#there are a lot of different elements to each philosphy but for a lot of people

[prettyboykatsuki]

if you don’t mind elaborating, what do you mean by that?

of course! and this isn't like. a discourse post. it's just about the differences in philosphy from someone who comes from an immigrant south asian community. it's not really a diss or commentary though i guess i could offer that too.

a lot of western philosphy but im focusing specifically focusing on the united states is based in individualism. this is a result of a plethora of long standing history but in general, for a lot of people who grew up in america there is a really big level of focus on the individual. growing up to be independent. there's less emphasis on community and community values. there are exception and circumstances though ofc.

but a lot of asian countries (and i use the term broadly bc there is overlap) there's more of an emphasis on collectivism. a focus on community, interpersonal relationships and compromise. and collectivism isn't like novel to japan or anything like that.

i grew up south asian and a lot of my experiences are through the lens of the collective. for a lot of my american friends - the way i engage with my community can be very confusing. my specific tolerance for peoples behaviors and my willingness to still fight for those people even if they frustrate or upset me.

both situations have very different circumstances. it's not about good or bad, just very different.

sometimes when i read fic, i sort of catch the way that a person has been raised through means of how they write characters. in small, almost unnoticeable ways. in how characters relate to each other and how they engage with the world around them.

a big tell is how often a relationship is written as solely transactional without any other nuances you could say. people don't seem like they intrinsically owe each other anything is always a big tell. the lived experience of being raised in collectivism is having concern for people you even personally dislike them. a huge tell is how people write a character pair like bkdk for example and if people potray bakugou never doing anything for anyone out of his own will.

bakugou is a pretty selfish and self-involved character. much of his personal journey is learning how to be apart of the collective. and the reason class 1a accepts him, no matter how frustrating or annoying he is - is because bakugou is apart of their collective. his growth as a character can't be separated from that sense of community. a lot of people who grew up with individualism also have a hard time displaying bakugous outcast nature and how his deviation effects him mentally while also showing how his status altered his viewpoint before highschool.

for me, i just sort of notice in character interaction. in fics where there are high stakes and personal feelings get in the way. how accomplishments are achieved or celebrated. how a characters good will is displayed i.e. is this act of kindness especially novel or is it simply decency and respect for another person. how dekus self sacrifice is written in percieved etc. how roles are assigned to characters in their lives (a huge example of roles is how deku consistently calls himself allmights successor or how todoroki is referred to as endeavors son.) as for collectivist societies people often describe themselves through the relationships etc.

again it's kind of difficult for me to explain or give you any solid answers on. it's just sort of a vibe i get where i can feel that the person writing something has that frame on character behaviors and it bleeds into the fic.

[margdarsanme]

NCERT Class 12 History Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

NCERT Class 12 History Solutions

Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q l. Write a note on the Kitab-ul-Hind.

Ans. Kitab-ul-Hind was written by Al-Biruni in 1031. It was considered with India and also known by the name of Tarikh-ul-Hind and Tahqiq-ma-ul-Hind. It was written in Arabic. It is divided into 80 Chapters. They have thrown a detailed light on Hindu religions and philosphy, festivals, customs and tradition, the social and economic as well as political life of the people. In each chapter he adopted a distinctive style and had a question in the beginning. It was followed by a description based on Sanskrit tradition, At last he compare the India culture with other culture. This geometric structure he followed is known for its precision and predictability. The main reason for this structure was Al-Biruni’s mathematical orientation. Q 2. Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.

Ans. Both have written them accounts in their different prospectives. While Ibn Battuta describe everything that impressed and excited him because of his novelty, Bernier had followed a different intellectual tradition. He wrote whatever he saw in India. Bernier wanted to pin point the weakness of the Indian society and considered the Mughal India Inferior to European society. In his description Ibn Battuta recorded his observation about new culture, people, believes and values. Q 3. Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s accout.

Ans. During the 17th century nearly 15% of population was living in town. This was average proportion of urban population of western Europe. Bernier described Mughal towns as court towns. By it he meant those towns which depended upon the imperial court for their existence and survival. These towns came into existence with the imperial court and declined with the impanel court when they moved to other places. In his travel accounts, Bernier described many big towns and cities such as Delhi, Mathura, Kashmir, Surat, Masulipatnam and Golconda. These gained importance as manufacturing centres, trading towns, and sacred towns. The merchant communities had deep influence in these cities. They remained organised due to their own caste and occupational bodies. These trading groups were known as Mahajans in western India. Their head was called Sheth. In Ahmedabad, the chief of Merchant community was known as nagarsheth. Besides the trading groups, musicians, architects, painters, lawyers, calligraphies, etc. lived in towns. Q 4. Analyse the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn Battuta.

Ans. Battuta has given a detailed description on the practice of slavery prevalent in India. Delhi Sultan-Muhammad bin Tughlaq had a large number of slaves. Most of these slaves were forcibly captured during the aggressions. Many people sold their children as a slave, because of acute poverty. Slaves were also offered as a gift during this time. Battuta when visited him, also brought many horses, camels and slaves for the Sultan to present him. Sultan Muhammad bin Tuglaq, himself had presented two hundred slaves to Nasiruddin a religious preacher.

Nobels are used to keep slave those days. Through these slaves, the Sultan used to get information about the activities of the noble and all other important events of the empire. The woman slaves served as servants in the house of the rich (nobles). These women informed the Sultan about the activities of their masters (i.e., nobles). Most of the slaves used to do domestic works and there was a lot of difference between the status of these slaves and the court slaves. Q 5. What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?

Ans. The practice of sati according to Bernier showed the difference in the treatment of women in western and eastern society. He noticed how a child widow were forcefully burnt screaming on the funeral pyre while many of the older women were resigned their fate. The following elements drew his attention. (i) Under this cruel practices an alive widow was forcibly made to sit on the pyre of her husband. (ii) People had no sympathy for her. (iii) The widow was an unwilling victim of the sati-practice. She was forced to be a Sati. Q 6. Discuss Al-Biruni’s understanding of the caste system.

Ans. Al-Biruni’s description about caste system as he understood. Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking far parallels in other societies. He described that in ancient Persia, four social categories were recognised. (i) knight and princes. (ii) monks (iii) fire-priests and lawyers; physicians, astronomers, other scientists; (iv) Finally, peasants and artisans. He attempted to suggest that social divisions were not unique to India.

His description of the caste system in India was deeply influenced by his study of Sanskrit texts. According to these texts, the highest castes were the Brahmins as they were created from the head of the Brahmins.

The Kshatriyas were the next caste created from the shoulders and hands of the Brahmin. The Vaishyas and Shudras were created from the thighs and feet of the Brahmin respectively. Thus, he sought to understand the Indian caste system by looking for parallels in other societies. Nothing that ancient Persian society was divided into four categories he realized that social division was not unique to India.

But despite accepting the caste system he was against the notion of pollution. He believed that according to the laws of nature anything which becomes impure ultimately becomes pure again, e.g. the sun clears the air. The concept of social pollution is the bedrock of the caste system. Thus, the caste system was according to him contrary to the laws of nature. He failed to realize that the caste system was not as rigid as portrayed in the Sanskrit texts. Q 7. Do you think Ibn Battuta’s account is useful in arriving at an understanding of life in contemporary urban centres? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Battuta’s observation about the cities of India.

(i) According to him, Indian cities had many exciting opportunities and are useful for those who had the necessary drive, skill and resources.

(ii) The Indian cities were prosperous and densely populated.

(iii) These cities had colourful market trading in different kinds of goods.

(iv) Delhi was the largest city of India and had a lot of population. Daultabad was an another important city of India which challenged Delhi in size.

(v) The cities were not only the centre of economic transactions but also the centres of ! social and cultural activities.

(vii) Most of the bazars in the cities had temple and mosques.

(viii) Cities also had fixed places for public performances by dancer, musicians and singer. He found that many towns derived their wealth and prosperity through the appropriation of surplus from villages.

(ix) Indian goods were in great demand in west Asia and South-east Asia. So the artisans and merchants earned huge profit. Q 8. Discuss the extent to which Bernier’s accounts enables historians to reconstruct contemporary rural society.

Ans. Bernier’s assessment about Indian rural society was not correct. It was far away from the truth, but it is not acceptable. There are some truth in his description which are evident from the following facts.

(i) According to his account, mughal empire was the owner of the land and distributed among its nobles. It had a disastrous impact on the society.

(ii) According to him the system of crown of ownership of land was good. It was because, the land holders could not pass on their land to their children. They did not make any long term investment on the land.

(iii) As there was no private property in land, there was not any improvement in the landlord class. This system ruin agriculture and led to opinion of peasants. Bernier’s view regarding Indian society had the following features: (a) The rich people Were in minority. (b) It had the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich, no middle class existed there. (c) All the cities and towns were reined and had contaminated air. Q 9. Read this excerpt from Bernier:

List the crafts mentioned in the passage. Compare these with the descriptions of artisanal activity in the chapter.

Ans. :

I. Names of the crafts mentioned in this passage. In this passage the crafts such as making of muskets and following pieces and making beautiful gold ornaments are mentioned. These products were beautifully made. Bernier was amazed to see these products.

II. Comparison of crafts referred in the passage with the description of artisanal activity in the chapter. (i) In the chapter boat manufacturing and terracottan sculpture and temple architecture has been mentioned. (ii) Art of painting has been referred. (iii) Art of carpet manufacturing has been referred. (iv) Art of dance, music and calligraphy have been referred in the chapter. (v) Description about Rajal Khamos have also been mentioned. Q 10. On an outline map of the world, mark the countries visited by Ibn Battuta. What are the seas that he might have crossed?

Ans. :

Countries visited by Ibn Battuta: (i) Morocco (ii) Mecca (iii) Syria (iv) Iraq (v) Persia (vi) Yamen (vii) Oman (viii) China (ix) India (x) Maldives (xi) Sri Lanka (xii) Sumatra (Indonesia)

Name of Seas: (i) North Atlantic Ocean (ii) South Atlantic Ocean (iii) Indian Ocean (iv) Red Sea (v) Arabian Sea (vi) Bay of Bengal (vii) South China Sea (viii) East China Sea.

from Blogger http://www.margdarsan.com/2020/08/ncert-class-12-history-chapter-5.html

[evilelitest2]

Debunking Stupid Christopher Hitchen’s Quote

     I don’t think this is going to be like a reoccuring thing, but may be every so often I should take a statement made by somebody and just delve into how wrong it is.  Today’s offering comes from @datablossom in defense of Christopher Hitchens.  Only context you need, I was saying that reductionist views towards your opposition leads to extremely stupid decision making, like Christoper self describing himself as a single issue voter in regards to the War on Terror and how dumb it is, and this quote is suppose to debunk my claim.  Now for a bit of context. Christopher Hitchens was an atheist Philosphy of the “New Atheist” movement, one of the supposed Four Horsemen, and cards on the table I just can’t stand the New Atheist philosophy at all, I find it trite, smug, and extremely intellectually vapid, its Voltaire without the humor. But beyond that, I find it very much like the Free Speech Warriors, where they start out as a group using questionable methods to oppose an actual right wing evil force (The Religious Right and the Fox News culture Warriors) only to immediately ally with those exact same people and support their world view in a moment’s notices.  Its like a LOTRS thing, they use the methods of the Enemy and almost instantly become the enemy.  Cause remember, Christophen Hitchen started out as an opponent to Fundamentalist Christianity, and then once you introduce Islam into the mix, he quickly winds up supporting those same people 

So here is the quote, as well as the commentary of @datablossom which will be marked in Italics 

Here’s Hitchens’ actual words, not some truncated quote that explains nothing, it’ll just boil my guts if I don’t bring them to the forefront:

“There is a widespread view that the war against jihadism and totalitarianism involves only differences of emphasis. In other words, one might object to the intervention in Iraq on the grounds that it drew resources away from Afghanistan - you know the argument. It’s important to understand that this apparent agreement does not cover or include everybody. A very large element of the Left and of the isolationist Right is openly sympathetic to the other side in this war, and wants it to win. This was made very plain by the leadership of the “anti-war” movement, and also by Michael Moore when he shamefully compared the Iraqi fascist “insurgency” to the American Founding Fathers.”

Ok right off the back, we have Hitchens utterly failing at his supposed goal to be rational and engaging in the type of hyperbole simplistic thinking that he himself smugly mocks in his other books (I had the misfortune of raeding Hitch 22.  Lets break this down 

1) Ok so firstly, Hitchen is doing a really classically stupid thing of buying into simplistic black and white paradigm created by the duplicity  and believed by their ignorant, because in case you haven't noticed, the War on Terror isn’t a war with a single force.  Jihadists and Totalitarianism aren’t like...singular things.  Hell they are actually two very different entities and it is really evident that Hitchens hasn’t read Arendt.  The War on Terror isn’t with a singular opponent, that is why it is such a clusterfuck.  Here let me use an example of a normal war as a contrast.      WWII was a battle against the Axis powers, who were three countries and their associated Vassal States.  They had capital cities, heads of states, armies, forms of goverment and a physical location that they occupied.  Nazi German controlled this land mass 

So if you send an army in and take over the territory in red, guess what, you’ve won, you have eliminated Nazism.  Which we you know...did.  There is a clear war end with a clear victory condition.      But Terror isn’t like...a nation.  There is no Terrorstan with its capital city of terovania ruled by the King of Terrorism who we can go in and kill, because this isn’t a conventional war.  Like what is the end goal of the War on Teror, how do we win?  Are we fighting to eliminate Bin Laden and Al-Quedi?  Well in that case, then why invade Iraq, because if anybody actually understood anything about the period they would know the two men detested each other and opposed each other politically.  Is the goal to wipe out islam?  Well that means that you are talking about the largest genocide in all of human history.  Is it to try to eliminate Fundamentalist militant Islam? Well then the best way to do that historically has never been through war which only strengthens Islamic extremism (you know how since the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq we have seen Islamic fundamentalist get only more powerful?)  The thing about the War on Terror and the War on Drugs is that they are these huge international utterly mismanaged fuck ups which not only cost an inordinate amount of blood and treasure, but also can’t really be won because they are by their nature unwinnable, how do you fight a fucking concept? And Hitchens is just sort of accepting this premise that the War on Terror is like a thing, he is just kinda unquestioningly going ‘Well this paradigm totally exists and lets run with it”  Terms like “The Enemy” or “The other side”.  What is the Other Side Exxactly?   2) I mean going off the mindless Assumptions that HItchens is making, who are we fighting exactly?  LIke ok, if you aren’t 4 years old, you should know that the Middle East isn’t a singular faction of unified peoples who all agree on stuff.  I mean lets do a quick list of factions in the middle east The Saudi Royal Family The Saudi Wahhabist Clerics The Pakistani Goverment The Pakistani Military Saadamn Hussein’s Iraq (at the time of this writing) Al-Queda Hamas Hezbollah The Theocracy of Iran The Goverment of Turkey The Kudishistan Fighters The Government in Egypt The Muslim Brotherhood The Dictatorship of Syria The Goverment of Lebenon The Monarchy of Jordon The Palestinian Leadership The nation of Israel (with all of the factions contained there in) The various sub states that make up the UAE The goverment of Qutar The Dictatorship of Kuwait The Dictatorship of Libya The Dictatorship of Tunisia The Dictatorship of Yemen The Dictatorship of Oman The Governments of the US, France, Britain, Russia, India, and their Allies The various exiles and rebels from all of those countries And that is just a short list.  None of those groups are unified with the others, they might be allies or share common interest, but they aren’t the same thing, I mean the Sunni Shia division is just one big part of this.   Again its one of those things that if you are you know....stupid it seems simple but the moment you try to understand the details, the whole thing falls apart, and as evident from this and other writings by him, Chris really doesn’t actually know anything about middle eastern politics like...at all.   3)  Speaking of unquestioning assumptions HItchens is oh so fond off, even if we are going to fight against radical Islam, he just kinda accepts that direct military intervention is going to work, because...look its gonna work ok, it just is.  And this is one of those things that if you actually you know...studied the history of the region and the politics or just occupation in general, you’d immediately know how stupid that is, but again, Hitchens is basically going with military approach because it feels emotionally correct, but because it feels emotionally correct and seems simple.  ‘argg, goes guys are bad, lets send troops in and stop them’ which of course...no, that doesn’t work.  Because when you bomb somebody’s house, they aren’t inclined to listen to you, and imposing democracy at Gun point doesn’t have a history of working.  LIke if he knew anything about the history of the region he could have studied the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan or the fall of the Ottoman Empire and maybe conclude ‘oh wait, just going in their guns blazing just doesn’t work”   4) Now mr. Rational here supported the Iraq War, and thought that was a capital idea, only for it to fail disastrously.  And his argument was “Well its a Muslim dictatorship, lets get ride of it”  And no where in his article does he go “Oh lets also invade Saudi Arabia, you know, the Muslim Theocracy which provides most of the funding for Islamic fundamentalism?”  But again, that just goes unquestioned cause you know...he doesn’t actually know anything about the region beyond some vague stereotypes 5) Also Jihadism and Totalitarianism are different concepts, Christopher you fucking idiot.  If we are fighting against Totalitarianism, then we should be invading China, Russia, North Korea, Totalitarianism is a sytem of goverment, Jihaadism is a militant practice, they are sometimes linked but they aren’t always the same thing.   6) So when Hitchen says “Oh the Left wants the Other Side” to win, what does he even mean? Again, this isn’t a two sided conflict, is like...39 sided conflict and some of them keep switching sides.  So which “other side” does the left want to win?  Do his think that Moore wants Bin Laden to create a new caliphate because you know...that never happened.  or does he mean like leftists wanting Palestine to get its own state, because yeah, a lot of leftists do want that. but he doesn’t really argue how that helps “The Enemy” or how the one state situation helps weaken Islamic fundamentalism.  But no, this is just the same Red Scare bullshit of “Oh if we don’t even try to understand why people are trying to kill us, that means we win the war right?” bullshit that didn’t work then, and isn’t working now.  For example, if Hitchen understood like...anything about the region he’d know about the 1953 Iranian Coup and how that didn’t weaken Muslim extremism but only made it worse.   7) Also, I hate defending Michael Moore of all people, but no, he didn’t say he wants Muslim extremism to win, he said that the war is immoral, unjust and doesn’t work, creating more problems than it solved.  The point of the founding father’s comparison is that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter and to the Iraqis the insurgents, they are trying to get foreign invaders out of their country.

Ok next quote 

“To many of these people, any “anti-globalization” movement is better than none. With the Right-wingers it’s easier to diagnose: they are still Lindberghians in essence and they think war is a Jewish-sponsored racket. With the Left, which is supposed to care about secularism and humanism, it’s a bit harder to explain an alliance with woman-stoning, gay-burning, Jew-hating medieval theocrats. However, it can be done, once you assume that American imperialism is the main enemy. Even for those who won’t go quite that far, the admission that the US Marine Corps might be doing the right thing is a little further than they are prepared to go - because what would then be left of their opposition credentials, which are so dear to them?…….” 

Lets switch to letters for this one 

A) Yes it is true there is a racist America First anti War Right wing element, but...the left never really embraced them.  In contrast, it was the right who really came to love them and then elected one of these Lindberghians president, good job 

B) Evidently it is really rational to assume that there are only a few sides in very argument, it doesn’t seem to occur to Hitchens that you might oppose Islamic fundamentalism and also not think that invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 are both wrong because nuanced thinking is rejected by the new atheists evidently.  You see why I am never impressed  by the so called New Atheist Rationalists, because they are really shitty about being rational, they take the rhetoric and shallow trappings of rationalism and use it to cover opinions that are coming from anti intellectual reductionist bigoted places and say “look its rational”...actually very similar to how muslim fundamentalists acts towards Islam.    

Reading Hitch 22 for me was a lot like watching Citizens Kane but without awareness, because every single thing he condemned he inevitably wound up doing himself.  

C) Also if you are talking about getting into bed with people they should oppose, lets talk about the fact that Hitch here became a surrogate for a Right Wing movement led by a Fundamentalist Christian who opposed Stem Cell Research, denied Global Warming and has a mixed record on evolution...and Hitch gets into bed with them.  And for all of his talk of Human rights, democracy, and feminism, he winds up working with people who hate feminism, who violate human rights regularly (you know...torture), and who support dictatorships abroad.  Again, the only way the rationality of Hitchens seems remotely consistent is if you are...stupid and don’t know any of the details.

This is why the New Atheist almost always wind up working with the religious Right, and why the people who opposed Republican attempts to demonize video games winded up part of the Right Wing machine, because if your core intellectual methodology is simplistic, then you are going to always be attracted to simplistic people.  

“………And this is the religion that exhibits the horrible trio of self-hatred, self-righteousness and self-pity. I am talking about militant Islam. Globally it’s a gigantic power. It controls an enormous amount of oil wealth, several large countries and states, with an enormous fortune it’s pumping the ideologies of wahhabism and salafism around the world, poisoning societies where it goes, ruining the minds of children, stultifying the young in its madrassas, training people in violence, making a cult of death and suicide and murder. That’s what it does globally, it’s quite strong. In our societies it poses as a cringing minority, whose faith you might offend, who deserves all the protection that a small and vulnerable group might need. Now, it makes quite large claims for itself, doesn’t it? It says it’s the Final Revelation.”

Lets go Roman Nummerials this time 

I) Globally its a giantaic power, I love this bit, because Hitch just spilled his hand and revealed to the world that he honestly thinks the Muslim powers are all one thing.  Cause....no....no they aren’t.  Three of the largest oil producing countries are Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia and guess what, they all hate each other.  Iran is Shia, Iraq was secular, and Saudi Arabia was a Sunni Fundamentalist State.  

II) OK he is talking about the mass funding of madrassases with Whahabism and yeah, thats a problem...How is invading Iraq solving that problem Hitch? Cause while Saadam Hussein was an evil terrible person, he wasn’t really big with Muslim fundamentalism, he was more secular, and into nation building.  Wouldn’t Hitch want to like, invade Saudi Arabia instead?  It honestly feels like he doesn’t know the difference between Iraq and Saudi Arabia 

III) Which makes his alliance with the Bush administration all the more ironic because you know who has massive ties to Saudi Arabia?  Oh right, the oil industry which is in bed with the Bushes and the Republicans party

IV) So you are just kinda left with a man who will abandon all of his principles (again he voted for Bush) if they appeal to his single issue

“I'm a single-issue voter, to get straight to the point. I'm really only interested in the candidate who's toughest and least apologetic when it comes to the confrontation with Islamic Jihadism.”

So you know...a moron 

Hitchens’ single issue was the fight against totality. Whether it comes from the madmen of jihad, the brutal fascist conservative windbags of the world, or the stilted leftist wignuts that pretend video games turn normal boys and girls into women hating sociopaths.

It seems like Hitchen’s point is “I don’t actually understand these issues, but I am going to rely upon broad generalizations to make it seem like my opinion on the matter actually is important.”  And that is generally what you get from Hitchen’s work, self important preening and fertilization of intellectual standards that he will never hold and will abandon in an instant if something appeals to his bigotry or xenophobia.  But I see why he is so popular with teenage boys, because the childish inflated sense of self worth is very telling, and I still think he hasn’t actually read Orwell.

“Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.”

Good Advice, would be nice if the man actually followed it for once.  

[detectivefiles2019]

Twitter Questions and Answers #WritingCommunity

Twitter Interview with the Writing Community

Greetings. Happy Saturday to everyone in the #WritingCommunity. This past week I asked a series of questions on Twitter and got varying answers to the questions. Here some of your answers will appear on here. Hope you have had a great start to the weekend so far. All responses from Twitter.

Question 1 for my post this weekend. What inspired you to become a writer?

From Tiffany Elliot When a student teacher in my 5th grade read my essay out loud to the class, then praised it as the best afterwards. It was a weekend assignment, so I was really nervous.

From BubbleyBrain  I enjoy writing. Did some fan fiction, was fun. People made fan art for me based on it. Thought to do it professionally and was a horrible mistake and I wasted years of my life even trying.

Question 2. What is yoru favorite genre or subjects to write about? Answers below too.

From Amanda Johnston-Creepy Word Witch  The Sci-Fi element creeping into my Fantasy books was brain-twisting, but it was a lot of fun to have to sit down and map out what exactly was happening to who, and when it was happening, and when it WASN'T happening...lol

From DB Carter- I like to write Drama and Romance

From Hardstyle Meets Headphones  Epic sword fights based on 15th century German martial arts  Evidently trauma (childhood trauma, traumatic experience, the aftermaths)  Sex - including discussions on foodplay and cruise lounge etiquette

Question 3 for my post this weekend. Which writer had the most or greatest influence on you?

From Jenn Sackleh  Although I’ve loved many authors and many books, I suppose Stephen King, because my mother use to read all of his books out loud to our family during my youth

From Diana Schooling  Lucy Maud Montgomery. Few writers can make the characters seem very real. Better than classics like Wuthering Heights, etc. She continues to be my writing hero, a goal tantalizingly just out of reach. Steven Moffat (Dr Who; Coupling) does that, too.

Question 4 for my post this weekend. What is your philosphy in life? Answers below

From Amanda Crozier Author   Take each day as it comes and don't worry about what is to come - it may never come and you will have worried for nothing.

From Jessey the Re-animator of Things   Always learn. Keep doing what you love. And above everything else, do the things to prove your self-doubt and other people wrong

From Dave Evans   If you can’t find a door make one, always try to leave a door open on friendships, treat people as they treat you, try not to judge empahsis on try and be thankful for what I have

Question 5 for my upcoming post on my blog. What do you think the biggest issue is facing humanity today (can be political or non politicial)? Answers below

From BubbleyBrain  Too much power and wealth in the hands of an elite few people and corporations.

From Holly Tinsley  Lack of trust/reliability in information sources both online and via spoken word. There's probably lots but hope that helps!

Question 6. For my post #WritingCommunity#WritingCommunity. If there was one thing that was going on in the world today that I could change what would it be?

From Kacey Kells  Climate change... because it threatens every form of life. Hence,  other issues come necessarily AFTER this one.

From Rebecca MacCeile  The current political circus in the US. It’s bad abroad too, but right now the US is just an embarrassment.

From The Adventures of Cardigan  Racism. We all bleed the same blood.

Question 7 for my blog post this weekend. Which of the fine arts (music, literature, art, etc) was your favorite to study in school?

From Maria Elena Martinez  Literature. I have a degree in English Literature.

From Lisa Reynolds English. I would have to have studied music but it wasn't an option.

From Sherril  Fine Art major, Graphic Design minor, sparking a creatively driven career, encompassing multiple mediums~~>>Self employed by "can do" attitude, each custom request contributing skills towards what is needed for the next! Follow your passion & success is inevitable.

Question 8 for my blog post this weekend. What genre or genres do you write and why did you chose that or those? What influenced you?

From Stephen J. Wolf  Always fantasy for me, writing or reading. I need the essence of magic, the ability to create from the mind alone and have it manifest in the world around me.

From Dana Lee Burton   I mostly #write#write in #fantasy#fantasy or #scifi#scifi #adventure#adventure. I love the thought of playing around with #magic#magic, so it's fun to create plot lines revolving around a world that has it. But I've written in a variety of different genres, a good story should be told regardless

Question 9 for my blog post this weekend. If you knew you only had a week left before biting the dust what would your 'bucket' list entail?

From author carrie weston   Now I’ve had a close experience so I’ve really thought about this one. I would go away with my family and do anything and everything fun and exciting with them so they remembered happy times with me

From Andrew Pullins  Spending time with my wife and friends, trying to outline my second wip so someone could pick up and run with it, travel a bit, and have fun. And pray. A lot. It would terrify me and that would be the one of thr only things that might bring me comfort.

From J.R. Rioux  Making sure I said my good-byes, assigning heirlooms to family, and figuring out where to get myself cremated.

Question 10 for my blog this weekend. If you like pizza what is your favorite toppings?

From reneemarskiauthor  Onions and mushrooms

From J.D Caren Mushrooms and onions

From Wanda Thibodeaux  Definitely classic pepperoni

From Juliette Kings   Pepperoni and artichokes and black olives and mushrooms. And lots of cheese!!!!! But seriously, pretty much everything except big chunks of green bell pepper.

Question 11 for my blog this weekend. If you write for both kids and adults which do you find harder to write?

From JCFuller M.S.Ed  I do write both and I do find challenges in both. With adults you can have little more freedom. With kids you do have to be careful what you write.

From CinderellaMonologues  Adults

From Wanda Thibodeaux  Kids. It's hard for me to talk in their language anymore, so to speak. I have to work hard to do it.

Question 12 What in your view is the hardest part of going through the process of getting a book published?

From Elizabeth A. Wilson   Publisher rejections that come back so fast there's no way anyone even looked at the manuscript & their cold letters lacking any acknowledgement of, let alone respect for, the time & hard work that went into writing a great story they ignored. They're why I publish Indie now.

From AngieMWrites  Creating a submission packet. Published A wants these three thing. Pub B wants those three things in a different format and two others. Pub C wants completely different things.

From Bryan R. Quinn  In mainstream publishing, it would be securing a literary agent.  In India publishing, it would be finding a reputable publisher.

These are all great answers from very great writers and authors in the #WritingCommunity. Do go and check out their works. Hope you have great Saturday

[margdarsanme]

NCERT Class 12 History Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

NCERT Class 12 History Solutions

Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q l. Write a note on the Kitab-ul-Hind.

Ans. Kitab-ul-Hind was written by Al-Biruni in 1031. It was considered with India and also known by the name of Tarikh-ul-Hind and Tahqiq-ma-ul-Hind. It was written in Arabic. It is divided into 80 Chapters. They have thrown a detailed light on Hindu religions and philosphy, festivals, customs and tradition, the social and economic as well as political life of the people. In each chapter he adopted a distinctive style and had a question in the beginning. It was followed by a description based on Sanskrit tradition, At last he compare the India culture with other culture. This geometric structure he followed is known for its precision and predictability. The main reason for this structure was Al-Biruni’s mathematical orientation. Q 2. Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.

Ans. Both have written them accounts in their different prospectives. While Ibn Battuta describe everything that impressed and excited him because of his novelty, Bernier had followed a different intellectual tradition. He wrote whatever he saw in India. Bernier wanted to pin point the weakness of the Indian society and considered the Mughal India Inferior to European society. In his description Ibn Battuta recorded his observation about new culture, people, believes and values. Q 3. Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s accout.

Ans. During the 17th century nearly 15% of population was living in town. This was average proportion of urban population of western Europe. Bernier described Mughal towns as court towns. By it he meant those towns which depended upon the imperial court for their existence and survival. These towns came into existence with the imperial court and declined with the impanel court when they moved to other places. In his travel accounts, Bernier described many big towns and cities such as Delhi, Mathura, Kashmir, Surat, Masulipatnam and Golconda. These gained importance as manufacturing centres, trading towns, and sacred towns. The merchant communities had deep influence in these cities. They remained organised due to their own caste and occupational bodies. These trading groups were known as Mahajans in western India. Their head was called Sheth. In Ahmedabad, the chief of Merchant community was known as nagarsheth. Besides the trading groups, musicians, architects, painters, lawyers, calligraphies, etc. lived in towns. Q 4. Analyse the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn Battuta.

Ans. Battuta has given a detailed description on the practice of slavery prevalent in India. Delhi Sultan-Muhammad bin Tughlaq had a large number of slaves. Most of these slaves were forcibly captured during the aggressions. Many people sold their children as a slave, because of acute poverty. Slaves were also offered as a gift during this time. Battuta when visited him, also brought many horses, camels and slaves for the Sultan to present him. Sultan Muhammad bin Tuglaq, himself had presented two hundred slaves to Nasiruddin a religious preacher.

Nobels are used to keep slave those days. Through these slaves, the Sultan used to get information about the activities of the noble and all other important events of the empire. The woman slaves served as servants in the house of the rich (nobles). These women informed the Sultan about the activities of their masters (i.e., nobles). Most of the slaves used to do domestic works and there was a lot of difference between the status of these slaves and the court slaves. Q 5. What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?

Ans. The practice of sati according to Bernier showed the difference in the treatment of women in western and eastern society. He noticed how a child widow were forcefully burnt screaming on the funeral pyre while many of the older women were resigned their fate. The following elements drew his attention. (i) Under this cruel practices an alive widow was forcibly made to sit on the pyre of her husband. (ii) People had no sympathy for her. (iii) The widow was an unwilling victim of the sati-practice. She was forced to be a Sati. Q 6. Discuss Al-Biruni’s understanding of the caste system.

Ans. Al-Biruni’s description about caste system as he understood. Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking far parallels in other societies. He described that in ancient Persia, four social categories were recognised. (i) knight and princes. (ii) monks (iii) fire-priests and lawyers; physicians, astronomers, other scientists; (iv) Finally, peasants and artisans. He attempted to suggest that social divisions were not unique to India.

His description of the caste system in India was deeply influenced by his study of Sanskrit texts. According to these texts, the highest castes were the Brahmins as they were created from the head of the Brahmins.

The Kshatriyas were the next caste created from the shoulders and hands of the Brahmin. The Vaishyas and Shudras were created from the thighs and feet of the Brahmin respectively. Thus, he sought to understand the Indian caste system by looking for parallels in other societies. Nothing that ancient Persian society was divided into four categories he realized that social division was not unique to India.

But despite accepting the caste system he was against the notion of pollution. He believed that according to the laws of nature anything which becomes impure ultimately becomes pure again, e.g. the sun clears the air. The concept of social pollution is the bedrock of the caste system. Thus, the caste system was according to him contrary to the laws of nature. He failed to realize that the caste system was not as rigid as portrayed in the Sanskrit texts. Q 7. Do you think Ibn Battuta’s account is useful in arriving at an understanding of life in contemporary urban centres? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Battuta’s observation about the cities of India.

(i) According to him, Indian cities had many exciting opportunities and are useful for those who had the necessary drive, skill and resources.

(ii) The Indian cities were prosperous and densely populated.

(iii) These cities had colourful market trading in different kinds of goods.

(iv) Delhi was the largest city of India and had a lot of population. Daultabad was an another important city of India which challenged Delhi in size.

(v) The cities were not only the centre of economic transactions but also the centres of ! social and cultural activities.

(vii) Most of the bazars in the cities had temple and mosques.

(viii) Cities also had fixed places for public performances by dancer, musicians and singer. He found that many towns derived their wealth and prosperity through the appropriation of surplus from villages.

(ix) Indian goods were in great demand in west Asia and South-east Asia. So the artisans and merchants earned huge profit. Q 8. Discuss the extent to which Bernier’s accounts enables historians to reconstruct contemporary rural society.

Ans. Bernier’s assessment about Indian rural society was not correct. It was far away from the truth, but it is not acceptable. There are some truth in his description which are evident from the following facts.

(i) According to his account, mughal empire was the owner of the land and distributed among its nobles. It had a disastrous impact on the society.

(ii) According to him the system of crown of ownership of land was good. It was because, the land holders could not pass on their land to their children. They did not make any long term investment on the land.

(iii) As there was no private property in land, there was not any improvement in the landlord class. This system ruin agriculture and led to opinion of peasants. Bernier’s view regarding Indian society had the following features: (a) The rich people Were in minority. (b) It had the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich, no middle class existed there. (c) All the cities and towns were reined and had contaminated air. Q 9. Read this excerpt from Bernier:

List the crafts mentioned in the passage. Compare these with the descriptions of artisanal activity in the chapter.

Ans. :

I. Names of the crafts mentioned in this passage. In this passage the crafts such as making of muskets and following pieces and making beautiful gold ornaments are mentioned. These products were beautifully made. Bernier was amazed to see these products.

II. Comparison of crafts referred in the passage with the description of artisanal activity in the chapter. (i) In the chapter boat manufacturing and terracottan sculpture and temple architecture has been mentioned. (ii) Art of painting has been referred. (iii) Art of carpet manufacturing has been referred. (iv) Art of dance, music and calligraphy have been referred in the chapter. (v) Description about Rajal Khamos have also been mentioned. Q 10. On an outline map of the world, mark the countries visited by Ibn Battuta. What are the seas that he might have crossed?

Ans. :

Countries visited by Ibn Battuta: (i) Morocco (ii) Mecca (iii) Syria (iv) Iraq (v) Persia (vi) Yamen (vii) Oman (viii) China (ix) India (x) Maldives (xi) Sri Lanka (xii) Sumatra (Indonesia)

Name of Seas: (i) North Atlantic Ocean (ii) South Atlantic Ocean (iii) Indian Ocean (iv) Red Sea (v) Arabian Sea (vi) Bay of Bengal (vii) South China Sea (viii) East China Sea.

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[margdarsanme]

NCERT Class 12 History Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

NCERT Class 12 History Solutions

Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers Perceptions of Society

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED : Q l. Write a note on the Kitab-ul-Hind.

Ans. Kitab-ul-Hind was written by Al-Biruni in 1031. It was considered with India and also known by the name of Tarikh-ul-Hind and Tahqiq-ma-ul-Hind. It was written in Arabic. It is divided into 80 Chapters. They have thrown a detailed light on Hindu religions and philosphy, festivals, customs and tradition, the social and economic as well as political life of the people. In each chapter he adopted a distinctive style and had a question in the beginning. It was followed by a description based on Sanskrit tradition, At last he compare the India culture with other culture. This geometric structure he followed is known for its precision and predictability. The main reason for this structure was Al-Biruni’s mathematical orientation. Q 2. Compare and contrast the perspectives from which Ibn Battuta and Bernier wrote their accounts of their travels in India.

Ans. Both have written them accounts in their different prospectives. While Ibn Battuta describe everything that impressed and excited him because of his novelty, Bernier had followed a different intellectual tradition. He wrote whatever he saw in India. Bernier wanted to pin point the weakness of the Indian society and considered the Mughal India Inferior to European society. In his description Ibn Battuta recorded his observation about new culture, people, believes and values. Q 3. Discuss the picture of urban centres that emerges from Bernier’s accout.

Ans. During the 17th century nearly 15% of population was living in town. This was average proportion of urban population of western Europe. Bernier described Mughal towns as court towns. By it he meant those towns which depended upon the imperial court for their existence and survival. These towns came into existence with the imperial court and declined with the impanel court when they moved to other places. In his travel accounts, Bernier described many big towns and cities such as Delhi, Mathura, Kashmir, Surat, Masulipatnam and Golconda. These gained importance as manufacturing centres, trading towns, and sacred towns. The merchant communities had deep influence in these cities. They remained organised due to their own caste and occupational bodies. These trading groups were known as Mahajans in western India. Their head was called Sheth. In Ahmedabad, the chief of Merchant community was known as nagarsheth. Besides the trading groups, musicians, architects, painters, lawyers, calligraphies, etc. lived in towns. Q 4. Analyse the evidence for slavery provided by Ibn Battuta.

Ans. Battuta has given a detailed description on the practice of slavery prevalent in India. Delhi Sultan-Muhammad bin Tughlaq had a large number of slaves. Most of these slaves were forcibly captured during the aggressions. Many people sold their children as a slave, because of acute poverty. Slaves were also offered as a gift during this time. Battuta when visited him, also brought many horses, camels and slaves for the Sultan to present him. Sultan Muhammad bin Tuglaq, himself had presented two hundred slaves to Nasiruddin a religious preacher.

Nobels are used to keep slave those days. Through these slaves, the Sultan used to get information about the activities of the noble and all other important events of the empire. The woman slaves served as servants in the house of the rich (nobles). These women informed the Sultan about the activities of their masters (i.e., nobles). Most of the slaves used to do domestic works and there was a lot of difference between the status of these slaves and the court slaves. Q 5. What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?

Ans. The practice of sati according to Bernier showed the difference in the treatment of women in western and eastern society. He noticed how a child widow were forcefully burnt screaming on the funeral pyre while many of the older women were resigned their fate. The following elements drew his attention. (i) Under this cruel practices an alive widow was forcibly made to sit on the pyre of her husband. (ii) People had no sympathy for her. (iii) The widow was an unwilling victim of the sati-practice. She was forced to be a Sati. Q 6. Discuss Al-Biruni’s understanding of the caste system.

Ans. Al-Biruni’s description about caste system as he understood. Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking far parallels in other societies. He described that in ancient Persia, four social categories were recognised. (i) knight and princes. (ii) monks (iii) fire-priests and lawyers; physicians, astronomers, other scientists; (iv) Finally, peasants and artisans. He attempted to suggest that social divisions were not unique to India.

His description of the caste system in India was deeply influenced by his study of Sanskrit texts. According to these texts, the highest castes were the Brahmins as they were created from the head of the Brahmins.

The Kshatriyas were the next caste created from the shoulders and hands of the Brahmin. The Vaishyas and Shudras were created from the thighs and feet of the Brahmin respectively. Thus, he sought to understand the Indian caste system by looking for parallels in other societies. Nothing that ancient Persian society was divided into four categories he realized that social division was not unique to India.

But despite accepting the caste system he was against the notion of pollution. He believed that according to the laws of nature anything which becomes impure ultimately becomes pure again, e.g. the sun clears the air. The concept of social pollution is the bedrock of the caste system. Thus, the caste system was according to him contrary to the laws of nature. He failed to realize that the caste system was not as rigid as portrayed in the Sanskrit texts. Q 7. Do you think Ibn Battuta’s account is useful in arriving at an understanding of life in contemporary urban centres? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Battuta’s observation about the cities of India.

(i) According to him, Indian cities had many exciting opportunities and are useful for those who had the necessary drive, skill and resources.

(ii) The Indian cities were prosperous and densely populated.

(iii) These cities had colourful market trading in different kinds of goods.

(iv) Delhi was the largest city of India and had a lot of population. Daultabad was an another important city of India which challenged Delhi in size.

(v) The cities were not only the centre of economic transactions but also the centres of ! social and cultural activities.

(vii) Most of the bazars in the cities had temple and mosques.

(viii) Cities also had fixed places for public performances by dancer, musicians and singer. He found that many towns derived their wealth and prosperity through the appropriation of surplus from villages.

(ix) Indian goods were in great demand in west Asia and South-east Asia. So the artisans and merchants earned huge profit. Q 8. Discuss the extent to which Bernier’s accounts enables historians to reconstruct contemporary rural society.

Ans. Bernier’s assessment about Indian rural society was not correct. It was far away from the truth, but it is not acceptable. There are some truth in his description which are evident from the following facts.

(i) According to his account, mughal empire was the owner of the land and distributed among its nobles. It had a disastrous impact on the society.

(ii) According to him the system of crown of ownership of land was good. It was because, the land holders could not pass on their land to their children. They did not make any long term investment on the land.

(iii) As there was no private property in land, there was not any improvement in the landlord class. This system ruin agriculture and led to opinion of peasants. Bernier’s view regarding Indian society had the following features: (a) The rich people Were in minority. (b) It had the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich, no middle class existed there. (c) All the cities and towns were reined and had contaminated air. Q 9. Read this excerpt from Bernier:

List the crafts mentioned in the passage. Compare these with the descriptions of artisanal activity in the chapter.

Ans. :

I. Names of the crafts mentioned in this passage. In this passage the crafts such as making of muskets and following pieces and making beautiful gold ornaments are mentioned. These products were beautifully made. Bernier was amazed to see these products.

II. Comparison of crafts referred in the passage with the description of artisanal activity in the chapter. (i) In the chapter boat manufacturing and terracottan sculpture and temple architecture has been mentioned. (ii) Art of painting has been referred. (iii) Art of carpet manufacturing has been referred. (iv) Art of dance, music and calligraphy have been referred in the chapter. (v) Description about Rajal Khamos have also been mentioned. Q 10. On an outline map of the world, mark the countries visited by Ibn Battuta. What are the seas that he might have crossed?

Ans. :

Countries visited by Ibn Battuta: (i) Morocco (ii) Mecca (iii) Syria (iv) Iraq (v) Persia (vi) Yamen (vii) Oman (viii) China (ix) India (x) Maldives (xi) Sri Lanka (xii) Sumatra (Indonesia)

Name of Seas: (i) North Atlantic Ocean (ii) South Atlantic Ocean (iii) Indian Ocean (iv) Red Sea (v) Arabian Sea (vi) Bay of Bengal (vii) South China Sea (viii) East China Sea.

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