Chinese history Essay Example for Free

Chinese history Essay 250 Word Essay One of the most important aspects of ancient Chinese history is the formation of the Silk Road, a trade route which spanned two continents and put China on the map as one of the most important import/export countries in the ancient world. It’s beginnings were smaller in scale as it only encompassed the Chinese Empire itself but it became apparent, after Zhang Qian made contact with Central Asian tribes, that the expansion the trade route would benefit both China and other Asian nations. It continued to expand under the Han dynasty and into Roman times (Beauty).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most important reasons for its formation as a major trade route was fear of marauding gangs that were eager to obtain the many goods that Chinese merchants filled their caravans with: silk, gemstones, incense, spices, and blue and white porcelain were just some fo the cargo traveled along the Silk Road. The Chinese army was even beefed up in order to protect this special route that helped to keep China’s economy booming. It’s reach expanded throughout China and Asia and eventually commerce was developed between the Roman Empire and China (Newton).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The long-term impact of the Silk Road on Chinese culture and history were that it literally brought a strong economy to China, and brought the goods and customs of other cultures into its borders. The traders, including Zhang Qian in 138 B.C.E., were able to learn economic, military, and geographical information that would help in the roads expansion and with Chinese military success. The Silk Road was so important to the culture of both the Eastern and Western world because during Roman times, even the lower socioeconomic classes depended upon the goods that were imported from China on the Silk Road, and even the religion of Buddhism was spread by way of the Silk Road. Its impact on the world was huge and its impact on Chinese culture even more prominent (Newton). Works Cited The Silk Road. Beauty, the Land of China. ThinkQuest. 19 Jan. 2007 http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/silkroad.html. The Silk Road. Newton Public Schools. 19 Jan. 2007 http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/Silk%20Road%20Info.html.    100 Word Assignment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most surprising aspects of my research about the Silk Road was the vast expanse of space which is encompassed. It’s amazing how far the caravans had to travel and how large they were. From all accounts the Silk Road was dangerous to those traveling it because of the terrain and yet it was such an integral part of Chinese history and lasted for many years, even expanding. The images of the Silk Road that I could find reminded me the regal images of Chinese royalty, for some reason. It’s as if everyone is perceived as being clothed in silk from head to toe, even the camels! I definitely see how difficult the trip must have been because of the limited means of transportation that the merchants had access to, and how they could easily become victims of a raid for their goods. I also thought that it was interesting that Buddhism itself was virtually spread by way of the Silk Road. I was surprised to see that the Silk Road is being revitalized for tourism purposes and that there are many tour groups that specialize in trips just along the route that used to be traveled by Chinese merchants in ancient times.

The Beast Within :: Creative Writing Essays

The Beast Within The spawn knelt in the shadows of the corner. His iridescent eyes searching the dark for his prey. A prey he knew very well, almost too well. From the end of the stone corridor the spawn's ear picked out a single disturbance. From behind the mask a man's mouth twisted in a smile and a thought of satisfaction crossed his mind. Rising to his feet the spawn walked defiantly down the corridor. His armoured boots making no sound on the cold floor. A heart that beat no blood, pounded within the unnatural armour of the spawn. At last his mission was drawing to a close and so too would this endless torture. The one being responsible for his spawning would now ultimately reach its death. The door was close now, and the spawn's soulless eyes peered into the room from the doors barred window. Standing over a bench stood a man. An old man, gnarled with age and working on an intricate machine. To a mortal man the sight would appear ludicrous. An old, befuddled man could hardly attract the attention of such a powerful warrior. But to the spawns eyes, he only saw the truth. He didn't see the lines of age which covered the man's face. Nor did he see the disfigured spine which pushed the man's back into a painful composure. But he did see the beast within. To the spawn, what stood in the other room had no dimensions, it glittered with a warrior's sweat and had an evil which protruded off its hide like poisonous spines. This creature had roamed the aeons sending multitudes of innocent 'children' to nothingness before their time. In ages past it was known as Ra, god of the sun, then it was known as Xeues. Only a thousand years ago they called him a Dragon, and now, he was known as a scientist. Figure heads for the world, able to control the elements to their wishes. But today, it was time for the creature to end its cultivation of evil on earth. One man who the beast had killed had refused to die. By sheer power of will he had re-spawned to become the 'Spawn', and now, after centuries of silent following had finally decided that enough was enough! Kicking open the barred door the Spawn raised his hell blade in a warriors salute and cried, "Your time is up beast! Never again will you commit crimes against humanity! With this sword I commit your body to the flames!" The spawn's

Extremism: Political Philosophy and International Political Issues Essay

MANY counterterrorism and security experts believe that extremism and terrorism have a cause and effect relation. If this were true, it would be almost impossible for Pakistan to tackle the issues of terrorism and militancy without effectively responding to growing extremism and radicalism in the country. Countering extremism and extremist ideologies is an important component of the current debate on internal security and counterterrorism. Though extremism has yet to be defined in Pakistan at least there is a consensus in the country that terrorism is a major issue and needs to be addressed on a priority basis. On the other hand, the realm of extremism is very broad, and different segments of society hold diverse views regarding the phenomenon. Let us first take a look at the different views on extremism that are prevalent in the country and then examine the question of breaking its links with terrorism. Extremism is defined in Pakistan in a number of ways, and is used mainly in the political, religious, and social contexts. Political scientists consider it a political phenomenon, triggered by inequality, socio-economic injustices and state policies. In 2008-9, the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, an Islamabad-based research group, consulted several experts in the fields of political science, international relations, faith studies, science, media and human rights. Their opinion was sought through detailed discussions and a survey on issues of terrorism and extremism. Out of 16 experts, 11 agreed that extremism was a political phenomenon; only three looked at extremism in the light of an ideological struggle, whereas two experts linked extremism to the misinterpretation of religion. The experts also differed on what they considered to be the reasons behind extremism. Most of the respondents pointed out political, social and economic disparities as the main causes of extremism. A similar study that was conducted by the institute in 2009 to collect the views of teachers in madressahs showed that the majority of clerics and madressah teachers believed that extremism was a political issue. However, the respondents believed that regional and international political issues were more important. A large number of madressah teachers also thought that extremism in the country could only be countered if Pakistan distanced itself from the US-led war on terror. Very few discussed the religious and ideological aspects of extremism. They considered Talibanisation to be an outcome of state polices, and the state’s failure to enforce Islamic law in the country. The teachers also expressed concern over the ‘Westernisation’ of Pakistani society. Such narratives are also reflected in public opinion, and policymakers follow the same discourse. Even the debate in the right-wing media reflects the same approach. The opinions of those that are among the first targets of extremism are of obvious significance. Public opinion is shaped by the media as well as by religious and political leaders. It ultimately influences the political trends that a society is witnessing. But signs of confusion are discernible in public opinion with regard to extremist and violent groups. Another survey conducted by the institute to map the political behaviour of the masses revealed that though more than 56pc of Pakistanis acknowledge the services of religious scholars for Islam, over 53pc oppose a political role for the scholars. Public opinion considers the provision of justice and basic necessities as crucial to the exercise of countering extremism. Interestingly, marginalised segments of society including religious, sectarian and cultural minorities, women and those associated with the creative arts appear to hold a different view of extremism. According to the survey, they unanimously defined extremism as imbalanced ideological attitudes — attitudes that were conceived in a state of mind where an individual regards himself as superior to others and acts as an inquisitor. They classified the causes behind extremism as falling under three main categories: the misinterpretation of religion, political, economic and social inequalities and the lack of rational and logical behaviour. Such divergent perceptions on extremism are not surprising as the Taliban in the tribal areas, the Malakand region and adjacent parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa first targeted women, confining them to their homes and banning their entry in markets. Girls’ schools, Sufi shrines, cultural heritage sites and music shops have been torched and bombed. Violent activities and threats by the Taliban brought cultural activities and creative expressions, such as painting and poetry, to a halt in the affected areas. Each segment of Pakistani society has its own viewpoint on extremism and on how to counter it. The prevalence of diverse and often conflicting viewpoints makes it almost impossible for society to generate a collective response to issues of extremism and terrorism. Whereas the intellectuals lay more emphasis on ideological and empirical aspects when it comes to countering extremism, social experts and religious scholars vehemently assert that that is not an effective solution. More comprehensive studies and analyses may yield a clearer answer, but can the state afford to prioritise any particular set of causes said to be responsible for extremism and terrorism? Can the rationalisation of certain ideological, political and socio-cultural thinking patterns provide a quick fix for terrorism? Especially when views on extremism and also terrorism are paradoxical? At the same time, adjusting counter-extremism goals in the narrow operational framework of counterterrorism is an uphill task. Western counterterrorism frameworks cannot help Pakistan. In these frameworks, extremism and terrorism are not separated and a single policy is followed to deal with both challenges. The reason is that the challenge of terrorism in the West mainly originates from parallel societies of immigrant communities there. Adopting such an approach here would be devastating, as terrorism is not a community-oriented phenomenon in Pakistan. The government has to focus on countering terrorism to bring down the level of violence in the country. Until violence in the country is not reduced, both state and society will continue to suffer from the chicken and egg syndrome.

Customer Centric Organization, Excellent Management...

Strengths †¢ Biggest e-commerce retailer †¢ AmazonPrime membership, free-shipping †¢ Leader in the cloud †¢ High market share †¢ Global brand reputation †¢ Kindle eBook market †¢ Evolving unique production †¢ Customer-centric organization, excellent management flexibility †¢ Variety of products and services Weaknesses †¢ Potential patent infringement †¢ Outages on Amazon’s web servers †¢ Licensing issues with eBooks Opportunities †¢ Rising opportunities in e-commerce sales †¢ Advertising through social media †¢ Growing Echo, Kindle, Fire TV and Tablet sales †¢ Rising demand for cloud services †¢ New licensing in expanding market of Amazon Original shows and movies Threats †¢ Government pressure to collect sales tax on online sales, could lead to lost†¦show more content†¦Leader in the cloud Fortune 500 describes Amazon as a leader in the cloud business services, reporting a $5 billion revenue in this field. High market share Fortune 500 reports Amazon with a market value of $172,797 Million, almost three times compared to Ebay’s market value of $69946 million, and in Fiscal Year March 2015. Global brand reputation Amazon ranked number 10 on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands report for 2015, rising from No. 15 in 2014. Amazon moving towards a strong presence in international markets. Kindle eBook market Amazon’s leadership in the eBooks market with the Kindle e-reader gives it a competitive advantage over its group, and has increased the sales of eBooks more than print books for hardcover and paperback together. Variety of products and services Known for its variety of products in services, Amazon.com is an emerging leader in cloud services. As mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, it began its PrimePantry Market in 2015, in competition with groceries and supermarkets, offering a food delivery service. Wide product and service choice has allowed Amazon to become a one stop location. Opportunities Rising opportunities in e-commerce sales According to the US Department of Commerce, online retail sales in the US steadily increased from $77,659 million in 4th quarter 2014 to $89,078 million in 4th quarter 2015. Amazon is already a leader in e-commerce sales and can to grow by developing a