Top 10 Accomplishments by Chakri Kings

10. King Rama VI (King Vajiravudh) – Changed Thailand’s flag to the tricolor flag
The new flag shows that Thailand is starting to be modernized. It makes foreigners think of Thailand differently.

9. King Rama I (King Buddha Yot Fa Chulalok) – Built Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is the home of both the royal family and the office of the government. It unites people who are able to make decisions for the country together.

8. King Rama IV (King Mongkut) – Brought in printing press
Printing press is one of the many symbols of development in a country. The printing press makes it easier to make copies of books, and therefore, the costs are lower. More people are able to own books, so more people are becoming educated.

7. King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) – Abolished slavery
The abolishing of slavery brings Thailand to a higher class. This is an evidence that King Rama V has a lot of knowledge and has modern minds. It is important because people gained their human rights back.

6. King Rama IV (King Mongkut) – Signed trade treaty with US, France, Spain, Portugal
Signing treaties mean that Thailand will be able to trade with other countries. Therefore, this will bring into the country more developments.

5. King Rama IV (King Mongkut) – Medical expertises brought to Thailand by missionaries
Medications are vital to humans. Because Thailand’s medical developments are not as modern as other foreign countries, it is important for the King to bring in this knowledge.

4. King Rama I (King Buddha Yot Fa Chulalok) – Moved capital to Bangkok
The capital city is one of the most important cities in a country. Most of the developments are in it, and it is vital to make sure that the capital city is safe. By moving the capital city to Bangkok, trading is easier and the vulnerable Thonburi is not used as the capital city anymore.

3. King Rama VI (King Vajiravudh) – Made law that made education compulsory
Education is vital in a developing country. If more than half of the population doesn’t have education, it is impossible for the country to develop.

2. King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) – Made sure Thailand remained independent
Countries around Thailand were all colonized by other European countries at the time. Thailand is the only country in SE asia that has not been colonized. This creates the pride in the country’s people and the secure feeling in them.

1. King Rama VII (King Prajadhipok Phra Pok Klao Chaoyuhua) – Government changed to constitutional monarchy
Citizens have rights to vote on who they want their leaders to be. This change in government shows that Thailand is now modernized. It is the government system that is still used today.

Pin, Eun ah, Kink

The Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty

宋朝

The Song Dynasty was also known as the ‘Sung Dynasty’. (6). This dynasty was the one who took China to its peak, economically, intellectually and artistically. The dynasty governed about 100 million Chinese lives. (3).

Dates of power and a map of dynasty

The Song Dynasty ruled from 960 to 1279 CE. It was composed of two periods – the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty. The Northern Song Dynasty ruled from 960 – 1127, while the Southern Song Dynasty followed in the years 1127 – 1279. (2)

Map of Northern Song Dynasty (1)

Map of Southern Song Dynasty (1)

Reason for take-over

The Northern Song was led by Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyin was a military general in the Later Zhou Dynasty, which lasted from 951 to 960. (2). In 959, Guo Rong, the ruler of the Later Zhou Dynasty passed away and was succeeded by his son who was only seven years old. The Dynasty had come to a weak spot. (6). In 960, Kuangyin led a mutiny in a county now known as Henan Province. Not long after the mutiny, the King of Later Zhou Dynasty was forced to abdicate. Kuangyin, therefore, took over the power to form a new dynasty known as the Song Dynasty. The new dynasty was established in Kaifeng, Henan Province’s capital. (2)

Map of Kaifeng (2)

Leaders of the civilization

Because there were two distinct periods in the Song Dynasty, there were two main leaders of the dynasty. The first was the leader of the Northern song, Zhao Kuangyin, the 'founder' of the dynasty. The second was the leader of the Southern song, son of the last emperor of the Northern Song, Zhao Gou. (2)

Zhao Kuangyin (3)

Zhao Gou (4)

A leader from another civilization outside of China, but during the same time period

The Song dynasty ruled China during the Middle Age. Another leader was William the Conqueror, who was born in 1027 in France. He was the first Norman King of England. In 1047, he was in a rebel force and won a battle near Caen. On Christmas of 1066, he was crowned the king of England. He ruled for a short period of time, from 1066 -1087. (5)

William the Conqueror (5)

Accoplishments

There was a tremendous amount of accomplishments during the time of this dynasty. Two of the four great inventions made by Chinese were invented here. Typography and compass were both introduced. (2) Also, the already invented weapons like flamethrower, explosive grenades, firearm, canon, and landmines were improved even more. These improvements led to the winning of the Song Chinese against most of their enemies. (1)

Chinese Typography (6)

Chinese Compass (7)

The Song Dynasty’s economy was in the lead – it was one of the most developed and advanced economies in the medieval times. The most prominent achievement in the Song Dynasty was the introduction of paper-printed money, which is also known as the Jiaozi. There were sources saying that the Tang was the first who actually came up with the paper money, but some sources say that the Songs were the first. However, it is sure that by the Song Dynasty, Chinese were using this paper-money. As a result, the government established their own money-making factories. These government-run factories were located in various cities like Huizhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Anqi. Due to the gigantic size of these factories, there was an estimate of more than a thousand workers employed per day in the factory in Hangzhou. (1)

Paper-printed money, "Jiao zi" (8)

A new idea had emerged during this dynasty. Women were to bind their foot. Foot binding was the attempt to stop the growth of the feet. It was done first by the royalties and wealthies, but poors also did them in hopes to improve their social status. After a short period of time, almost every females in China had their feet bound. Feet binding were done at an early age because the feet would have been small then (the arch of the feet wouldn't have developed as much). Mothers would use a bandage to wrap around their daughter's feet, pulling the small toes toward the heel. (7). Although, women were in a lower social status than men (it seemed that they had even lower status than before during this dynasty), some were given education. Li Qingzhao was an example of a famous female poet in China, who lived during 1084-1551. She was one of the greatest poets in the Chinese history. (1)

(12)

Statue of Li Qingzhao in the Grand Hall of Poets in Du Fu Cao Tang (9)

Due to the fact that the Northern Song made China more advanced, the increase in education to the population followed. This increase carried the literature advancements from the Tang dynasty, one of the previous dynasties that ruled China, into the Song period. The rise in culture brought China a new religion called the Neo-Confucianism, which was thought of by a scholar, Chu Hsi (also spelled Zhu xi). The three religions from the Tang period were combined in Neo-Confucianism. With this new religion, things change. Governmental positions were selected again, and they had to pass the exams over the teachings of Confucius before they could take the positions in the government. This led to a development in the country, as people who governed it actually had knowledge. This was a huge change in the country's governing system. In the olden times, people gained these power only because they believed that God wanted them to rule. (4)

A picture of the Neo-Confucianism, Chu Hsi (10)

Reason for Fall

The Song dynasty came to an end when a group of Mongols led by Kublai Khan overthrew the King. The Song dynasty didn’t have enough military forces to defend themselves against the rising Mongolians who were sweeping power away from countries across Asia. This event marked the end of the Song Dynasty and a new beginning for a new one - the Yuan Dynasty. (4)

A Painting of Yuan Dynasty Emperor (11)

Bibliography


Text:

1. "Song dynasty." Answers.com. Answers Corporation. 9 Jan 2008 .http://www.answers.com/Song%20Dynasty>.

2. "Song Dynasty." TravelChinaGuide.com. Travel China Guide. 9 Jan 2008 .<http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/song/>.

3. "Song Dynasty." MSN encarta. Microsoft Corporation. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761551755>.

4. Nosotro, Rit. "The rise and fall of the Sung Dynasty." hyperhistory.net. 09 January 2008. 9 Jan 2008 .<http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t3w10sungdynasty.htm>.

5. Gormley, Larry. "Leaders and Battles: William." Leaders and Battles Database. 9 Jan 2008. <http://www.lbdb.com/TMDisplayLeader.cfm?PID=5769>.

6. "Later Zhou Dynasty."Answers.com. Answers Corporation. 10 Jan 2008. <http://www.answers.com/Later%20Zhou%20Dynasty>.

7. Hutchins, Candace . "Chinese Foot Binding." World Cultures Resources. 14 Jan 2008. <http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/China/04/hutchins/hutchins.htm>.

Pictures:

1. "Song dynasty." Answers.com. Answers Corporation. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://www.answers.com/Song%20Dynasty>.

2. Weeradet, Thanin. "Cradle of civilisation." Buddhist Channel. 1 April 2005. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=18,964,0,0,1,0>.

3. "Images from the article T’ai-tsu ." Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. 9 Jan 2008. <http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic?idxStructId=580599&typeId=17>.

4. "Emperor Zhao Gou of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)." Health Care Secrets of Ten Emperors with Long Life. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://beijingmuseum.gov.cn/impericalcare/healthcare/77126.shtml>.

5. "William the Conqueror." About.com. About, Inc.,. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://historymedren.about.com/library/gallery/blpxconqeror.htm>.

6. Fisher, Rachel. "photo.phoenixfeather.net." PhoenixFeather Photos. Photoblogs.org. 9 Jan 2008 .
<http://photo.phoenixfeather.net/gallery/details_details/seven.php>.

7. "Ancient Chinese Science and Technology." 9 Jan 2008 . <http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ls201/confucian4.html>.

8. "Hua Sui." Answers.com. Answer Corporation. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://www.answers.com/topic/hua-sui>.

9. "Li Qingzhao." Answers.com. Answers Corporation. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://www.answers.com/topic/li-qingzhao>.

10. "Photograph: Zhu Xi." Britannica Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. 9 Jan 2008 . <http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/art-25467/Zhu-Xi-ink-on-paper-by-an-unknown-artist-in>.

11. "Song and Yuan swords." 9 Jan 2008 . http://thomaschen.freewebspace.com/catalog.html>.

12. Hutchins, Candace . "Chinese Foot Binding." World Cultures Resources. 14 Jan 2008. <http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/China/04/hutchins/hutchins.htm>.

A Case Study: Sumatra Earthquake 2005

Sumatra Earthquake 2005

Believe it or not, the earth is moving every minute of every day. Even now, as you are reading this, the earth’s plates are not still. Because of the earth’s convection current, the upward and downward movement of molten rocks inside the earth, plates move. (“How do plates move?”). Occasionally, there are sudden movements within the earth’s crust. This action usually results in earthquakes.


Earthquakes can vary in the severity. It ranges from a magnitude of 1 to 10 on the Richter scale, where 1 is the least and 10 the greatest. Earthquakes with a magnitude of less than 3.5 are generally not felt, while earthquakes with a magnitude of 9 can cause severe damage to surrounding areas and life. (Louie).

Sumatra, Indonesia is a huge piece of land located near the boundary of the Eurasian and Indo-Australian Plate. Indonesia is composed of hundreds of small islands, and Sumatra is one of the major ones. Due to the location, Sumatra had been shaken by numerous earthquakes in the past.

An earthquake had struck Sumatra in March 28, 2005 at 11:09 pm. It had a magnitude of 8.7 and can be felt in the surrounding areas including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok. The focus, or the exact point of the earthquake, was estimated to be about 200 kilometers northwest of Sibolga and 1,400 kilometers northwest of Jakarta and 30 kilometers deep. This earthquake had created fear that a tsunami like the one in December the previous year which killed more than 300,000 people will occur. Fortunately, none were reported. However, during the hours after the earthquake, numerous small aftershocks followed, the strongest being 6.7 on the Richter scale. (Prapanya).


The earthquake was believed to be caused by the movement of a destructive margin. The Australia plate and Sunda plate meets at the Sunda trench where the Australian plate subducts and becomes part of the mantle (one of Earth’s layers). This earthquake was thought to be triggered by the movement of the plates in December the year before. (“Earthquake Summary Poster”).

The earthquake had taken at least 300 lives on the Indonesian Island, but some news agencies reported that about 1,000 to 2,000 people were killed. At least 1,000 homes were destroyed. Roughly 10,000 to 15,000 people ran to higher grounds for safety at the time of the earthquake for fear of a tsunami. There were a number of traffic accidents ad electricity and phone service were out in the city. (Prapanya).

As a result of the earthquake, the CWS (Church World Service) Emergency Response Program Staffs came in to help. They were the middle person for the donations. If any of you are interested, the donations can be made online or via credit cards and telephones, (800) 297-1516, ext. 222. ("Church World Service Emergency Response Program .").

After the earthquake, the Indonesian government had come up with a post-tsunami blueprint. The blueprint included the rebuilding of society, restoring the economy, rebuilding infrastructure such as roads, railways, and telephone poles. There was also the no-building zone plan. This plan was basically creating a zone near the sea with no buildings, so that if there was another tsunami resulting from earthquakes, the damages to the country and people won't be as severe. ("News: Indonesia: Earthquake - Mar 2005, Indonesia to review post-tsunami rebuilding plan after.").


After six months of the great quake, there were a number of organizations who have came in to help. SurfAid was one of the many that had sent in a considerable amount of doctors and nurses to aid people who have been injured by the earthquake (both the one in March 2005 and December 2004). More than 7,000 people from Nias and Simeuleu were treated. Mostly the injuries were emergencies – infections and fractured bones. There were also vaccinations, nutrition and malaria control clinics located in the area to help people who have lost their homes and belongings. (“"Press Releases: Indonesia: Earthquake - March 2005, South Asia: Six months on - Suraid's commitment.").

It took Indonesia more than one year to recover from the disasters that have hit the country twice during three months. The survivors desperately need a lot of help. Everyone was trying to work hard to recover, so that they find a better future for themselves and families. Some people were working days and nights to find money to help their families. Others were suffering from the effects that the disaster had brought them. The recovery was extremely slow because Nias was one of the most undeveloped regions in Indonesia. (Tarigan). If this earthquake was to occur in a more developed region or country, then it would probably take them less time to recover from those badly injured wounds.

Bibliography
Pictures: (according to order)
1. http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Science/Earth-Sciences/Geology/The-Earth/Plate-Tectonics/Plate-Boundaries/Plate-Boundaries-13.html
2. http://www.setileague.org/iaaseti/smiscale.htm
3. http://ioc3.unesco.org/indotsunami/2803sumatra_eq/sumatra_eq.htm
4. http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Resources/EarthSci/Tectonics/destructive.html
5. http://ccn1.net/POTD2/nias-island.jpg
6. http://www.cbc.ca/news/photogalleries/indonesia-quake2005/images/01_apCBCONLINE2_INDONE_7362920.jpg

Text:

"How do plates move?." Windows to the Univere. 21 August 2002. 27 Nov 2007 http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/interior/how_plates_move.html.

Louie, J.. "How do plates move?." Windows to the Univere. 9 October 1996. Nevada Seimological Laboratory. 27 Nov 2007 http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html.

Prapanya , Naurant. "Quake kills at least 300 on Indonesin Island." CNN.com. 29 March 2005. CNN. 27 Nov 2007 http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/%2003/28/indonesia.quake/index.html.

"Earthquake Summary Poster." USGS.gov. 22 February 2007. USGS. 30 Nov 2007 http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqarchives/poster/2005/20050328.php.

"Press Releases: Indonesia: Earthquake - March 2005, South Asia: Six months on - Suraid's commitment." ReliefWeb. 23 June 2005. ReliefWeb. 30 Nov 2007 http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/LSGZ-6DRHBP?OpenDocument.

"News: Indonesia: Earthquake - Mar 2005, Indonesia to review post-tsunami rebuilding plan after." ReliefWeb. 30 March 2005. ReliefWeb. 30 Nov 2007 http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVIU-6AYGAT?OpenDocument.

"Church World Service Emergency Response Program ." Church World Service Emergency Response. 28 March 2005. CWS. 30 Nov 2007 http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/tsunami/update-05-03-28.htm>.

Tarigan, Abdi R. . "ACT Dateline: Indonesia: One year after Nias quake." ReliefWeb. 27 March 2006. ReliefWeb. 30 Nov 2007 http://wwwnotes.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/399eb0bf3b2cacafc125713e00519217?OpenDocument.