ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction While analyzing the methods the Han Dynasty used, in order to protect China from nomadic tribes, some basic points on the Han period must be considered. First of all, it is necessary to point out that the Han period is recognized to be one of the most important eras in Han Chinese history. Nomadic Mongol and Turkic tribes were considered to be the biggest threat to the Han Empire; for this reason, the Han times are associated with chaos and social fragmentation. Thus, it should be noted that nomadic tribesmen established numerous petty kingdoms on the territory of the northern China. They started large-scale ethnic migration, and soon joined the indigenous population. This fact seems to be of particular concern, as representatives of a wide range of nomadic groups lost their ethnic independence when became a part of the Chinese. Close interactions between the indigenous population and nomadic tribes were based on constant conflicts. Due to the interactions the Huns, the Xianbei, the Tibetans, etc. lost their cultural identity. Most of nomadic groups disappeared from the history of China because of their disintegration. The emperor Wu-ti vs. the Xiongnu Generally, it should be pointed out that in times of the Western Han period, China’s strongest enemy was a nomadic tribe the Xiongnu. Unfortunately, the Great Wall constructed by the Chinese, in order to protect their land from a Turkish-speaking nomadic tribe’s invasions was not strong enough to help people in the border. That is why the basic strategies the emperor Wu-ti decided to rely on involved defense and trade. Despite the fact that nomadic groups started to settle the territory of the northern China without a strong military support, the Chinese had no opportunity to protect themselves. The emperor Wu-ti tried to unite his military forces with the Yuezhi – people who were turned out of their own territory by the Xiongnu – the most aggressive representatives of nomadic population. However, his attempts to enter into an alliance with the Yuezhi failed. Thus, one is to keep in mind that the Yuezhi decided to abandon their nomadic life and become civilized nation. People who were driven out by the Xiongnu had no desire to revenge on their offenders. It was a military commander Zhang Qian whom the emperor sent on the mission. Despite the fact that Qian’s attempts to enter into an alliance failed, the commander depicted in detail the use of the so-called Celestial horses much larger than the ponies the Xiongnu possessed. For this reason, the Chinese supposed that they could stop the raiders using horses capable of carrying armor-clad fighters (“Civilization” par. 1). In times of the Han Dynasty, the inhabitants of China possessed small horses inappropriate for carrying soldiers into battle. As far as the Han Emperor Wu-ti heard about a new kind of large and strong horses named Celestial Horses from his military commander, he decided to forward his warriors to the king of Fe
Introduction It’s always confusing when answering the question of how Buddhism did spread so widely throughout Asia, yet it declined in India. In the travelogue “A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms 1 and later Great Tang Records on the Western Region ” 2 written by different Chinese Buddhist monks. It is revealed that between 399 CE to 645 CE, the descriptions of Indus society clearly indicated the decline of Buddhism in their birth land. In fact, the commencement of this decline was backdated to the times where historians can barely find any trace to prove that Buddhism was still in existence in the Deccan after 1150 3 . Most historians concluded that there were various internal and external factors which led to the disappearance of Buddhism in India. Some of this causes included; the decadence within Buddhism and the hostility from Brahmins. Being the main religion throughout the history of India, Brahmanism nourishes the Indian culture dominating around 80% of the Indian population (Hinduism) 4 . Compare with the impact of Brahmins religion on Indian society, Buddhism didn’t truly challenge the supremacy of Brahmanism. Even at that time of the Mauryan Empire, Buddhism scaled down its peak heights. It is not necessarily important to justify that we ascribe the extinction of Buddhism simply to the influence of its powerful competitor, the Brahmanism. However, it’s evident that the declining influence of Buddhism was also accompanied by the rise of agrarian-based religion of Brahmins on the Indian subcontinent. In addition to this, the persecution of Bramanical Kings together with the anti-Buddhism propaganda was a heavy hit to the Buddhists. Anti-Buddhism There is enough accounts rendered, which revealed all the persecution of Buddhism by Bramanical rulers. The Brahmanas never fully accepted the growing of Buddhist faith. In fact, at a later stage they counted Buddha as one of the avataras. Notable to mention is that, Sunga Pusyamitra is the best well-known example, of those anti-Buddhism kings who ordered the persecutions. According to history, these kings were linked in the persecution of Buddhists and the resurgence of Brahmanism. Buddhist texts Ashokavadana and Divyavadana, accused the persecution of Buddhists under his reign stating that “he would give a hundred dinara rewards to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk” 5 . Many secular historians regard these accounts as exaggerated K.T.S. This influenced Sarao to examine whether the animosity of the Brahmanas seriously contributed to the decline of Buddhism, especially in the case of Pusyamitra and Sasanka 6 . In his conclusion, Sarao stated that there was no exact evidence showing that Pusyamitra and Sasanka did beleaguer Buddhists. However, the only certainty considered was that they withdrew the patronage of Buddhism a
Introduction Published first in 1843, The Tell Tale-Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story that trails an unknown narrator who is adamant that he is sane even after brutally slaying an old aged man who has a “vulture eye”. This is the version of the story in written; however, in the film the story is different. It describes the narrator (Edgar) as an insane man who gets fanatical about his girlfriend (Betty). Betty also does show interest in a much younger and handsome guy who happen to be Edgar’s friend. This gets so intense to a point where Edgar ends up killing his own friend. The thyme of the two versions makes up one of the major contrasts between the film version and the original version of The Tell-Tale Heart story as it appears in the book. The killing is meticulously executed and the corpse chopped to pieces then concealed below the floorboards. This paper compares and contrasts the written and film version of the story The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. Discussion As illustrated by (Dray); what makes this story very interesting is the confidence of the narrator. He is so overconfident to the extent that his insanity leads to his own downfall. This story has so many versions that do have different intrigues and fascinations due to the fact that the killer is physiologically unstable. The first indication of insanity of the narrator is when he says, ‘why will you say that am mad?’ The film version of the story takes on a totally different perspective as it brings in the love triangle conflict that eventually leads to the killing of a man because Betty (Edgar’s girlfriend) who has romantic feelings for Edgar’s good looking best friend, Edgar then eventually ends up killing his friend to keep the Betty for himself. This aspect of the film version is not included in the original written version of the story. In the review (tale heart 1960); the film version of the story that is in total contrast to the original written version of the story is the lack of suspense. Unlike the written version, the film version that has additional storyline makes it quite obvious what is going to happen next especially when the Betty meets Edgar’s handsome and much younger friend for the first time. From that point on it’s quite easy to predict what is likely to happen in the next ten-20minutes. To make it worse, this scene drags on for quite a while which takes away all the fun. The motive for the brutal murder in the original version of the Tell-Tale Heart was the “vulture eye when he says in (Poe & Buchta 65); “I suppose it was the look of his eye! Definitely, it was the eye! The old man had the eye of a vulture –a light blue eye, which had a film over it”. The narrator commences the detailed account leading to the killings; he had nothing against except for his bad eye that whenever he looked at it, it drove him crazy. This is the original version of The Tell-Tale Heart though none of it appears in the film version. (Edgar Allan Poe) As revealed in (Poe & Buchta 90); the narrator can’t stand the old man’s defective eye that irks him so much so that he had to fi
Technically, the term monsoon is used to refer to the blowing of winds between the ocean and land, and the heavy rains that are associated with these winds. The winds blow in opposite directions in different seasons due to the reversed changes in the temperatures of the ocean and land. South Asia is characterized with extensive land which teams up with the massive water area covered by the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea to form the Asian Monsoon. This monsoon is very strong and has adverse effects on climate in this area (Parker, 2007, p. 1). In this paper, we discuss the causes of the South Asian monsoons and explore their effects on the climate of this region. There exists substantial controversy over the formation of monsoons but one thing is for sure; air pressure is a factor. With the above fact, therefore, the most plausible explanation to the formation of monsoons in South Asia is that pressure imbalances between the Indian Ocean and the Asian continent are the contributing factors (Arlblaster, 2010, p. 1). That is, in summer, the air covering the Indian Ocean has a high pressure while that covering Asia has low pressure leading to the movement of air masses from the high pressured zone to the low pressured one i.e. movement of air masses from the ocean to land. Since the air covering the Indian Ocean is moist during summer, South Asia receives moist air from this phenomenon. In the same way, during winter the pressure imbalance is reversed and thus the Indian Ocean is the one that is lowly pressured while the air over Tibetan Plateau is highly pressured and thus air moves from South of India and down the Himalayas towards the Indian Ocean. The monsoons are, therefore, cyclic and they consist of both onshore and offshore winds. From the explanation above, it is apparent that the monsoon is parallel to convectional currents. Convectional currents can therefore be described as miniature monsoons (Rao, 1992, p. 34). The convectional currents are characterized by movement of air currents between the ocean and land due to the different heating and cooling rates of the two. Other factors that contribute to the formation of monsoons are the westerlies and the trade winds that blow across South Asia (Parker, 2007, p. 1). Geographers have been increasingly worried about the effect of the monsoons on climatic conditions. Most of them describe the monsoonal climate with one word; violent. This is used to describe the effects of the heavy monsoonal rains on the South Asian climate which is characteri
Introduction One of the common themes in modern-day popular culture media has been the extensive representation of patriarchy as being the core structure of the family unit. For example, in shows such as Family Guy, American Dad, the Simpsons, and Everybody Loves Raymond, it is often seen that men in society are the heads of the household while women are often relegated to supportive roles (Heath, 2009: 187-201). While it may be true that many organizations have established policies to remedy discrimination of women both at home and in the workplace, the fact remains that upon careful examination of such policies, it can be seen that they are not an appropriate form of remedy since they do not resolve the disparities that occur within society. Based on what I noticed from the various popular culture shows I watched, women, especially married women, were often relegated into supporting roles and were discriminated against in their jobs on the basis that they were married and could get pregnant at any moment thus creating problems involving workplace productivity. The main problem that I noticed was in their representation wherein there were relatively few shows which showed a successful and happy woman that shared the role of a breadwinner with her husband. It was subtly hinted at by the shows that married women should not attempt to go outside of the role that society has deemed for them by getting a job or pursuing careers since it often results in adverse consequences. Taking this into consideration, this paper will examine the relegation of women into supportive roles in the family by popular culture media and how the main issue is in the manner in which they are represented. By exploring this method of representation in the family, this paper will attempt to show how such practices by the modern-day media is not an accurate representation of how society is like at the present and how it contributes towards creating a more unequal society based on its hypocritical method of praising independent women but relegating married women to mere supportive roles. The relegation of Women to Supportive Roles When examining the characters of Lois (Family Guy), Marge (the Simpsons), Christine (American Dad), and Debra (Everybody Loves Raymond), one common theme that is seen was that these women were actually at the cusp of having their independent careers before getting married. However, once they did get married and had children, they immediately became relegated to supportive roles (i.e., homemakers, stay at home moms, etc.). It was shown that they prioritized the concept of family over their careers resulting in them willfully choosing supportive roles rather than attempt to pursue a d
Introduction The twenty first Century has witnessed integration and increased cultural interaction among people on a previously unprecedented scale. The intercultural communication that has resulted from human interaction has resulted in some problems since different cultures have different norms and value systems and hence communication between people of various cultures may at times be hampered. However, despite the efforts at making intercultural communication less hectic, there still exist some concepts which are particular to certain cultures. These concepts at times hinder communication efforts since they are not universally acknowledged. The cultural difference argument (CDA) suggests that “we should be tolerant of other cultures’ moral practices because different cultures have assorted moral codes therefore there is no universal truth when it comes to morality.” As such, the conclusion forwarded by this statement emphasizes on the nature of moral facts as well as what people believe to be the truth. This paper shall set out to argue that the statement though persuasive, is illogical. To reinforce this claim, this paper shall discuss how the concept of ‘face’ influences interactions among Chinese people and how it results in misunderstandings and slows down progress in some instances. Cultural Difference Argument: A brief overview The CDA is based on the premise that different cultures follow different moral guidelines and conclusively asserts that whether actions are right or wrong is a matter of opinion since there is no “neutral” truth in morality (Rachels 20). However, the conclusion does not seem to be in line with the premise. From a deeper perspective, the premise is concerned with people’s beliefs that ultimately constitutes to their cultures. However, the conclusion does not follow from this premise but instead, dwells on the realities regarding this matter (the truth behind such beliefs). Using a practical example, face is an important Chinese cultural concept and its implication is felt in all aspects of the Chinese person’s life. Discussion According to David Yau Fai (as cited by Quimin D and Yu-Feng 2007), face is “a concept of central importance because of its pervasiveness with which it asserts its influence in social intercourse (401).” [As a result,] it is virtually impossible to think of a facet of social life to which the question of face is irrelevant.” Face therefore dictates all social interaction for all people of China irrespective of their social, political or economic status. In this regard, the CDA suggests that since this is a moral practice to the Chinese, other cultures should tolerate this practice. However, other cultures may not agree with these sentiments. The fact that there is a disagreement regarding this notion does not necessarily mean that there is no objective truth in it. However, it only suggests that the practice is objectively right or wrong (depending on culture) and that one side may be mistaken about the belief (Rach
Executive Summary The Australian market is relatively small in terms of population compared to other large markets, but is highly-lucrative in nature due to the stability of its economy, high output, and sales of over 1.2 million bikes per year. Entering the market and facing the existing competition will have a moderate-to-high level of difficulty due to the availability of other brands already filling the niche. Should Worldwide eBikes choose to follow through with expanding into the Australian market, it should focus on market penetration strategies and SEO strategies at the same time. The KPIs proposed to track the progress include Sales volumes, money spent on advertising in relation to sales volumes, returns from e-celebrity advertising, and customer product reviews, all of which could be tracked by Google Analytics and CRM modules. Introduction Worldwide eBikes is a well-established company trading in regular bike and electric bike platforms, accessories, and parts. Its main markets are Europe and the US, with the production of parts and critical components having been outsourced to China, in order for the brand to remain competitive. In lieu of the brand name and the overarching mission to provide high-quality bikes to customers worldwide, it has been considered to expand into Australia as part of the next big marketing push. The country is over 25 million people, with a well-established economy, infrastructure, and large distances that need to be covered on a daily basis (Fishman & Cherry 2016). The purpose of this expansion report is to evaluate the profitability of the expansion into the Australian market in the next several years. Overall Market Description Australia is a large yet sparsely-populated continent with a landmass the size of Europe, yet relatively little population. The majority of Australians live along the northern and eastern coasts. The total number of people living in Australia is 25 million individuals, out of which 17.75% constitute children aged between 0-14 years, 12.62% – aged 15-24 years, 41.35% – aged 25-54 years, and 28.28% – individuals aged 55 or above (Wilson 2019). With that in mind, over 50% of Australia’s entire population could be potentially interested in purchasing a means of transportation, such as an eBike, for work or entertainment purposes. The Australian economy is large of the post-industrial westernized kind like that found in Europe and the US, meaning that the majority of the population is well-off and has a respectable purchasing power. The average household income before tax in Australia is 48,360 USD, which is also comparable to Worldwide eBikes’ high-end market (Wilson 2019). Australia sports an incredibly resilient and stable economy, which is well-protected from recessions. For the past decade, the average annual growth rate balanced between 2.5-3%, surpassing that of other giants, such as the US and the UK (Vii et al. 2018). Australia was estimated to become the world’s 13th largest economy and the 5th largest economy in the Asiatic region, despite the relatively small population. Resilience, adaptability, and low-risk environments make
According to Leibniz’s philosophy, the best possible world is the one which harmonizes social relations and generates goodness and perfection. The harmonious world relies on metaphysical goodness that is typical of all lifeless creatures. The harmonious world should also satisfy the simplicity criterion and introduce happiness and beauty. Because harmonious world is based on metaphysical goodness and therefore, individuals living in this world should practice virtue for the glory of God. Therefore, practice and existence of goodness conception is congruent with existence of God. The good is aimed at promoting physical, moral and metaphysical values. With regard to the above-presented explanation, it can be argued that, if God exists, the best possible world exists as well. Everything that is created by God should be perfect and there are no better analogues to the things that the creator introduced to the world. However, the world is full of inconsistencies and imperfections and, therefore, the existence of the best possible world refutes the idea of God’s perfection. It also rejects any wrong and evil actions because goodness, particularly moral goodness, admits the possibility of bad and good actions as a part of a human being. Therefore, by posing the argument about the existence of God, Leibniz refutes the possibility of evil existence because it would contradict the omnipotence of deity, as well as His aspiration to perfection. While developing the argument at issue, Leibniz tries to avoid the idea that everything is necessary because the philosopher believes that God is free from these limits. Moreover, the Creator is the one who chooses the best possible world; He would not have selected a worse world because God did not plan to create worse world. One way or another, God always has choice whether it is necessary to create the most appropriate world or not. So, the Creator is responsible for the harmonious because He has a sufficient reason for it. Hence, the genesis of the world is not due to the necessity, but to God’s genuine moral nature, which is sufficient for the existence of the best possible world. Deliberating on the nature God as the perfect being whose actions are internally moral, creating an imperfect would nevertheless be regarded as the best of all possible worlds. Apart from the denial of evil, God as a perfect being cannot create any world, except for the best one. If Good embodies perfection, there is no possibility for creating imperfect world and, therefore, bad actions and vices are created for sufficient reason as well. Evil is created by God because nothing in this world exists independently from God. Because God is sufficient, the reasons for creating unity and diversity in the world are also justified. According to Leibniz, the existence of deity is metaphysically predetermined. Consequently, the underpinning for shaping a morally good world stem’s the necessity of introducing perfection.. While deliberating on the argument of God’s creation of the best possible world, specific emphasis