-
Recent Auction of Tanintharyi Coinage Sheds Historical Light on Myanmar Region
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
1-11
Received:
18 December 2020
Accepted:
4 January 2021
Published:
12 January 2021
Abstract: Since January 2019, Stephen Album Rare Coins of Santa Rosa, California (USA), a numismatic dealer specializing in Islamic and Asian coinage, has auctioned a major collection of the large tin-lead coins and weights of the Tanintharyi region of Myanmar (formerly known as Tenasserim). This unprecedented assemblage of 125 specimens has offered students of Myanmar numismatics a unique opportunity to study these coins, as today’s on-line auctions provide quality digital photography unavailable in the past. This article introduces the reader to these coins by first reviewing the existing literature, beginning with European accounts from the seventeenth century and ending with the latest archaeological research papers addressing these coins. It will then examine seven select specimens from the Stephen Album auctions, several of which are previously unreported, that provide insights into Tanintharyi culture and communities from the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries. This analysis will identify the only Tanintharyi coin discovered so far with a certain date and will examine a possibly mischaracterized date in another. It will also propose a translation of a previously misrepresented Tanintharyi coin and close with conclusions regarding the time period during which these coins were made, their economic function and the cultural contexts they may illuminate. The article reaches three major conclusions: 1) the manufacture and use of these coins began in the early seventeenth century and continued into the nineteenth century; 2) they functioned in local Tanintharyi economies and marketplaces and not in higher value trade between entrepots; and 3) they were issued by both official and private parties, with both entities utilizing cultural icons and traditions, rather than official titles or references, to generate acceptance of this medium of exchange.
Abstract: Since January 2019, Stephen Album Rare Coins of Santa Rosa, California (USA), a numismatic dealer specializing in Islamic and Asian coinage, has auctioned a major collection of the large tin-lead coins and weights of the Tanintharyi region of Myanmar (formerly known as Tenasserim). This unprecedented assemblage of 125 specimens has offered students...
Show More
-
Russia's Caucasian Interests Throughout the Centuries and Georgia
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
12-20
Received:
23 November 2020
Accepted:
16 January 2021
Published:
22 January 2021
Abstract: The article highlights the interests of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus region. It is emphasized that in the 16th and 17th centuries the main motives for the expansion of the Russian State in the Caucasus were determined by strategic tasks, but the aspiration to expand to the South of the country was also important. Famous Russian Historians M. Lyubavsky, M. Polyev-ctov and others argued that Russia's interests in the Caucasus and the Caspian were characterized by colonial aspects from the very beginning. Thus, the prevailing view in Russian historiography that leaders of the Russian State were pushed into the Caucasus by purely altruistic reasons, driven by the generous mission of rescuing Christian peoples from violations and religious aggression by the Muslim peoples cannot stand criticism. From the end of the 18th century, the Caucasus issue was closely linked to the Eastern question, which was a major international policy issue. According to Russia's imperial ambition, the Caucasus, as a path to the East, was to become a new springboard for its influence in the Middle East. In the 19th century, the problem of the Caucasus was solved by Russia in its own favor, by exterminating opposing Iran and the Ottomans from the region in successful wars, and gaining dominance in this disputable space. This situation lasted for almost two centuries. The locals considered Russia an aggressor who did not liberate the Caucasus, but conquered it. After a long dominance in the region, the Russian Federation still cannot give up the Caucasus and considers it a zone of "its special interest".
Abstract: The article highlights the interests of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus region. It is emphasized that in the 16th and 17th centuries the main motives for the expansion of the Russian State in the Caucasus were determined by strategic tasks, but the aspiration to expand to the South of the country was also important. Famous Russian Historians M. ...
Show More
-
Identity Dilemmas: Nation, Religion and Race Among the Portuguese Jews from Holland to Colonial Brazil
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
21-30
Received:
5 January 2021
Accepted:
22 January 2021
Published:
2 February 2021
Abstract: This article discusses the identity dilemmas of the Sephardic community settled first in Amsterdam, after in the Colonial Brazil during the 17th century. It reviews the the classical historians dedicated to research on the Sephardic Diaspora in Early Modern History, like Arnold Wiznitzer, Daniel Swetschinsky, Jonathan Israel, Mirian Bodian and, mainly Yosef Kaplan, who proposed the concept of "new Jews" to designate the New Christians who returned to their ancestors Judaism in Amsterdam and Brazil. It is based on sources from the Kahal Kadosh Zur Israel, the Jewish congregation founded in the city of Recife under the Dutch rule during the 1630s, particularly the records and also the regulation of 1648. It analyses, mainly, several Holy office's charges against Jews who, during the Dutch rule in Brazil, converted themselves to Judaism, comiting the crime of apostasy from Catholicism. Many of them tried to scape from Pernambuco after the Dutch defeat, in 1654, but were catched by the Portuguese Inquisition during the 1650's and the 1660's. The focus of the discussion lies on the relationship between the concept of Men of the Nation (Gente da Nação in Portuguese) and religious and race identities adopted by this diasporic community. A community persecuted in for religious and racial reasons in the Iberian world, but that also owned his proper prejudices against some minorities, like the mulattos and the Ashkenazi Jews, whether in Holland, whether in Colonial Brazil.
Abstract: This article discusses the identity dilemmas of the Sephardic community settled first in Amsterdam, after in the Colonial Brazil during the 17th century. It reviews the the classical historians dedicated to research on the Sephardic Diaspora in Early Modern History, like Arnold Wiznitzer, Daniel Swetschinsky, Jonathan Israel, Mirian Bodian and, mai...
Show More
-
Simulating the Meaning and Meaning of the Simulation: New Narrative Strategies in the Video (Analysing the Clip “Iridescent” by Linkin Park)
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
31-38
Received:
11 November 2020
Accepted:
8 December 2020
Published:
20 February 2021
Abstract: “What kind of narrative games does cinema play?” – These questions are particularly relevant in relation to such a cinematic phenomenon as the clip, which by the end of the XX century formed into a quasi-short film, which is a synthesis of web design and cinema, and is an ontological borderline of the film text. One of the latest narrative strategies with a flourish featured in the Linkin Park video for the main soundtrack of the movie "transformers 3: Dark side of the moon. The entire movie text of the clip is a manifestation of the hyperreal in all its features: empty no space, relatable discrete time, visual simulacra, devoid of its own meaning, but simulating similarity to images of real cinema. Moreover, the clip is full of so-called Semo-simulations, i.e. signs that are similar in outline to the signs of the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Sumer, but they are not, i.e. there is no meaning behind these figures. However, if all of the above complete content of the clip-this work would not make sense. In the video, there is a "third element" (Eisenstein) because all the Grand visual simulation created within the Hyper/art, which is cinema, met with poetic text and music. The poetry and music of the song "Iridescent" come into conflict, almost in denial of what is unfolding on the screen. The very name of the song "Descended from the rainbow" refers to the old Byzantine and Orthodox icons on which Christ depicted sitting on a rainbow, the entire text of the song is an internal monologue, turning to God for help after disappointments, losses, and spiritual devastation. It is the music track and the text that are the elements of existence that finally bring the narrative of the video to the realm of intellectual phantoms, which gives the audience a sense of freedom, the presence of a higher good force and true human reality, which (for now?) simulacra and simulations of meaning will not destroy it.
Abstract: “What kind of narrative games does cinema play?” – These questions are particularly relevant in relation to such a cinematic phenomenon as the clip, which by the end of the XX century formed into a quasi-short film, which is a synthesis of web design and cinema, and is an ontological borderline of the film text. One of the latest narrative strategi...
Show More
-
Islam in China--A History of European and American Scholarship (The 21th Century)
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
39-48
Received:
28 December 2020
Accepted:
8 February 2021
Published:
20 February 2021
Abstract: The studies of Chinese Islam by worldwide academic society are consisted of two schools, “western” and “Japanese”. I will focus my research “The studies of Chinese Islam by European and American Academic Society”. In this paper, mainly related to the research situation since the 21the century. Since the 2000’s, the study of Chinese Islam and Muslim in the West has become more and more prosperous，however, there is little understanding of these works in the World research community. we should also see that Chinese Islamic studies are still in a relatively marginal position in western academic circles. Chinese Islam and culture are a part of the world’s Islam and culture. on the other hand, they are part of Chinese culture. Chinese Muslims are also dividing into Uyghur, Kazak of Turkic language family, and Hui of Chinese language family. It is of great significance to understand Chinese Islam. According to the perspective of academic history, there have been some research results in this area. In this paper, mainly from “Research opportunities under the background”, “About ‘Muslim Confucian’ studies”, “Academic works based on field work”, “Research in the political field”, “Research on religion, ethnicity, and Culture” topics for research. The carding and analysis of these research results is conductive to the development of the world’s research on Chinese Islam.
Abstract: The studies of Chinese Islam by worldwide academic society are consisted of two schools, “western” and “Japanese”. I will focus my research “The studies of Chinese Islam by European and American Academic Society”. In this paper, mainly related to the research situation since the 21the century. Since the 2000’s, the study of Chinese Islam and Muslim...
Show More
-
Skanderbeg's Activity During the Period of 1443 – 1448
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
49-57
Received:
17 December 2020
Accepted:
29 January 2021
Published:
3 March 2021
Abstract: The period of 1443-1448 marks the first step of the unification of many Albanian territories, under the leadership of Gjergj Kastriot-Skanderbeg, for the overall organization to fight the Ottoman invader and the usurper, the Republic of Venice. This union was realized with the Assembly of Lezha on March 2 of 1444 with the participation of all the Albanian princes, where the appropriate institutions were formed in the overall political and military organization of the country. Skanderbeg was appointed as commander and leader of the League of Lezha and Commander of the Arber Army. In such commitments the country was united politically and economically in the interest of realisation of a liberation war. In its beginnings the League of Lezha achieved great success by expelling Ottoman invaders in a number of cities and the headquarters of the League of Lezha became Kruja, the seat of the Kastriots. In an effort to preserve the territorial integrity of the country and to create preconditions for the country's economic development, the Lezha League headed by Skanderbeg had to go into war with the Republic of Venice, as a result of the Venetian occupation of the city of Deja, this war ended with the peace signed on 4 October of 1448. In October of 1448 a major war broke in Fushë Kosovo between danubian coalition led by the Polish-Hungarian Empire with the main military leader, Janos Hunyad, against the Ottoman occupation in Balkan. Only Skanderbeg was ready to join to the military expedition of Hunyad. Despite efforts to participate in the battles between the Danubian coalition and the Ottomans, Skanderbeg inadvertently failed to be present. In the final moments of the battle, Skanderbeg helped the Hungarian troops to whom they offered help and allowed them to leave safely and to go to Ragusa, from where they will be able to go to their homelands.
Abstract: The period of 1443-1448 marks the first step of the unification of many Albanian territories, under the leadership of Gjergj Kastriot-Skanderbeg, for the overall organization to fight the Ottoman invader and the usurper, the Republic of Venice. This union was realized with the Assembly of Lezha on March 2 of 1444 with the participation of all the A...
Show More
-
The Art of a Complex Giant System: Supercomputer in the World and China
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
58-64
Received:
1 March 2021
Accepted:
16 March 2021
Published:
26 March 2021
Abstract: Supercomputer also known as gigantic computer, refers to a kind of computer with the best performance, the strongest function, the fastest operation speed and the largest storage capacity among all kinds of computers in an era. Supercomputer is a kind of complex electronic giant system, has huge numerical calculation ability and data processing ability, and can calculate large and complex tasks that ordinary personal computers and servers cannot complete. It has been used in high-end technology and cutting-edge scientific research at the beginning. With the continuous progress of science and technology, the upgrading speed of computer is very fast. Therefore, Supercomputer has distinct temper of times, and its evaluation standard is also dynamic. It is an important embodiment of scientific and technological strength of the country and plays a huge role in promoting national economic development, social progress and national defense construction. The paper reviews the development of the international supercomputer and overview of supercomputer development in China. It analyzes the current situation of supercomputer R&D, shows the supercomputer technology problem and innovation-storage access wall, communication wall, reliability wall, energy consumption wall. This paper also looks forward to the future of supercomputer, so as to provide some reference for scholars in related fields.
Abstract: Supercomputer also known as gigantic computer, refers to a kind of computer with the best performance, the strongest function, the fastest operation speed and the largest storage capacity among all kinds of computers in an era. Supercomputer is a kind of complex electronic giant system, has huge numerical calculation ability and data processing abi...
Show More
-
A Re-examination of Colonial Perceptions About the Asante of Ghana
Mariama Marciana Kuusaana
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
65-73
Received:
1 February 2021
Accepted:
25 March 2021
Published:
1 April 2021
Abstract: Prejudices bothering on ethnicity is one of the colonial legacies in Africa. The European colonisers have been held responsible for separating groups which were once together, and also, for raising or developing one group above others, and for these actions, have been blamed for some of the ethnic conflicts the continent is grappling with in modern times. Other groups had also been perceived in certain negative terms, and these still linger on, and have become labels on them, the Asante ethnic group in Ghana being a typical example. It can be observed from the political, religious, economic and socio-cultural spheres in the colonial era, that the Asante people were largely depicted more in negative terms vs-a-vis the other ethnic groups in the country. Terms such as warlike, quarrelsome, aggressive, and bloodthirsty, just to mention a few were used to describe them. Were these accurate descriptions of the Asante people, or mere exaggerations? What were some of the underlying reasons for this stand by the Europeans regarding the Asante? These colonial perceptions need to be critically re-examined, re-assessed, and if need be, corrected.
Abstract: Prejudices bothering on ethnicity is one of the colonial legacies in Africa. The European colonisers have been held responsible for separating groups which were once together, and also, for raising or developing one group above others, and for these actions, have been blamed for some of the ethnic conflicts the continent is grappling with in modern...
Show More
-
Different Approaches About the Ethnic Origin of the Druze
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
74-77
Received:
3 January 2021
Accepted:
18 March 2021
Published:
7 April 2021
Abstract: Around one thousand years have passed since the Druze appeared on the stage of history as bearers of a religion and a philosophy. In the year 1043, at the end of the period of preaching and dissemination, Druze clans were widely dispersed over a broad area that extended from North Africa in the west to India in the East. Since they were a minority, and because of opposition to the new religion, they were persecuted by rulers and by other nations, and many of them died out or were forced to abandon their religion and assimilate into other societies. Historical research has no final and absolute answers regarding the ethnic origins of the Druze. In this article, I will present the various research approaches to their ethnic origins. The first attempts to investigate Druze origins were made by European travelers and researchers, mainly French and English, and also by Philip Hitti, an American scholar of Lebanese origin. The Arab researchers who dealt with this subject are divided in their opinion. Some claim that the Druze are of Arab origin, while others assert that the Druze are descendants of ethnic groups that had once inhabited the region and had died out in the course of history. I will also present the position of some Arab historians and researchers and Israeli Druze of the modern period regarding the origins of the Druze now living in the State of Israel, in Syria, in Jordan, in Lebanon, and in the diaspora.
Abstract: Around one thousand years have passed since the Druze appeared on the stage of history as bearers of a religion and a philosophy. In the year 1043, at the end of the period of preaching and dissemination, Druze clans were widely dispersed over a broad area that extended from North Africa in the west to India in the East. Since they were a minority,...
Show More
-
Gender Aspect of UN Activities in the Context of Global Transformations
Hladchenko Svitlana,
Makohonchuk Nataliia,
Goliardyk Nataliia
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
78-83
Received:
16 March 2021
Accepted:
2 April 2021
Published:
12 April 2021
Abstract: The article presents the historical origins and critical analysis of the activities of the United Nations in addressing the issue of gender equality, identifies the stages of this activity. This analysis is carried out on the basis of the reflection of those historical realities that led to the evolution and real changes in UN policy on gender issues. The reasons for the difficulties in realizing the equality of men and women, formally declared by the UN, are reflected during the two decades of the organization's activity. The author focuses on the significance of the feminist movement of the third wave, which not only allowed the adoption of qualitatively new documents concerning the problem of women's emancipation, but also influenced changes in the structure of the UN, and also contributed to the formation of the corresponding new substructures of this international organization and ensured a certain degree of effectiveness of their actions. The author comes to the conclusion that the historical dynamics in the context of which the UN activities developed led to the transformation of this organization into a truly international one, covering global gender problems, which opens up prospects for their solution at a qualitatively new level.
Abstract: The article presents the historical origins and critical analysis of the activities of the United Nations in addressing the issue of gender equality, identifies the stages of this activity. This analysis is carried out on the basis of the reflection of those historical realities that led to the evolution and real changes in UN policy on gender issu...
Show More
-
The Studies of Islamic Areas by European and American Academic Society — Centered on Mainland (50 Years After the Founding of New China)
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 1, June 2021
Pages:
84-96
Received:
18 February 2021
Accepted:
8 March 2021
Published:
23 April 2021
Abstract: The studies of Chinese Islam by worldwide academic society are consisted of two schools, “western” and “Japanese”. I will focus my research “The studies of Chinese Islam by European and American Academic Society”. In this paper, mainly related to the research situation since the second half of the 20th century. Academic research in the second half of the 20th century can be divided into two periods: before and after the 1980s. The characteristics of the two periods are very different Research after 1949 was at a low ebb as Westerners withdrew from China. Regardless of whether they were missionaries or Orientalists, they were no longer permitted to conduct research in mainland China. Given the geopolitical impact of the Cold War, Western research on Chinese Islam inevitably declined. Furthermore, after the Second World War, with the independence of colonial countries, Western disciplines, such as Orientalism and anthropology, gradually lost their traditional prestige. This trend persisted until at least the 1960s, when structuralist anthropology characterized by theoretical construction emerged. In the field of Islamic Studies in China, the same shift took place and Islam in China began to be looked at from the perspective of sociology and anthropology. One of the main characteristics is that, during this period, research was mainly conducted into literature and a number of bibliographical studies were published (as other avenues of research were curtailed). Since the 1970s, and the new opportunities offered by the “Reform and opening-up”, Raphael Israeli’s works on Chinese Muslims have been published continuously, and have greatly influenced Western academia. In addition to several monographs, he has published more than 20 papers on Chinese Muslims and Islam. Since the 1980s, with the change in China’s national policy, Western scholars have once again been able to carry out fieldwork in mainland China. From the 1990s, with the continuous expansion and exchange of academic research between China and the international community, Western study of Islam in China has entered a new stage. Theoretical improvements in research and practical investigation have allowed significant progress, and disciplines and research paradigms in this period have become more diversified. Traditional historical research has combined with anthropology, political science, gender research, and other disciplines.
Abstract: The studies of Chinese Islam by worldwide academic society are consisted of two schools, “western” and “Japanese”. I will focus my research “The studies of Chinese Islam by European and American Academic Society”. In this paper, mainly related to the research situation since the second half of the 20th century. Academic research in the second half ...
Show More
