Empress Dowager Tzu His Exposed in Sterling Seagrave's Dragon Lady
China’s great ancient empire has been the source of stories, fables, and fascination throughout the world for generations. The Asian culture has a long history of powerful leaders and ruthless battles making it one of the longest standing powers that the world has ever known. Yet, what took centuries to create was destroyed during the reign of a single ruler, plunging the country into chaos and confusion. The one who often is believed to have generated this collapse is the Empress Dowager Tzu His, the last Empress of China.
Until the end of her reign in the early 1900s, the life of the Empress was shrouded in mystery. Once people gained access to the court records, not long after the Boxer rebellion (1901), the “true” nature of the women was brought to the world. Sir Edmund Blackhouse, a European writer, gained access to this information and painted a less than favorable portrait of the Dowager saying: “Tzu His was of a ruthless, single-minded tyrant, an iron-willed, oversexed Manchu concubine who usurped...
Ban Zhao wrote Lessons for a Woman around the end of the first century C.E. as social guide for (her daughters and other) women of Han society (Bulliet 167). Because Zhao aimed to educate women on their responsibilities and required attributes, one is left questioning what the existing attitudes and roles of women were to start with. Surprisingly, their positions were not automatically fixed at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Ban Zhao’s own status as an educated woman of high social rank exemplifies the “reality [that] a woman’s status depended on her “location” within various social institutions’ (167). This meant that women had different privileges and opportunities depending on their economic, social, or political background. Wealthier noble women would likely have access to an education and may have even been able to wield certain political power (167). Nevertheless, women relinquished this power within the family hierarchy to their fathers, husbands, and sons. Despite her own elevated social status, Ban Zhao still considered herself an “unworthy writer”, “unsophisticated”, “unenlightened’, “unintelligent”, and a frequent disgrace to her and her husband’s family (Zhao). Social custom was not, however, the only driving force behind Zhao’s desire to guide women towards proper behavior.
Most outcasts of history had a particular, exclusive life; full of struggles against the society ever since birth and grew up with a heart made out of steel from the harsh criticism they have endured. They differ from the community within their beginning to their end, and many of their stories end up becoming legends and gaps of the past that nobody will be able to reincarnate. China’s first and last female emperor, Wu Zetian, was one of these exclusives. Ever since birth, her history of tactics to the people around her; in order to ascend the throne, juxtaposed towards society’s attitudes of women at the time; through her breakdown of gender stereotypes and quick knowledge, and offered a new perspective to the world of just how cruel and beautiful women can be. She successfully destructed all accumulated views of women in the Tang Dynasty, and created her future in the way she wanted it – on top of every man in her country. She was an outcast – somebody who juxtaposed against the demands of her. She was history.
Chapter 4: China's Qing Dynasty & Its Collapse." East-Asian-History Home. Penn State. Web. 06 Apr. 2011..
Smarr, Janet. “Emperor Wu”. Making of the Modern World 12. Ledden Auditorium, La Jolla, CA. 17 Feb. 2012. Lecture.
Chapter 1: The Wan-Li Emperor, begins by explaining the major premise of the work: The concept of looking at a single year in the history of the leadership of China and evaluating the implications for understanding other aspects of history, including the decline of the Ming Dynasty. In this initial chapter, Huang provides an anecdotal history of some of the events that occurred, and includes within it a discussion of the set up of the leadership, the repercussions that occurred in the event of certain actions, including the prospects of an audience with the emperor. Huang reviews these issues as he considers that actions taken by the Wan-li emperor, who was only twenty-four in 1587 and who had been a veteran of ceremonial proceedings, and considers his history as an element of understanding the progression of leadership.
Some people have this idea that cross country runners, or just runners period, only eat salads or small meals. This is absolutely false. Running takes a lot out of your body. It makes your metabolism work a lot harder and it burns a great deal of your energy. Food is your main source of energy and if you are just eating salads, then you are not going to get the amount of energy you need to successfully run 3 miles or more. When I was a runner, I made sure to eat a good, nutritious breakfast. I would eat scrambled eggs, with a little bit of cheese, grits, hash-browns, or toast, sausage or a piece of ham. The eggs and ham will give you your protein, which is very important because protein builds and repairs muscles. The cheese on the eggs, gives you a source of vitamin D, which builds strong healthy bones. The grits, ha...
Sit, Tony. "The Life of Empress Cixi” (from Issue 10 of the China in Focus Magazine). Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), 2001. .
I am confident and enthusiastic about my proposed interest areas and I believe I have the necessary skills and competence to become an asset to Stanford University. With my ability to self-learn, persevere and work hard, I am sure that I can face the university’s highly challenging environment. I am aware that to excel in the program, I would have to meet the high standards set by the university. I am confident that I can foster a symbiotic relationship with the university and its students. With this, I humbly ask for the golden opportunity to be admitted to Stanford University.
Whether it is on a track, a pitch, court or rink, nutrition is of vital importance in the development of a healthy, competitive athlete. Athletes must depend on highly nutritious and vitamin rich to keep their body at their healthiest, their mind focused to maximize their performance.
“Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships,” The International Maritime Organization, Accessed March 26th, 2014. http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Security/PiracyArmedRobbery/Pages/Default.aspx
Innumerous scientists confirm that nutrition and dietary supplementation can deeply affect molecular and cellular processes that occur in the body during the exercise and the recovery process. This brief review analyzes the potential for performance enhancement through protein supplementation ingestion, and the importance of nutrition education for sports supplement users.
There is now a large amount of evidence that carbohydrates can improve the performance of athletes. During high intensity exercise, carbohydrates are the main fuel for the muscles. By consuming high levels of carbohydrate before, during and after training or an event, glycogen stores are kept well stocked. These stocks help the athlete to perform for longer and help their bodies sustain the effort. The vital role of physical activity in maintaining health and fitness in the general population is now recognized. For those who want to keep fit and active, a well-balanced high-carbohydrate diet is recommended.
The concept of piracy dates back to ancient times. Initially small water ways were used for fast travel and trade, enabling an empire to trade and further expand its boundaries to new territories. As time progressed and scientific discoveries grew, naval advancements emerged and facilitated a new way to explore, travel, and discover. As ships became more regularly used, people of the world no longer were confined to land, they were able to move freely to areas that were once unobtainable. Advancements in diplomacy and trade grew extensively, but counter ideals involving raiding, murdering, and theft soon melded the navel techniques and branded a new idea which involved malevolent activity upon the water.
There is a relationship between food and exercise and people do not understand that. Everyone needs food in order for their body to work properly and do their daily activities, especially exercising. Without good nutrition, one will not be able to exercise effectively. To exercise effectively, one need the right caloric intake, energy, and nutrients in one’s body. The human body needs have carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water to fuel it up, just like the car needs gas to run. Everyone should fuel their body with right foods so that they can maintain their energy levels. Bananas and lean white meats are examples of excellent sources of natural energy that can help the function properly and achieve fitness goals. Bananas are an excellent food to eat because they contain high potassium, makes the mind alert making the brain smarter, builds strong bones, and keeps the digestive system regulated. Lean white meat such as chicken and fish are good to eat because they make the tissues in the body healthy. Good nutrition is more important because if the body absorbs the nutrients it needs, one will be able to exercise very