title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: Davis was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 35th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. The rights to Davis and Ray Allen were traded to the Boston Celtics for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and the rights to the 5th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Jeff Green.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: Davis was on the Celtics' 2007 summer league team. With the departures of Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, and Al Jefferson, Davis was expecting to see a lot of playing time his rookie season. Though he is primarily a power forward, Davis also spent some time playing as the team's backup center in the regular season.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: After coming off the bench for the first 19 games of the season, Davis made his first NBA start against the Sacramento Kings on December 12, 2007, in place of injured center Kendrick Perkins. Playing at power forward with Kevin Garnett taking Perkins' place at center, he scored 16 points and pulled down 9 rebounds as the Celtics won the game 90–78. His breakout performance took place against the Detroit Pistons on January 5, 2008, as he scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including the last basket of the game. The Celtics would win the 2008 NBA Finals in Davis's rookie season by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the finals.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On March 21, 2009, Davis scored a then-career-high 24 points against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Celtics' 105–87 win in Memphis.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Davis had significant playing time after injuries to Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe. In Game Four of the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic, Davis made two key shots, including a buzzer beater, in the final seconds of the game to give the Celtics the 95–94 win over the Magic. After the shot, Davis accidentally jostled a twelve-year-old fan while running down the court in celebration. The boy's father complained to NBA and Celtics officials but later retracted his demand for an apology. Davis apologized nevertheless, and said that, "I'm a big guy. Imagine if my emotions are going so wild, and if I'm running by somebody, I don’t feel them. If I've hurt anybody or if I’ve done any harm to anybody, please forgive me because my intentions were harmless."


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On August 10, 2009, Davis signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Celtics. On May 27, 2010, during the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic in Game 5, Glen Davis suffered a severe concussion when he got elbowed in the face by Dwight Howard. Davis would play in the Game 6 clincher, finishing with 6 points and 7 rebounds as they advanced to the 2010 NBA Finals. The Celtics would face the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of the 2008 championship. In game 4, Davis had 18 points and 5 rebounds to tie the series. The Celtics fell in seven games.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On December 12, 2011, Davis was signed and traded to the Orlando Magic along with Von Wafer for Brandon Bass. On April 3, 2012, Davis scored a then-career-high 31 points in a 95–102 loss to the Detroit Pistons.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On December 3, 2013, he recorded a career high 33 points, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, in a double-overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On February 24, 2014, Davis signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. On March 29, 2014, coach Doc Rivers had security escort Davis to the locker room after the two exchanged words when Rivers removed him from the game against the Houston Rockets. On July 19, 2014, Davis re-signed with the Clippers on a one-year deal.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: Davis became an unrestricted free agent following the 2014–15 season and had left ankle surgery in September 2015, sidelining him from basketball-related activities for eight to 12 weeks.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: In September 2018, Davis was announced as a new player for Zadar of the Croatian League and the ABA League, but failed to make a final agreement with the club management, consequently leaving the team before signing a contract.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On December 5, 2018, Davis signed with the St. John's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada. In the 2018–19 season, Davis averaged 17.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He was named to the All-NBLC Third Team.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: In the summer of 2001, at only 15 years of age, Davis attended a basketball camp run by LSU alumnus and future Boston Celtic teammate Shaquille O'Neal on the campus of Louisiana State University. O'Neal challenged Davis to a friendly wrestling match, in which Davis lifted the , center and body-slammed him to the ground. The encounter left a strong impression on O'Neal; ultimately, the incident helped Davis to get introduced to former LSU head coach Dale Brown.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: His nickname is Big Baby, given to him at the age of 9 by a youth league coach. At , , he was too large to play pee-wee and played as a senior. When Davis felt he was being bullied by his older opponents, Davis' coach was known to say, "Stop crying, you big baby."


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On December 21, 2008, Davis was injured in a car accident while driving to a game against the New York Knicks; he suffered a concussion and whiplash. In 2013, he adopted a vegan diet for health reasons.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On February 7, 2018, Davis was arrested for drug possession and drug distribution after police found 126 grams of marijuana and a briefcase containing $92,000 in cash inside his hotel room in Aberdeen, Maryland. Davis agreed to pay the maximum fine of $15,000 in exchange for moving the case to the stet docket, a legal disposition in the State of Maryland meaning the court agrees to indefinitely suspend the case and not pursue the charges.


title: Glen Davis (basketball)

text: On October 7, 2021, Davis, along with 18 other former NBA players, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud for allegedly defrauding the NBA's health and welfare benefit plan. He is alleged to have filed fraudulent insurance claims for reimbursement.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: Bedroom in Arles (; ) is the title given to each of three similar paintings by 19th-century Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: Van Gogh's own title for this composition was simply The Bedroom (French: "La Chambre à coucher"). There are three authentic versions described in his letters, easily distinguishable from one another by the pictures on the wall to the right.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: The painting depicts van Gogh's bedroom at 2, Place Lamartine in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, known as the Yellow House. The door to the right opened on to the upper floor and the staircase; the door to the left was that of the guest room he held prepared for Gauguin; the window in the front wall looked on to Place Lamartine and its public gardens.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: This room was not rectangular but trapezoid with an obtuse angle in the left hand corner of the front wall and an acute angle at the right.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: Van Gogh started the first version during mid October 1888 while staying in Arles, and explained his aims and means to his brother Theo:


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: Van Gogh included sketches of the composition in this letter as well as in a letter to Gauguin, written slightly later. In the letter, van Gogh explained that the painting had come out of a sickness that left him bedridden for days. This version has on the wall to the right miniatures of van Gogh's portraits of his friends Eugène Boch and Paul-Eugène Milliet.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: The portrait of Eugène Boch is called "The Poet" and the portrait of Paul Eugène Milliet is called "The Lover."


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: In April 1889, van Gogh sent the initial version to his brother regretting that it had been damaged by the flood of the Rhône while he was interned at the Old Hospital in Arles. Theo proposed to have it relined and sent back to him in order to copy it. This "repetition" in original scale (Van Gogh's term was "répetition") was executed in September 1889. Both paintings were then sent back to Theo.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: In summer, 1889, Van Gogh finally decided to redo some of his "best" compositions in a smaller size (the term he used was "réductions") for his mother and his sister Wil, "The Bedroom" was among the subjects he chose. These "réductions", finished late in September 1889, are not exact copies.


title: Bedroom in Arles

text: In "The Bedroom," the miniature portrait to the left recalls van Gogh's "Peasant of Zundert" self-portrait. The one to the right cannot be linked convincingly to any existing painting by van Gogh.


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: Love Me (styled: LOVE ME) is an Australian drama series and the first original production of streaming service Binge. Set in Melbourne, Victoria, "Love Me" is a story about love, loss and relationship complexity for the father, daughter and son of a contemporary, middle-class Australian family. Triggered by the death of the disabled mother, cared for by the father at home for some years, the three stumble in their lives, eventually finding themselves and each other.


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: The season one, six-part series is directed by Emma Freeman with lead writer Alison Bell, and writers Leon Ford, Adele Vuko and Blake Ayshford. Season two has been announced.


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: The ensemble cast includes Hugo Weaving, Bojana Novakovic, William Lodder and Sarah Peirse along with Bob Morley, Heather Mitchell, Celia Pacquola, Mitzi Ruhlmann and Shalom Brune-Franklin.


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: "Love Me" is produced by Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford of Aquarius Films and Executive Produced by Michael Brooks and Hamish Lewis (Warner Bros.). Executive Producers for the FOXTEL Group are Brian Walsh, Alison Hurbert-Burns and Lana Greenhalgh.


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: "Love Me" is a Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia production in association with Aquarius Films for the FOXTEL Group. Major production investment from Screen Australia and financed with support from Film Victoria through production investment and the Regional Location Assistance Fund. The series will be produced by Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford (Aquarius Films) and Executive Produced by Michael Brooks and Hamish Lewis (Warner Bros.) Brian Walsh, Alison Hurbert-Burns and Lana Greenhalgh (FOXTEL Group).


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: On the eve of the Australian TV Week 2022 Logie Awards, where "Love Me" received seven nominations, Binge announced a second season.


title: Love Me (Australian TV series)

text: 2022 Australian TV Week Logie Awards nominations: Most Outstanding Actor, Most Outstanding Drama Program, Most Outstanding Drama Series, Most Outstanding Supporting Actress, Grammy Kennedy Most Popular New Talent, Most Popular Actress, Most Popular Actor.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; , Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that existed for about a century between the mid 8th and 9th centuries. They were a tribal confederation under the Orkhon Uyghur () nobility, referred to by the Chinese as the "Jiu Xing" ("Nine Clans"), a calque of the name "Toquz Oghuz" or "Toquz Tughluq".


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 657, the Western Turkic Khaganate was defeated by the Tang dynasty, after which the Uyghurs defected to the Tang. Prior to this the Uyghurs had already shown an inclination towards alliances with the Tang when they fought with them against the Tibetan Empire and Turks in 627.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 744, the Basmyls captured the Turk capital of Ötüken and killed the reigning Özmiş Khagan. Later that year a Uyghur-Karluk alliance formed against the Basmyls and defeated them. Their khagan was killed and the Basmyls ceased to exist as a people. Hostilities between the Uyghurs and Karluks then forced the Karluks to migrate west into Zhetysu and conflict with the Türgesh, whom they defeated and conquered in 766.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The Uyghur khagan's personal name was "Qullığ Boyla" (). He took the title "Kutlug Bilge Kol Khagan" ("Glorious, wise, mighty khagan"), claiming to be the supreme ruler of all the tribes. He built his capital at Ordu-Baliq. According to Chinese sources, the territory of the Uyghur Empire then reached "on its eastern extremity, the territory of Shiwei, on the west the Altai Mountains, on the south it controlled the Gobi Desert, so it covered the entire territory of the ancient Xiongnu".


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 745, the Uyghurs killed the last khagan of the Göktürks, Báiméikèhán Gǔlǒngfú (), and sent his head to the Tang.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: Tang Huiyao, vol. 98, listed nine Toquz Oghuz surname tribes (姓部 "xìngbù"); another list of tribes (部落 "bùluò") was recorded in the "Old Book of Tang" and the "New Book of Tang". According to Japanese scholars Hashimoto, Katayama, and Senga, each name in the lists in the Books of Tang recorded each subtribal surname of each chief, while the other list in Tang Huiyao recorded the names of the Toquz Oghuz tribes proper. Walter Bruno Henning (1938) linked nine names recorded in the Saka language "Staël-Holstein Scroll" with those recorded by Han Chinese authors.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 747, Qutlugh Bilge Köl Kaghan died, leaving his youngest son, Bayanchur Khan to reign as Khagan "El etmish bilge" "State settled, wise". After building a number of trading outposts with the Tang, Bayanchur Khan used the profits to construct the capital, Ordu-Baliq, and another city further up the Selenga River, Bai Baliq. The new khagan then embarked on a series of campaigns to bring all the steppe peoples under his banner. During this time the Empire expanded rapidly and brought the Sekiz Oghuz, Kyrgyz, Karluks, Turgesh, Toquz Tatars, Chiks and the remnants of the Basmyls under Uyghur rule.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 755 An Lushan instigated a rebellion against the Tang dynasty and Emperor Suzong of Tang turned to Bayanchur Khan for assistance in 756. The khagan agreed and ordered his eldest son to provide military service to the Tang emperor. Approximately 4,000 Uyghur horsemen assisted Tang armies in retaking Chang'an and Luoyang in 757. After the battle at Luoyang the Uyghurs looted the city for three days and only stopped after large quantities of silk were extracted. For their aid, the Tang sent 20,000 rolls of silk and bestowed them with honorary titles. In addition the horse trade was fixed at 40 rolls of silk for every horse and Uyghurs were given "guest" status while staying in Tang China. The Tang and Uyghurs conducted an exchange marriage. Bayanchur Khan married Princess Ninguo while a Uyghur princess was married to a Tang prince. The Uyghur Khaganate exchanged princesses in marriage with Tang dynasty China in 756 to seal the alliance against An Lushan. The Uyghur Khagan Bayanchur Khan had his daughter Uyghur Princess Pijia (毗伽公主) married to Tang dynasty Chinese Prince Li Chengcai (李承采), Prince of Dunhuang (敦煌王李承采), son of Li Shouli, Prince of Bin. while the Tang dynasty Chinese princess Ningguo 寧國公主, daughter of Emperor Suzong, married Uyghur Khagan Bayanchur.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 758, the Uyghurs turned their attention to the northern Yenisei Kyrgyz. Bayanchur Khan destroyed several of their trading outposts before slaughtering a Kyrgyz army and executing their Khan.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 759 the Uyghurs attempted to assist the Tang in stamping out the rebels but failed. Bayanchur Khan died and his son Tengri Bögü succeeded him as Khagan "Qutlugh Tarkhan sengün".


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 762 Tengri Bögü planned to invade the Tang with 4,000 soldiers but after negotiations switched sides and assisted them in defeating the rebels at Luoyang. After the battle the Uyghurs looted the city. When the people fled to Buddhist temples for protection, the Uyghurs burnt them down, killing over 10,000. For their aid, the Tang was forced to pay 100,000 pieces of silk to get them to leave. During the campaign the khagan encountered Manichaean priests who converted him to Manichaeism. From then on the official religion of the Uyghur Khaganate became Manichaeism.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 779 Tengri Bögü planned to invade the Tang dynasty based on the advice of his Sogdian courtiers. However, Tengri Bögü's uncle, Tun Baga Tarkhan, opposed this plan and killed him and "nearly two thousand people from among the kaghan's family, his clique and the Sogdians." Tun Bagha Tarkhan ascended the throne, with the title "Alp Qutlugh Bilge" "Victorious, glorious, wise", and enforced a new set of laws, which he designed to secure the unity of the khaganate. During his reign Manichaeism was suppressed, but his successors restored it as the official religion.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 780 a group of Uyghurs and Sogdians was killed while leaving Chang'an with tribute. Tun demanded 1,800,000 strings of cash in compensation and the Tang agreed to pay this amount in gold and silk.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 789 Tun Bagha Tarkhan died and his son succeeded him as Külüg Qaghan. The Karluks took this opportunity to encroach on Uyghur territory and annexed Futu Valley.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 790, the Uyghurs and Tang forces were defeated by Tibetan Empire at Tingzhou (Beshbalik). Külüg Qaghan died and his son, A-ch'o, succeeded him as Qutluq Bilge Qaghan.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 791 the Tibetans attacked Lingzhou but were driven off by the Uyghurs, who presented captured prisoners and cattle to Emperor Dezong of Tang. The Tibetans and Karluks suffered another defeat against the Uyghurs at Beiting. The captured Tibetan general Zan Rgyal sum was sent to Dezong.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 792 the Uyghurs, led by Baoyi Qaghan, defeated the Tibetans and Karluks, taking Gaochang. Not long after the Tibetans attacked Yushu, a fortified town 560 "li" east of Kucha. They were besieged by Baoyi there and destroyed.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 795, Qutluq Bilge Qaghan died and the Yaghlakar dynasty came to an end. A general, Qutluq II, declared himself the new qaghan under the title "Ay Tängridä ülüg bulmïsh alp qutlugh ulugh bilgä qaghan" "Greatly born in moon heaven, victorious, glorious, great and wise qaghan", founding a new dynasty, the Ädiz ().


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 808, Qutluq II died and his son, Baoyi, succeeded him. In the same year the Uyghurs seized Liang Province from the Tibetans.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 821, Baoyi Qaghan died and his son Chongde succeeded him. Chongde was considered the last great khagan of the Uyghur Khaganate and bore the title "Kün tengride ülüg bulmïsh alp küchlüg bilge" "Greatly born in sun heaven, victorious, strong and wise". His achievements included improved trade up with the region of Sogdia, and on the battlefield he repulsed a force of invading Tibetans in 821. After defeating the Tibetan and Karluk force, the Uyghurs entered the Principality of Ushrusana and plundered the region.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 822, the Uyghurs sent troops to help the Tang in quelling rebels. The Tang refused the offer but had to pay them 70,000 pieces of silk to go home.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 832, Qasar was murdered. He was succeeded by the son of Chongde, Hu. In the same year the Tibetan Empire ceased to make war on the Uyghurs.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 839 Hu was forced to commit suicide and a minister named Kürebir seized the throne with the help of 20,000 Shatuo horsemen from Ordos. In the same year there was a famine and an epidemic, with a particularly severe winter that killed much of the livestock the Uyghur economy was based on.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 840, one of nine Uyghur ministers, Kulug Bagha, rival of Kurebir, fled to the Yenisei Kyrgyz and invited them to invade from the north. With a force of around 80,000 horsemen, they sacked the Uyghur capital at Ordu-Baliq, razing it to the ground. The Kyrgyz captured the Uyghur Khagan, Kürebir ("Hesa/Qasar"), and promptly beheaded him. They went on to destroy other cities throughout the Uyghur empire, burning them to the ground. The Uyghurs fled in two groups. A 30,000-strong group led by the aristocrat Ormïzt sought refuge in Tang territory but Emperor Wuzong of Tang ordered the borders to be closed. The other group, 100,000 strong, led by Öge, son of Baoyi and the new khagan of the defeated Uyghur khaganate, also fled to Tang territory. However Öge demanded a Tang city for residence as well as the protection of Manichaeans and food. Wuzong found the demands unacceptable and refused. He granted Ormïzt asylum in return for the use of his troops against Öge. Two years later, Wuzong extended the order to Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and especially Buddhism.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The Yenisei Kyrgyz and Tang dynasty launched a successful war between 840-848 against the Uyghur Khaganate using their claimed familial ties as justification for an alliance.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 843 a Tang army led by Shi Xiong attacked the Uyghurs led by Öge and slaughtered 10,000 Uyghurs on February 13, 843 at "Kill the Barbarians" Mountain (Shahu). Öge was wounded. After the defeat of Öge, Wuzong ordered Ormïzt's troops to be broken up and dispersed among different units. Ormïzt refused to obey. His troops were massacred by general Liu Mian. With the defeat of the two major Uyghur groups, Wuzong saw his chance to get rid of the Manichaeans. He ordered Manichaean temples in several cities to be destroyed, the confiscation of their estates, and the execution of the clergy.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In 846 the penultimate Uyghur khagan, Öge, was killed after having spent his six-year reign fighting the Kyrgyz, the supporters of his rival Ormïzt, a brother of Kürebir, and Tang dynasty troops in Ordos and today Shaanxi. His brother, Enian Qaghan, was decisively defeated by Tang forces in 847.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The Yenisei Kyrgyz who replaced the Uyghur Khaganate were unsophisticated and had little interest in running the empire which they had destroyed. They held the territory from Lake Baikal in the east to the Irtysh River in the west and left Kulug Bagha, the Uyghur who defected to them, in charge of the Orkhon Valley. During the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang (860–873), there were three recorded contacts between the Tang and Kyrgyz, but the nature of their relationship remains unclear. Tang policy makers argued that there was no point in building any relations with the Kyrgyz since the Uyghurs no longer threatened them. The Khitans seized the Orkhon Valley from the Kyrgyz in 890 and no further opposition from the Kyrgyz is recorded.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: After the fall of the Uyghur Khaganate, the Uyghurs migrated south and established the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom in modern Gansu and the Kingdom of Qocho near modern Turpan. The Uyghurs in Qocho converted to Buddhism, and, according to Mahmud al-Kashgari, were "the strongest of the infidels", while the Ganzhou Uyghurs were conquered by the Tangut people in the 1030s. Even so, Kashgari praised contemporary Uyghurs as bilingual Turkophones whose Turkic dialect remained "pure" and "most correct" (just like dialects spoken by monolingual Yagmas, and Tuhsis); meanwhile, Kashgari derided other bilingual Turkophones (Qay, Tatars, Basmyls, Chömüls, Yabakus, etc.), for incorporating foreign loanwords and "slurring" in their speeches In 1134, Qocho became a vassal of Yelü Dashi's nascent Qara Khitai empire. In 1209, the Qocho ruler Idiqut ( " Lord of happiness" ) Barchuk Art Tegin declared his allegiance to Genghis Khan, and the Uyghurs became important civil servants in the later Mongol Empire, which adapted the Old Uyghur alphabet as its official script. According to the "New Book of Tang", a third group went to seek refuge among the Karluks.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The Karluks, together with other tribes such as the Chigils and Yagmas, later founded the Kara-Khanid Khanate (940–1212). Some historians associate the Karakhanids with the Uyghurs as the Yaghmas were linked to the Toquz Oghuz. Sultan Satuq Bughra Khan, believed to be a Yagma from Artux, converted to Islam in 932 and seized control of Kashgar in 940, giving rise to the new dynasty, known as "Karakhanids".


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: In order to control trade along the Silk Road, the Uyghurs established a trading relationship with the Sogdian merchants who controlled some oases of Central Asia. As described above, the Uyghur adoption of Manichaeism was one aspect of this relationship—choosing Manichaeism over Buddhism may have been motivated by a desire to show independence from Tang influence. Not all Uyghurs supported conversion—an inscription at Ordu-Baliq states that Manichaens tried to divert people from their ancient shamanistic beliefs. A rather partisan account from a Uyghur-Manichean text of that period demonstrates the unbridled enthusiasm of the khaghan for Manichaeism:


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: As conversion was based on political and economic concerns regarding trade with the Sogdians, it was driven by the rulers and often encountered resistance in lower societal strata. Furthermore, as the khaghan's political power depended on his ability to provide economically for his subjects, "alliance with the Sogdians through adopting their religion was an important way of securing this objective." Both the Sogdians and the Uyghurs benefited enormously from this alliance. The Sogdians enabled the Uyghurs to trade in the Western Regions and exchange silk from China for other goods. For the Sogdians it provided their Chinese trading communities with Uyghur protection. The 5th and 6th centuries saw a large emigration of Sogdians to China. The Sogdians were main traders along the Silk Roads, and China was always their biggest market. Among the paper clothing found in the Astana cemetery near Turfan is a list of taxes paid on caravan trade in the Gaochang kingdom in the 620s. The text is incomplete, but out of the 35 commercial operations it lists, 29 involve a Sogdian trader. Ultimately both rulers of nomadic origin and sedentary states recognized the importance of merchants like the Sogdians and made alliances to further their own agendas in controlling the Silk Roads.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The Uyghurs created an empire with clear Persian influences, particularly in areas of government. Soon after the empire was founded, they emulated sedentary states by establishing a permanent, settled capital, Karabalghasun (Ordu-Baliq), built on the site of the former Göktürk imperial capital, northeast of the later Mongol capital, Karakorum. The city was a fully fortified commercial center, typical along the Silk Road, with concentric walls and lookout towers, stables, military and commercial stores, and administrative buildings. Certain areas of the town were allotted for trade and handcrafts, while in the center of the town were palaces and temples, including a monastery. The palace had fortified walls and two main gates, as well as moats filled with water and watchtowers.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: The khaghan maintained his court there and decided the policies of the empire. With no fixed settlement, the Xiongnu had been limited in their acquisition of Chinese goods to what they could carry. As stated by Thomas Barfield, "the more goods a nomadic society acquired the less mobility it had, hence, at some point, one was more vulnerable trying to protect a rich treasure house by moving it than by fortifying it." By building a fixed city, the Uyghurs created a protected storage space for trade goods from China. They could hold a stable, fixed court, receive traders, and effectively cement their central role in Silk Road exchange. However, the vulnerability that came with having a fixed city was to be the downfall of the Uyghurs.


title: Uyghur Khaganate

text: Menglig Qaghan (r. 848-?), ( personal name, Mang/Pang Te-qin 厖特勤), sovereign title: Ay Tengride Qut Bolmiş Alp Kutlugh Bilge Qaghan 溫祿登里邏汩沒密施合俱錄毗伽, Chinese title: Huaijian Qaghan 懷建可汗. Moved his political centre to the west.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Queen is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Vikas Bahl and produced by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Madhu Mantena. The film stars Kangana Ranaut in the lead role, with Lisa Haydon and Rajkummar Rao playing supporting roles. The film follows the story of Rani Mehra, a diffident Punjabi girl from New Delhi who embarks on her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam by herself after her fiancé calls off their wedding.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Bahl co-wrote the script of "Queen" with Chaitally Parmar and Parveez Shaikh. Anvita Dutt Guptan wrote the dialogues for the film. Ranaut, who was encouraged by Bahl to improvise her lines during filming, is recognized as an additional dialogue writer. Amit Trivedi provided the musical score and Guptan also wrote the lyrics. Principal photography of "Queen" began in 2012 and took 45 days to complete. "Queen" received universal critical acclaim, praised for its direction, screenplay and Ranaut's titular performance, with various critics and publications citing it as the best Indian film of 2014. Made on a budget of


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: , the film earned at the global box-office, emerging as a major commercial success. It is one of the highest-grossing Indian films featuring a female protagonist. The film won several accolades at prominent Indian and international award ceremonies. At the 60th Filmfare Awards ceremony, the film received a leading 13 nominations and won a leading 6 awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Bahl), and Best Actress (Ranaut). At the 62nd National Film Awards ceremony, the film won the Best Hindi Film (Bahl) and Best Actress (Ranaut).


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: "Queen" is cited as a groundbreaking and an influential feminist film by many scholars. Over the years, the film has built a strong cult following. It was named as one of the best films of the decade (2010s) by multiple publications such as "Paste" and "Film Companion". Several publications such as "O, The Oprah Magazine" and "Cosmopolitan" have named it as one of the best films of Indian Cinema. Shubhra Gupta from "The Indian Express" named "Queen" as one of India’s 75 most iconic and finest films that celebrate the journey of the country. British Film Institute ranked "Queen" amongst the 10 greatest Indian films of the 21st century.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Rani Mehra (Kangana Ranaut) is a 24 year-old sheltered, meek, yet good-natured young Punjabi woman from Delhi. One day before her wedding, her fiancé Vijay Dhingra (Rajkumar Rao) tells her that he no longer wishes to marry her. He explains that his lifestyle has changed after living abroad, and Rani's conservative habits would be a wrong match for him. Stunned at the development, Rani shuts herself in her room for a day recalling her and Vijay's story of how they met and fell in love. Wanting to control the situation, she asks her parents' permission to go alone on her pre-booked honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam. After initially hesitating, her parents agree, thinking that a vacation might cheer her up.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: In Paris, Rani meets Vijayalakshmi (Lisa Haydon), a free-spirited woman of French-Spanish-Indian descent, who works at the hotel in which Rani stays. Overwhelmed by the new city and having gotten into trouble twice – once with the local police and once with a robber – Rani intends to return to India. However, Vijayalakshmi helps her out and gives her a tour around the city. The two have a series of adventures, during which Rani relives the memories of Vijay patronizing her and forbidding her from dancing and drinking – which she's free to do in Paris. During one particular incident, Rani tries on what she considers to be a revealing outfit and accidentally sends a selfie of her wearing the attire to Vijay instead of Vijayalakshmi due to the similarity in their names. Rani quickly realizes her mistake, but unbeknownst to her, the selfie revives Vijay's interest in Rani and he decides to seek her out. Eventually, the time comes for Rani to bid an emotional farewell to Vijayalakshmi and board the Dutch Sprinter train for Amsterdam. However, when Rani arrives in Amsterdam, she finds that her hostel room is being shared with three men: Taka from Japan, Tim from France, and Oleksander from Russia. Despite being skeptical, she soon becomes good friends with them and spends time shopping, sightseeing, visiting a sex shop, going to a church, and meeting pole dancers in a club. Rani befriends a pole dancer at the club, Roxette/Rukhsar (Sabeeka Imam), a Pakistani girl who is the sole breadwinner for her family back in Lahore and who is also a friend of Vijaylakshmi.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Rani slowly begins to gain confidence by taking control of her decisions. Realizing her earning potential, she wins a cook-off by selling gol gappas. After the cook-off event, the Italian host and res taurant owner shares an intimate moment with her when she experiences her first 'Indo-Italian' kiss with him and proves that Indians are the best in cooking and even lip to lip kissing. She learns more about her friends' backgrounds and begins to understand how different life can be for people in other parts of the world. One day, the four friends find Vijay waiting for Rani in front of the hostel. Vijay apologizes to Rani and asks her to reconsider the relationship. Their conversation escalates as he tries to grab hold of Rani, but her friends retaliate, and she asks him to leave. Rani decides to miss out on a concert with her friends to meet with Vijay and discuss their future. A conservative thinking Vijay judges Rani's new friends and behavior, like drinking champagne and her choice of living with roommates of the opposite gender, and tells her that she doesn’t know foreigners. This causes her to leave abruptly, saying that she would rather speak to him after returning to Delhi. She then meets up with her friends one last time at the concert. After bidding an emotional farewell to them, Rani returns to India.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Back in Delhi, Rani visits Vijay at his home. Vijay and his family think that she has decided to forgive him and start discussing wedding plans. Instead, Rani hands Vijay her engagement ring and says "thank you,” probably suggesting that he gave her the opportunity to explore the world and develop herself by rejecting her and it did her good, highlighting her grandma’s words earlier in the movie on how things occur for the better. She walks away with a confident smile on her face.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Producer-director Vikas Bahl made his directorial debut with "Chillar Party" (2011), co-directed with Nitesh Tiwari, which won three National Film Awards. Since he liked the story of "Queen", he decided to direct the film himself. It was eventually produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Phantom Films, which he co-owns with Anurag Kashyap and Vikram Motwane.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: The lead role of Rani was earlier offered to Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, both of whom turned down the film. As he wrote the script, he based Rani on people he had observed while growing up in Delhi. "I know life for girls is planned out for them by their families. They lose their own perspective on life and they are okay with that." In a scenario where as a girl crosses 20, her family gets busy to get her "settled", she never plans anything by herself, unless as in this case of Rani, marriage plans go awry. Thus the script was developed so that in the "first half, Rani gets over the guy, and in the second, she gets over herself." Bahl wrote the script keeping Ranaut in mind, however it was Anurag Basu who connected him with her and helped cast her in the film.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: After her audition, actress Lisa Haydon, who played an Indo-French hotel staff member, Vijaylaksmi, practiced French for a month. Other actors Mish Boyko (Alexander) and Jeffery Ho (Taka) were cast after auditions in London, while Joseph Guitobh (Tim), who played Rani's third roommate, was spotted singing on a street and was asked whether he'd be interested in working in Hindi film, though he couldn't speak English.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: The film was shot in late 2012 over a period of 45 days, starting with Paris, followed by Amsterdam and Delhi. Despite shooting abroad, Vikas Bahl did not have a huge budget to spend on the film. He took a crew of 25 people from India to shoot the film in about 145 locations in 40 days. Locations were booked a couple of hours, before the crew would rush to another location as they often shot 3–4 locations in a day. The crew would eat their meals at nearby restaurants, and at times actors including lead Kangana Ranaut would change clothes in nearby public toilets and restaurants. Since the film was not shot in a linear fashion, the colour of mehndi, applied to bride's hand was faded to match its natural fading. During the filming upon Ranaut's suggestion some scenes were added, like the kiss scene with the Italian chef, and a small scene where Rani asks a stranger to click her picture in Amsterdam. She even ended up writing a lot of her dialogue, and was given credit for the additional dialogue. In fact during filming, the director allowed all the actors to improvise their dialogue, to add realism to the film.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: The remixed version of "Hungama Ho Gaya" was shot at Club NL, in Amsterdam, where a Hindi song was played for the first time.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: However, when 90 percent of the film was already shot, cinematographer Bobby Singh died suddenly following an asthma attack on 25 December 2012, after just having completed a schedule in Delhi. After seeing rushes of the film, Anurag Kashyap volunteered to edit the film himself and since Bahl didn't have any editors at the time, he too agreed.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: The film's soundtrack is composed by Amit Trivedi, with lyrics by Anvita Dutt. The album was released exclusively on iTunes on 23 January 2014, followed by a release on all streaming platforms on 25 January 2014. The music album was physically released on 5 February 2014 at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai. An additional track was released on 1 March 2014, it was the remixed version of hit cabaret number of the 1970s "Hungama Ho Gaya" sung by Asha Bhosle for the film, "Anhonee" (1973) was remixed by Amit Trivedi for the film, with additional vocals by Arijit Singh. The song was also used in end credits of the film.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: "Queen", as well as Ranaut's performance, received universal critical acclaim. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, "Queen" has an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. On the Indian film review aggregator website The Review Monk, "Queen" received an average score of 8.1/10 based on 31 reviews and 100% critics being in the favor.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Meena Iyer from "Times of India" gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and wrote, ‘‘This film belongs to its director Vikas Bahl; Bollywood should blow bugles in his honour’’. Calling Ranaut a ‘‘class act’’ she further wrote, ‘‘Ranaut's performance is outstanding; Whether she's crestfallen or ecstatic, selling golgappas or naively buying sex-toys, hiding her infatuation for an Italian restaurateur or showing deep dejection about her wimpy beau Vijay, she's a class act’’. Sarita Tanwar from "DNA" gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is irresistible. Highly recommended. A must-see film. You will leave the theatre with your heart humming happily’’. Praising Ranaut's performance she further wrote, ‘‘Kangana displays a surprising capacity for both comedy and emotion. As Rani, she displays amazing vulnerability and depth that very few performers can pull off; She is a delight’’. Saurabh Dwivedi from "India Today" gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and called it a ‘‘must-watch’’. He praised Ranaut's performance by writing, ‘‘Kangana has a done fabulous job playing Rani; She has let her fans and audience know that she means business and is here to be taken seriously’’. Devesh Sharma from "Filmfare" gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and opined, ‘‘"Queen" is definitely a step in the right direction for Indian Cinema’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he wrote, ‘‘It's Kangana's film from frame one. The way she flits from one aspect of her character to another without breaking strides shows her maturity as an actor’’.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Subhash K Jha of "The New Indian Express" gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and called "Queen" a ‘‘near flawless inspirational tale’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘In "Queen", Kangana is so in-sync with her character that you wonder if the story was written according to the emotions that the actress had stored away in her heart; Her performance holds the film together’’. Saibal Chatterjee of "NDTV" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and described ‘‘"Queen" is spicy, balmy and uplifting. Like good gol gappas, it leaves a zesty aftertaste that lingers on until long after the ride has ended. It warms the heart and tickles the funny bone with equal force’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Kangana’s is the heart and soul of "Queen" and she does not strike a single false note; It is a performance that should define not only her career from here on, but also the fate of any young Bollywood actress seeking to push the boundaries of what is acceptable within the framework of the commercial Hindi movie industry’’. Taran Adarsh of "Bollywood Hungama" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" reinvents the genre with its non-formulaic screenplay and skilled direction; A charming little film, this one's made with heart and feeling and it shows’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Kangana captures the nuances of her character spot-on; She's simply outstanding! The earnestness and sincerity she invests in her performance is for all to see; It won't be erroneous to state that she turns Rani into the most real woman you've encountered on the Hindi screen lately’’. Anupama Chopra stated that, ‘‘"Queen" is about the metamorphosis of Rani’’. She gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, ‘‘Ultimately Queen is Kangana’s triumph. I left the theater thinking about Rani and how the rest of her life would pan out. It’s not often you do that with a Bollywood character’’.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Rajeev Masand of "CNN-IBN" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and described it as an ‘‘extraordinary journey of self-discovery’’. Calling Ranaut's performance ‘‘raw’’ and ‘‘nuanced’’ he further wrote, ‘‘it's Kangana Ranaut who makes you root for Rani from the word go; The best way to describe her fabulous performance is by confessing that I forgot I was watching Kangana. It's a raw, nuanced, delicately comical performance, and Bahl rightfully builds his film around his fearless, quirky heroine’’. Raja Sen from "Rediff" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is a good entertainer, sure, but, more critically, it is a showcase for an actress poised to reign. This is one of those monumental moments when you feel the movies shift, and nothing remains the same; I've seen the future, baby, and it's Kangana’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Ranaut is gobstoppingly spectacular; she absolutely shines and the film stands back and lets her rule. It’s a bold but immaculately measured performance, internalised and powerful while simultaneously as overt as it needs to be to moisten every eye in the house’’. Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is a significant Bollywood marker, a film that is intensely local and gloriously global, with a terrific lead performance by Kangana Ranaut, in a story that bubbles over with real feeling and meaning’’. Calling Ranaut the ‘‘Queen of Hearts’’ she further wrote, ‘‘Kangana Ranaut revels in her solidly-written role, and delivers a first rate, heart-felt performance’’.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Sudhish Kamath of "The Hindu" wrote, ‘‘"Queen" explores a girl's identity as an independent entity. It's about a rooted Indian girl who goes on a holiday to find herself’’. Praising Ranaut's performance he further wrote, ‘‘Kangana Ranaut as Rani, in a role of a lifetime, makes "Queen" an absolutely delightful journey. She wins us over first with innocence, small-town charm, vulnerability, spirit, strength, warmth and her gradual confidence’’. Namrata Joshi of "Outlook India" gave the film a rating of 3.5/4 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is a squarely mainstream film; Simplistic? Undemanding? Perhaps. But ultimately it is immensely warm and winsome, pressing just the right emotional buttons’’. Deepanjana Pal of "Firstpost" called "Queen" a ‘‘fabulous film’’ and a ‘‘delight’’. Calling Ranaut's performance ‘‘endearing’’ and ‘‘electric’’ she wrote, ‘‘Ranaut as Rani is pitch perfect. She brings out the sweetness, the hurt, the belligerence and the head-screwed-tightly-on-her-shoulders sensibility that is the pride of the Indian middle class. The cherry on this acting cake is that this lady's got superb comic timing’’.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Shafiq Ul Hasan from "The Express Tribune" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is a peek into the life of a woman who embarks upon a journey, her own honeymoon to be precise, in an attempt to find herself when her wedding is cancelled at the last minute’’. Praising Ranaut and Bahl he further wrote, ‘‘This was, by far, one of Kangana Ranaut’s truest and finest performances; Vikas Bahl directed the movie with superb class, I don’t think I would change a thing about it’’. David Chute of "Variety" wrote, ‘‘"Queen" seems an oddly modest film to have made such a big splash. It is charming and at times unexpectedly moving, especially in moments of cross-cultural bonding between Rani and the odd assorted group of expats who befriend her, as she wanders somewhat cluelessly around Paris and Amsterdam’’. Olga Camacho of "The National" wrote, ‘‘There are surprisingly few clichés, romantic angles or moments of epiphany in the film – instead, we get some genuine laughs and an honest look at relationships’’. Suparna Sharma of "Deccan Chronicle" gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is a well-meaning, well-mannered film that's funny and packs in small, elevating, but palatable messages. It challenges nothing; It just shows an Indian girl slowly, gently renegotiating life while remaining true to who she is’’. Praising Ranaut's performance she further wrote, ‘‘Kangana Ranaut has always been a powerful performer. She's an actress with lots of talent who has taken on roles that are different, challenging and out of the league of most Bollywood actresses fighting the number game. And here too she has made a bold choice and a difficult one as well. She stays true to the character she is playing, as it has been etched out, never once over-reaching and going for histrionics. She doesn’t try to grab you. She just tugs at you, with her subtle, nuanced performance; She is in complete control and is very good’’.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Anupama Chopra of "Film Companion" crowned "Queen" as the best film of the year 2014. Mihir Fadnavis of "Firstpost" cited "Queen" as one of the best Bollywood films of 2014. Calling it the ‘‘biggest surprise of the year’’ he said, The film had rare ‘‘subtlety’’ and ‘‘quality’’ for a mainstream commercial film. Sukanya Verma of Rediff cited it as one of the best films of 2014. She stated, ‘‘"Queen’s" heartening success proves women-oriented subjects are just as welcome’’. Shafiq Ul Hasan of "The Express Tribune" listed "Queen" as one of the best Bollywood films of 2014. Ishita Blaggan of "NDTV" named it as one of the top ten Bollywood hits of 2014. Subramanian Harikumar of "DNA" listed it as one of the best Bollywood films of 2014. "India TV" listed it as one of the best women-centric movies of 2014. Calling Ranaut's performance in the film ‘‘effortless’’ they wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is one of the best gifts that Bollywood received on International Women's Day’’. Film critic Anna M. M. Vetticad in her blog crowned "Queen" as the best film of the year 2014 and Ranaut as the best actress of the year 2014. Additionally, she ranked Haydon as the second best supporting actress of the year. For her performance in "Queen", "The Indian Express" named Ranaut as the best actress of 2014. "Hindustan Times" listed Ranaut as one of the top female performers of the year 2014 in Bollywood. "CNN-IBN" listed Ranaut's performance in the film as one of the stand-out performances of 2014. Raja Sen of Rediff ranked Ranaut as the second best actress of year 2014. He wrote, ‘‘Ranaut, who has written her own dialogue in the film, fashions a character with undying spirit and verve’’. Nandini Ramnath of "Scroll" listed Ranaut's character in the film, Rani, as one of the best roles in Hindi films of 2014.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: According to "Hindustan Times", "Queen" is considered to be Ranaut's calling-card film. Not only did it cement Ranaut as one of the most interesting actors in the Hindi film industry, but it also changed the Bollywood landscape and inspired a streak of films like "NH10" (2015), "Piku" (2015), "Neerja" (2016), "Pink" (2016) and "Lipstick Under My Burkha" (2017). They further stated, ‘‘"Queen's" success empowered not only female actors, but also producers, who could no longer cite the lack of stars as being detrimental to their films’ chances at the box office’’. Oshin Fernandes from "The Free Press Journal" called "Queen" a ‘‘niche-breaker’’ in Hindi Cinema. Critics called "Queen" a ‘‘game-changer’’ and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" was not just a game-changer for Ranaut, but also for all the women out there who received hope and motivation to live their lives on their own terms’’. Farhan Syed of "Times of India" listed "Queen" as one of the ten Bollywood movies that broke stereotypes. "Queen" popularized solo trips and inspired a lot of women to have a solo trip to Europe. In 2019, Megha Sharma from "Vogue India" published a guide to a solo European holiday inspired by Ranaut’s "Queen".


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Namrata Joshi called "Queen" a ‘‘game-changer’’. She wrote, ‘‘It was "Queen" (2014) that was the real game changer; The low-budget film hit a chord, quickly climbing to the top of the charts and since then, other films have featured male superstars fighting for women’s causes, such as Aamir Khan in "Dangal" (2016), or showing their feminist side, such as Akshay Kumar making rotis (flatbread) for his on-screen wife in "Jolly LLB 2" (2017)’’. About Ranaut's performance in "Queen", Saibal Chatterjee opined, ‘‘It is a performance that should define not only her career, but also the fate of any young Bollywood actress seeking to push the boundaries of what is acceptable within the framework of the commercial Hindi movie industry’’. Baradwaj Rangan stated, ‘‘"Queen's" success is validation that audiences are open to a range of women-centric films, from heavy-duty dramas to small, breezy dramedies’’. Devesh Sharma of "Filmfare" called "Queen" a ‘‘step in right direction for Indian Cinema’’. He stated that, ‘‘"Queen" will pave the way for more story-centric films in future; After Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra, Ranaut has staked her claim as the right choice for gutsy roles’’.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Runjhun Noopur from "Arré" called "Queen" a classic film and wrote, ‘‘"Queen" is a rare legit classic, as relevant today as it was in 2014’’. She described "Queen" as a groundbreaking and an influential feminist film. Writing about "Queen's" legacy she opined, ‘‘"Queen" is a piece of art with a life of its own, a story that makes you feel connected to the world in ways few things can; Beyond the feminism, it is a story of human triumph that gives you hope and makes you want to fight for your happiness; It makes you want to believe in people, in friends, in strangers who become your fleeting accomplices in the journey of life and that is the true legacy of "Queen"’’. Shrishti Negi from CNN-IBN cited "Queen" as one of the best movies of 2010s decade and the film which represents or defined the year 2014 in Hindi Cinema. She further wrote, ‘‘In Bollywood, where we are used to watching romance between a couple (man and woman), "Queen" shows us some other kind of love, i.e. self-love, which is not only liberating but completely fulfilling’’. Anupama Chopra called "Queen" a ‘‘Kangana’s triumph’’. Arushi Kapoor from "Vagabomb" called "Queen" the most feminist film of recent years and stated, ‘‘"Queen" undoubtedly made a strong statement with the central plot of a girl moving on after being left at the altar and finding herself; but even beyond the essence of the film was a multi-layered message of beautifully portrayed feminist ideals; "Queen" was, arguably, the most feminist film in Bollywood post the 2000’s and definitely a lesson in Feminism 101’’. Shubhra Gupta from "The Indian Express" named "Queen" as one of India’s seventy-five most iconic films that celebrate the journey of the country. She also featured "Queen" in her book called ‘‘50 Films That Changed Bollywood’’. In 2017, cultural professor Rachel Dwyer named "Queen" as one of the 70 iconic Movies of Independent India.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Deepanjana Pal of "Firstpost" stated that, ‘‘"Queen" is the first time Ranaut got a script that really allows her to confirm she's more than a pretty face. There's no high fashion or flattering make-up to flaunt Ranaut's physical beauty in "Queen", but this is a role that allows Ranaut to showcase not just her acting talents, but also her wit because Ranaut is credited with contributing additional dialogues to the film’’. Aamy Kuldip of "Brown Girl Magazine" said "Queen" should be every brown girl’s favorite movie and opined, ‘‘"Queen" won our hearts and it started the era of brown girls with new-found confidence’’. He called Ranaut's character in "Queen", Rani, the ‘‘epitome’’ of the average brown girl trying to settle in the misogynistic and hypocritical world of ours; coming to the realization that accepting yourself is the first step in having the world accept you.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: Ranaut's character in "Queen", Rani Mehra, has become one of the most popular and recognizable characters in Hindi Cinema. "India Film Project" listed it as one of the 4 best characters from Hindi Cinema. Alisha Alam of "Times of India" listed it as one of the strongest female characters from Bollywood. "Filmfare" listed it as one of the fifteen strongest women characters in Bollywood. "Hindustan Times" listed it as one of the thirteen most powerful women characters portrayed in Bollywood. Radhika Seth and Riya Dhankar of "Vogue India" listed it as one of the most empowering female characters in Bollywood. Srishti Magan of "ScoopWhoop" listed it as one of the nineteen most relatable female characters from Bollywood. "Queen" featured on various decade-end lists with several publications naming it as one the best Indian films of 2010s decade. "Film Companion" listed it as one of the twenty-five greatest Hindi films of the decade. Radhika Menon of "Paste" listed it as one of the twenty best Bollywood movies of 2010s. Avijit Ghosh of "Times of India" listed it as one of the eleven best movies of the decade. Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" listed it as one of the best Bollywood films of the decade. Rajeev Masand listed it as one of the ten best Hindi films of the decade. Shrishti Negi of CNN-IBN listed it as one of the best Hindi films of the decade. Nandini Ramnath of "Scroll" cited it as one of the best Indian films of the decade. "The Free Press Journal" cited it as one of the best Bollywood movies of the decade. Srishti Magan of "ScoopWhoop" cited it as one of the forty-five films that redefined Bollywood in 2010s decade.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: "Queen" is cited as one the best Indian films of all-time by several publications. Emma Carey of "Esquire" cited it as one of the best Bollywood movies of all-time. Rachel Dwyer from British Film Institute cited it as one of the ten greatest Bollywood films of the 21st century. "Time Out" listed it as one of the hundred best Bollywood movies of all-time. Ineye Komonibo of "Marie Claire" listed it as one of the thirty-eight best Bollywood movies of all-time. "Times of India" cited it as one of the twenty best Bollywood movies of all-time. Jasmine Ting of "Cosmopolitan" cited it as one of the best Indian films. Radhika Menon of "Paste" listed it as one of the fifteen best Bollywood movies. ZEE5 listed it as one of the thirty evergreen Bollywood films that one should watch before they die. Prakruti Patel and Elena Nicolaou of "O, The Oprah Magazine" listed it as one of the best films in Indian Cinema. Sonali Pimputkar of "The Free Press Journal" cited it as one of the fifteen must-watch female-oriented movies in Bollywood.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: "Queen" debuted with relatively low collections and grossed on the first day, grossing on the second day, and on the third day, taking the first weekend's collection to . Despite a poor start, "Queen" held up well in the first weekdays and grossed around per day during the week and ended the first week with . On its second Monday it grossed , coinciding with a holiday in India. "Queen" had higher collection in the second week than the first week, collecting in two weeks. The movie had a massive growth by far in 2014 for the third week collection by , which totals the third week collection to . In the fourth week, the film managed a promising , which is the 11th highest gross of all time in the history of Hindi cinema for the fourth week. The final domestic collection was just above .


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: In overseas market, Queen collected in United States, in Canada and in United Kingdom in five weeks, totalling around in all overseas market. The movie earned over worldwide by the end of its eighth week.


title: Queen (2013 film)

text: At the 62nd National Film Awards, the film won Best Hindi Film (Bahl) and Best Actress (Ranaut). At the 60th Filmfare Awards ceremony, "Queen" won a leading 6 awards out of a leading 13 nominations: Best Film, Best Director (Bahl), Best Actress (Ranaut), Best Background Score (Trivedi), Best Cinematography and Best Editing. At the 2015 Screen Awards ceremony, "Queen" received a leading 13 nominations, and won Best Film, Best Director (Bahl) and Best Cinematography. Other nominations included Best Actress (Ranaut), and Best Supporting Actress (Haydon). At the 2015 Star Guild Awards, the film won Best Director (Bahl), Best Story, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing awards. "Queen" also won Best Film, Best Director (Bahl) and Best Actress (Ranaut) at the 2015 Stardust Awards ceremony. At the 16th IIFA Awards, "Queen" received 7 nominations, and won 5 awards including Best Film and Best Actress (Ranaut).


title: Edwin Walker

text: Edwin Anderson Walker (November 10, 1909 – October 31, 1993) was the only U.S. Army general officer to resign his commission amid his tour of duty in the 20th century. After serving in World War II and the Korean War Walker became better known for his white supremacism and extreme political opinions, often made on-duty and in uniform for which he was criticized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Walker resigned his commission in 1959, but Eisenhower refused to accept his resignation and gave Walker a new command of the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker again resigned his commission in 1961 after being publicly and formally admonished by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for allegedly referring to Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman as "pink" in print. Walker had also violated the Hatch Act of 1939, they charged, by attempting to influence the votes of his troops. President John F. Kennedy sought to avoid the scandal of the resignation of a US General, so he offered Walker a new command in Hawaii. Walker refused it, and instead chose to move to Dallas, Texas, where anticommunist supporter H.L. Hunt had offered to finance Walker's campaign to be the Governor of Texas.


title: Edwin Walker

text: In early 1962, Walker campaigned to become governor of Texas and lost the Democratic primary election to the eventual winner, John Connally. In October 1962, Walker was arrested for promoting riots at the University of Mississippi in protest against the admission of black student James Meredith into the all-white university. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered Walker committed to a mental asylum for a 90-day evaluation, but the ACLU and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz protested along with rightist groups, and Walker was released in five days. Attorney Robert Morris in early 1963 convinced a Mississippi grand jury to acquit Walker.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker reported that he was the target of an assassination attempt at his home on April 10, 1963, but escaped serious injury when a bullet fired from outside hit a window frame and fragmented. After its investigation into the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Warren Commission concluded that Walker's assailant had been Lee Harvey Oswald.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker was born in the town of Center Point in Kerr County, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country. He graduated in 1927 from the New Mexico Military Institute. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 1931.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker's training was in artillery, but in World War II he commanded a sub-unit of the Canadian-American First Special Service Force. Walker took command of the force's 3rd Regiment while still in the United States, and commanded the regiment throughout its time in Italy. Their first combat actions began in December 1943, and after battling through the Winter Line, the force was withdrawn for redeployment to the Anzio beachhead in early 1944. After the fight for Rome in June 1944, the force was withdrawn again to prepare for Operation Dragoon. In August 1944, Walker succeeded Robert T. Frederick as the unit's second, and last, commanding officer. The FSSF landed on the Islands of Hyeres off the French Riviera in the autumn of 1944, defeating a strong German garrison. Walker commanded the FSSF when it was disbanded in early 1945.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker experienced combat during the Korean War, commanding the Third Infantry Division's 7th Infantry Regiment and serving as a senior advisor to the army of the Republic of Korea.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker was then assigned as commander of the Arkansas Military District in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1957, he implemented an order by President Eisenhower to quell civil disturbances related to the desegregation of Little Rock's Central High School. Osro Cobb, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, recalls that Walker "made it clear from the outset ... that he would do any and everything necessary to see that the black students attended Central High School as ordered by the federal court... he would arrange protection for them and their families, if necessary, and also supervise their transportation to and from the school for their safety."


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker repeatedly protested to Eisenhower that using federal troops to enforce racial integration was against his conscience. Although he obeyed orders and successfully integrated Little Rock High School, he began listening to segregationist preacher Billy James Hargis and oil tycoon H. L. Hunt, whose anti-communist radio program "Life Line" was supported by conservative activist and publisher Dan Smoot. Anti-communist activists in the late 1950s claimed that communists controlled important parts of the U.S. government and the United Nations, and that some Soviet spies and agents occupied prominent jobs within the federal government, for example, some of the Silvermaster group.


title: Edwin Walker

text: In 1959, Walker met publisher Robert Welch, the founder of the John Birch Society who taught his followers that President Eisenhower was a communist and that the civil-rights movement was a communist plot.


title: Edwin Walker

text: On August 4, 1959, Walker submitted his resignation to the U.S. Army claiming the US government had been infiltrated by an international communist conspiracy. President Eisenhower denied Walker's request, however, and instead offered him command of the more than 10,000 troops in Augsburg, Germany, in the 24th Infantry Division, which Walker accepted. He began promoting his "Pro-Blue" indoctrination program for troops, which included a reading list of materials by Hargis and the John Birch Society. The name "Pro-Blue", said Walker, was intended to suggest "anti-red." He later wrote that the Pro-Blue program was based upon his experiences in Korea, where he saw "hastily mobilized and deployed soldiers 'bug out' in the face of Communist units with inferior equipment and often smaller numbers. American soldiers, unprepared for the psychological battlefield, needed to know why they had to beat the enemy as well as the how."


title: Edwin Walker

text: The John Birch Society regularly claimed that all U.S. presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt onward had been communists, and Walker was quoted by the "Overseas Weekly" as saying that Harry S. Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Secretary of State Dean Acheson were "definitely pink." Finally, a number of soldiers had complained that Walker was instructing them how to vote in the forthcoming American election by using the "Conservative Voting Index", which was biased toward the Republican Party. Walker denied the allegation that he provided voting instructions to soldiers and that the allegation was based on an article in the division newspaper that provided instructions for filling out absentee ballots. Walker was relieved of his command by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, while an inquiry was conducted. In October, Walker was reassigned to Hawaii to become assistant chief of staff for training and operations in the Pacific region.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker decided for the second time to resign from the US Army. He was entitled to retire, but he chose instead to make a political statement. Walker chose political activism to his 30-year military career, so on November 2, 1961, Walker publicly resigned (thereby forfeiting his Army pension). President Kennedy offered Walker a new command in Hawaii instead, but Walker spurned it. Weeks later Walker said: "It will be my purpose now, as a civilian, to attempt to do what I have found it no longer possible to do in uniform."


title: Edwin Walker

text: During December 1961, as a civilian, Walker began a career making political speeches along with Billy James Hargis. Walker enjoyed enthusiastic crowds all over the United States and his anti-communist message was popular. He also promoted the McCarthyist belief that communists were inside the United States government. Walker's home base was Dallas, Texas, where he received considerable assistance from oil billionaire, publisher and radio host H. L. Hunt. Hunt assisted Walker's first campaign for governor of Texas. A "Newsweek" cover proclaimed Walker the public face of the anti-communist conservative movement.


title: Edwin Walker

text: In February 1962, Walker began his campaign for governor, but finished last among six candidates in a Democratic primary election. The winner in a runoff election was John B. Connally, Jr., the choice of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Other contenders were Governor Price Daniel, Highway Commissioner Marshall Formby of Plainview, Attorney General of Texas Will Wilson, and Houston lawyer Don Yarborough, the favorite of liberals and organized labor. Because of disfranchisement of minorities in Texas since the beginning of the century, Democratic Party primaries were the only strongly competitive political contests in the state at that time. In the course of his campaign, Walker assaulted journalist Thomas V. Kelly (father of journalist and editor Michael Kelly), who had asked him for a response to praise of Walker from American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell; Walker's response was to strike Kelly in the left eye, an attack that was widely reported in the press.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Though Walker had obeyed orders during the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, he acted privately in organizing protests in September 1962 against the enrollment of James Meredith, an African-American veteran, at the all-white University of Mississippi.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Mississippi: It is time to move. We have talked, listened and been pushed around far too much by the anti-Christ Supreme Court! Rise...to a stand beside Governor Ross Barnett at Jackson, Mississippi! Now is the time to be heard! Thousands strong from every State in the Union! Rally to the cause of freedom! The Battle Cry of the Republic! Barnett yes! Castro no! Bring your flag, your tent and your skillet. It's now or never! The time is when the President of the United States commits or uses any troops, Federal or State, in Mississippi! The last time in such a situation I was on the wrong side. That was in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957-1958. This time -- out of uniform -- I am on the right side! I will be there!


title: Edwin Walker

text: This is Edwin A. Walker. I am in Mississippi beside Governor Ross Barnett. I call for a national protest against the conspiracy from within. Rally to the cause of freedom in righteous indignation, violent vocal protest, and bitter silence under the flag of Mississippi at the use of Federal troops. This today is a disgrace to the nation in 'dire peril,' a disgrace beyond the capacity of anyone except its enemies. This is the conspiracy of the crucifixion by anti-Christ conspirators of the Supreme Court in their denial of prayer and their betrayal of a nation.


title: Edwin Walker

text: White segregationists from around the state joined students and locals in a violent, 15-hour riot on the campus on September 30. Two people were killed execution-style, hundreds were wounded, and six federal marshals were shot. Walker was arrested on four federal charges, including sedition and insurrection against the United States. He was temporarily detained in a mental institution on orders from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy demanded that Walker receive a 90-day psychiatric examination.


title: Edwin Walker

text: The attorney general's decision was challenged by noted psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, who insisted that psychiatry must never become used for political rivalry. The American Civil Liberties Union joined Szasz in a protest against the attorney general, completing this coalition of liberal and conservative leaders. The attorney general had to relent, and Walker spent only five days in the asylum.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker posted bond and returned home to Dallas, where he was greeted by a crowd of some 200 devotees. After a federal grand jury adjourned in January 1963 without indicting him, the charges were dismissed. Because the dismissal of the charges was without prejudice, the charges could have been reinstated within five years.


title: Edwin Walker

text: In February 1963, Walker joined Billy Hargis on an anticommunist tour named "Operation Midnight Ride." In a March 5 speech, Walker called on the American military to "liquidate the [communist] scourge that has descended upon the island of Cuba." Seven days later, Lee Harvey Oswald ordered a Carcano rifle by mail using the alias A. Hidell.


title: Edwin Walker

text: While initially skeptical about the photographic evidence provided by the FBI, the Warren Commission reported that Oswald photographed Walker's Dallas home on the weekend of March 9–10, 1963. Oswald's friend, 51-year-old Russian émigré and petroleum geologist George de Mohrenschildt, would later tell the Warren Commission that he "knew that Oswald disliked General Walker."


title: Edwin Walker

text: On April 10, 1963, as Walker was sitting at a desk in his dining room, a bullet struck the wooden frame of his dining-room window. Walker was injured in the forearm by fragments. Marina Oswald later testified that her husband had told her that he traveled by bus to General Walker's house and shot at Walker with his rifle. Marina said that Oswald considered Walker to be the leader of a "fascist organization."


title: Edwin Walker

text: Police detective D. E. McElroy commented, "Whoever shot at the general was playing for keeps. The sniper wasn't trying to scare him. He was shooting to kill." The bullet was too badly damaged to provide conclusive ballistics tests, but neutron activation analysis tests later determined that it was "extremely likely" that the bullet was manufactured by the Western Cartridge Company and was the same type of ammunition as was used in the Kennedy assassination.


title: Edwin Walker

text: A note that Oswald left for Marina on the night of the attempt with instructions for her should he not return was not found until ten days after the assassination. Marina Oswald stated later that she had seen Oswald burn most of his plans in the bathtub, though she hid the note that he had left for her in a cookbook, with the intention of bringing it to the police should Oswald again attempt to kill Walker or anyone else. Marina later quoted her husband as saying, "Well, what would you say if somebody got rid of Hitler at the right time? So if you don't know about General Walker, how can you speak up on his behalf?"


title: Edwin Walker

text: The Warren Commission questioned Walker about an interview that he had granted on November 22 in Shreveport, Louisiana that appeared in the November 29, 1963 edition of the extreme-right German newspaper "Deutsche National-Zeitung," in which Walker accused Oswald of having attempted to kill him. Marina Oswald was asked about the report during a two-week-long detention in which she was interrogated by federal investigators, and she said that she believed that the report was true.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker organized an October 24, 1963 UN Day attack on Adlai Stevenson, American ambassador to the United Nations, in Dallas. In mid-October 1963, Walker rented the same Dallas Memorial Auditorium in which Stevenson would later speak. He promoted his opposition event as "US Day" and he invited members of the John Birch Society, the National Indignation Convention, the Minutemen and other organizations opposed to communism and the United Nations.


title: Edwin Walker

text: The verbal attacks on Stevenson were traced to plans organized by Walker and his devotees in the John Birch Society, according to the November issue of the magazine "Texas Observer". On November 22, a black-bordered advertisement ran in the "Dallas Morning News" and "Wanted for Treason: JFK" handbills appeared on the streets. They were traced to Walker and his associate Robert Surrey by the Warren Commission. After the assassination, Walker wrote and spoke publicly about his belief that there were two assassins at the "April Crime", Oswald and another person who was never found.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Immediately after the Warren Commission released its report in September 1964, Walker described it as a "farcical whitewash." Although he accepted the commission's finding that it had been Oswald who had shot at him the previous year, Walker claimed that the commission was attempting to hide "some sort of conspiracy" that included an association between Jack Ruby and Oswald.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Angered by negative publicity, Walker began to file libel lawsuits against various media outlets. One suit responded to negative coverage of his role in the riot at the University of Mississippi protesting Meredith's admission. The Associated Press reported that Walker had "led a charge of students against federal marshals" and that he had "assumed command of the crowd." Several newspapers were named in the lawsuit. If successful, Walker could have been awarded tens of millions of dollars.


title: Edwin Walker

text: The Associated Press appealed the decision as "Associated Press v. Walker", eventually to the United States Supreme Court, where it was consolidated with "Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts". In 1967, the Supreme Court ruled against Walker and found that although the statements might have been false, the Associated Press was not guilty of reckless disregard in its reporting about Walker. The court, which had previously said that public officials could not recover damages unless they could prove malice, extended it to public figures as well.


title: Edwin Walker

text: By resigning instead of retiring, Walker became ineligible for an Army pension. He made statements at the time to the "Dallas Morning News" that he had "refused" his pension. However, he had made several previous requests for his pension dating back to 1973. The army restored his pension rights in 1982.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker, at age 66, was arrested on June 23, 1976 for fondling and propositioning a male undercover police officer in a public restroom in a Dallas park and charged with public lewdness. He was arrested again in Dallas for public lewdness on March 16, 1977. He pleaded no contest to one of the two misdemeanor charges, and was convicted and sentenced to jail time, which the judge suspended. He was also fined $1,000.


title: Edwin Walker

text: Walker, a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer at his home in Dallas on Halloween 1993, ten days before his 84th birthday. He was never married and did not have any children.


title: Drakengard 3

text: Drakengard 3, known in Japan as is an action role-playing video game developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix exclusively for PlayStation 3. It is the third and final main game in the "Drakengard" series and a prequel to the original game. The game, like the rest of the series, features a mixture of ground-based hack-and-slash combat and aerial battles. The story focuses on Zero, a woman who can manipulate magic through song. Partnering with a dragon named Mikhail, Zero set out to kill her five sisters, who rule the world's regions. As she travels, the player discovers the true reason behind Zero's rampage.


title: Drakengard 3

text: The game, created to cater for hardcore role-playing game audiences, was developed by the same team who created the original "Drakengard" and series spin-off "Nier", including producer Takamasa Shiba, director Yoko Taro and writer Sawako Natori. The music was composed by Keiichi Okabe, who also scored "Nier". Unlike previous titles in the series, the team developed the game at Access Games, due to the company's experience at developing action titles and the team's wish to address criticisms laid at the gameplay of previous "Drakengard" games. "Drakengard 3" received mixed to positive reviews and sales in Japan and mixed reviews in the west. The ground-based gameplay and story were generally praised, while common criticisms included the dragon gameplay, graphics and multiple technical issues.


title: Drakengard 3

text: "Drakengard 3" features hack-and-slash gameplay and aerial combat on a dragon, as with previous entries in the series. The player controls the main protagonist Zero during the entire campaign and for most levels is accompanied by up to two AI-controlled companions. In ground-based combat, Zero performs multiple attacks on various enemies. These can be combined into combos, which fill up Zero's Tension Gauge. When the gauge is filled to any degree, Zero can temporarily enter Intoner Mode, a hyperactive state which enables her to move quickly and deal high damage to enemies while also making her immune to attack. As Zero levels up, weapons grow more powerful and Zero gains access to multiple weapon types as the game progresses. Each weapon type produces a different set of attacking moves. Unlike previous titles in the series, the player does not have to pause the games to switch weapons, instead being able to do it at any time without pausing.


title: Drakengard 3

text: Zero can switch between four weapon types: swords, spears, combat bracers and chakrams. Each weapon has a four-level cap and can be leveled up either through combat or by spending money acquired during levels. Each weapon has different effects depending on enemy-type and combat situation, with spears being useful against heavily armored or shielded enemies and swords being a default weapon. While exploring levels, Zero can collect items from chests and fallen enemies which earn money for buying potions, as well as buying and leveling weapons. Zero can also complete sidequests as the player progresses through the game: these sidequests place within areas of normal levels and limitations on the player's abilities. The player's performance during them earns special items and the number of items you earn increases with the number of enemies killed.


title: Drakengard 3

text: For aerial combat, Zero mounts her dragon Mikhail. The two main types of aerial combat are rail shooter-style missions and free-roaming combat which enables both aerial and ground-based combat. Mikhail has multiple attack types at his disposal: while on the ground, after Zero has mounted, the dragon can perform a sweeping attack using his wings and snap at them. During combat in the air, Mikhail can breathe fire down onto the ground and at airborne enemies. Mikhail is fully controllable while in the air, flying through the environment and being able to evade enemy fire. Mikhail's main attack, breathing fire, features a lock-on feature which can take in multiple enemies. Mikhail can also enter Intoner Mode while Zero is mounted, which magnifies the amount of damage he can deal. During ground-based missions, Zero can also call in Mikhail to deal damage to enemy units.


title: Drakengard 3

text: "Drakengard 3" takes place roughly one hundred years before the events of "Drakengard", acting as a prequel to the first two games in the series. Despite being a prequel, "Drakengard 3" mostly follows separate timelines unrelated to the events of "Drakengard". In earlier times, the land was ravaged by conflict between warlords. At the height of the carnage, five mysterious figures called Intoners appeared and using their ability to utilize magic through song, defeated the warlords and ended the conflict. Due to this, they become worshiped as deities and became rulers of various regions of the land. An unspecified time later, in the game's present, the strongest Intoner, One, wishes to unite the five once again and bring stability to the land. The source of the Intoners' power is an evil magical flower. , the main protagonist and antihero, was saved from death to be used as an instrument for mankind's destruction. Zero wishes to destroy all those affected by its power, herself and 'sisters's spawns when Zero attempted suicide and ensure the safety of the world.


title: Drakengard 3

text: The player controls Zero, who is now considered a traitor by the Intoners and their followers because of her mission to kill them. Aiding her on her quest is the dragon , who is her mount in aerial battle. The other five Intoners are: , the current ruler of the Intoners; , the more cheerful member of the group and ruler of the Country of Sand; , ruler of the Country of Forest and an obsessive over dolls; , ruler of the Country of Mountain and the only virgin of the group; and , ruler of the Country of Sea and a woman consumed by greed for everything. Traveling with Zero on her quest are the disciples, a group who formerly served the Intoners and accompany Zero after their original mistresses are killed. They include: , a dumb and overconfident man, as well as the lover of the Intoner Two; , an old and cunning man obsessed with sex; a gentlemanly warrior with a masochistic streak; and , a sadistic young man. Each of the disciples helps the Intoner summon angels and daemons into battle. The game is narrated to the player by , an android created by the "old world" to monitor and document all timelines.


title: Drakengard 3

text: Zero and her dragon Michael slaughter their way into the Cathedral City, the center of power for the Intoners. Zero's attempt to kill them directly ends disastrously: she and Michael are gravely wounded by One's own dragon, Gabriel. A year later, Zero and her dragon, now a childlike reincarnation named Mikhail, set off to try killing the Intoners again. They first travel to the Land of Seas to face Five: during the fight, Five is killed by her disciple Dito, whom Zero takes into her service. The group then journey to the Land of Mountains and face Four: after Four's death, Zero recruits Decadus. They then proceed to the Land of Forests. There, Three's disciple Octa attempts to betray his mistress, but she forces him to help her fight Zero. She is killed by Mikhail, who is then attacked and captured by daemons summoned by Two and Cent. Zero pursues them to the Land of Sand, freeing Mikhail from captivity and facing the two. Mikhail kills Two and Cent joins Zero. The group then fight their way into the Cathedral City, where Zero transforms the Disciples into their true dove forms, freeing them from their service to her. During her battle with One, Mikhail dies wounding Gabriel, allowing a distraught Zero to finish off Gabriel and One. Zero is then killed by a male clone of One, who decides to create a new religious order in memory of his "sister."


title: Drakengard 3

text: After this, Accord tells of three alternate series of events or "branches," caused by a group of singularities (Zero, her sisters, and the disciples) coming together. In the second branch, while in the Land of Forests and having already recruited Cent, Zero finds the surviving sisters being driven insane by the power of the flower: Three dies of unknown causes, causing her soldiers to go mad. Eventually, the group find One has been killed by a deranged Two. Brought back under her influence, Cent turns on the group, killing Octa and Dito. Two and Decadus kill each other, while Zero kills Cent: before dying, Two and Cent summon their angel Raphael, which poisons Mikhail before being killed. In order to save Mikhail, Zero activates the flower's power and forms a "pact," resurrecting him. In the third branch, after rescuing Mikhail from Two's stronghold, the dragon is devolved back to his child form by Two's powers. Upon arrival in the Cathedral City, the group faces Two, who destroys the four disciples when they kill her. Zero then faces One, who reveals that she knows the true nature of the Intoners and reveals the reason behind Zero's partnership with Mikhail: once the other Intoners were dead, Mikhail was to kill Zero, destroying the flower's power. Gabriel and Mikhail kill each other and Zero and One engage in an enraged battle. After killing One, Zero, still in shock from Mikhail's death, sets off to try to find another dragon who can kill her. It is implied in Accord's closing report that she fails.


title: Drakengard 3

text: In the fourth and final branch of Zero's set of timelines, as she proceeds on her quest, she encounters each of her sisters possessed by the flower's power, as well as interacting directly with Accord. In each battle with the sisters, the Disciples summon their angels and transform into doves until only Octa remains. In the Cathedral City, Zero and Octa face off against One while Mikhail challenges Gabriel. Octa sacrifices himself to restrain One. Finally, Accord decides to intervene and sacrifices herself so Zero can kill One, which in turn kills Gabriel and saves Mikhail. Upon absorbing the power of all five Intoners, Zero transforms into a stone monster and engages with Mikhail in a rhythm game-style battle. Upon winning, Mikhail destroys the monster and Accord's voice declares that the flower's evil has been sealed away, although there is still the possibility of it reappearing in another time and place. She also suspects that Zero might have survived. In a post-credits scene, a new version of Accord replaces the one destroyed by Zero and many others join her in helping record world events. As they disperse, the new Accord speaks to the player, hoping to see them again and thanking them for playing, before the screen goes black.


title: Drakengard 3

text: "Drakengard 3" was conceived when Takamasa Shiba and Taro Yoko, the respective producer and director of the original game, met up years after Cavia, the company where they created the series, was absorbed into AQ Interactive. The two resurrected early plans to create a third entry in the series. As part of the brainstorming process, the company used fan questionnaires, from which the team learned that many wanted a dark story similar to "Nier" for the next entry in the series. Speaking about the creation of the game, Shiba said that "Drakengard 3" was made partly because the company was making fewer single-player RPG console games and he wished to capture the atmosphere of earlier days. Alongside that was Shiba's ambition to show that the RPG fanbase was now a mainstream community that wanted a more hardcore gaming experience.


title: Drakengard 3

text: The game was developed by Access Games, who were noted for the survival horror "Deadly Premonition", and built using Unreal Engine 3. Shiba noted that the company was "just really good at creating action games", which would enable the team to address criticisms laid at the previous games in the series for their poor combat while still being able to craft a story true to the "Drakengard" series. Production began in 2011, after Access Games were contacted by Shiba during that year's Tokyo Game Show. By the time the game was unveiled in early 2013, it was 60% complete, and Yoko commented "It's not "Drakengard" or "Nier". If you're expecting that, you'll be disappointed." The opening CGI cinematic was created by Visual Works. The scene was based on a storyboard produced by Yoko, and director Kazuyuki Ikumori aimed to make the scene beautiful despite its gory content. Visual Works also handled the game's in-game cutscenes, with one staff member describing it as a difficult period as they needed to produce over 100 minutes of cutscenes within a short time period.


title: Drakengard 3

text: Kimihiko Fujisaka, character designer for the previous entries in the series, reprised his role. In designing the characters, Fujisaka used the previous two games' "Medieval Europe" inspiration for the enemies, while leaning towards more modern designs for the main characters. In addition to Fujisaka, actor Shinnosuke Ikehata, who had voiced key characters in previous games in the series, returned to do voice work, and writer Sawako Natori, who had worked on "Drakengard", "Drakengard 2" and "Nier", returned to write the scenario with Yoko. The story was written to have "a good balance of darkness and humor", according to Shiba: he said that there was "actually a good bit of [darkness], in the in-game dialogue for example." The team did not want to turn it into a completely dark story, instead still having scenes that people could laugh at. Yoko did not want the emotions of the various characters to fall into simple stereotypes, or for there to be a simplistic take on the situation. He also wanted to create a strange "abnormal" picture for the players: the cited instance was the contrast between the fear and terror displayed by enemy soldiers and the often vulgar dialogue between Zero and her companions. He also stated that he went through a large part of the game's development "half-laughing".


title: Drakengard 3

text: During the story development process, the team decided upon a female protagonist as the game's lead, in contrast to the previous games, which had featured male protagonists, along with a large number of other female characters: this was primarily because all other proposals had been rejected or scrapped. Many aspects of Zero's design and abilities were intended to evoke the game's gritty atmosphere, while the flower growing from her eye was almost cut when Shiba thought it would be too much of a risk for the series when coupled with the character's gender. A couple of Yoko's ideas that were cut out or rejected during development included a fully contemporary setting with a school-girl protagonist, and calling the game "Drakengard 4" instead of "Drakengard 3", with the story revolving around searching for the missing installment in the series. Yoko, Natori and supplementary writer Emi Nagashima were jointly responsible for creating the disciples' personalities. Yoko wanted Nagashima to write Cent to be as much of an idiot as possible, while she received some negative feedback for her portrayal of Decadus despite her best efforts. Octa was the character Natori and Nagashima best understood, though Nagashima found it difficult writing his novella. While writing Mikhail's dialogue, Natori was asked by Yoko to embody the good qualities of animals and children in him. Instead of being realistic, Natori borrowed elements from other fiction to create his personality, finding him the most fun to write. The dialogue between Zero and her disciples was written by Yoko to contrast in content with the violent combat. Elements of fourth-wall breaking were included in the game, such as some of Zero's dialogue or Accord's actions during the final ending: this both acted as a callback to "Drakengard", and to suggest that the real world was simply another branch of the "Drakengard" universe.


title: Drakengard 3

text: Fujisaka's design for Zero was the first to be approved by Yoko. The other Intoners were designed fairly quickly after that: Yoko told Fujisaka to "think "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"" when designing them. Each character had different design themes: for example, Five's was nudity and knitwear, Four's was her being a female captain, and Two's were underwear and "lolita". Three was meant to have bangs covering her face and multiple hairpins, but this was dropped. The characters' number-based names and differing eye colors were meant to help players identify them, while aspects of Zero's design were incorporated into the other Intoners to emphasize their connections. The Apostles were designed and approved quickly as they were not a high priority. They were designed around prime male archetypes: Cent, originally the group's sadist, was the "pretty boy", Octa was the "old man", Decadus was the "middle-aged man", and Dito was the "little boy".


title: Drakengard 3

text: The game's music was created by the music studio Monaca; its composers were Keiichi Okabe, Keigo Hoashi, Sho Ishihama and Kuniyuki Takahashi. Additional tracks were provided by Akitaka Tohyama. Okabe, who also led composition for "Nier", wished to match the work of "Drakengard" composer Nobuyoshi Sano, finding creating it a new experience. He was also requested by Yoko not to follow the musical route of either "Drakengard" or "Nier" and was inspired by the game's theme of "the sense of contrast". One of the game's theme songs, , was sung by Eir Aoi, a singer native to Hokkaido who was a self-confessed fan of the "Drakengard" series. Her liking of the series was the reason Shiba selected her to perform the theme song. The lyrics were written by Kikuchi Hana, one of "Nier"s scenario writers. The game's second theme song, "This Silence Is Mine", used in the game's Tokyo Game Show trailer, was specially written and sung by Onitsuka Chihiro. "Drag-on Dragoon 3 Original Soundtrack" was released on January 21, 2014, under the catalog number "SQEX-10414~5". The theme songs were released both as part of the soundtrack and as singles.


title: Drakengard 3

text: "Drakengard 3" was announced in Japan in March 2013 through Japanese game magazine "Famitsu". "Drakengard 3" received few gameplay previews and was promoted in the form of novellas: this was because Shiba wished for the game's story to be a mystery for players. The game was originally meant to be released in October 2013 in Japan, but was pushed back to December due to Square Enix wanting to improve the overall quality of the game and ensure it met fan expectation. The game released in Japan on December 19, 2013 In the West, it released on May 20, 2014 in North America, and May 21 in Europe. The localization was handled by 8-4, who had worked with Yoko localizing "Nier".


title: Drakengard 3

text: While it received a physical and digital release in Japan and North America, "Drakengard 3" was released in digital format only in Europe. It was also localized into Chinese with the assistance of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia, in an attempt to actively tap into the Chinese-speaking market. The collector's edition released in Japan also included an outfit inspired by Kainé, the female protagonist of "Nier". A limited collector's edition was also released in North America, Europe and Australia through Square Enix. It contained a prequel novel concerning the game's main characters, a scenario involving One, and DLC for both Japanese voice acting and a costume for Zero inspired by the first game's protagonist.