Power Distance in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power Distance in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Your residents have no strong political tone of voice, as well as the guidelines of the territory tends to be chose with the king and no one from the common people can interfere in the decision making or choosing the leader.. From the family members, the particular folks tend to be near the top of the particular picking order, while the youngsters as well as youth tend to be in the bottom. This is the system of Saudi Arabia where power is strictly with the king and family and is passed on to the children. There are different aspects of this power distance and very important one which is prominent in Saudi Arabia is gender difference. Being conservative country females are not given any major rights and power is restricted to men. Saudi Arabia is a very modern country if we talk about technology and resources but it scores really low when it comes to equality and power distribution so on the basis of social equality and justice Saudi Arabia is far

Marketing Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Plan - Coursework Example The country is however besieged by rising unemployment. UK witnessed five days of social unrest and riots in August of 2011which resulted in loss of reputation and goodwill for the country (Internet Business News 2011). The rate of change of technology impacts the UK automobile sector considerably. All players in the industry have to keep abreast of the latest technologies and incorporate them in the subsequent models of automobiles. The growth of internet has provided the automobile industry a new sales and communication channel. At the same time, it has provided the consumer an extremely powerful tool to compare and contrast not only the prices of automobiles, but also their specifications and features. The UK government initiated a ‘scrappage incentive scheme’, wherein a car buyer was given  £1,000 trade-in incentive for replacing a 10 year old vehicle with a new, more efficient car. This scheme helped boost sales, but of smaller vehicles and not the likes of BMW (Reed 2009). The government is also giving incentives to buyers to opt for alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs). Under enormous pressure to go ‘green’, the automobile manufacturers have not only rolled out AFVs but have also invested heavily in enhancing productivity through modular design, flexible manufacturing technology and highly skilled shop floor workforces. The UK automobile industry is extremely competitive with automobile manufacturers from Europe, Japan, China, India and the United States operating in the country. Being a mature market, the rate of growth of UK automobile sector is very low. All major automobile brands are available in the UK market. The car industry thrives on brand loyalty which is to the advantage of existing players. Other potential entry barriers include high investments and long gestation period. The automobile industry requires raw materials and parts of varied kinds. Over the last few years, the

Difficulties Of Rene Descartes Cogito

Difficulties Of Rene Descartes Cogito The most important contribution of Renà © Descartes in the history of Philosophy is his cogito. In the same way, however, the cogito has also been the most critical problem of his philosophy. This essay will focus more on the difficulties of the cogito. But first, on the side of the cogito: one importance of the cogito is that it is the byproduct of the Method, which is another contribution of Descartes not only in modern philosophy, but also in the field of science. The origination of the cogito from the Methodic Doubt is quite anticipated: all prior knowledge and truths must be erased, unless they are indubitable. In other words, all knowledge and opinions are subjected to examination, whether they can survive the test of doubt. Descartes, having found the fact (or act) of his doubting indubitable, hence maintains the fact that his existence enables his doubting (or thinking) as a clear and distinct idea, and thus the conclusion: Cogito, ergo sum: I think, therefore I am. We understand therefore that the cogito is a product of deduction or inference. However, as I have said, the cogito is quite anticipated. This is because the rules of his Method lay down an algorithm that has a quite predictable result, as if laying down a theore tical step-by-step means to prove something that is already true. The cogito is also considered a product of intuition and not of deduction. However, as far as methods of analysis are concerned, Descartess Method and cogito are valid. Moreover, insofar as the solipsistic argument, the cogito is a rather fair argument. By this, I mean that the cogito is a solipsistic truth, or a belief in the self as only reality or basis of reality. When Descartes has proposed that all knowledge and opinions must be cleared off the mind (or must be brought into doubt), there is still in Descartes the belief that the only thing he can be sure of is that he exists. He cannot deny the fact that he exists, even if the very idea of his being is most accessible via experience (hence, this he must doubt also). Thus if Descartes denies his being in the first place, his cogito will never materialize as a basis for truth. But since Descartes adopts a solipsistic view, he is safe from committing contradiction. To put simply: insofar as the I is concerned (the I, which thinks and doubts), the I exists. Nevertheless, Descartes paradox, which is the cogito itself, is not an absolute oxymoron. By the cogito being a paradox, I mean the self-contradictory problem of the cogito; that is, the problem of which came first: the cogito or the sum. Using the Method of Doubt, the cogito seems to go before the sum, since it is the act of doubting/thinking that came before the conclusion for the act of existence. But in the context of Descartes, it is implied that thinking is actually in the context of being. Now the strength of the cogito argument is that it is a closed argument, relying only on the idea that existence constitutes thinking and thinking reflects existence. It is in these strengths of the cogito, however, that it is also problematic. First is on the solipsistic view. The very problem of the cogito here is the question of reality outside the I. Since Descartes uses himself and only himself in his basis for truth, anything outside himself can be doubtful or false, and thus cannot be a basis for truth. Only the thinking I, thus the human person, can prove and claim ones existence. Thus, the other for the thinking I is doubtful, insofar as the I is concerned. The problem is that Descartes is as if denying the existence of animals, plants and other things, since these things do not and cannot think. Moreover, after proving that he is a thinking thing, the next question that arises is: now how do we establish an edifice of knowledge? Descartes takes emphasis on putting a foundation for knowledge by first using the Method, but forgets how to formulate the next set of algorithm once the Method has been applied. The problem of the solipsistic ar gument of the cogito is that nothing more exists outside the selfs being a thinking thing. It only proves the existence of oneself insofar as the thinking I is concerned, and does not prove the idea and the existence of other things other than the self. Besides, other Is can think of me a mere fiction. In the problem of the solipsistic argument of the cogito, however, the idea of a Perfect Being other than the thinking self exists. Descartes said that since he is cogito (thinking/doubting thing), he is therefore an imperfect being. But since he is imperfect, he has an idea of a perfect thing, which can come only from a Perfect Being, which is God. Nevertheless, nothing more exists outside the thinking self aside from the self itself and God. Now the second weakness of the cogito is in its contradictory problem. Although the cogito (cogito-sum relationship) is a closed argument (like Spinozas freedom-necessity concept); one cannot ignore to question the validity of its argument. In this argument, whether the cogito conditions the sum or the sum conditions the cogito, the idea of existence is still in danger, because it is subject to doubt. The sum (I am) only works for the thinking I, but existence alone cannot prove thinking. Thus what seemed to be a safe closed argument is not free of loopholes at all, because existence in general is not enough to prove thought. Nevertheless, the cogito is concerned for the existence of ones being a res cogitans or thinking thing only. Moreover, that material objects exist because of God is another argument that branched out from the cogito. After concluding that the Supreme Being cannot deceive, Descartes proceeds to concluding that material objects thus also exist. However, this only results to another circular argument: cogito presupposes God, which tells the res cogitans that its ideas come from external objects; but then it is from these external objects that the cogito must doubt first before it realizes that it is a res cogitans, then assume the existence of a Perfect Being. Generally, we find Descartess Method of Doubt and cogito weak. The main premise that we cannot distinguish reality from dream is not even strong enough to be a basis for truth. Although Descartes skepticism is optimistic at finding a certain knowledge that we can know of, still it is rather destructive of the foundation of knowledge that is the objective of his skepticism in the first place. The problem is that Descartes proposes arguments for why everything can be subjected to doubt, such as the dream argument, the deceiving God argument, and the evil demon argument. It is difficult to follow Descartess advice because it is more difficult to prove a negation than proving otherwise (in the case of Descartes proving the negation of knowledge to prove the opposite), since if we convince ourselves with these arguments of Descartes, then we must act and think as if we are experiencing illusions and hallucinations all the time. This is of course difficult for us. In fact one example where we can prove Descartes could probably be right all along that an evil demon is deceiving us (e.g., dwhen something defies the laws of physics) is when we experience a Criss Angel trick. Perhaps we can say that the main problem of Descartess philosophy is both its extreme rationalist and non-rationalist approach. Descratess philosophy is rationalist because it proclaims reason as the only valid criterion for certain knowledge and thus truth. It is non-rationalist, however, in the sense that it somehow forgets other valid functions of the human mind or reason: that is reason as the faculty of mans sentient soul, can, aside from thinking and doubting, imagine, sense and feel.

Essay --

South Africa, a beautiful country located at the southern tip of the African continent with about 3000 kilometers of coastline, is the largest and most developed country in Africa. With eleven official languages and people from various ethnic backgrounds, South Africa is home to distinct cultures that coexist. Despite this diversity, South Africans faced one of the harshest racism in the world. The Dutch first settled in South Africa in 1652 as a stopping point for ships on their way to the East Indies. However, it became a British colony in 1815 after the Napoleonic wars. The Dutch moved inland to escape the British but broke out into war against the Shaka tribe in the northern part of South Africa. The Dutch Boers won, and so they established an Afrikaner state in the north. In 1899, the British tried to annex this Afrikaner state resulting in the Boer Wars. Finally in 1910, the war ended in a coalition between the Afrikaner States and the British. During this period (1910-1948), the Union government enforced several laws that restricted the rights of the black people. They were denied job reservations, the right to form unions and equal citizenship. One Such law was the Pass Law, which required blacks to carry identification pass books with them at all times. In 1948, South Africa gained its independence from British rule, but this did not mean freedom in any shape or f orm for the indigenous South Africans. What this meant was that the Dutch settlers, the â€Å"Boers† now had full right to treat the blacks as they wished and they certainly did. Between 1948 and 1999, a harsh system of racial segregation called apartheid, or â€Å"apartness† in Afrikaans was practiced in the Republic of South Africa. Under this regime, the white minori... ...ter testament to the basic dignity of ordinary people everywhere than the divestment movement of the 1980s.† (tutu, p.1). Today, South Africa is a free nation and it enjoys democratic rights. However, life is still not good. â€Å" It has changed for some people, not for others. Some people still have no jobs. People are hungry.† (Mpumalanga) Nonetheless, numerous NGOs and countries around the world are working towards providing a better life to Africans. Different organizations raise money to help African children receive better education and food. One example of such an organization is â€Å"World Vision Africa† that allows you to sponsor a child in Africa and also visit him/her. With organizations such as these, South Africa will hopefully emerge out of its apartheid shell. With more time, energy and love, we can live as a part of the world and not as a part of a race.

Aldous Huxley

The author Aloud Huxley Illustrates how the use of Lies has the ability to make a society appear as though it Is actually perfect. In the novel Brave New World Sir Thomas Moore states the root of what is thought to be a perfect society but clarifies the one misconception, its existence. â€Å"Utopia is sometimes said to mean ‘no place' from the Greek ‘O Topic' but others derive it from ‘e' as in ‘eugenics', in which case it would mean ‘healthy place' or ‘good place'. Utopia, may have been punning: utopia is the good place that doesn't exist. Sir Thomas Moore (Brave New World. 2007) Philosopher, Sir Thomas Moore states that Utopia, which Is the ultimate place of happiness, doesn't exist; this may foreshadow that the entire premise of the body is a lie. The idea of happiness and perfection is a positive outlook, it allows for unity and stability within a society, which would be ideal. In reality, perfection is unattainable and genuine happiness may not always be a possibility for some yet the government continues to convince civilization that everything Is okay and nothing Is ever wrong.Exposure of weakness, flaws and Impurities allow other to take advantage and story the success and stability created solely on happiness. The thorough use of the great words of a philosopher, the author demonstrates how happiness cannot coexist with truth; happiness exists truth exists but never in the same instance as it is impossible to live perfectly, life is unpredictable, and uncontrollable.Mustache Mood proves that there was one a world where the honest truth and natural beauty were the mall objectives of the government In this society yet the need for control, stability, greed and power eliminated the Individuality It had once acquired. Truth ND beauty are Indeed desirable qualities, faulty but aesthetically appealing and therefore Mustache Mood would argue that it is simply unpractical. Whereas comfort and happiness are not always desir able, requiring sacrifices for the greater good, artificially made it is less faulty and provides long-term success.The future is guaranteed with a man-made society, claimed Mustache, with God and religions tomorrow Is never guaranteed, hence â€Å"Our Ford† as opposed to ‘Our Lord†. â€Å"Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. Universal happiness keeps the wheel steadily turning; truth and beauty can't. And, of course, whenever the masses seized political power, then it was happiness rather than truth and beauty that mattered. † (Brave New World. 007) Mustache illustrated that happiness cannot be left up to chance believing in a higher power that one cannot see with the natural eye is allowing too much freedom and creatively the beauty of God would ultimately upset the perfectly ordered society. The possess. Thus, â€Å"Our Ford† has eliminated the aspect of truth by be ridding the bea uty for comfort and happiness, and the cost of individuality creating one mass of a unman society without a single independent thought of their own. In this sense the government had created a false sense of happiness within the society.Happiness is viewed differently by all, many have different ways to go about attaining and maintaining it but regardless of how one may define it, it has the same effect on everyone by providing inner peace and comfort though when it is found in all honesty it is most enjoyable. Freedom and isolation have the ability to create happiness yet the use of isolation creates a world in which false happiness is acquired. To be a unique individual is freedom, freedom of scrutiny, to be different ND separated is ignorance.In the novel Island by Aloud Huxley the author uses a person of authority to convince his society that there is only one happiness and individuality does not play a role in this one happiness. â€Å"But still, high or low, true or false, hap piness is happiness and freedom is most enjoyable. ‘First because it simply isn't possible for Pal to go on being different from the rest of the world. And second, because it isn't right that it should be different' ‘Not right for people to be free and happy? Once again the Rain said something inspirational about false happiness and he wrong kind of freedom. (Island 2009) The island of Pal is an ideal society, stable in its government with the Rain as their person of authority. While the Rain believes in truth and happiness, whereas others believe that in order to find happiness in life sacrifices must be made and that happiness cannot coexist with truth. The truth is that there is a world and an alternate society besides the one on Pal although these civilians live in the belief that their island is different and inferior to others as a result of this, false happiness and stability that has been created on this island.To create and stabilize a society requires levels of authority and power in order to produce the results a perfect society should desire. The adaptation of an alternate ego to produce well with the use of evil is proof that although one may have the ability to experience happiness it is only apparent in the absence of truth. â€Å"The Yogi and the Stoic -two righteous egos who achieve their very considerable results by pretending systematically to be somebody else, even someone supremely good and wise, that we can pass from insulated Manicure-hood to Good being. â€Å"(lagans 2009)Figuratively, these egos act as opposing forces for good and evil the false and genuine aspect of happiness. Truthfully one may desire to acquire a positive product yet deceit result in a false sense of happiness. Happiness creates stability within a society, truth provides uncertainty within a society. The use of lies creates the perfect balance of good and evil creating â€Å"utopia† and demonstrating that happiness cannot exist with truth as a m ain faction. Sacrifice, the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.The ultimate sacrifice in the in the new world of England is the sacrifice of self and personal preferences in order to tend to the greater being, civilization. In Brave New World the author demonstrates his use of inhuman sacrifices in order to provide the stability of life the world controllers had desired for them and eternal happiness. ‘And that', that is the secret of happiness and virtue -liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people everything is man-made, from their human embryo itself, to the way of living to the feelings and emotions that one has towards life and its purpose for them.Everyone lives under a specific â€Å"Caste† which determines their career and social popularity for the rest of their lives and which forces them to make sacrifices that they claim to enjo y because â€Å"everyone needs everyone†. At a point these sacrifices become irrational and inhumane although the actual living civilians are essentially brainwashed to prevent them from opposing. The general society is happy, but their minds are not aware of the inhumanity the government forces them to act on. It is an act of power abuse if the deceit in the happiness which is falsely acquired.Science is he art in which the power and the high level of superiority of the new society is developed on, it created it removed religion claiming it as the truth and the force of corruption. Happiness came at all costs in which science was the cost and ultimately might be the cause of the ruin of their newly found happiness. â€Å"l rather regret the science. Happiness is a hard master-particularly other people's happiness. A much harder master, if one isn't conditioned to accept it unquestioningly, than truth. † One can't consult one's own preference.I'm interested in truth, I like science. But truth's a menace, science is a public danger. As dangerous as it's been beneficent. † (Brave New World. 2007) The advancement of science had been so great in society that it allowed them to make a breakthrough creating the alternate universe in which only happiness existed. The sacrifice of the â€Å"mother art† was made due to the fact that if and being had the mental capacity to become more knowledgeable about this utopia than the creators themselves it could cause an uprising in the world.Those wanting to be happy experienced happiness and other yearning for the knowledge and power of art were removed from the society in order to only portray the good and not the vile. The truth of the society was never fully displayed thus happiness was only gained in the lies that the government displayed. Pleading insanity is a sacrifice, it is a sacrifice of one's former being and sanity, and a commitment from then on in life. While everyone is born with it, it may not always be necessary that one would actually have to accept it and claim to live with it.In the novel Island a certain influential character states that everyone is insane in the eyes of God and in order for the masses to remain happy they would need to except their insanity and live with it. Everyone should stick to the insanity that God has seen fit to curse him with. Peace Fortier -that was Lather's advice. But make a point of sinning your own sins, not someone else's. And above all don't do what the people of this island do. Don't try to behave as though you were essentially sane and naturally good. We're all demented sinners in the same cosmic boat -and the boat is sinking. (Island 2009) In the world every individual aspires to reach perfection or at least some level of it, yet in this novel every person is categorized and placed at a level while one can be put in the sights level one may not attempt to surpass it this is deemed an act of defiance. It is inhumane sacrif ice to repress the individuality and knowledge only few are born with. Other may be happy, but the belief that everyone is the same and everyone needs everyone is false, it is not an agreed statement it is a trained. Possession and power are a privilege in the mind of those who attain it, it is granted to them from a higher source.Society is a pyramid, in the way that everyone belongs to everyone and strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours. † (Island 2009) A god is a power above that one may seek for guidance, go to for Judgment, or simply inner peace. It has become a sacrifice to be associated with powers this is, inhumanely in the sense that one must devote their entire being simply to receive peace and happiness. The truth is that these homemade gods serve to have no more power than we who have created them yet in false belief and hope that one created we trust that this is a fact.Happiness is the only certain truth, the necessity of human possession sacrifices is however not true. The mind is a delicate yet powerful muscle attaining information, attaining information for years on end, developing and creating facts and assumptions, this in which many see the opportunity to take advantage of. Brain washing and feeding the brain incorrect or factual information, teaching them ways of practice that may not be 100% legitimate but beneficial for those teaching it. â€Å"We condition the masses to hate the country,† concluded the Director. â€Å"But simultaneously we condition them to love all country sports.At the same time, we see to it that all country sports shall entail the use of elaborate apparatus. So that they consume manufactured articles as well as transport. Hence those electric shocks. † (Brave New World. 2007) â€Å"Conditioning† is one of the key terms the world controllers use as a code term for brainwash. It is a method in which the mind is conditioned to learn and develop certain beliefs based on the caste th ey are set in. It is a corruption of the government and the great power in which they do have over the population mass in order to create the happiness they wish for.The happiness is gained through the use of conditioning the civilians, although as they are unaware they are essentially being brain washed it isn't truthful in any sense. Having the freedom to be as one may please is happiness, it is truth; whereas constantly being controlled is not. The perfect society is demanding and controlling, it is necessary in order to be stable and sustainable. The corruption lies in the transfer of power where the authority expands from stability to simply mind-controlling. â€Å"But how useful! I see you don't like our Bazookas Groups; but, I assure you, they're the foundation on which everything else is built.They're the gyroscope that stabilizes the rocket plane of state on its unswerving course. † The deep voice thrillingly vibrated; he gesticulating hand implied all space and the onrush of the irresistible machine. Mustache Mood's oratory was almost up to synthetic standards. † (Brave New World. 2007) The Bazookas Group is a method that the ruler Mustache used to create the balance and the stability within the society, however it is the extent in which he used it to and the brainwashing he used to maintain the utopia he had achieved with such great pride.He had created happiness, yet falsely acquired, it was as though the people of England were a simulation with no real personalities to points of conflict, and there was no reason for their society to no be happy. He had corrupted it until the point that their society of individuals were living but they had had no real life of their own. The world itself, apart from society has basic needs, needs that sustain it and allow it to be prosperous over years to come. A world without its basic needs is incomplete if it never had them, or corrupt if they were taken away.In the novel Island the author happiness. â€Å"Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence – those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. If war, waste, and moneylenders were abolished, you'd collapse. And while you people are over consuming the rest of the world sinks ore and more deeply into chronic disaster. † (Island 2009) While the society may by happiness and in a sense â€Å"flawless†, they obtain countless flaws that are actually masked and hidden in order to maintain the image that Mustache Mood aimed to create.The corruption of basic human need and social habits and occurrences provides happiness for those who wish to live in perfect peace, yet it also provides a hidden lie and proves that truth and happiness may not coexist in this society. The idea that pain and all things negative is an avoidable state is irrational, it is impossible in reality. Yet somehow the attempt to create a society in the absence of that in order to create happiness. In utopia the government is corrup tion enough to believe that if the right alterations are made to the human society that happiness may be achieved.In the novel Island the author demonstrate that if one were to be honest perfection would not exist. â€Å"One third, more or less, of all the sorrow that the person I think I am must endure is unavoidable. It is the sorrow inherent in the human condition, the price we must pay for being sentient and self-conscious organisms, aspirants to liberation, but subject to the laws of nature and under orders o keep on marching, through irreversible time, through a world wholly indifferent to our well-being, toward decrepitude and the certainty of death.The remaining two thirds of all sorrow is homemade and, so far as the universe is concerned, unnecessary. † (Island 2009) Pain is inevitable, happiness is a choice; the corruption of a society simply lies in the act of one figure attempting the alter life and its natural order. While sorrow may be unnecessary it is still a part of life, everything in life whether positive or negative impacts your life in one way or another. The use of irruption, declaring that pain is unnecessary is a false claim, as everything one experiences reflection on their life in a positive way whether it be indirectly or directly.

British Empire and India Essay

India is located in southern Asia. India borders Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Pakistan is on the northwest border. China and Nepal are on the northern border. Bangladesh is on the northeastern border. More than half of India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Climate, Weather, and Seasons India has one of the most diverse climates in the world. It has monsoons, to very hot weather, all the way to the snowy Himalayan Mountains. A monsoon is a wind that changes direction with the change of seasons. Monsoons also bring rain which can cause flooding and other disasters. Monsoons almost only happen in the Indian Ocean. But at the same time, the monsoons are very helpful, because they give the people of India their water to irrigate their crops, growing their crops, and for drinking water for the people of India. India has three main seasons. Their seasons are the rainy season which is from June-October, the Indian Winter which is from November-January, and the Humid Heat from April-May. The monsoons usually come through in April-October. Major Landforms The Himalayan Mountains is a mountain range that goes through India. Himalaya means House of Snow in Sanskrit. They go east to west for 1,500 miles making three mountain ranges between India and Tibet. They are the highest and youngest mountains in the world. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a flat area of land. The Plain is where the Ganges River runs through. It covers 300,000 square miles of northern India. It has some of the most fertile soil in the country of India. The Thar Desert is a sandy region that covers 100,394 square miles of land. It only receives ten inches of rain in one year. Camels are very important in the desert because they need some way of transportation. The Southern Peninsula separates northern India and Southern India. These mountains are about 4000 feet high, not nearly as tall as the Himalaya. The Eastern Ghats, The Western Ghats, and the Vindhya Range form, the Deccan Plateau. There is water everywhere on the Southern Peninsula. It has many rivers. Major Rivers, Lakes, Seas, and Other Bodies of Water One of the most famous rivers in the world is the Ganges River and the Ganges is located in India. The Ganges River is very important in the Hindu Religion, because they are supposed to bathe in the River at least once in their lives. It is located in northern India and goes almost all the way across India. The Bay of Bengal is a bay bordering almost the entire eastern border of India. It also borders Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. It merges with the Padma Delta. Also, many rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. Although, because of the monsoons the northern coast of the bay is losing its people. The Arabian Sea borders India, The Arabian Peninsula, Iran, and Pakistan. The Indus River is the most important river that flows into the Arabian Sea. It is a very large principle in India and Europe’s trading. Significant, Unusual, or Unique Geographic Features of the Country India is a subcontinent of Asia. A subcontinent is a large landmass that is usually attached to a continent. India also has 4,000 miles of pure coastline. The Indian Ocean is what makes up the 4,000 miles. History of India Pre-History One of the first civilizations in India settled around 2,500 B.C. That civilization lived in central and southern India. They were called the Dravidians. The descendants of the Dravidians still live in southern India today. Another early civilization was called the Aryans. They were there from about 1,500-200 B.C. The word Aryans means â€Å"noble ones.† They invaded the Dravidians and made them go farther south. Some of the Dravidians stayed with the Aryans and lived the Aryan lifestyle. In return the Aryans would use some of the Dravidians customs. The Aryans also invented the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world. They also set up the Caste System. They started the Hindu religion and wrote the Vedas, which is the most important book of the Hindu scriptures. Ancient Empires Two hundred years before Alexander the Great invaded a kingdom was forming. They were known as the Maurya’s. The first ruler of this empire was Chandragupta. They ruled for about 140 years. They had a big army, a government, and tax collection. But in 184 B.C. the empire fell apart. In A.D. 319 a king named Chandragupta I founded the Gupta Empire. Chandragupta II was his grandson and during his reign was the peak of their empire. He reigned from 330-375. Chandragupta II also invented the concept of zero and figured out that the world was round. The Gupta Empire ended in 550 because the White Huns conquered them. Invasions and Exploration In 518 B.C. the Persian King Darius conquered both the Indus Valley and West Punjab. In 327 B.C Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated and overthrew Darius III and the defeated king Porus and marched to the Beas River. The Indians were so fierce that Alexander was so weak that him and his troops had to go back home. In 977 bandit raids of Muslims came into India. Then in 1192 the Muslims marched in again and conquered some land. They built there capitol at present day Delhi. When the Muslims were conquering they destroyed many Hindu temples and statues, but when they were settled there were very few problems between the Hindu’s and Muslims. Marco Polo was one of the first Europeans to set foot in India. He became a favorite to Kublai Khan, who sent him on expeditions all around Asia including India. In India Marco Polo was amazed by the wealth of India. He gave Europe their information about India, which only made them want India’s riches. Mughal Empire In 1526 the Mongols invaded northern India and made the Mughal Empire. Their leader was called Babur. The Mughal Empire’s land was northern India, parts of southern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Their capitols were Agra and Delhi. The Mongols did not get rid of the ways of life before them, and for the Hindu’s protection they made them pay taxes. The local government was in charge of the people that lived there. The Mongols were the ones to build the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. Akbar was considered their best ruler, because he combined military ability with religious tolerance and some culture, he had lively discussions with all religions, and he also prevented taxes. Revolts inside and outside of the kingdom weakened the empire and by the 1800’s the empire had fallen. British India East India Trading Company By the early nineteenth century Great Britain controlled almost all of India. The East India Trading Company was the administration of India. The company was ruled by either the government or generals, all whom which Britain had chosen. They actually only controlled half of India. The other half was controlled by an Indian princess whom had pledged loyalty to Great Britain. British Changes in India Great Britain caused many changes for India. They built school, hospitals, paved roads, and they built the railway system in India. They also invented the Indian Civil Service; which was a way for Indians to be employed. But, they also passed the Permanent Settlement Act of 1793, is a law that says if you can not pay your taxes for your land, your land will be taken away. Lord Cornwallis passed a law that prevents Indians from high posts in the government. Also, because of the Industrial Revolution in England, the cloth from England was sent to India so that the expensive cloth in India stopped being purchased and many craftspeople went out of business. In 1857 the Indians rebelled and many people died. In 1858 the uprising was over, the East India Trading Company lost control over India and the British government took control. British Raj After the Sepoy Mutiny the British rule was at its peak. Queen Victoria was named Empress of India in 1877. The British people gloried over their rule of the Indians. At this time the Indians began to want their own country without the British in control. The India National Congress was formed in 1885. At first the Congress was just a little group of people that met and talked about what they would like to do in India, but then it turned into a big group of people which often and openly opposed British rule. In 1906 the Muslims started a group called the All-India Muslim League. This group fought for the rights of Muslims. The British had two strong forces against them at this point. Independence Around 1915 a new leader emerged, his name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was a lawyer from a wealthy Hindu family. In 1915 Gandhi returned from South Africa. He dedicated his life to fighting for India’s independence. Gandhi used a method called Satyagraha, which means nonviolent in Hindi. Instead of physically fighting he would do things like peaceful marches, hunger strikes, and refusing to buy British goods. In 1919 the British army fired on a peaceful protest and killed 400 Indians and injured 1,200 Indians. The massacre turned almost the entire world against British rule. Many leaders such as Gandhi and Nehru were put in prison for their peaceful resistance. In 1935 the British passed the Government of India Act, which said that it was possible that later on they could be self-governed. On August 15, 1947 the Indians celebrated their first independence day. Muslims also wanted their own land away from the Indians, so the British gave them East and West Pakistan. However, the Muslims and Hindu’s broke into riots. Gandhi was very upset about the riots so he went and spoke his peaceful word to different parts of India hoping that the riots would stop. Some Hindu’s thought Gandhi was being too sympathetic to the Muslims and one of those people shot Gandhi on January 30, 1948. Modern India The people had won their independence, but they wanted even more freedom. On January 26, 1950 India became the first republic of the British Commonwealth. Jawaharlal Nehru was already the prime minister of India. He planned to introduce modern methods of technology, hoping that he would raise a standard living for all Indians. Nehru tried to keep India at peace with the world, but they had a few problems with neighboring countries. In 1966 Nehru’s daughter became India’s third prime minister. Her name was Indira Gandhi (she was not related to Mohandas Gandhi.) In 1971 she led the victory over Pakistan. This war granted East Pakistan from West Pakistan. India was now considered the most powerful country in the south. Although, she lost her position as prime minister in 1977 because of the price of goods going up, she came back into power 1980. Then she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, because of the way she treated the Sikhs most holy place. After she was killed her son, Rajiv Gandhi, took her place. He introduced more technology to India, which made them closer to the rest of the world. In 1991 he was assassinated by terrorists at an election rally. India is achieving more than anyone could imagine India could and they are on a good path for the future. Government and Politics Type of Government and Organization India is a democracy country. India has three branches of law, legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Executive Branch consists of president and prime minister. The president is Pratibha Patil and the prime minister is Manmohan Singh. The legislative branch consists of the Council of States or the Rajya Sabha. The Judicial Branch is considered the Supreme Court. Their political parties are the Congress Party and the BJP (Bahujan Samaj Party.) Political Divisions India has twenty-eight states and seven union territories. India also has local village councils. Local Village Councils are groups of people in a village that are part of that council. Population and Demographics India has about 1.2 billion people. India is 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% Mongoloid and other. India is 80.5% Hindu, 13.4% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikh, and 1.8% other. Major Cities and Areas of Population Mumbai (Bombay) is one of India’s major cities with 15 million people. Kolkata (Calcutta) is another major city with 12 million people. Delhi is also a major city with 11.3 million people. Military Forces and Other Foreign Relations India’s military branches are the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force. In India there is a city named Kashmir. Kashmir is mostly in India but partially in Pakistan. Pakistan and India have been fighting over Kashmir for a very long time and they have had wars over it and many people have died. India is also part of the British Commonwealth and does a lot of trading with the British. National Symbols and Anthems India’s National Anthem is the Jana-gana-mana Economy Agriculture 65% of India’s people are farmers. The largest amount of land a farmer gets is 2 acres and many farmers get below 1 acre. They have to grow enough food to feed their family and to sell to others. Rice is one of India’s most important crops. Rice is usually planted in flooded paddy fields because rice needs a lot of water to be able to grow. Wheat is another important crop grown all over India. Tea is one of India’s largest exports. It is grown on vast plantations in the hills. About 1.5 billion pounds of tea are picked each year and about 800,000 pounds are exported each year. Another important crop is coffee. Also many fruits are grown in India. Some of those fruits are pineapples, mangoes, coconuts, watermelons, oranges, bananas, papayas, grapes, and apples. Manufacturing and Industry The textile industry was one of the first industries to come into India. India’s textile industry is the 2nd largest in the world. Textile is a fabric that has been woven. In India the textile industry is the most important in the world. Another important industry is mining. Coal is the main item India mines. Another important mining item is iron, but coal is the most important in their industry world. India also has an industry in car building. They build their cars for people all over the world. India also wants to have good cars to drive so they also make it for you. Business India has always been the most desired call center area, because call centers in India offer advantages that other countries don’t. India has been able to meet the international demand for call centers by providing cost-effective services and customer-oriented services. India’s type of money is called a rupee. In India everything is bought with rupees. 95% of India’s businesses are family-run. Family businesses in India started in the 1890’s. These businesses started mainly because of the freedom movement, in protest to buying British trade. Trade India’s main trading partners are China and the United States of America. India’s main exports are petroleum products, textile goods, gems, jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, and leather manufactures. India’s main imports are crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, and chemicals. Types of Transportation Trains are one of the most important ways Indians get around. India has a very large and complex railway system. Each train has cars according to different classes. Buses are another way to travel in India. Buses are usually very crowded. They are so crowded many people ride on top of the buses to have room. India also has airways and waterways. Culture People, Language, and Religion In India there is 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, and Mongoloid and other tribal groups 3%. India’s main language is Hindi. There are many other languages such as Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, etc. Also most Indians speak English, because of the British peoples influence. India is 80.5% Hindu, 13.4% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikh, 1.8% other, and 0.1% unspecified. Cuisine Curry is India’s main ingredient in their food. Curry is an Indian spice used in most of India food. In South India they have Dosas. Dosas look like an American omelet or pancake. They are fried on a large flat skillet and eaten when they are very hot. But, instead of being served on a plate they are served on a leaf. They call it Meal on a Leaf. In the Hindu religion they think cows are sacred so they do not eat beef. Dress and Customs An Indian woman wears a proper dress called a sari. Saris wrap around your body tightly but are loose at the bottom so you can walk. Indians also have something called a caste system which is basically something to put people in certain classes. The lowest class is called untouchables. No other classes are aloud to make any physical contact with the untouchables, because they are considered unclean. The next class up is the servants and slaves. Next are the farmers and merchants. Next are the rulers and warriors. Then on top are the priests. Hindu weddings are usually long and beautiful. It’s an all day affair with a party and dancing. Then by the end of the day they are finally married. If a Hindu dies they are to be cremated. After they are made into ashes they throw the ashes to the wind. To show their grief they shave their heads and wear white, the color of mourning. Indians are all supposed to bathe in the Ganges River at least once in their life; it is part of the Hindu religion. Education When Indians are young they go to village schools. Most Indians don’t go to school. Village Schools are very small and simple. They do a lot of their learning outside because most don’t have indoor classrooms. There are 130 universities in India and more people are starting to go to college. Music, Art, and Literature The Sitar is the most important instrument in the North. It looks like a guitar but smaller and rounded at the bottom. It is very popular in Indian music. The Vedas is the most important book in the Hindu religion. It is their scriptures and their Bible. Textiles are beautifully woven cloths. They make them in India on the streets and in factories, although, it is very expensive. Jewelry is decorative and symbolic in India. Most women wear bangles around their wrists and they where many other jewelry pieces. Architecture Ruins dot the Indian countryside. India has some of the largest ruin sites in the world. There are also many Mughal buildings. Mughal buildings are distinguished by the arched doorways and windows, minarets, domes, and decorations carved into the wall and covered in gemstones. The British also built many buildings in India. Science, Inventions, and Innovations India’s greatest contribution to mathematics is probably the concept of the number zero. Also, they came up with concept of infinity. They had maps of the stars and contributed a lot to astronomy. Holidays, Sports, Entertainment, and Leisure Activities The four major holidays in India are New Years Day, Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi’s Birthday. A major sport in India is cricket. Bollywood is where all of India’s movies are made. Many people watch Bollywood movies. Many people in India like fling kites. Famous People Gandhi Gandhi was a Hindu man who believed in a free India and peace. He was a strong and independent person. Many people believed in him. He was born in October 2, 1869. He lived his whole life fighting for his country and the people. He had a tragic death on January 30, 1948; he was shot by a Hindu fanatic. He died with pride and the assurance that his country was independent. Nehru When Gandhi was alive Nehru was his assistant in a way. He was the first prime minister of India. He believed in making India more modern and bringing in modern technology. He contributed a lot to his country, but he died in 1964. Indira Gandhi Indira Gandhi was the third prime minister of India. She was Nehru’s daughter. She believed in helping the rural areas and she loved helping children. She was a very popular prime minister, until things started being more costly. Then, she lost her job as prime minister, but regained her position back. Later, she was assassinated. It was a tragic death but she helped her country in many ways. Famous Places Taj Mahal Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built in memory to his favorite wife. It was like her tomb or memorial. It was built in the Mughal period. It is a very complex building. It was never finished. The Taj Mahal is a very popular tourist spot and it is one of India’s most famous place to people all around the world. The Red Fort The Red Fort was also built during the Mughal period. It was originally called the Mughal fort, but because of its red sandstone walls it was called the Red Fort. Inside of the walls are palaces, barracks, gardens, and other buildings. It is a major tourist attraction as well. Gir National Park Gir National Park is a forest and a wildlife refuge. It was established in 1965 to protect nature and wildlife. It is one of the most protected areas in Asia because of the animals in it. It is a place for animals to roam free in their natural habitat while being protected. Many tourist can go see it but can’t disturb the animals.

Free Essays on Down and Out in London and Paris

Orwell, George. Down And Out In Paris And London. 1933 Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England. 1989. Number of pages: 216 The commentary, â€Å" Down And Out In Paris And London† by George Orwell is quite interesting. In this commentary, Orwell explores the life of the disenfranchised poor, the underemployed, and the flat broke. Orwell not only wrote about this lifestyle, he explored and spent quite some time living amongst the poor. He spent some time working as a plongeur in the hotels of Paris. He also spent time living amongst the tramps and the poor in London. Throughout the book, Orwell explores in detail the life of the poor through the people he met along the way; of course, changing their names to keep their identity. Orwell explores what goes on behind the scenes. He also gives the readers a detailed look at both the poor side and the common wealth side. He is able to do this because he has lived both sides of life. Therefore, Orwell has the qualifications to inform the reader about poverty, without looking down on it. â€Å"Poverty is what I’m writing about,†(p. 5), is Orwell’s thesis, which is relevant throughout the book. What makes this commentary fascinating is that Orwell does not offer a solution for poverty, in fact he offers insight for poverty. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor, has influenced the intended audience he is writing for, the major theme he is writing about, and the purpose in writing â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London†. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor have influenced who his intended audience is. His book was written in the first person narrative, which is powerful at getting a message across. â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London† was intended for a specific audience, an audience who does not know about poverty. Orwell’s first encounter with poverty is the same typical encounter that people who do not know what poverty is like might expect. Orwell pla... Free Essays on Down and Out in London and Paris Free Essays on Down and Out in London and Paris Orwell, George. Down And Out In Paris And London. 1933 Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England. 1989. Number of pages: 216 The commentary, â€Å" Down And Out In Paris And London† by George Orwell is quite interesting. In this commentary, Orwell explores the life of the disenfranchised poor, the underemployed, and the flat broke. Orwell not only wrote about this lifestyle, he explored and spent quite some time living amongst the poor. He spent some time working as a plongeur in the hotels of Paris. He also spent time living amongst the tramps and the poor in London. Throughout the book, Orwell explores in detail the life of the poor through the people he met along the way; of course, changing their names to keep their identity. Orwell explores what goes on behind the scenes. He also gives the readers a detailed look at both the poor side and the common wealth side. He is able to do this because he has lived both sides of life. Therefore, Orwell has the qualifications to inform the reader about poverty, without looking down on it. â€Å"Poverty is what I’m writing about,†(p. 5), is Orwell’s thesis, which is relevant throughout the book. What makes this commentary fascinating is that Orwell does not offer a solution for poverty, in fact he offers insight for poverty. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor, has influenced the intended audience he is writing for, the major theme he is writing about, and the purpose in writing â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London†. Orwell’s explorations amongst the poor have influenced who his intended audience is. His book was written in the first person narrative, which is powerful at getting a message across. â€Å"Down And Out In Paris And London† was intended for a specific audience, an audience who does not know about poverty. Orwell’s first encounter with poverty is the same typical encounter that people who do not know what poverty is like might expect. Orwell pla...