Saturday, November 9, 2019
Taylor Swift
Making A Difference Make a donation, lend a hand, be a supporter, and you will make a difference! When people think of the word ââ¬Å"charityâ⬠or ââ¬Å"donateâ⬠, they automatically think of money, am i right? Not only does donating money to charities and foundations help, however giving your time and effort as well. There are many ways for people to give back. With all of these different charities and foundations our world is a better place for everyone. Without open-handed people, having charities and different foundations would not be a choice.Be a generous person and give freely without expectations of recieving anything in return. There are many famous people that donate to different charities and foundations, one person that I am going to go into detail about is Taylor Swift. I really like Taylor Swift, she is a country singer, and her music has made a great impact on my life. When I was growing up I always wanted to be like her, she was my rolemodel! In seventh gra de I done research on her, and she was always giving to other people, which shows that she is a generous person.She has supported twenty-one different charites and foundations throughout her lifetime, and plans on contributing to many more! Taylor's mother and grandmother were a big influence on Taylor's country singing career. Taylor's grandmother was an opera singer, and her mother helped her in various ways. When Taylor was young she performed at talent shows, festivals, fairs, and karaoke contests. She had won money from these events and she saved it, having dreams and big hopes of becoming a country singer.With help from her parents to pay for everything, Taylor's family made it happen! Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania and moved to Wyomissing, Pennsylvania when she was nine. At fourteen years old Taylor moved to Nashville, Tennessee to begin a career in country music. In 2003, she signed to Big Machine Records. At that time, Taylor was the you ngest song writer ever hired by Sony/ATV Publishing House. Taylor attended high school at Aaron Academy, a Christian school in Hendersonville, Tennessee. She graduated from Aaron Academy in 2008.Taylor has not made a decision whether or not she will go to college, right now she is pursuing her dream of being a country singer/songwriter. Ever since Taylor has began her career, she has donated money to many different organizations. Some of them include Children in Need, Clothes Off Our Back, Feeding America, Heroes in Heels, Music for Relief, Red Cross, and Wish Upon a Hero Foundation. Taylor does not donate money just to make herself look good, she does it because the charities and foundations she donates to are meaningful to her.There are many reasons as to why Taylor chose to donate to these organizations some of them being, homelessness, disaster relief, human rights, poverty, abuse, and cancer. If you have not realized Taylor is not a greedy human being. On September 21, 2007, Ta ylor launched a campaign to protect children from online predators. Following that in 2008 she donated 100,000 dollars to Red Cross for the victims of the Iowa flood. In 2009 she performed a concert for Children in Need on BBC and donated 13,000 dollars to that organization.Responding to the 2010 flood Taylor donated 500,000 dollars to help different communities get back on their feet. The money that Taylor has donated was raised by performing benefit concerts and having rehearsals open to the public. If you want to make a difference, communicate, offer your money, and devote your time. Not only will it make you feel like a better person, but you will also be noticed for what you have done. Doing this will leave you with a memory that will last a lifetime. Give a little, laugh a lot, and change a life forever!
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Amazing Extracurricular Activity Examples for College Applications
Amazing Extracurricular Activity Examples for College Applications SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Extracurriculars are a great way to participate in an activity you enjoy and meet new people, and they can also be an important part of your college application. What makes an extracurricular activity particularly impressive to colleges? How do your extracurriculars measure up? Read this guideto see four amazing extracurricular activities examples. I'll discusswhy they're exceptional and how you can participate in similar activities to boost your own college application. What Are Extracurricular Activities and How Are They Useful? An extracurricular is any activity you participate inoutside of class. It can be associated with your school, such as a sports team or club, or completely separate. They also include any jobs or internships you have had, as well as volunteer work you have performed.Extracurriculars cover a wide range of activities and interests, from painting to science to helping the homeless and more. Why would you want to participate in an extracurricular? There are several ways they can benefit you: They Let You Do Something You Enjoy Extracurriculars let you participate in an activity you enjoy, whether thatââ¬â¢s playing football, painting, or another activity.Practicing this activity regularly will help you get better at it, and you may be able to develop new skills that you find useful in the future.Doing something you enjoy not only makes you happier but can also give you a much-needed break from schoolwork. They Introduce You to New Friends Students often make many friends through their extracurriculars because they see other members regularly and have a shared interest. They Are Important for College Applications Extracurriculars can also be included in your college applications to show your interests and talents. Read on to learn more about the importance of extracurriculars when applying to college. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. How Are Extracurriculars Important for College Applications? Extracurriculars can be a key part of your college application.Most applications have a section where you can list all the extracurriculars you were involved in. If a certain extracurricular is particularly important to you, you can also write about it in your personal statement and have the people writing you letters of recommendation discuss it so that it is a more prominent part of your college application. Why do colleges care about extracurriculars? Colleges like to admit students who are involved in their communities, interact well with others, and work to develop their talents and passions. A student who participates in extracurriculars is more likely to do each of those things than a student who has no extracurriculars. Also, there is more to college than simply going to class; colleges are full of opportunities to be active, interact with others, and give back, and schools want to admit students who will keep their campuses connected and interesting.Great extracurriculars can also help you stand out from the thousands of applications colleges receive by highlighting a particular skill or interest of yours that makes you unique and memorable. How competitiveyour extracurriculars need to be depends on how selectivethe colleges you're applying to are. For Ivy League and other top schools, strong extracurriculars are usually required. For more information, check out our guide that explains howto develop extracurriculars that will help you get into Harvard and other top schools.If you're applying to your state school, you likely don't need your extracurriculars to be exceptional, but if you do have awesomeextracurriculars and decent grades, then you have an excellent chance of being accepted. What Makes an Extracurricular Activity Great? While colleges like to see a student with extracurriculars, not all extracurriculars are considered equal. There are specific qualities that colleges look for in extracurriculars that will make them more impressive and boost the applicantââ¬â¢s resume. Having one amazing extracurricular on your college application is more impressive than a list of activities you had little interest in or impact on. One great extracurricular can give your college application a significant boost. However, getting an amazing extracurricular is not as simple as choosing a particular sport or club you think colleges will find impressive. When applying to college,what activity you do is not nearly as important as why you are doing it or the effort you put into it. There are three qualities admissions look for in particular when they review extracurriculars: Leadership Leadership experience includes any time that you have been responsible for leading a project or guiding, motivating, or instructing others.Colleges want to admit students who have a history of leadership experience because they are hoping those students will continue to be leaders and have a significant impact on the world in the future. You donââ¬â¢t have to be team captain or club president in order to get leadership experience. You can show your leadership skills by helping to organize an event, mentoring younger members, or developing a fundraiser. Passion Are you participating in that activity because you truly want to or just because you want to include it on your college application?For colleges,there is a huge difference between the two. Admissions officers want to see you doing activities you are interested in and passionate about, not just as a way to impress others. Passion is a critical contributor to success, andcolleges seegenuine passion as an indicator that you aremore likely to succeed than someone who's just going through the motions. Great extracurriculars show what your passion is. This can be accomplished by having multiple similar extracurriculars (such as being part of multiple science clubs), or showing a deep commitment to a particular extracurricular, often by pursuing it for many years and spending a significant amount of time on it. Impact Colleges measure impact by looking at how you influenced the activity you participated in and how it influenced you.The strongest extracurricular examples clearly show that you have changed and improved as a result of participating and that you also had a lasting impact on the activity as well. Colleges want to admit people who will have a positive and lasting impact on their school, so they look for students who already have a history of this in their extracurriculars.Having an impact on an extracurricular can include recruiting new members, expanding a clubââ¬â¢s focus, or developing a way for the club to reach more people.Colleges also want to see that your extracurriculars made you a better person. Are you more responsible? A better team player? More confident? Colleges love to see confident applicants. To get a better idea of whatgoodextracurricular activities are, read on to see examples of outstanding extracurricular activities. Great Extracurricular Activity Examples Below are four fictional examples of great extracurricularactivities. For each, a paragraph is written from the studentââ¬â¢s perspective.Most college applications don't allow much space to discuss your extracurriculars, but you will likely want to include a more condensed version of the same kind of information. For a more in-depth take on this topic, take a look at our guide onhow to write about extracurriculars on your college application. Each example also includes a breakdown of what makes it a great extracurricular, as well as ways for you to pursue similar activities. Example 1: Elizabeth the Ballerina I took my first ballet class when I was three years old, and ever since then I have known that I want to be a ballerina. During the school year, I would take ballet classes six days a week, and beginning in middle school I spent summers at intensive ballet camps. When I was 14, I was accepted into the Joffrey Balletââ¬â¢s pre-professional program, one of the most competitive youth ballet troupes in the country. I have now spent three years in the pre-professional program, which involves practicing and performing roughly 30 hours a week. I have also auditioned and been selected for roles in 8 company productions thatare seen by hundreds of audience members each night. I have loved ballet nearly my entire life, and I plan to continue working as a ballerina and mentoring children and teenagers who are interested in ballet. Why It Stands Out The main thing that causes this extracurricular to stand out is Elizabethââ¬â¢s clear passion for and dedication to ballet.Elizabeth has been practicing ballet since she was a toddler, and she practices many hours each week. She gives specific numbers (30 hours a week, 8 company productions), to help admissions officers get a clear idea of her work and the impact it had. She makes her talents clear by stating that she was accepted into a competitive program and was chosen to perform in company performances. This helps show that she is exceptionally skilled ballerina and helps her stand out from otherapplicantswho may just pursue dance as a fun hobby. Finally, Elizabeth states that she would like to teach others about ballet and act as a mentor. This both shows her leadership abilities and lets schools know that she would like to continue her extracurricular as a college student. How to Have a Similar Extracurricular Is there a hobby or activity you have practiced for multiple years? You donââ¬â¢t need to have practiced it as long as Elizabeth has, but sticking with one extracurricular for a long time can show colleges you have a deep interest in it. This activitydoesnââ¬â¢t necessarily have to be an official club or sport either, having a hobby you are passionate about and practice regularly also counts as an extracurricular. If youââ¬â¢ve been interested in art since you were young, you can expand that into a strong extracurricular by taking art classes, getting your work displayed in your community, and developing a program or class that introduces kids to art. Example 2: Scott the Volunteer Leader I have been a member of my high schoolââ¬â¢s volunteer club since my freshman year. During my first year, I enjoyed tutoring elementary students and painting houses with the club, but I thought students should have more options for volunteering. As a sophomore, I spoke to club leaders and proposed five new locations where students could volunteer including a hospital, animal shelter, and homeless shelter. After getting my suggestions approved, I contacted the organizations and arranged for them to form volunteer partnerships with the school. This included developing activities volunteers could do, getting the organizations approved by the school, and arranging volunteer times and transportation. Other students in the volunteer club were excited about having a bigger impact, so I continued to look for new opportunities for volunteers. I am currently president of the volunteer club and in charge of developing new volunteer activities. Under my direction, the volunteer club has grown from 30 to over 100 membersand quadrupledthe number of places where students can volunteer. Iââ¬â¢m proud that our club is continuing to grow and help more people each year. Why It Stands Out This extracurricular clearly shows that Scott is a leader who knows how to take initiative and get things done.Scott clearly describes the work he did to expand and improve the volunteer club, from proposing ideas to club leaders to working with organizations to establish volunteer programs. Like Elizabeth, he gives concrete numbers to show his impact on the volunteer club and how he contributed to its growth.The fact that he worked to expand the volunteer club and provide more volunteer opportunities for other club members also shows that he cares about volunteering and believes it can have a positive impact on both volunteers and the people they help. How to Have a Similar Extracurricular Scottââ¬â¢s extracurricular is great because he took initiative and worked to improve it, even before he had a leadership position.You can do the same thing with any of your extracurriculars. Is there a club you enjoy but think could be better? Perhaps you are part of an art club but wish members had more opportunities to showcase their work. You could contact a local library or cafe and organize a display of artistsââ¬â¢ work for the community to enjoy. Perhaps youââ¬â¢re on an academic bowl team and wish there were more competitions. You could contact other schools and set up an invitational tournament to help teams get more practice competing.The main point is to take initiative and lead a project that will improve your extracurricular, no matter what that activity is. Want to get help on every aspect of your college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Example 3: Jessica the Scientist When I was 15 years old, I decided to get a part-time job to help pay for college and have some spending money. Because I was already part of my schoolââ¬â¢s Science Olympiad team and plan on majoring in microbiology, I applied to be a lab technician at a local science lab. My work primarily consisted of preparing chemicals and cleaning equipment, but after speaking to my supervisor about my interest in microbiology, I was able to begin conducting some simple experiments for the lab. This past summer I became a full-time intern at the lab and took on additional responsibilities. I asked towork with a team doing a microbiology project that studies self-assembly properties of polypeptides. During my internship, I ran different chemical tests and analyzed data results for potential use in cancer research, and I have continued that work into the school year. Why It Stands Out From the above paragraph, itââ¬â¢s clear that Jessicaââ¬â¢s passion is science. She is a member of science clubs, she plans on majoring in biology, and she applied for a job in a science lab.Jessica took a not-too-exciting job, where she mostly cleaned lab equipment, and was able to grow it into an internship where she contributes to cancer research. Thatââ¬â¢s a pretty impressive accomplishment for a high school student.Shetook initiative to increase the responsibilityof her part-time job and turn it into something that has a meaningful impact and gives her useful experience for her future. How to Have a Similar Extracurricular Jessicaââ¬â¢s part-time job didnââ¬â¢t start off all that impressive; she worked to increase her responsibilities and impact.You can do the same with any job or activity you have. Think of ways to expand your role, or ask your boss or club leader if they have any ideas. For example, if youââ¬â¢re a lifeguard, you could start a program that teaches kids basic first-aid safety at the pool. I have a friend who worked at a grocery store in high school and planned on being a dietitian. She created a monthly group where kids whose parents were grocery shopping could stop by a part of the grocery store, have some snacks, and learn about which healthy foods they should eat. Thatââ¬â¢s a great way to take a typical high school job and turn it into an extracurricular that shows motivation, hard-work, and leadership skills. Example 4: James the Soccer Player When I started high school I thought it would be a good idea to join a sports team since my family had just moved to the area. One of my classmates suggested I try out for the soccer team. I made the junior varsity team and stayed on it for twoyears until I joined the varsity team as a junior. I love playing soccer and the feeling I get knowing Iââ¬â¢m a memberof a team. Being part of the soccer team helped me make friends and feel like I was part of the schoolââ¬â¢s community. Because my soccer team helped me so much, as a junior I proposed a mentoring program where experienced team members helped freshman players adjust to high school. The mentors would make sure the freshman werenââ¬â¢t feeling overwhelmed, had people to talk to, and found activities and classes they liked. The program was a great success, with many members commenting on how much they enjoyed it. This year, I helped three other sports teams implement the program. Doing this has helped me become more confi dent and better at public speaking. My high school dean has also asked that I speak to other teams in the hopes that, eventually, each of my schoolââ¬â¢s sports teams will have a similar mentoring program. Why It Stands Out Unlike Elizabeth, the highly-skilled ballerina, James is not one of the top high school soccer players in the country. While making varsity team does show he's talented at playing soccer, there are thousands of high school varsity players across the country, and unless youare playing at a national level, simply being a varsity athlete is not enough to make an extracurricular outstanding.What makes Jamesââ¬â¢ extracurricular exceptional is not his soccer skillsbut the mentoring program he started for athletes. James took his experience of being the new kid and used itto help others avoid feeling lonely and isolated in high school.He decided to create a program that helps new students and bonds the team together.This shows leadership, as well as consideration for others. Colleges want students foster a positive atmosphere by working well as part of a team and being the kind of person other students want to be around.Jamesââ¬â¢ commitmentto his mentoring program makes him seem like that kind of person. He also states how working on the mentoring program made him a more confident person.Similar to previous examples, James took initiative to start a new project, and he continues to lead and expand it. How to Have a Similar Extracurricular Jamesââ¬â¢ extracurricular shows that you donââ¬â¢t have to be the best at a certain activity to have it be a strong extracurricular.James wasnââ¬â¢t team captain and didnââ¬â¢t make the varsity team until he was a junior, but he still had a significant impact on improving the soccer team and helping out other students at his school. If you arenââ¬â¢t the top athlete or best science student at your school, you can have a strong impact in another way. A great way to do this is to foster relationships amongyour classmates. If your school has several science clubs that donââ¬â¢t often interact with each other, you can suggest hosting a science eventtogether that can includecool science demonstrations for kids and help the science clubs become more connected. You can also start a mentoring program similar to the one James created. How to Create Your Own Great Extracurriculars In none of the above examples was a student handed an amazing internship or club membership; they each had to put in time and effort to create exceptional extracurriculars. It will likely be the same for you. By following the steps below, you can develop great extracurriculars that will show the passion, impact, and leadership abilities that colleges love to see. If you have already chosen your extracurriculars and simply want to strengthen then, you can begin at step #4, although you may still find reading the previous steps useful. #1: List Your Interests Colleges want to see you participate in extracurriculars that you are passionate about, not ones you are only doing to impress others.Doing an extracurricular you are interested in will also make it more enjoyable (which is really the point of an extracurricular) and will likely also make you more willing to pursue leadership opportunities and increase your impact. Make a list of all your interests. This can include your favorite classes, hobbies you enjoy, sports youââ¬â¢ve wanted to try, or what you plan on studying in college, basically anything you think you would enjoy spending more time doing. #2: Research Extracurriculars Once you have your list of interests, find extracurriculars that relate to them.Look at clubs and sports your school offers, local jobs and internships for teens, and volunteer opportunities, and make a list of extracurricular activities you might be interested in.If you need ideas, we have a complete list of extracurriculars that includes hundreds of different options. If you need more help, ask your guidance counselor, classmates, or local community members. You can also try doing an internet search for ââ¬Å"your interest" + "your hometownâ⬠to find nearby activities you can get involved with. If your school doesn't offer an extracurricular you're interested in, you can start a clubyourself,which is a great way to show initiative and leadership. #3: Choose and Narrow Your Extracurriculars If you are able to, choose several extracurriculars that you think you will enjoy. After participating in them for a few weeks or months, you can narrow them down to one or a few that you feel particularly passionate about and want to devote more time to. Colleges are more interested in depth than breadth, so having a few extracurriculars that you put a lot of time into and have a significant impact on is more impressive than a laundry list of clubs and sports you donââ¬â¢t really care about. Narrow down your interests in order to choose the best extracurriculars #4: Increase Your Impact Now that youââ¬â¢ve chosen your extracurriculars, itââ¬â¢s time to strengthen them to help your college application stand out.First, look for ways to increase your impact. Like the examples mentioned above, this can include recruiting more members, creating new events, expanding the clubââ¬â¢s focus, and more. Try to leave your extracurricular better than it was when you joined it. #5: Gain Leadership Skills After you have started to have a larger impact, work to become a leader in your extracurricular. This doesnââ¬â¢t always mean being club president or team captain. You can gain leadership skills by mentoring other members, leading a project, or developing a new activity. Once you've started applying these five rules, you'll bewell on your way to developing a great extracurricular to include on your college applications. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. What's Next? Want to learn more about community service? We have a guide that explains what community service is and how it can benefit you. Are you thinking about doing an extracurricular or volunteer work in a foreign country? Read our guide on volunteer abroad programs and learn if they're really the best option for you. Not sure if you want to go to school in a big city or small town? Read our guide to learn if you should go to a rural, urban, or suburban school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Bones of the Buddha - Excavating the Piprahwa Stupa
Bones of the Buddha - Excavating the Piprahwa Stupa 2013. Secrets of the Dead: Bones of the Buddha. Directed and written by Steven Clarke. Executive producers Steve Burns and Harry Marshall. Produced by Icon Films for Thirteen and WNET. Featuring Charles Allen, Neil Peppe, Harry Falk, Bhante Piyapala Chakmar, and Mridula Srivastava. Special thanks to the Archaeological Survey of India, the Indian Museum of Kolkata, the Mahabodhi Temple committee, Dr. S. K. Mittra, the Srivastava Family and Ram Singh Ji. 54 minutes; DVD and BluRay The Bones of the Buddha is an historical entry in the PBS series Secrets of the Dead, published in 2013 and touching on the politically dicey discussion of religion and history in India. Centered around the ongoing research of historian Charles Allen, Bones of the Buddha tells the story of the stupa at Piprahwa, a Buddhist sacred structure in the Basti district of Uttar Pradesh in India. Piprahwa is believed by some scholars to be near the site of Kapilavastu, the capital of the Shakyan state, and the Shakyas were the family of the man who would become the historical Buddha [Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni, 500-410 BC], the center of the Buddhist religion. But more than that: Piprahwa is, or rather was, the family burial place of some of the Buddhas ashes. Historical and Archaeological Investigations Bones of the Buddha details the investigations by amateur archaeologist William Claxton Peppe, professional archaeologist Dr. K.M. Srivastava, and historian Charles Allen to identify one of the most important of the several burial places of the ashes of the Buddha: that belonging to the Buddhas family. After his death, so the legend goes, the Buddhas ashes were divided into eight parts, one part of which was given to the Buddhas clan. Evidence of the Shakya family burial place of the Buddhas ashes was ignored for nearly 100 years due to the damage inflicted by a corrupt archaeologist: Dr. Alois Anton FÃ ¼hrer. FÃ ¼hrer was the head of the British colonial archaeological center for northern India, a German archaeologist who was at the center of a scandal concerning faked and looted artifacts, attributed falsely to the Buddha. But when the excavations at Piprahwa were being undertaken by W.C. Peppe in the late 19th century, the scandal was yet a few months away: but near enough in time to cast doubt on the authenticity of the finds. The Buddhas Cache What Peppe found buried deeply within the enormous stupa was a stone reliquary, within which were five small jars. In the jars were hundreds of tiny jewels in the shapes of flowers. More were scattered within the reliquary, intermingled with burned bone fragments of the Buddha himself: this burial is believed to have been placed here by Buddhas disciple, King Ashoka, 250 years after the Buddhas death. In the 1970s, archaeologist K. M. Srivastava reexcavated at Piprahwa and found, beneath Ashokas elaborate burial, a simpler burial place, believed to have been the original site where the Buddhas family placed the remains. Indian History The story brought forward by Bones of the Buddha is a fascinating one: one of the British Raj in India, when the amateur archaeologist W.C. Peppe plowed a trench through an enormous stupa and found the 4th century BC burial remains. The story continues in the 1970s, with K. M. Srivastava, a young Indian archaeologist who was convinced that Piprahwa was Kapilavastu, the capital of the Sakyan state. And finally it concludes with modern historian Charles Allen, who wanders suburban England and northern India in search of the artifacts, the language and the history behind the stupa at Piprahwa. Most of the all, the video (and the sites investigations for that matter) is excellent as an introduction to the archaeology and history of Buddhism. The Buddhas life, where he was born, how he came to become enlightened, where he died and what happened to his cremated remains are addressed. Also involved in the story is the leader Ashoka, Buddhas disciple, who 250 years after Buddhas death promulgated the religious teachings of the holy man. Ashoka was responsible, say the scholars, for the placing the Buddhas ashes here in a stupa fit for royalty. And finally, Bones of the Buddha provides the viewer with an introduction to the broadening of Buddhism, how it came to be that 2,500 years after the Buddha died, 400 million people world wide are following his teachings. Bottom Line I very much enjoyed this video, and I learned a lot. I dont know much at all about Buddhist archaeology or history, and it was good to have a bit of a starting point. I was surprised to see, or rather not see, any Indian archaeologists interviewed during the filming: although S. K. Mittra and the Archaeological Survey of India are credited at the end, and Allen visits the sites and museums where the relics are deposited. That circumstance led me to do a bit more investigation on my own; more of that later. We cant really ask more of a video: to pique the viewers interest into the past. Bones of the Buddha is a fascinating video, and well worth added to your viewing choices. Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Principles and Practices of Effective Leadership - Critical Thinking Essay
Principles and Practices of Effective Leadership - Critical Thinking Mod 1 - Essay Example Both business leaders are globally recognized as the icons in their unique United States market segments. Bill Gates implemented a task oriented leadership style, demonstrating effective leadership. Task-oriented leadership style focuses on behavior that prioritizes accomplishment of assigned tasks and responsibilities (Carroll, 2008). Under the task-oriented leadership style, Bill Gates focused on creating more and more new products for his established company, Microsoft. Whenever, Bill Gates was able to successfully create strong popular demand for his new products and services in uncharted computer-based market segments, Bill Gates would do everything in his power to retain the newly gained market segment position. As a busy executive, Bill Gates prioritize generating higher interest in developing, selling, and other management and marketing functions of his Microsoft Company. The task-oriented leadership style includes Bill Gatesââ¬â¢ holding regular meetings with his line and staff employees and managers. Bill Gates would reprimand subordinates who did not meet established goals and objectives on time. Bill Gatesââ¬â¢ task-oriented leadership style pushed the line and staff employees and managers to prioritize meeting prescribed organizational goals and objectives. The leadership style ensures Bill Gates that all his prescribed organizational goals, visions, missions, and objectives are eagerly met by the subordinates and managers. Under the task-oriented leadership style, Bill Gates assigned each employee specific tasks and responsibilities. Similarly, Donald Trump implements the autocratic leadership style, demonstrating effective leadership. The leadership style focuses giving specific instructions on what should be done. The employees are not allowed to contribute their opinions or recommendation to the decision making process (Daft, 2010). Donald Trump is very effective using the autocratic leadership
Thursday, October 31, 2019
CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Case Study Example Consultant, while not very well versed with the issues in hospitality industry, was nevertheless of the view that if turnover is a recurring or chronic problem, one must tackle it differently. In this case, while turnover was recognized as consistent problem, recruitment remained the only solution. Gunterââ¬â¢s assumption that issue needed to be looked from different perspective was correct. Consultantââ¬â¢s advice inspired him to investigate turnover and ex employees who had left for better prospects. The resort was seen as major training institute by other resorts who thought of Green Mountainââ¬â¢s alumni employees as top performers. Hence, Gunter took new recruits as opportunity to get hard working and committed workers. The recruits as career building would be able to give excellent level of service and thereby, contribute to resortââ¬â¢s success. It was sound strategy because there will not be shortage of potential top performers as they would continue to wait for their enlistment in the resort. Recruits are motivated because working in the resort is good for career
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Components of a Healing Hospital and Relationship to Spirituality Essay
Components of a Healing Hospital and Relationship to Spirituality - Essay Example This notion of healing in hospitals was started by Florence Nightingale, whereby she focused on health of her patients both physically and spirituality. In addition, healing hospitals are designed to focus mainly on recovery and return to health well being; physically, emotionally and spiritually and not just curing an ailment for a patient (Young & Koopsen, 2006). Healing hospitals revolution and work are based on three main components as asserted by Eberst (2006). First is the focus on culture and radical care given to patients which is to aid in the recovery process. Moreover, healing hospitals are built and based on a compassion culture from health care providers. The treatment process in these hospitals involves doctors, relatives and well-wishers who are involved in making patients feel better and relax, hence accelerate the healing process. The notion here is that if the patient feels comfortable with his/her care giver, then they shall heal faster (McCormick, 2010). The secon d component is that of a relaxed and patient friendly physical environment, which will aid in making patients relax and heal faster (Eberst, 2006). In addition, the physical environment of the healing hospitals must be cool, quiet and relaxed with cool coloring and fresh air circulating. This is meant to aid patients to relax and sleep comfortably which, in return, accelerates the healing process.... These hospitals also use technology in the treatment procedures to provide effective care and best possible treatment to patients under their care (Eberst, 2006). The concept of spirituality, which is a belief system focuses on intangible elements that impart meaning to life of people, has continued to arise in healing hospitals. Generally, healing hospitals are involved in providing a healing environment to their patients. Spirituality also varies among different patients as it cuts across different cultures and ages. Therefore, patients in hospitals are normally disturbed spiritually with pertaining issues in their health such as infirmity, suffering, loneliness and boredom, despair on not healing and the possibility of facing death (Young & Koopsen, 2006). Healing hospitals components are used to aid in raising spirits of patients and hasten healing. The culture and physical environment of these hospitals provide patients with spiritual healing environments in which patients feel calm and relaxed promoting their health and well-being. Caregivers counsel patients and give them hope and a reason to live and have a purpose in life (McCormick, 2010). Challenges of Creating a Healing Environment in Light of the Barriers and Complexities of the Hospital Environment As Chapman (2003) states in chapter 3 of the book ââ¬Å"Radical Loving Care: Building a Healing Hospital in Americaâ⬠, healing hospitals are faced with some of these challenges. The first challenge is technology application and use of drugs, as he states technology advances dehumanize healing aspects of the healing profession. In addition, he claims that dependence on drugs in healing has reduced the
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Malay Archipelago In The 18th And 19th Century History Essay
Malay Archipelago In The 18th And 19th Century History Essay Accounts of the Malay Archipelago, particularly the Malay Peninsula prior to the official intervention of the British in 1874, were mainly written by officials and non-officials who were in the Archipelago on business or to carry out professional activities. Nevertheless the writings by the merchants, travellers and missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries are also means to enlighten us about the history of this part of the world before official intervention by western powers in Asia. This may be achieved by analysing selected writings and activities of the merchants, missionaries and travellers of the said period. Merchants/Traders Merchants or traders were in Asia well before the arrival of the western powers, but the objective was mainly to trade and not to intervene in the affairs of the native states. The scenario changed in the 16th and 17th centuries with the emergence of nation states in Europe and the introduction of the Mercantile System. This spearheaded the age of exploration and led to merchants traveling to Asia intent on acquiring spices to be exchanged in Europe for gold and silver. The formation of the English East India Company (EIC), Dutch East India Company (VOC) and French East India Company led to active trading activities in Asia. The EIC was formed in 1600 under the charter of the Queen and traders received instructions from their respective companies. However, when civil war erupted in England in 1657, a new charter was issued by Oliver Cromwell, ordering the EIC traders to withdraw from Asian waters. The orders were not adhered to by many of the traders, thereby prompting King Charles I I to repatriate the recalcitrants to England. His orders went unheeded, and the traders blissfully continued their Asian trade. These traders were known as country traders. The discussion below will highlight the importance of the country traders activities in providing clues to the history of the Malay Archipelago. The role of a number of prominent country traders will be highlighted to show how their accounts of this part of the world have become an invaluable source for the historical study of the Malay Archipelago. Country traders played a vital role in the Malay states in an era when the official policy of the British in this part of the world was non-interventionist. Prominent country traders like James Scott, Francis Light and Thomas Forrest played important roles in the Malay Archipelago of the 18th century. It was only through information provided by them that the European imperial powers gained a better appreciation of the situation in the Malay Archipelago of the late 19th and 20th century, thereby enabling them to make successful political inroads in this part of the world. The Prosperity of the Malay States Country traders played a vital role in highlighting the richness of the Malay states in the 18th century. This was obvious from their reports to the Government of India. For example Captain Alexander Hamilton who called at Kuala Terengganu as early as 1719 gave detailed information on the economic activities of Terengganu. In his report, Hamilton stated that the important products of the state of Terengganu were pepper and gold, which were mostly exported to China. Hamilton described Terengganu as an important flourishing port visited by traders of all races. Half of the towns inhabitants were said to be Chinese, and some 4-5 Chinese junks were said to be calling at the ports annually. Besides that, Terengganu was also said to have established, cordial relations with Siam, Cambodia and Sambas. Its leaders were said to be friendly with foreign traders and willing to fulfill their needs. The accounts show that Malay rulers from as early as the 18th century had a policy of accommodation towards foreign traders. Another important country trader was Captain Joseph Jackson, who visited Terengganu on 14 June 1764 en route to China. The intention was to collect the products of the Malay Archipelago to balance the trade with China which was not to Britains favour. His report provides a clear description of Terengganu of the time. It was said that the trade potential of Terengganu was equivalent to, or greater than that acquired at Coromandel or Malabar in India. The report provided information about the richness of the Malay states. Francis Light who was also a country trader in his letter to the Governor General of India, Lord Cornwallis, dated 7 January 1789, gives a comprehensive picture of the Malay states around Penang and its products. The information provided by Light relates to all the Malay states and enriches the historiography of the region. Without such information much less would be known about 18th century developments in the archipelago. The Accommodative Policy of the Malay Rulers The cordial relations established by the country traders created the opportunity for the Malay rulers to implement a policy of accommodation towards foreigners. Prior to the arrival of country traders, Malay traders were forced to sell their products at prices dictated by the Dutch. Malay rulers could now sell their products to traders who were willing to offer a higher price. Furthermore, country traders were also willing to sell fire arms to local traders. Light was said to have sold 5 thousand riffles to the Buggies. James Scott was also involved in selling firearms to local rulers. The policy of open and free trading enabled local rulers to sign different treaties with country traders, even when they had already signed treaties with the Dutch. Before this the Malay rulers sold tin to the Dutch at prices dictated by the latter and could not conduct trade with anyone besides the Dutch. It could be concluded that the relationship established by the country traders with Malay rulers gave the latter the opportunity to avoid Dutch intervention in their economy and the chance to sell their products to the country traders at a profit. The accommodative nature of the Malay rulers and their craftiness is evident in the written documentation attributed to the country traders; and this material has played an important part in clarifying the history of Malay Archipelago in the 18th century. Laissez-Faire Policy in the Malay Archipelago It was through the writings of traders operating in this part of the world that British officials first became aware that the laissez-faire policy had been in practice long prior to foreign commercial presence in this part of the world. G. Windsor, in his article which was published in the Journal of the Indian Archipelago in 1850, lists all the ports in the Malay Archipelago which practiced a laissez-faire policy. The laissez-faire policy in this part of the world had its own unique characteristics. If such a policy had not existed, foreigners would have employed gunboat diplomacy to achieve their ambitions. This would have proven costly, and many lives would have been sacrificed. The fact that most of the countries in Asia accepted indirect rule was very much related to the accommodative policy inspired by the laissez-faire system which had already been in place much earlier. Intervention was through negotiation and not force. The existence of free trade and free ports in the Malay Archipelago was brought to light by Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. According to him, When the Europeans first frequented the Archipelago, the trade had long collected at certain established emporia; of this Achean, Malacca and Bantam were the principal. Macassar on Celebes, had also become an emporium of the more Eastern Commerce. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ the smooth seas of the Archipelago is readily conveyed to the most advantageous markets. Foreign traders in large vessels found it more to their interest to proceed to the emporia, where they might at once procure a full cargo. The foreign commerce was carried on with ease and safety and to manifest advantage of all parties. The Malay Archipelago already had trade links with the outside world before the modern age. Local conditions suited the strategy of free trade and free ports which were used by the foreigners to develop settlements along the peninsula coast. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the Spice Islands formed a well structured regional trade network. A number of important ports emerged in the Malay Archipelago, like Pedir, Pasai, Sri Vijaya, Demak, Tuban, Makasar and Malacca. The ports functioned as free ports and traded without restrictions. From the beginning of the fourteenth century, five trade zones emerged in the Straits Settlements. The first trade zone was the Bay of Bengal which began at the Coromandel Coast, South India and included Sri Lanka, the Northern Malaysian Peninsula and the North and West Coasts of Sumatra. The North and West Coast of Sumatra became important in the years after 1300 due to the global demand for pepper. Consequently, the entry port of Samudra Pasai on the east coast became an important supplier of pepper for the traders from the East and West. When the Europeans came to the Malay Archipelago they did not create new trade routes, in fact they made use of the old ones. All the ports which were located in these trade zones, such as Malacca, Aceh, Pasai, Bantam, Macassar, Ayudhya experienced a rapid progress in trade. This freedom enabled the ports to attract traders from the East and West and to function collectively as a political, economic and social centre. With the double attractions of an established trading network and free trade status, the British were encouraged to develop free ports in the Malay Archipelago in the late 18th and early 19th century. The emergence of Penang and Singapore as free ports was based on these factors. Travellers The term traveller normally refers to those travelling to new places for recreation or pleasure and not for economic activities. Some came to the archipelago en-route to other destinations, while many others came either in an official or non-official capacity for business objectives. While ordinary travellers might, as observers away from their home environment, record their impressions of the people, landscape and events encountered, others, through their writings unwittingly contributed information which can today be considered as historical source material for the study of the Malay Archipelago, particularly the Malay states in the 18th and 19th century. Although the general perception about travellers is that they frame their perceptions within the cultural filters of their own cultures and based on patriotic sentiments, the same may not be said to apply to all the travellers. There are travellers who tended to speak their minds. Travellers do make judgments on contemporary affairs which appeal to the modern historian, such as in the case of Isabella Bird, whos The Golden Chersonese, the Malayan Travels of a Victorian Lady helps provide a better perspective on the events that were to unfold in the later decades. Another two travellers worth mentioning are G.W. Earl who penned Eastern Isles and Howard Malcolm, who wrote Travels in South-Eastern Asia Embracing Hindustan, Malaya, Siam, and China. The testaments of these authors will be discussed below to prove their validity as sources of historical information. Isabella Bird The Golden Chersonese, the Malayan Travels of a Victorian Lady, Singapore, Oxford University Press reprint (paperback), 1980. Isabella is a traveller and writer who travelled to Malaya in 1879 at the age of 47, five years after official intervention by the British in Malaya. Her book The Golden Chersonese, which was published in 1883, comprised a series of letters written to her sister Henrietta in Edinburgh while travelling in the Malay States (for five weeks from January-February 1879). Her description and evaluation of certain historical events remains as a source for studying the history of Malaya in the 19th century. She recorded her impressions of every place she visited with extraordinary clarity. Isabella evidently had a talent for observation, description and an unquenchable thirst of information. Views of the Malays Isabella viewed the Malays as an enlightened race in contrast to the British administrators: The Malays undoubtedly must be numbered among civilised peoples. They live in houses which are more or less tasteful and secluded. They are well clothed in garments of both native and foreign manufacture; they are a settled and agricultural people; they are skilful in some of the arts, specially in the working of gold and the damascening of krises; the upper classes are to some extent educated; they have a literature, even though it be an imported one, and they have possessed for centuries systems of government and codes of land and maritime laws which, in theory at least, show a considerable degree of enlightenment. Her view contradicts British perceptions of the Malays as uncivilised. Frank Swettenham, who was the British Resident of Selangor (1876-82), Perak (1889-95) and later the Resident-General of the Federated Malay States (1896-1901) expresses the following in his book, The Real Malay: There was a strong belief that Malays were treacherous by nature and pirates by trade, and that there were no special inducements for a white man to trust himself in such a barbarous country. Views of the Chinese Isabella provided detailed information on the Chinese. She explained vividly the character of the Chinese and why they were dominant in Malaya. To quote her, The Chinese promise to be in some sort the commercial rulers of the Straits. It is by their capital, industry and enterprise that the resources of the Peninsula are being developed. It explains why the British administrators and capitalists developing the agriculture and mining sectors in the Malay states were so dependent on them. It was no surprise that the Chinese came to play a vital role in the affairs of the Archipelago, particularly Malaya. Francis Light praised the Chinese in 1794 as, à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ the only people of the East from whom a revenue may be raised without expense and extraordinary effort of government. Raffles took steps to educate the Chinese in Singapore as they were seen as an asset to develop the island. The Chinese were generally preferred by the Europeans on account of their reliability and perseverance. As house servants with European families the Chinese were found to be particularly valuable. They were also employed to collect excise revenues. European trade in the Straits Settlements was managed almost exclusively by the Chinese. Isabella highlighted the role of Yap Ah Loy, a prominent Chinese businessman who developed Kuala Lumpur in the 1880s without any official recognition. In her writing, Isabella accorded due recognition to his contributions to the expansion of Kuala Lumpur. He was said to have built Kuala Lumpur each time it was burned down as a result of disturbances. He built roads connecting tin mines with the town. His contribution was recognised by Mr. Syers, the Superintendent of Police, who believed that without Ah Loys support, Kuala Lumpur would not have been developed. Isabella considers Ah Loy to be the creator of the commercial interests of Selangor, and as a man of large aims with an enlightened public spirit. She therefore considered that he needed to be accorded due recognition for his services and awarded either the St. Michael or the St. George Medal?. Incidentally, Yap Ah Loys place in history continues to be sidelined in modern Malaysian history. A local newspaper, the Sunday Star (dated 26th April 2009), carried a news item entitled Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) makes proposal to honor Kuala Lumpur founder. The MCA President declared that Yap Ah Loy had been overlooked, despite the fact that he had helped develop Kuala Lumpur into a commercial and mining centre, and contributed greatly to its advancement. The only reminder of this great hero is a small road in the city centre that carries his name. In view of this, the partys Chinese Community History Consultative Bureau was directed to document Ah Loys contributions. It looks like the grouches pointed out by Isabella 100 years ago are being repeated by the Chinese community in the 21st century. Views of the Indians Isabellas view of the Indian race does explain why Indians fail in modern day Malaysia. She compares them to the other races and her conclusion is that à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.Klings [Indians] are active and industrious, but they lack fibre apparently, and that quick-sightedness for opportunities which makes the Chinese the most successful of all emigrants. Not a Malay or a Kling has raised himself either as merchant or in any other capacity to wealth or distinction in the colony. To this day, the Indians continue to be seen in this light in comparison to the Chinese. In a news report, (New Straits Times, 27 April 2009), the Government exhorted the Indian community to emulate the Chinese in grabbing investment and business opportunities. In other words, Indians are asked to be more like the Chinese, who according to Frank Swettenham à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦are the bees who suck the honey from every profitable undertaking. View on Intervention in Perak, the Assassination of J.W.W. Birch, the first British Resident in the State of Perak and Intervention in Selangor Isabella made political commentary, although it was not her business to have done so. She wrote about the reaction to the assassination of J.W.W. Birch, the first British Resident of Perak. Those who were involved in the murder were hanged, while the Malay rulers were exiled. Isabella was of the opinion that the British had failed to heed the views of the locals. To her, the British were ever imposing their superiority over the locals, without realising that the latter had a superior civilization: A great mist of passion and prejudice envelopes our dealings with the chiefs and people of this State, both before and after the war. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ If I may venture to give an opinion upon so controversial a subject, it is, that all Colonial authorities in their dealings with native races, all Residents and their subordinates, and all transactions between ourselves and the weak peoples of the Far East, would be better for having something of the fierce light which beats upon a throne turned upon them. The good have nothing to fear, the bad would be revealed in their badness, and hasty councils and ambitious designs would be held in check. Public opinion never reaches these equatorial jungles; we are grossly ignorant of their inhabitants and their rights, of the manner in which our interference originated, and how it has been exercised; and unless some fresh disturbance and another little war should concentrate our attention for a moment on these distant States, we are likely to rem ain so, to their great detriment, and not a little, in one aspect of the case at least, to our own. In other word she admitted the natives had a superior civilisation. ARE YOU SURE? She was also critical of the manner in which the British intervened in Selangor: The history of the way in which we gained a footing in Selangor is a tangled one, as the story is told quite differently by men holding high positions in the Colonial Government, who unquestionably are all honorable men. This means she did not accept the official views of the British government which was considered to be the gospel truth with regard to intervention in the Malay states. George Windsor Earl The Eastern Seas, London, WMH, Allen Co., 1837 with an introduction by C.M.Turnbull, Singapore, Oxford University Press reprint 1971. Earl ( 1865) was another British traveller who was a ships captain, lawyer, colonial official, linguist, antiquarian and writer. He travelled widely in the Malay Archipelago. His famous book was The Eastern Seas. He also contributed numerous articles in the Journal of the Indian and Eastern Archipelago (JIEA). The Journal contains many writings by merchants and traders and reveals the importance of all the states and islands in the Malay Archipelago. Besides that, it also brings to light the importance of each island state and its products, referring to traders who are trading there as well as trade policy carried out by foreign powers. Writing in Earls journal conveyed valuable information about the region, and in some cases provided the stimulus for the advancement of Western colonization in Southeast Asia as well as other regions. These publications were widely read and were considered influential in shaping Western public opinion about the distant tropical east. Earl was also said to have been interested in the peoples of the Archipelago and mixed freely with the Asian population of the Straits Settlements. His account of the Malay Archipelago, according to Mary Turnbull in her introduction of the reprint of the book, was the honest opinion of an intelligent and detached observer and a most humane man. Although there might be accusations that his views reflected those of the British government, for Turnbull they reflected the liberal ideas of the times, as manifested in the actions of the officials on the ground: It reflects too the freshness and confidence of the best in British imperial idealism in the first half of the nineteenth century, before that confidence had toughened into arrogance of imperial power and the spirit of co-operation with the local population had coarsened into authoritarian command. Earl was said to be a man of integrity, with a sense of compassion. He was against the idea of taking strong repressive measures against the Chinese secret societies, and instead succeeded in convincing the Straits officers to be moderate and lenient to the Chinese population. Howard Malcolm Travels in South-Eastern Asia Embracing Hindustan, Malaya, Siam, and China, Vol. 1, 1839, Boston, Gould, Kendall Lincoln, 1839. Malcolm (1799-1879) was sent out as the deputy and representative of one of the great American Missionary Societies to gather details on every area in which the Board lacked information. The information provided was very objective and without bias. A lot of information was provided about Malaya, such as that relating to piracy. According to Malcolm, Malays considered piracy to be honorable and many of their princes openly engaged in it. This testimony also brought to light the fact that free trade policy was practiced in this part of the world before the advent of Western Powers. To Malcolm, Singapore was able to flourish as an important trading port in the 19th century due to the role played by local traders and trade routes which had existed for ages, well before the Europeans found their way into these seas. Malcolm also explained in detail the kind of products collected by the local traders from various areas. For example, the Battaks collected camphor; the Sulu gathered pearls; the Malays looked for birds nest, nutmeg, clove, tripang and agar-agar; the Bugis functioned as traders and mariners; the Sumatran traders dealt in pepper; the traders from China contributed wealth and capital towards the prosperity of Singapore; while the West brought technology and arts to this part of the world. Missionaries Missionaries were generally interested in the native population and helped to increase the number of converts to Christianity. In addition they became pioneers of social change. In the case of the Malay Archipelago, many missionary societies were formed and they published many works on this part of the world. One notable example was the London Missionary Society, which was founded in London in 1795 with the objective of spreading Christianity to all nations and people, to publish and distribute scripture in the vernacular and to teach the young to read and write in a school environment. Missionaries were therefore encouraged to produce Christian books, propaganda and text. The Origin of Missionary Activity in the Straits Settlements In 1815, the London Missionary Society (LMS) established a printing press in Malacca named Mission Press, and branches were formed in Penang (1819) and Singapore (1822). In Malacca, evangelism was spearheaded by Rev. William Milne (1785-1822). When Milne left Malacca the task fell to Rev. Claudius Henry Thomsen, who carried out missionary work among the Malays. His Malay teacher was the famous scribe, Munsyi Abdullah. Thomsens publications include a small hymn book, and tracts on human depravity, the Being of God, An exposition on the Commandments and a sixteen page treatise on the principal doctrines of the gospel. Thomsons activities raised objections from the locals, especially the Hajjies of Singapore. They were said to have refused to accept Christian tracts and also made efforts to prevent others from receiving them. Mission Press contributed not only to produce Christian publications, but also non- religious works. Their publications appeared in the various vernacular languages, and were mostly circulated in the form of tracts, broadsheets and books. Publications in the Malay language were mainly the Bible, interpretations of the Bible, religious treatises and prayers. In 1819, about 54,000 printed materials were published in Chinese and about 19,000 in Malay. Rev. Thomas Beighton (1790-1844) was responsible for Mission Press activities in Penang. Works published under his direction included Religion of the Bible, Fourth Commandment, and The Beatitudes. There were also a few controversial publications like Comparison of the Religion of Jesus with the Religion of Mohammed, The Rise of Christianity and pamphlets with titles like Pengajaran [Spiritual Lessons]. In Singapore, C. H. Thomsen (1782-?) who came from Malacca, became the editor of a Malay magazine, and assumed responsibility for missionary work among the Malays. Thomsen left Singapore in 1834 when he sold the Press to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The American Board was responsible for the religious activities there. It was the American missionary movement which translated Hikayat Pelayaran Abdullah (Abdullahs Travel Narrative) and the New Testament into English. One notable person, Benjamin Peach Keasberry came from USA to Singapore to work with the Malays under the American Board, and in 1839 joined the London Missionary Society. Keasbery was very much involved with publications in Malay. The LMS came to an end in the Straits Settlements when the Opium War broke out in China between 1838-1842. The Society then decided to shift its work from the Straits Settlements to China. The Mission Press under Keasberry printed a few Malay manuscripts including Adat Segala Raja-Raja Melayu dalam Segala Negeri and Sejarah Melayu. With the help of Alfred North from the American Board, Abdullah was able to pen his experiences in Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah (The Voyages of Abdullah) and Hikayat Abdullah (The Narrative of Abdullah). When Keasbery died in 1875, the press was bought by John Fraser and D.C.Neave Printers Ltd which survived until the Japanese occupation. With Keasberrys demise, the Mission Press fell silent until it was revived by the Methodist William Girlestone Shellabear, who was responsible for its revival. He became a missionary for the Methodist Church Singapore, and started the American Mission Press, which later became the Methodist Publishing House in 1906, followed by the Malaya Publishing House in 1927. Shellabear was the one missionary who was largely responsible for enriching Malay historiography of the early 20th century. Among the publications produced was the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Reaction of Natives to the Spread of Christianity It is interesting to note the reaction of the natives to Christian missionary activities in the Straits Settlements. The efforts failed to Christianise the Malays, although they were involved in the teaching of the Malay language to the missionaries. This poses an interesting question as to why such activities failed in the Malay States when it was successful elsewhere. Thomas Beightons publications related mainly to Christianity, and included titles like The Trinity Revealed in the New Testament, The Rise of Christianity that is the Story of Resurrection of Jesus on the Third Day after his Crucifixion, Religion of the Bible, and Fourth Commandment. Beightons most controversial publication was Comparison of the Religion of Jesus with the Religion of Mohammed, the Rise of Christianity and a pamphlet with the title Pengajaran. Comparison of the Religion was an attempt to belittle Al Quran and praise the Bible. Malay leaders were of the opinion that these writings were crude, insulting and belittled Islam and its followers. They were disturbed by the way such materials were brought right to their doorsteps. The Malays complained to the Governor of Penang, S. G. Bonham and wanted Beighton to be restrained from distributing such materials. The latter was, however, able to convince the Governor that most of them were translation works intended to stimulat e inquiry. The explanation was contained in his Letter to Mohammetans, in which he stressed that Abdullah Munsyi had helped in publishing the work. It is also interesting to note that Beighton had even adopted a young Malay, baptised him and named him Thomas John Ince. When the boy died, he even published a book titled The Story of Tom that is Thomas J. Inche who was Loyal and Dedicated to Christianity as Stated. The reaction of the natives towards Christianity is something which is not studied in Malaysian history. It is only through the writings of the missionaries that one could also acquire information with regard to how the natives reacted to the missionaries attempt to spread gospel or Christian teachings. As Milner rightly pointed out, It must be investigated further the contribution which missionaries made to the ideological assault waged by the west against Malay culture in the early nineteenth century; the schools they established in their preaching and the missionary pamphlets they distributed throughout the Archipelago. The Writings of the Missionaries as Historical Sources The Publication of Historical Works by Mission Press Early historical works of the time were published by missionary societies, without whose efforts Malaysian historiography would not have been complete. Many professional historians who worked on the Straits Settlements and the Malay Archipelago relied greatly on such publications to shed light on the many events of the time. A number of notable historical publications of the societies are listed below; Thomsen Claudius Henry, A Code of Bugis Maritime Laws with Translation, Singapore, Printed at the Mission Press, 1832. Moor, John Henry, (Compiler), Notices of the Indian Archipelago, and Adjacent Countries; Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Borneo, Celebes, Java, Sumatra, Nias the Philippine Islands, Sulus, Siam, Cochin China, Malayan Peninsula Etc, Singapore , Mission Press, 1837. Reverend Thomas Beighton, Comparison of the Religion of Jesus with the Religion of Mohammed. Prophet of the Arabs in Mecca, printed in Penang by Reverend Thomas Beighton in the year 1839. (Translation) Logan, The Journal of the Indian Archipelago, Vol. 1 2, Singapore, Mission Press, 1847. The Story of Abdullah Abdul Kadir Munshi, Singapore, Mission Press, 1849. (Translation). A number of the above publications need to be discussed in detail to show how they could be considered as historical sources for the study of the Malay Archipelago. Moors Publication John Henry Moor compiled Notices of the Indian Archipelago, and Adjacent Countries; Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Borneo, Celebes, Java, Sumatra,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)