Who Are the Manchu of Northern China

The Manchu are a Tungistic people — meaning from Tunguska — of Northeastern China. Originally called Jurchens, they are the ethnic minority for whom the region of  Manchuria  is named. Today, they are the fifth-largest ethnic group in  China, following the Han Chinese, Zhuang, Uighurs, and Hui.   Their earliest known control of China came in the form of the Jin Dynasty of 1115 to 1234, but their prevalence by name Manchu didnt come until later in the 17th century. Still, unlike many other Chinese ethnicities, the women of the Manchu people were more assertive and had more power within their culture — a trait which carried into their assimilation into Chinese culture in the early 20th century. Lifestyle and Beliefs Also unlike many of the neighboring peoples, such as the Mongols and the Uighurs, the Manchu have been settled agriculturalists for centuries. Their traditional crops included sorghum, millet, soybeans, and apples and they also adopted New World crops such as tobacco and corn. Animal husbandry in Manchuria ranged from raising cattle and oxen to tending silkworms. Although they farmed the soil and lived in settled, permanent villages, the Manchu people shared a love of hunting with the nomadic peoples to their west. Mounted archery was — and is — a prized skill for men, along with wrestling and falconry. Like the Kazakh and Mongol eagle-hunters, Manchu hunters used birds of prey to bring down waterfowl, rabbits, marmots and other small prey animals, and some Manchu people continue the falconry tradition even today. Prior to their second conquest of China, the Manchu people were primarily shamanist in their religious beliefs. Shamans offered sacrifices to the ancestral spirits of each Manchu clan and performed trance dances to cure sickness and drive away evil. During the Qing period (1644 - 1911), Chinese religion and folk beliefs had a strong impact on Manchu belief systems such as many aspects of Confucianism permeating the culture and some elite Manchus abandoning their traditional beliefs altogether and adopting Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism had already influenced Manchu beliefs as early as the 10th to 13th centuries, so this was not an entirely new development. Manchu women were also far more assertive and were considered equals of the men — shocking to Han Chinese sensibilities.  Girls feet  were never bound in Manchu families, as it was strictly forbidden. Nevertheless, by the early 20th century the Manchu  people, by and large, were assimilated into Chinese culture. History in Brief Under the ethnic name Jurchens, the Manchus founded the later  Jin Dynasty  of 1115 to 1234 — not to be confused with the first Jin Dynasty of 265 to 420. This later Dynasty vied with the Liao Dynasty for control of Manchuria and other parts of northern China during the chaotic time between the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of 907 to 960 and the reunification of China by Kublai Khan and the ethnic-Mongol Yuan Dynasty in 1271. The Jin fell to the Mongols in 1234, a precursor to the Yuan conquest of all of China thirty-seven years later. The Manchus would rise again, however. In April 1644, Han Chinese rebels sacked the Ming Dynasty capital at Beijing, and a Ming general invited the Manchu army to join him in recapturing the capital. The Manchu happily complied but did not return the capital to Han control. Instead, the Manchu announced that the Mandate of Heaven had come to them and they installed Prince Fulin as the Shunzhi Emperor of the new  Qing Dynasty  from 1644 to 1911. The Manchu dynasty would rule China for more than 250 years and would be the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history.  Ã‚   Earlier foreign rulers of China had quickly adopted Chinese culture and ruling traditions. This happened to some extent with the Qing rulers as well, but they remained resolutely Manchu in many ways. Even after more than 200 years among the Han Chinese, for example, Manchu rulers of the Qing Dynasty would stage annual hunts as a nod to their traditional lifestyle. They also imposed a Manchu hairstyle, called a queue in English, on Han Chinese men. Name Origins and Modern Manchu Peoples The origins of the name Manchu are debatable. Certainly, Hong Taiji forbade the use of the name Jurchen in 1636. However, scholars are unsure whether he chose the name Manchu in honor of his father Nurhachi, who believed himself a reincarnation of the bodhisattva of wisdom  Manjushri, or whether it comes from the Manchu word  mangun  meaning river. In any case, today there are more than 10 million ethnic Manchu people in the Peoples Republic of China. However, only a handful of elderly people in remote corners of  Manchuria  (northeast China) still speaks the Manchu language. Still, their history of female empowerment and Buddhist origins persist in modern Chinese culture.

What I ve Learned From Apology - 866 Words

I am Not Sorry (A reflective essay in regards to the three things I ve learned from Apology) Plato is a very influential philosopher who claims to have had an incredible teacher by the name of Socrates. However, due to Socrates lack of writing things down, no one is able to prove if he truly existed or was simply a character in the writings of Plato. These writings are collectively called The Final Days of Socrates which consists of Euthyphiro, Apology, Crito, and Fato. All of these texts explain and demonstrate the Socratic methods and dialects in relation to education. Socrates had a very unique approach considering his cultural surroundings, which was very traditional based. Socrates sought to challenge these traditions by simply asking why they were practiced, which lead to another question, and another, and another, and so on. Throughout The Apology Socrates taught that wisdom can be admitting when you don t know something, questioning everything is good, and seeking to understand the world an d reasons behind things is of high moral value. While there may be many ways to gain wisdom, there are also many ways to display it. For example, during accusations Socrates doesn’t attempt to find some answer pertaining to the accusations of being an atheist and corrupting the youth, instead he simply states that he does not know. He makes it clear that there are many things that he does not know. And there are many things that the government does not know, which during thisShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Identity Politics And A Lack Of Leadership On The Left Is Nothing New1102 Words   |  5 PagesThe problem of identity politics and a lack of leadership on the left is nothing new. Since I ve been involved with leftwing political movements, identity politics has been a driving force on the left. 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Effects of Caffeine free essay sample

Because of its transparency we can observe the effects of substances on its body without surgical procedures. We can observe the heart rate of daphnia magna to be dorsal to the backbone just behind the head. (Helms 1998) the average daphnia magna has a heart rate of 180 beats per minute under normal conditions. We will observe the effects of water, alcohol and caffeine on the ectothermic animal. Alcohol is a depressant; this means the body systems will slow down when alcohol is introduced. The heart rate will get consistently lower if too much alcohol is added. Caffeine is a stimulant; this means that it will cause the nervous system to work faster, also it will cause the blood vessels to constrict. (LaFave 2003) These effects will work together to increase an animal’s heart rate under normal circumstances the heart rate will increase as more caffeine is added. Questions Does changing the daphnia magma’s environment change its heart rate? How will alcohol affect daphnia’s heart rate? How will caffeine affect daphnia’s heart rate? Hypothesis Daphnia magna are sensitive creatures and therefore they will respond to slight changes in their environment. We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Caffeine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Since alcohol is a depressant and can lower human heart rate it should also lower daphnia’s heart rate. Since caffeine is a stimulant it can cause the nervous system in humans to work faster it should also raise the heart rate of daphnia. Predictions If the environment affects daphnia heart rate as it does in humans the exposing it to different environment’s should affect its heart rate. If daphnia is exposed to alcohol at varying concentrations, then daphnia heart rate should fall. If daphnia is exposed to caffeine at varying concentrations then daphnia heart rate should rise. Materials and methods For monitoring the effect of environmental, medium on the heart rate of daphnia magna the specimen was placed on a clean deep well slide with a small drop of water and placed under a microscope. The heart rate observed after 15 seconds and recorded. A corner of a Kim wipe was used to wipe off excess water and repeat the experiment. The daphnia is then placed in a beaker labeled recovery. Use a second daphnia to repeat the experiment. With a third daphnia place it on a deep clean well slide, add small drop of water (0% alcohol) and view the daphnia under a microscope and then record the heart beats within 15 seconds on the table. Remove the drop of water around the daphnia using a Kim wipe and add 1 equal drop of 1% alcohol, let daphnia sit in alcohol for 60 seconds. Record the heart beat within 15 seconds. Repeat the step with increasing concentration of 2%-5% alcohol observe the heart beats of the daphnia at each concentration and record. Place this daphnia in a beaker labeled recovery and use a second daphnia to repeat step 7-10. Obtain a fresh daphnia and remove the water around the daphnia using the corner of a Kim wipe, add an equal drop of 0% caffeine. Record the number of heart beats within 15 seconds on a table. Add an equal drop of 1% caffeine let sit in caffeine for 60 seconds. Record the heart beat within 15 seconds. Repeat the step with increasing concentration of 2%-5% caffeine observe the heart beats of the daphnia at each concentration and record. Place this daphnia in a beaker labeled recovery and use a second daphnia to repeat step 7-10.

Richard Branson and the Virgin Group of Companies in 2007 free essay sample

A. Problem Summary â€Å"Richard, you will end up in prison or as a millionaire†. These are the words of the headmaster of Stowe, a private boarding school Branson dropped out at 17. His success started by publishing a magazine called Student, then he moved on to mail order records. This is where the Virgin Group started. Richard Branson has developed his brand in a large variety of markets. The over-familiarity of the Virgin brand has caused the consumers to not take the brand in a serious manner. One might argue that he stretched his brand too thin. This lack of focus and over-diversification could result in further over investments in projects that do not hold a steady future. In this paper we will brake down the strategic of sense of apparent entrepreneurial chaos. We will address topics such as key resources, dominant logic, characteristics of markets that conform to this logic, and designing a corporate strategy and structure. We will write a custom essay sample on Richard Branson and the Virgin Group of Companies in 2007 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page B. Analysis †¢ Key Resources o Virgin Brand The Virgin name is the group’s most important asset. The group is involved in a variety of different business ranging from airlines, books, jewelry to limousines. The Virgin Brand strives for value for money, good quality, brilliant customer service, innovation, competitively challenging and fun. The customers receive these attributes in a variety of ways. This is the brand’s competitive advantage. o Branson Branson’s eccentric personality, laid-back look and charisma are the essence of the Virgin brand. Branson embodied the spirit of â€Å"New Britain† to his generation because of his image and entrepreneurial spirit. Branson acted as a magnet for potential entrepreneurs; his brand actively encouraged the creating of fresh business ideas to its development office in London, Sidney and New York. Branson’s opposition to corporate offices led him to conduct business from family homes, houseboats, and vacation homes. His image exuded a carefree approach to exploring new ventures. Branson was impressed by the Japanese approach to business. Their long-term development and focus on organic growth were the key points Branson admired. His networking skills started a very young age. His first team was comprised of childhood friend Nik Powell, and affluent individuals such as Simon Draper and Mike Oldfield. Key management of the Virgin Group is the informal relations between Branson and a small core of long-term associates who form the senior management team of the group. Branson considers cash flow and capital value as important performance indicators, rather than concentrating in accounting profits. His tendency to avoid short-term taxable profits makes his approach ideal, concentrating in long-term capital growth instead. †¢ Dominant Logic The ability of the Virgin Group to operate effectively with so little structure or management systems owes much to the group’s unique organizational culture. This is defined almost entirely by Branson’s management style. His style reflects his sense of fun, disrespect for hierarchy and formal authority, commitment to employees and consumers and belief in hard work and individual responsibility. †¢ Characteristics of Markets that Conform to this Logic o Consumer Branson wanted to offer consumers a â€Å"new deal† by continually being on the lookout for business opportunities. Branson did so by involving venture with direct sales to consumers and passing on the cost savings from bypassing traditional distribution channels. o Dominant Incumbent Branson’s Virgin Travel is the dominant incumbent Virgin brand company. Post 2002 recovery in the airline industry, Virgin Travel was able to turn the largest profit of the Virgin Groups. o High Entry Barriers to Other Start-ups The airline and galactic companies both involve high entry barriers and significant start up costs. In addition to costs, Branson also had to negotiate with governments in order to receive approval. o Branson/Virgin Image Appeals to Customers Branson believed in multiple companies interlocking through managerial and equity linkages in a collaborative network. He accomplished this by having small companies combined and believes â€Å"small is beautiful† with strength through unity. Branson is a strong advocate of sticking it to the large corporations. †¢ Designing a Corporate Strategy and Structure o Business Model Virgin Group is built upon the theory of creating an entrepreneurial incubator and diversifying the corporation as much as possible. Branson does not want his best people to leave the company and start their own ventures. Instead, he prefers to develop them into millionaires within. The company is focused on diversifying into many markets. Some of these markets include travel, jewelry, entertainment, records, and mobile. His corporate strategy is focused on cash flow and capital value. He wants to increase his company’s real value and a long-term cash generation potential. He does not care about his accounting profit. o Type of Structure The Virgin Group is structured as if they are 150 small companies. Each one stands on its own two feet, as if they are their own companies. Employees have a stake in their success. They feel they are crucial to their individual company because they are one-in-fifty or one-in a hundred instead of one-in-tens-of-thousands. All of the companies are under the Virgin umbrella, but none of them are looked at, as simply a subsidiary. C. Alternatives As for the scope for New Approaches to Customer Service, Branson wants to create value for the customers entering with a new anti-establishment attitude, which sought to offer customers a better alternative. Branson hoped to bring a breath of fresh air. Virgin’s brilliant customer service approach strived to be â€Å"friendly, human, and relaxed; professional but not corporate†. According to the financial results of select Virgin Companies from 2004 to 2006. Virgin Retail Limited had a negative net profit in 2004. This branch of Virgin could be looked at to potentially divest. In order to maintain the Virgin name a success. Branson may look to consolidate some of his different brands in the future. With the threat of Britain’s capital gains tax laws, this could eliminate the advantages of multiple off shore companies, which Branson is involved in. D. Recommendation We feel the best alternative for Branson and his Virgin Brand would be to look into divesting out of some markets and focusing more on a smaller scale. Richard should look into investing more into the companies that are performing well and stray from unprofitable, high-risk markets. If Branson looks at the financial standpoint of his companies and possibly divest in the poor performing ones, he could potentially be more successful. Overall, Branson has been mostly successful in his quest for Virgin dominance. There is some room for improvement in Branson’s strategies; however, he is going to do what Branson wants to do. And this strategy has obviously been successful thus far.