The world’s earliest bomb with an iron casing,the iron huopao鐵火砲(cast-iron bomb,also referred to as zhentian lei震天雷,literally“thunder-crash bomb”),is one of the most important inventions of ancient China rela...The world’s earliest bomb with an iron casing,the iron huopao鐵火砲(cast-iron bomb,also referred to as zhentian lei震天雷,literally“thunder-crash bomb”),is one of the most important inventions of ancient China relating to gunpowder and firearms.Until recently,however,academics were not able to conduct substantial research on the topic,as no actual remains of a huopao had yet been found.Since 2013,in the excavation of two sites of Southern Song ancient cities(Diaoyu Fortress and Baidicheng)in Chongqing,archaeologists from the Chongqing Cultural Heritage Research Institute have discovered a number of iron huopao of the Southern Song dynasty.This finding not only provides first-hand material for research on the history of the invention of gunpowder and firearms,which has always been lacking,but also offers new physical evidence for an exploration of the history of war and the military history of the thirteenth century(in particular the Mongol-Song war),and is thus historically significant.展开更多
The comparisons between Coleridge and Li Bai represent two kinds of thinking patterns.The former stands for culture of opi um,total romanticism and huge space of imagination.However,Li Bai is a representative of cultu...The comparisons between Coleridge and Li Bai represent two kinds of thinking patterns.The former stands for culture of opi um,total romanticism and huge space of imagination.However,Li Bai is a representative of culture of alcohol.To some extent,he is practical.Readers can sense disappointment in his poem.展开更多
Before 1644, the Manchu rulers pursued a deliberate policy of alliances with the southern （later ＂Inner＂） Mongol tribes. In the 1630s the system of treaties and alliances gave way to the creation of the League-Ban...Before 1644, the Manchu rulers pursued a deliberate policy of alliances with the southern （later ＂Inner＂） Mongol tribes. In the 1630s the system of treaties and alliances gave way to the creation of the League-Banner system, the jasaq system, and the Lifan Yuan. The new territorial and political organization meant that the southern Mongols, while retaining a degree of autonomy, became subjects of the Qing dynasty. This essay explores the historical circumstances of the transformation of the relationship between Manchus and Mongols from partnership to subordination. It also aims to explain the political principles deployed by the Manchus in the redefinition of their relationship with the Mongol elites. More specifically, the essay proposes that the new forms of administration of Inner Mongolia stemmed from a condition of ＂tutelage.＂ Tutelage was not simply imposed by the Manehus upon their erstwhile allies, but actively sought by Mongol aristocrats in the context of the intra-Mongol wars carried out by the Caqar leader Ligdan Khan.展开更多
Early carboniferous deposits of the Kalmard block, with various characteristics in different outcrops, are recognized by Gachal Formation. Generally speaking, this formation comprises of four different members (A, B, ...Early carboniferous deposits of the Kalmard block, with various characteristics in different outcrops, are recognized by Gachal Formation. Generally speaking, this formation comprises of four different members (A, B, C and D), consisting of carbonate and evaporative rocks. Gachal Formation is composed chiefly of 55 meters sandstone and limestone interbedded with shale. According to the lithological and microscopic studies, Gachal Formation is deposited in beach, semi-restricted and open lagoon, shoal and open marine environments. Vertical changes of microfacies and the curve of its depth changes account for the high thickness of the facies of shoal and bar sub-environments and the low thickness of the facies of lagoon and open marine sub-environment as well. Gachal Formation rocks in Rahdar section are deposited in a low-angle?homoclinal ramp?located in southern Paleothysis Ocean. The carbonate-sandstone sequence in?Gachal Formation in Rahdar section is composed of a depositional sequence separated from each other by type 1 sequence boundaries. Deposits of this formation are separated from lower deposits by type 2 sequence boundary and from?Khan Group by unconformity. The sedimentary sequence identified in this formation points to the age of late Visean, conforming to Kaskaskia IV. The erosional boundary between Gachal and Khan Formations is relatively compatible with drop in sea level at Late Kaskaskia global scale.展开更多
The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture started the agricultural investment in some free settlements in Gaza strip since 2008. The proposed areas to be planted and the proposed crops were chosen randomly without any r...The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture started the agricultural investment in some free settlements in Gaza strip since 2008. The proposed areas to be planted and the proposed crops were chosen randomly without any researches to study the expected adverse impacts of these agricultural projects on the environmental components. This research aimed at the groundwater aquifer in the proposed region physically and chemically by taking five water samples from water wells in the place. Represented groundwater samples taken from observation wells in the study area were tested in term of total dissolved solids (TDS), electric conductivity (EC), and (N-P-K) concentrations to be compared with the regulated groundwater standards. As a result of testing two fertilizers, it is found that the announced concentrations of (N-P-K) don’t match the real results. The real results are less than the announced concentrations, especially for the phosphorus concentration which had a real result about half of the announced concentration for both fertilizers. Although the real concentrations of (N-P-K) in the used fertilizers are less the announced concentrations, slightly pollution is found in the groundwater aquifer. The groundwater testing results in five observation wells showed that the groundwater tends to be basic, high salinity ranged between 550 and 3500 μS/cm, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) results ranged between 330 and 2300. Nitrate results ranged between 65 and 160 ppm, whereas phosphorus and potassium results showed that all groundwater samples met the standards and didn’t exceed them.展开更多
In the present study an account is given of an investigation based on the results of the floristic research work conducted between 2005 and 2007 in Dera Ismail Khan District, north western Pakistan. The area was surve...In the present study an account is given of an investigation based on the results of the floristic research work conducted between 2005 and 2007 in Dera Ismail Khan District, north western Pakistan. The area was surveyed and 8 Asclepi- adaceous plant species were collected. These plant species are Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton. Caralluma edulis (Edgew.) Benth., Leptadenia pyrotecnica (Forssk.) Decne., Oxystelma esculentum (L. f.) R. Br., Pentatropis nivalis (J. F. Gmel.) D. V. Field & J. R. I. Wood, Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Blatt.& McCann., Periploca aphylla Decne. and Stapelia gigantea N.E.Br. The study showed that five plants were used ethnobotanically in the area. All the plants were deposited as voucher specimens in the Department of plant sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, for future references. Complete macro & microscopic detailed morphological features of the species have been discussed. Taxo- nomic key was developed to differentiate closely related taxa.展开更多
Pakistan is predominantly a mountainous country where rural development activities are characterised by inconsistency, politically motivated short-term projects without proper feedback. Since the inception of the coun...Pakistan is predominantly a mountainous country where rural development activities are characterised by inconsistency, politically motivated short-term projects without proper feedback. Since the inception of the country, the top-down approach has been followed, and the same development plans that were formulated for the plain areas have been extended to the mountains without any modification. In doing so, neither the participation of the local communities was cared for, nor the mountain specificities were considered in the planning process. Moreover, the representation of the local inhabitants was improper and contradictory to the facts. This biased approach has been one of the main causes for the failure of development projects carried out by different agencies of the Government. Contrary to the perception of the state authorities, the mountain communities proved to be more open to accept new approaches and demonstrated the capacity and capability of being a dependable development partner. In this paper, a detailed account of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme （AKRSP） has been presented to assess and evaluate the approach followed by this non-governmental organisation （NGO）, and the response of the local inhabitants as collaborators in the development process. The achievements of the AKRSP from project planning, implementation and monitoring can be adopted as a model for rural development not only in the plains, but also in the mountainous areas of the developing countries in the world.展开更多
Behind what is called ＂Needham＇s Grand Question＂ （why was China overshot by the West in science and technology？） lies a deeper question of how China came to lose the capacity of deeply reflective thought clearly...Behind what is called ＂Needham＇s Grand Question＂ （why was China overshot by the West in science and technology？） lies a deeper question of how China came to lose the capacity of deeply reflective thought clearly present in the ancient Chinese philosophers. This is a loss felt by all Chinese as a psychological sense of hollowness, a loss of identity, made worse by the seeming inaccessibility of the ancient Chinese wisdom to the modern Chinese mind. It is clear that at some historical point China suffered an extreme psychological blow sufficient to traumatise it at the threshold of reflective thought, unable to look inwards any more. The paper identifies that point as the utter devastation wrought by Kublai Khan and the Mongols 750 years ago. What devastates reflective thought is wilfulness, the insistent focusing of all attention and energy on external, material things, and Kublai Khan was wilful in the extreme. What confirms this as the crippling point is that, in response to Kublai Khan＇s Mongol invasion the Chinese, over time, not only completely altered the geography of China itself, moving their capital to the North （Beijing）, but have ever since fought to establish as ＂China＂ all the territory over which Kublai Khan ruled. China is clearly not free of Kublai Khan＇s shadow. But even more precisely, in the process of doing this--and showing their own wilfulness--in building the Forbidden City in Beijing they built it in the shape of the Chinese metaphysical model of the universe, the Chinese version of the Tree of Life metaphysical glyph But it has an error in it. And the error is precisely that in where it places things, it makes what would have been the attributes of reflective thought subservient to wilfulness. The model itself thus shows the hollowness of the Chinese mind from that moment on. The outer form--the ＂appearance＂---of the ancient wisdom was still there. But the content--the ＂substance＂--of it was not. And with no reflective thought, true creativity disappears.展开更多
文摘The world’s earliest bomb with an iron casing,the iron huopao鐵火砲(cast-iron bomb,also referred to as zhentian lei震天雷,literally“thunder-crash bomb”),is one of the most important inventions of ancient China relating to gunpowder and firearms.Until recently,however,academics were not able to conduct substantial research on the topic,as no actual remains of a huopao had yet been found.Since 2013,in the excavation of two sites of Southern Song ancient cities(Diaoyu Fortress and Baidicheng)in Chongqing,archaeologists from the Chongqing Cultural Heritage Research Institute have discovered a number of iron huopao of the Southern Song dynasty.This finding not only provides first-hand material for research on the history of the invention of gunpowder and firearms,which has always been lacking,but also offers new physical evidence for an exploration of the history of war and the military history of the thirteenth century(in particular the Mongol-Song war),and is thus historically significant.
文摘The comparisons between Coleridge and Li Bai represent two kinds of thinking patterns.The former stands for culture of opi um,total romanticism and huge space of imagination.However,Li Bai is a representative of culture of alcohol.To some extent,he is practical.Readers can sense disappointment in his poem.
文摘Before 1644, the Manchu rulers pursued a deliberate policy of alliances with the southern （later ＂Inner＂） Mongol tribes. In the 1630s the system of treaties and alliances gave way to the creation of the League-Banner system, the jasaq system, and the Lifan Yuan. The new territorial and political organization meant that the southern Mongols, while retaining a degree of autonomy, became subjects of the Qing dynasty. This essay explores the historical circumstances of the transformation of the relationship between Manchus and Mongols from partnership to subordination. It also aims to explain the political principles deployed by the Manchus in the redefinition of their relationship with the Mongol elites. More specifically, the essay proposes that the new forms of administration of Inner Mongolia stemmed from a condition of ＂tutelage.＂ Tutelage was not simply imposed by the Manehus upon their erstwhile allies, but actively sought by Mongol aristocrats in the context of the intra-Mongol wars carried out by the Caqar leader Ligdan Khan.
文摘Early carboniferous deposits of the Kalmard block, with various characteristics in different outcrops, are recognized by Gachal Formation. Generally speaking, this formation comprises of four different members (A, B, C and D), consisting of carbonate and evaporative rocks. Gachal Formation is composed chiefly of 55 meters sandstone and limestone interbedded with shale. According to the lithological and microscopic studies, Gachal Formation is deposited in beach, semi-restricted and open lagoon, shoal and open marine environments. Vertical changes of microfacies and the curve of its depth changes account for the high thickness of the facies of shoal and bar sub-environments and the low thickness of the facies of lagoon and open marine sub-environment as well. Gachal Formation rocks in Rahdar section are deposited in a low-angle?homoclinal ramp?located in southern Paleothysis Ocean. The carbonate-sandstone sequence in?Gachal Formation in Rahdar section is composed of a depositional sequence separated from each other by type 1 sequence boundaries. Deposits of this formation are separated from lower deposits by type 2 sequence boundary and from?Khan Group by unconformity. The sedimentary sequence identified in this formation points to the age of late Visean, conforming to Kaskaskia IV. The erosional boundary between Gachal and Khan Formations is relatively compatible with drop in sea level at Late Kaskaskia global scale.
文摘The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture started the agricultural investment in some free settlements in Gaza strip since 2008. The proposed areas to be planted and the proposed crops were chosen randomly without any researches to study the expected adverse impacts of these agricultural projects on the environmental components. This research aimed at the groundwater aquifer in the proposed region physically and chemically by taking five water samples from water wells in the place. Represented groundwater samples taken from observation wells in the study area were tested in term of total dissolved solids (TDS), electric conductivity (EC), and (N-P-K) concentrations to be compared with the regulated groundwater standards. As a result of testing two fertilizers, it is found that the announced concentrations of (N-P-K) don’t match the real results. The real results are less than the announced concentrations, especially for the phosphorus concentration which had a real result about half of the announced concentration for both fertilizers. Although the real concentrations of (N-P-K) in the used fertilizers are less the announced concentrations, slightly pollution is found in the groundwater aquifer. The groundwater testing results in five observation wells showed that the groundwater tends to be basic, high salinity ranged between 550 and 3500 μS/cm, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) results ranged between 330 and 2300. Nitrate results ranged between 65 and 160 ppm, whereas phosphorus and potassium results showed that all groundwater samples met the standards and didn’t exceed them.
文摘In the present study an account is given of an investigation based on the results of the floristic research work conducted between 2005 and 2007 in Dera Ismail Khan District, north western Pakistan. The area was surveyed and 8 Asclepi- adaceous plant species were collected. These plant species are Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton. Caralluma edulis (Edgew.) Benth., Leptadenia pyrotecnica (Forssk.) Decne., Oxystelma esculentum (L. f.) R. Br., Pentatropis nivalis (J. F. Gmel.) D. V. Field & J. R. I. Wood, Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Blatt.& McCann., Periploca aphylla Decne. and Stapelia gigantea N.E.Br. The study showed that five plants were used ethnobotanically in the area. All the plants were deposited as voucher specimens in the Department of plant sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, for future references. Complete macro & microscopic detailed morphological features of the species have been discussed. Taxo- nomic key was developed to differentiate closely related taxa.
文摘Pakistan is predominantly a mountainous country where rural development activities are characterised by inconsistency, politically motivated short-term projects without proper feedback. Since the inception of the country, the top-down approach has been followed, and the same development plans that were formulated for the plain areas have been extended to the mountains without any modification. In doing so, neither the participation of the local communities was cared for, nor the mountain specificities were considered in the planning process. Moreover, the representation of the local inhabitants was improper and contradictory to the facts. This biased approach has been one of the main causes for the failure of development projects carried out by different agencies of the Government. Contrary to the perception of the state authorities, the mountain communities proved to be more open to accept new approaches and demonstrated the capacity and capability of being a dependable development partner. In this paper, a detailed account of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme （AKRSP） has been presented to assess and evaluate the approach followed by this non-governmental organisation （NGO）, and the response of the local inhabitants as collaborators in the development process. The achievements of the AKRSP from project planning, implementation and monitoring can be adopted as a model for rural development not only in the plains, but also in the mountainous areas of the developing countries in the world.
文摘Behind what is called ＂Needham＇s Grand Question＂ （why was China overshot by the West in science and technology？） lies a deeper question of how China came to lose the capacity of deeply reflective thought clearly present in the ancient Chinese philosophers. This is a loss felt by all Chinese as a psychological sense of hollowness, a loss of identity, made worse by the seeming inaccessibility of the ancient Chinese wisdom to the modern Chinese mind. It is clear that at some historical point China suffered an extreme psychological blow sufficient to traumatise it at the threshold of reflective thought, unable to look inwards any more. The paper identifies that point as the utter devastation wrought by Kublai Khan and the Mongols 750 years ago. What devastates reflective thought is wilfulness, the insistent focusing of all attention and energy on external, material things, and Kublai Khan was wilful in the extreme. What confirms this as the crippling point is that, in response to Kublai Khan＇s Mongol invasion the Chinese, over time, not only completely altered the geography of China itself, moving their capital to the North （Beijing）, but have ever since fought to establish as ＂China＂ all the territory over which Kublai Khan ruled. China is clearly not free of Kublai Khan＇s shadow. But even more precisely, in the process of doing this--and showing their own wilfulness--in building the Forbidden City in Beijing they built it in the shape of the Chinese metaphysical model of the universe, the Chinese version of the Tree of Life metaphysical glyph But it has an error in it. And the error is precisely that in where it places things, it makes what would have been the attributes of reflective thought subservient to wilfulness. The model itself thus shows the hollowness of the Chinese mind from that moment on. The outer form--the ＂appearance＂---of the ancient wisdom was still there. But the content--the ＂substance＂--of it was not. And with no reflective thought, true creativity disappears.
