium BC, the Hebrew began believing that Yaweh demanded exclusive devotion from Hebrews. They believed that Yaweh was a jealous god and would tolerate no others. Over the centuries, Hebrews believed that Yaweh could not tolerate any images of himself.He thus remained a purely spiritual presence. He remained an incarnation of such superhuman qualities as all knowledge, absolute power and benevolent caring who had miraculously selected the ancient Hebrews as his chosen people. Yaweh’s prophets of the first millennium BC preached ethical mon otheism, stressing the moral dimension of the worship of one God. In sermons to the Hebrews, preachers like Samuel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah insisted that Yaweh demanded believers to obey the commandments that forbade murder, theft, lying, covetousness and many other sins.The prophets also preached that Yaweh demanded social justice from his people. The rich were not to oppress the poor, nor the mighty oppress the weak. The prophets preached that God had made a Special Covenant with the Hebrews. Whenever they sinned, God punished them severely i. e. by having them enslaved in Egypt or held captives in Babylon. But if they remained loyal to him alone and kept his commandments, they would get a promised land where they would have respect among nations. It is this monotheistic legacy that the Hebrews have bequeathed to posterity.For instance, in the first century AD, Jesus Christ, born and raised in the Jewish community of Northern Palestine, became the founder of the Christian faith, a fa ith that later spread around the world. In the Seventh Century AD, the Prophet Muhammad, an Arabian merchant conversant with both Judaism and Christianity, founded the third major world religion, Islam. Down through the centuries Hebrew leaders like Moses and Solomon would be honoured not only in later Judaism, but also in the Christian Old Testament and the Muslim Quran. ANCIENT PERSIA Ancient Persia is situated in the Middle East.A region known to have given rise to many civilizations including Mesopotamia. During the millennium of the Christian era, the broad diversified Middle Eastern region had intermittent unity under a series of Persian dynasties. Some of the leading Persian unifiers include the Achaenemids (550-331 BC). The Achaenemids are a royal house which was founded by Cyrus the Great. The Persians were Indo-European descendants who had migrated into the Iranian Plateau hundreds of years earlier. In the 6th C BC, Persians were still a war-like semi-pastoral people livin g in the mountains of what is present day Western Iran.There they were within easy reach of the Euphrates and Tigris valley. Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Shepherd was a self made emperor. He was merciful with defeated enemies, tolerant of all religions and very courageous. He was a brave fighter. By the middle of the 6th C, the Medes who had participated in the destruction of the Mesopotamian Empire were weak. This enabled Cyrus, a hereditary chief of the Persian people who were tributary to the Medes to rise. In 550BC, Cyrus invaded and overthrew the last Medean king of the Medes and crowned himself king of the Medes and Persians.For the next twenty years, Cyrus waged many victorious campaigns. Cyrus’ horse soldiers wore leather breeches and heavy felt boots, sat on their rugged mountainous ponies and were armed with compound bows. In his reign and that of his successors, Persia expanded to become the largest empire in the 6th century. About three years after sei zing control of the Median confederacy, Cyrus crossed the Taurus Mountains into present day Turkey and overthrew king Croesus of Lydia. Using the wealth acquired from Croesus, Cyrus marched eastwards subduing residents of present day Iran and Afghanistan.In the process of expanding Persian Empire, Cyrus also expanded his troops so that by the time he invaded the New Babylonian Empire, the weaker and disunited Babylonian leaders were no match for him. About 539 BC Cyrus easily occupied Babylon, bringing to an end the Mesopotamian independence. Persia became the greatest power in the Middle East. About nine years later, Cyrus was killed in war in eastern part of today’s Iran. Cambyses, his son succeeded him and conquered Egypt. Cambyses’ successor, Darius 1(522-486) further extended Persian Empire into northern India and Macedonia, on the northern frontier of Greece.Darius 1 also known as Darius the Great thus governed over a huge empire, from the Egyptians, Babylonians, Lydians, Greeks, Persians and Medes among others. To administer the expansive empire effectively, it was divided in provinces (satrapies). Each satrapy was under a Satrap (governor) who was often a member of the imperial family or a leading local nobleman. The satraps were granted political, military and financial autonomy on a large scale. As long as a satrapy paid its tribute on time and provided its share of recruits for the army, the province could be left on its own in local matters.But to avert any rebellious satrapies, garrisons of royal troops were strategically situated across the huge empire. In addition, there were also royal agents (the king’s eyes and ears) who monitored on the satraps and regularly briefed the rulers of the empire. Darius formulated a single imperial code of laws based on the Mesopotamian model. He also borrowed the idea of minted coinage from the Lydians and began minting gold and silver coins. Besides he established a common set of weights an d measures, a system of royal couriers and mail, a common calendar borrowed from Egypt and Aramaic, as a lingua franca.Aramaic was already widely used by business people in the general area. Darius was also a builder. He set up a network of hundred of miles of roads linking the far removed places of Persian Empire. Some ran from the capital at Susa to the Western City of Sardises Darius and his successors loved relaxing in gardens which they called ‘Paradises’ and in great palaces at Susa, Bablylon and Persepolis. From the fifth century B. C. some Satrops began revolting against the Persian rule. For instance, the Ionian Greek City-states revolted and were supported by Athens. Gradually palace intrigues undermined the power of the empire.Even women were ruthlessly conspiratorial and by the fourth century B. C. Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia attacked and destroyed Achaemenid Empire. Attempts to revive the empire by such groups as the Seleucids (323-250 B. C. ) an d the Parrthians (250 B. C. -224A. D. ) could not succeed. The two were not Persians and from 224 A. D. , the Sassanids, an Iranian group took over and ruled Persia until 641A. D. The four hundred year reign of the Sassanids is thus viewed as a restoration of the Achaemenid rule (Esler, A. , The Human Venture Vol. 1 p. 153). The Sassanids constructed an elaborate system of power.The bureaucracy, the Iranian barons and the Magi (Priests of Zoroaster) were most influential. The Grand Visier, was the King’s right hand man and operational head of the state. Other powerful officials included the chief priest, head scribe, and general of the armies. Iranian barons granted estates along the frontiers of the empire and provided a flexible border defense. While defending their own lands, the barons by the same means also protected the Sassanid Empire. The Magi collected the peasant land tax on which the government depended and also provided religious sanction for Sassanid imperial pow er.Indeed under the Sassanids, Persian Empire emerged to the expansiveness of the earlier Achaemenid Empire under Darius and Xerxes. During its greatest the empire reached today’s Pakistan in the east and Egypt in the west. In the north the empire reached Central Asia upto the suburbs of Constantinople. The expansion of the empire made it fall into conflict with such western powers as Ancient Rome and Medieval Byzantine Empire. At one time the struggle took on a religious overtone between Zoroastrianism (Persia) and Christianity (Rome and Byzantium).Finally the Sassanid Empire was overwhelmed by the Muslim conquerors. The Persian Society and Culture Ancient Persian Empire was a class based society. The classes included the aristocrats, officials, priests, merchants, artisans, peasants, workers and slaves. In terms of gender relations, it depended on regions. In Mesopotamia women worked in handicraft industries while in Egypt women enjoyed legal rights. For example, a marriage contract guaranteed the bride to return her dowry in the event of the marriages dissolution and also receive a third of the husband’s earnings. The Faith of ZoroasterInitially, Persians were polytheists. They worshipped Anahita, goddess of the life-giving waters and Mithra, god of the Sun. Sacrificial fire played a central part in the religion of the early Persians. But from the sixth century, Prophet Zoroaster founded a new religion, Zoroastrianism. Six hundred years before Christi, Zoroaster preached a faith that resembled present day Christianity. He preached belief in one god, Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, god of light, goodness and truth. Ahura Mazda was the creator of all things, the judge of all people, and the rewarder of virtue with spiritual blessings.Zoroastrianism proclaimed Liar as the prince of darkness. Liar was also known as Abriman. He preached that the universe was the battle ground between Ahura Mazda and his agent Mithra on the one hand against Abriman on t he other. Zoroaster urged all human beings to take a stand in the struggle between the two forces. He predicted victory for Ahura Mazda and his followers would enter paradise while those who served Liar (Abriman) will be cast into the bridge of judgment into a pit of darkness and torment. The faith became a faith of the royal family and nobility in Persia.Ahura Mazda was symbolized in a small human figure at persepolis. Zoroastrianism was largely a religion, therefore of the aristocrats given that Persians seldom sought converts to it. Nonetheless Zoroastrianism spread eastwards to India where the Parsi sect comprises the largest body of Zoroastrians in the world today (Elser, The Human Venture, p. 156). The cult of Mithra the sun god, champion of light against darkness spread westwards into Rome. Even Liar found a place in foreign pantheons such as Satan of the Christians. The Indian Civilization IntroductionIn this sub-topic we look at the general overview of the Indian subcontine nt, its earliest organization, and invasion from outside before eventually discussing the evolution of the empire. There after we will examine the major philosophical and religious contribution of India to the rest of humankind. The Indian Subcontinent Indian subcontinent is made up of raised areas such as the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas as well as the river valleys and coastal plains. It is in these valleys that the Indian civilization was born and later expanded to cover the entire sub continent.It is argued that the subcontinent is about two thousan