China which is located in the Asian Continent is the biggest nation in terms of population.China was called as 'Dormant Nation' or a 'Sleeping Nation' as it remained isolated or aloof from the rest of the world till the second half of the 18th century. Reason being that Chinese believed themselves and their culture to be far superior than other cultures of the world.The ancient Chinese society was molded into Confucian philosophy. However this pride was shattered in the coming years and a very powerful and gigantic nation was imperialised.
Events in the time period 1644-1911 with respect to China:
- Manchu rule was held responsible for bringing China under the reign of Europeans.Manchu are an ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name.Hence Manchu's who were in minority ruled Chinese majority, this created a rift and Europeans took advantage of this.
- Portuguese were the first European traders in China who came via sea route. In 1517, Portuguese alighted at the canton port located on the east coast of China where they were allowed trade concessions.Later on they captured the Macau port.After Portuguese,the traders from Holland, England, Russia, Belgium and France too alighted in China and set up there commercial centers in coastal regions.
- However Chinese attitude towards these foreign traders was very restrictive.Chinese had announced 8 point regulation according to which whoever wanted to enter China had to bow down before the Chinese emperor and this was very humiliating for Europeans.
- Initially China was very prosperous nation and had very rich civilization who had invented silk, paper, printing and gun powder. Chinese used to earn huge profits by selling these articles to European nations.However the situation reversed after the Industrial Revolution. Now the European goods started flooding in Chinese markets and stream of gold and silver started reaching European nations.In this way imperialist nations established economic dominance over China.
Opium trade : The British merchants used to sell opium brought from India into the Chinese markets.The Chinese government was against this business so European traders started smuggling of opium into China.Chinese exchanged silver to buy opium which led to a stream of silver export to England.
First Opium War (1840-1842) :
Chinese government officials discovered opium cargo and seized it.This led to the first opium war between England and China.China was defeated and a 'Nanjing Treaty' was imposed on China. According to this treaty 4 ports were now open to England and also Hong Kong Island was acquired by them.
Second Opium War (1856-60) :
In the year 1856, England and France waged a war against China.China was again defeated and 'Peking Treaty' was imposed on it.Now 6 more ports were open to Europeans. Christian missionaries were given freedom to spread Christianity in China. Permission was given for Opium business.
Again Russia attacked China in 1860 and captured amour sea coast and later in 1894 Japan defeated China by waging a war on it.
Cutting of Chinese Watermelon : China was being divided under the power sectors of the Imperial nations known as the 'Cutting of Chinese Watermelon. All important services like railways, excise, postal services were now being dominated by the Europeans.
Open Door Policy : America feared that China would be completely parceled out to France,Russia,Germany and Britain like the African continent. So in 1899, USA came up with its open-door policy with a view to avoid political division of China and to grab financial advantage.Open door policy consisted of equal rights for all nations to trade in China. Except Russia, all the imperial nations showed their acceptance towards the American decision.
Hence China remained undivided due to this policy. But in the following years imperial nations exploited China to very large extent.
In this way, a gigantic China was economically dominated and exploited by imperial nations and Chinese pride about their rich culture and superiority was shattered.
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Khushwant Singh
Khushwant Singh is dead. He died on March 20, 2014 in New Delhi. I knew him for his column “With Malice Towards One and All” in the Hindustan Times that I used to read than anything else. I think it was widely read and popular for its humor than any literary or any other value. What I feel is that it was those rude and close to ‘four letter’ words which made that column so popular that it became an instant recognition for the great writer. For instance, read ‘Khushwant Singh's Big Fat Joke Book’ a collection of as they call it ‘his rib-tickling jokes’ is nothing but cheap one liners or ‘grand humor’ is nothing but crap, collection of cheap jokes. But as it came from a writer like Khushwant Singh so it would sell but the fact remains, there is no humor or joke in that book but rubbish, good for no one. Look at his another book “Khushwant Singh's Big Book of Malice”, they say it contains truth, love and little malice but what I found is all trash, whiskey and lot of vulgarity.
To be frank, I did not like his for the sexist and derogatory writing against the women. In fact, he treated women as mere use and throw objects, something associated with male lust but as someone quoted him as a ‘celebrated lecher’. He could be best described as somewhere between a high profile flirt and a pervert. If you ask me, a lecher is bit of both, slightly better than a pervert and a little more blunt or maybe a bit lesser deceptively sensitive than a flirt.
That is how I rate the big writer despite all his other work including Train to Pakistan and History of Sikhs, (in two parts) that he presented and displayed the social, political and religious side of the people of Punjab. If you happen to read those books, his writing is full of music of the Kirtan and poetry of Guru Nanak Dev, the music of Punjab. The fact remains that he was a true Punjabi and he displayed it in his work. He also displayed his temperament for what happened with Sikhs in 1984 in no uncertain manner, despite the fact that he was a member of the Congress party.
He was close to an atheist
He was a self-declared atheist who had written a number of articles based on religion. Read his book - AGNOSTIC KHUSHWANT -There Is No God, co-authored with Ashok Chopra, that will describe him more clearly. I agree we are passing through a super charged communal period especially due to going on elections. In his article “The need for a new religion- Without a God” he describes his rare visit to a Gurudwara a Sikh temple where he made it a point of watching people ‘making obeisance’ that is used in sense of deferential respect before ‘Guru Granth Saheb’, incidentally there is no book holier for Sikhs than this one. He said, “he was watching and noticing the people, the one who took longer time rubbing their noses in front of the book were bigger corrupts, bigger criminals and bigger liars who had more to beg for forgiveness. So much for his love and faith for the religion. Oh yes, he was considered as ‘King of sleaze’, that virtually means shabby, dirty, and vulgar, often the word is associated with prostitutes, the way he talked and described himself often sounded like he was one.
His other side
If we remember him for what I have written above, that will probably do no justice to this grandpa of journalism, especially in this age when the journalism has come down to so very low standard with all the paid stories floating around, rumormongers at work and every thing looks so doubtful. Khushwant Singh undoubtedly had an Illustrated career as the Founder-Editor of Yojna, chief editor of New Delhi, editor of Illustrated weekly and the editor of Hindustan Times.
His brief introduction
Khushwant sing was born on February 2, 1915 in Hadali, that place is now in Pakistani Punjab and he went to Oxford. He was a practicing lawyer and a Padma Bhushan almost 40 years ago, which he returned in 1984 in protest of operation ‘Bluestar’ that took place in Golden Temple 10 years later in 1984, incidentally he was a member of upper house during that time. He also was a consulting editor of Penguin India and awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2007. Despite all his dark humor and derogatory writing about women including writers of repute with whom he came in contact and writes so intimately, he had a brighter side also.
If any of you have read his book ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ containing short stories the main story it has is about his grandmother, (incidentally she raised him). The words he used to describe her sweet and tender, full of love and of highest affection for a caring grandma. For instance – “Her face was crisscross of wrinkles running from everywhere to everywhere”. He further describes her, “No, we were certain she had always been as we had known her. Old, so terribly old that she could not have grown older, and had stayed at the same age for twenty years” that was so touching and loving and he could not be more affectionate about his granny when he wrote, “She could never have been pretty; but she was always beautiful..” great expressions.
Death was one of the subjects he often included in his work. He even included it in his real life by publishing about his own death ‘Posthumous’, he imagined everything right from including a funeral procession. RIP- Khushwant, he published it just for the fun this obituary 'posthumous' was published a little over 31 years before his actual death in the Sunday Observer dated February 13, 1983. He wanted to see what happens after his death or how would people react to this news. In fact, he was expecting all his friends and relatives gathered at his gate but to his disappointment, very few people turned up.
That was not the case though in his real life when he left this world at the age of 99, in New Delhi. Even I, one of the most vociferous of his critics was saddened to read about his death. Khushwant Singh was surrounded by contradictions almost at every point, at every stage of his life. I can understand he was ever so willing to pose that he was a drunken great who had tons of affairs with reputed ladies. He was one of the most laborious and punctual men the media will ever know. He was self-declared follower of agnosticism but still enjoyed religious kirtan. In fact he wanted to see, appreciate, believe and write about simplicity of religion and not the way it existed. He was against the bad practices the religion carried with it due to the rituals and bad habits of so-called religious gurus and god-men spread allover in the society.
Conclusion
I wish to conclude this post by quoting himself that he thought described him best -
Here lies one who spread
neither man nor God
Waste no tears on him,
He was a sod
Writing nasty thing he regarded as
Great fun
Thanks the Lord he is dead,
This son of gun
(His own tribute to himself)
Great words Khushwant Singh; these were probably the rudest of them all. Thank you so much.
Photo from- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khushwant_Singh
Writing style
Writing is an art that gives you power to communicate with your readers. Few people in the world are gifted with this art naturally although most of us believe or think that it comes easily or as god-gift but that is not true. That is what is truth about good writing but people having fake self-confidence, willing to climb up slippery polls without looking at realities are either unknown with this important factor or worse case – They think it’s an easy job, anyone can do without learning it. The fact is writing is an art that comes with time and once you learn it, just see the changes in yourself, you will be amazed.
You can reach many people at the same time
We should not forget another fact that the one who learns it with his personal efforts with the time, only gets better but never achieves the heights of a natural writer. By acquiring communication skills in your writing is as good as an art as speaking to your audience but with a difference. While you address to your audience, your reach is limited to a few hundred or few thousands people but by writing you can reach to many more people at the same time without coming in direct touch with them.
Writing is an art that comes in handy in different fields of life. I know I am no good in this art because I am a newbie and still in the beginning stage of it. Whatever writing I have done so far is the result of my constant efforts but I hail the people who can do it at the drop of a hat, a simple hint and they will write anything for you – example the secretaries available to politicians and administrators who can write as soon as they get an instruction to do so.
Short is intelligent
However, we all are not that gifted, at least I never was. I would say I was good at writing official reports, making notes, responding to my clients and of course, I can add in the list the letters I wrote to family and friends, that was not a small matter for me but that certainly does not come into any of the writing categories. But, I always thought that a good writer was able to provide maximum information in shortest of time and least number of words while writing about a particular topic. I agree, I am a strong critic of Pundit Nehru as a politician but at the same time, I have lot of respect for him as a writer. If he had chosen writing his whole time job, he would have reached to the top of the world. But it was not to be because he was forced into politics.
I have a strong feeling that someone willing to become a good writer should know it well that if his thoughts are scattered and not reaching to his readers, it simply fails the purpose of writing. Your writing will be more effective if it is to the point and having a solid to the point content, whatever the thought, expression, fact or message it contains. Remember – Shortness is the magic of intelligence or, as Shakespeare said through one of his characters – “brevity is the soul of wit"
Short but not incomplete
When I say short is intelligent it certainly does not mean that one should not provide all the details needed for a particular topic. For instance if I invited one of my clients to my office and did not provide him with address of my office, that will not be a good idea. Or, in case I posted a letter to my dealers regarding new products, which are to be launched shortly but did not provide them with a product brochure that would be absolutely foolish of me. It is true for writing on different subjects also one should write keeping in mind, that ‘brief’ is good but you should provide enough material and information for your readers. There is another point here which may sound weird but a writer should never consider that your reader is as knowledgeable who will understand everything without you providing him the whole information. A writer should not opt for briefness at the cost of being clear. A writer should put across his thoughts to reach to his readers in a very clear manner.
Here is my weak point
Go to any forums, reviews or wherever a person especially the self-appointed critic gets a chance to speak about writing styles or grammar part of writing, they make it a point to criticize anyone or everyone without any hesitation. I am sure a fan of Eliot will criticize a post of Eliot if they ever happen to read something without reading the name of the poster. Criticizing comes naturally to self-appointed critics even if they make the same mistakes but that gives a sense of insecurity to new writers and they in turn commit more mistakes or adapt to unnatural style of writing.
I admit that I have never thought of any writing styles but always chosen to write the way I liked or what came to me easily. I know one thing for sure, that everyone has own style of dressing, eating and writing. I don’t mean that one should not improve with the passing time, one should certainly improve by acquiring experience. It is just as one improves his dressing style when his wife tells him that he looks like a monkey in a red shirt, he would never want to wear a red shirt again same is good for a new writer but without being harsh. One should avoid being harsh or being too knowledgeable while giving your suggestions to a new writer about his mistakes. You certainly don’t want to treat a newbie as a teacher, especially when they have not appointed you for the purpose or not paid you any fee for that. But the world is full of all kind of people. There are some whom you like and at the same time there are others whom you don’t like, you are free to take your pick.
Finally
I don’t know about renowned writers because I have nothing in common with them but I prefer to use smaller sentences and words that I understand better than the phrases and words which are ‘foreign’ to me. How would you like to read ‘ I did not come because it was too sunny’ to “ I could have come if the god has not chosen to make the day too sunny for my comfort, I hope you did not mind if I did not come’. The fact is that I never use words, which I do not understand myself and I hope you would not laugh if I tell you that I feel the same about my readers. There is another reason I do not use very complicated long words coming right out of the highly literary books because I do not have a dictionary (Oxford) I have a single barrel gun that fires once at a time and hits the bird. Maybe I do not want to waste my ammunition firing blindly by AK-47, but shooting none.
photo source- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft_gun
One day, Ramesh went to market by bicycle. On the way, his head began reeling. He fell to the ground. There was utter dark before him. He felt very light and almost weightless. He was moving very fast in utter dark. He felt that he was being dragged by some unknown force. Soon, he was in very bright light zone.
Stood before him a very tall and bulky person. That man asked: Who are you and from where you came?
Ramesh could hardly utter any word. He said feebly: Have you kidnapped me? I am very poor and single. You cannot get even a single paisa from my relatives. You may even kill me but will get nothing.
That tall figure laughed hoarsely: You silly man. First let me introduce myself. I am Joseph, the Principal security officer of the Planet of Death. You are not in your planet. Here you come after leaving your body. Okay. Let me find out where you came from.
Ramesh: I am from Agra (india).
Joseph: Keep your mouth shut. I'll find out.
Then Joseph read some mark on Ramesh.
Joseph exclaimed: Oh. You are from the planet Earth in solar system 9901.
Ramesh: What is solar system 9901.
Joseph: Your Earth is in the solar system 9901. There are innumerable solar systems in the universe. Okay Now, this is easier. I shall see which faith you belong to.
Ramesh: How does this matter?
Joseph: I am the chief security officer. You have to be sent to the island pertaining to your faith. Here are islands for Christians, Jews etc where they are treated according to their faith.
Ramesh: I never believed in any religion or faith.
Joseph: If so, this will be very difficult. You will then wander till eternity in the infinite space. This is worse than hell. But what was your father's faith?
Ramesh; A Hindu.
Joseph: Well. Your identification mark also confirms this. So, I am sending you to Yama Lok island.
Joseph talked some thing in a strange language on his intercom. Soon, two pretty girls in black dress appeared.
Jopeph said: These Yamadoots will take you to your destination in Yama Lok.
Both girls caught hold of Ramesh and moved on in a jeep. On the way, Ramesh said: I had read that yamadoots are very ugly and dreadful males. They travel on Buffalo back. How I see pretty damsels as yamadoot?
One said: I am Sheila, recently appointed as a Yamadoot. Yama Lok Parliament has passed a law that 33% posts of Yamadoots will be held by women. This is to remove gender discrimination.
Soon, they reached Yama Lok.
The lady yamdoots guided him to the lobby and said: 'wait here till Hon'ble Yamaraj calls you.
There were full screen live telecast from Swarg (heaven) and narak (hell) on both sides of wall. On one side one could see swarg and on the other Narak. The inmates in swarag seemed very happy and joyous. They were enjoying singing and dancing. Many of them were seen taking whiskey while semi nude girls danced on the floor.
On the other wall,the screen displayed very dreadful punishment being suffered by inmates. Many were being crushed under elephant feet. Some were being boiled in hot oil. Some were forceed to embrace red hot statues of opposite gender. He had read in a book that those guilty of adultery were made to embrace red hot iron statue of opposite gender.
After some time, the yamdoot girl disturbed Ramesh: Yama Raj wants to see you immediately.
On entering the well decorated chamber, he saw that Yama Raj was watching heavens and hells on his computer screen. He was wearing black European type dress with neck tie.
Ramesh noticed a man typing on a lap top in Yama Raj chamber. Ramesh asked him what he was doing. That man told that he was guilty of spamming and submitting article copied from other sites. This was a new type of sin. Punishment for this sin was to write a 10,000 words article on toipic selected by Yama Raj.
Yamaraj switched off the computer and said to a lady clerk: Madam Chitragupta. Please see what brings this man here.
Ramesh thus came to know that the appointment as Chitragupta had also been given to a woman. Madam Chitragupta switched on her laptop and opened a webpage. She looked at profile of Ramesh.
Madam Chitragupta said to Yama Raj: Sir. Ramesh has not done anything commendable and so cannot be sent to swarg (paradise). But he has also done nothing wrong. For some small offences, he was adquately punished on Earth. By sending him to Narak(hell), he cannot be doubly punished. Double punishment is against principles of natural justice and hence unlawful. Another issue is that we have to wait for clearance from the concerned Pandas at Haridwar and Kuruchhetra. Last rites and all clearances must be made and certified by Pandas at Haridwar and in some cases Kuruchhetra.
Ramesh: Madam Chitragupta! Are you sure that my days on Earth have ended?
Madam Chitragupta: Why this funny question? Unless your days on Earth ended, you would not leave your body.
Ramesh: Madam. with due respect, let me draw your attention to the movie 'Jhuk gaya Asmaan'. The hero in that movie had to be sent back
Madam Chitragupta again read Ramesh's profile carefully and exclaimed: Ramesh is right. Send him back immediately. He has to stay for many years more on Earth.
Madam Chitragupta said that there is another Ramesh in adjoining Mathura town and he would be arriving soon. Ramesh of Agra had to be sent back.
Madam Chitragupta clapped. Two yamdoots (pretty girls) arrived. They carried Ramesh to Joseph.
Joseph said: Ramesh! Chief Accountant (Chitragupta) of Yamalok has confirmed that you are not yet wanted in the island of death. Go back and enter your physical body. Wish you best of luck.
Ramesh again felt dark around him and moved fast. He opened his eyes and found that he was lying in the street surrounded by crowd.
Harish, a neighbor of Ramesh shouted with joy: Ramesh is okay now. Thanks God.
Ramesh thanked all for caring so much about him, bought vegetables, bread, eggs and butter as usual and went home.