#HistoricalFigures Archives - Page 3 of 3

October 01, 2022

Muhammad Bin Qasim

Muhammad Bin Qasim Muhammad bin Qasim was born around 695 AD. He belonged to the Saqqafi tribe; which had originated from Taif in Arabia. He grew up in the care of his mother; he soon became a great asset to his uncle Muhammad Ibn Yusuf, the governor of Yemen. His judgment, potential, and skills left many other officers and made the ruler appoint him to the State Department. He was also a close relative of Hajjaj bin Yousuf, due to the influence of Hajjaj, the young Muhammad bin Qasim was appointed the governor of Persia while in his teens, and he crushed the rebellion in this region. There’s also a preferred tradition that presents him because the son-in-law of Hajjaj bin Yousuf. He conquered the Sindh and Punjab regions along the Indus River for the Umayyad Caliphate. There are both long and short-term causes for the conquest of India. Arabs had trade with India and Eastern Asia. The trade was carried through a sea route; the route was unsafe because of the plunder of the Pirates of Sindh. The Arab rebels also get refuge in Sindh. Thus the Umayyad wanted to consolidate their rule and also secure the trade route. During Hajjaj’s governorship, the Mids of Debal (Pirates) plundered the gifts of Ceylon’s ruler to Hijjaj and attacked ships of Arabs that were carrying the orphans and widows of Muslim soldiers who died in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Thus providing the Umayyad Caliphate a legitimate cause, that enabled them to realize a position in the Makran and Sindh regions. The Umayyad caliphate ordered Muhammad Bin Qasim to attack Sindh. He led 6,000 Syrian cavalries and at the borders of Sindh, he was joined by an advance guard and 6 thousand camel riders with five catapults (Manjaniks). Muhammad Bin Qasim first captured Debal, from where the Arab army marched along the Indus. At Rohri he was met by Dahir’s forces. Dahir died in the battle, his forces were defeated and Muhammad bin Qasim took control of Sind. Mohammad Bin Qasim entered Daibul in 712 AD. As a result of his efforts, he succeeded in capturing Daibul. He continued his Victorious Progress in succession, Nirun, fortress (called Sikka), Brahmanabad, Alor, Multan, and Gujrat. After the conquest of Multan, he carried his arms to the borders of the Kingdom of Kashmir, but his dismissal stopped the further advance. Now Muslims were the masters of the whole Sindh and a component of Punjab up to the borders of Kashmir in the north. After the conquest, he adopted a conciliatory policy, inquiring for acceptance of Muslim rule by the natives reciprocally for non-interference in their religious and cultural practices. He also established peace with a robust taxation system. reciprocally he provided the warranty of security of life and property for the natives. Hajjaj died in 714. When Walid Bin Abdul Malik died, his younger brother Suleman succeeded because of the Caliph. He was a bitter enemy of Hajjaj’s family. He recalled Mohammad Bin Qasim from Sindh, who obeyed the orders because of the duty of a general. When he came back, he was put to death on the 18th of July, 715AD at the age of twenty. محمد بن قاسم محمد بن قاسم 695ء کے لگ بھگ پیدا ہوئے۔ ان کا تعلق ثقفی قبیلے سے تھا۔ جس کی ابتدا عرب کے شہر طائف سے ہوئی تھی۔ وہ اپنی ماں کی دیکھ بھال میں پلا بڑھا۔ وہ جلد ہی یمن کے گورنر اپنے چچا محمد ابن یوسف کے لیے بہت بڑا اثاثہ بن گیا۔ اس کے فیصلے، صلاحیت اور مہارت نے بہت سے دوسرے افسروں کوپیچھے چھوڑ دیا اور حکمران کو مجبور کیا کہ وہ اسے ریاست کے محکمے میں تعینات کرے۔ وہ حجاج بن یوسف کا قریبی رشتہ دار بھی تھا، حجاج کے اثر و رسوخ کی وجہ سے نوجوان محمد بن قاسم کو نوعمری میں ہی فارس کا گورنر مقرر کیا گیا اور اس نے اس علاقے میں بغاوت کو کچل دیا۔ ایک مشہور روایت بھی ہے جو اسے حجاج بن یوسف کے داماد کے طور پر پیش کرتی ہے۔ اس نے اموی خلافت کے لیے دریائے سندھ کے ساتھ سندھ اور پنجاب کے علاقوں کو فتح کیا۔ ہندوستان کی فتح کے طویل اور قلیل مدتی دونوں اسباب ہیں۔ عربوں کی ہندوستان اور مشرقی ایشیا سے تجارت تھی۔ تجارت سمندری راستے سے ہوتی تھی۔ سندھ کے قزاقوں کی لوٹ مار کی وجہ سے راستہ غیر محفوظ تھا۔ عرب باغیوں کو بھی سندھ میں پناہ ملتی ہے۔ اس طرح بنو امیہ اپنی حکومت کو مضبوط کرنا چاہتے تھے اور تجارتی راستے کو بھی محفوظ بنانا چاہتے تھے۔ حجاج کی گورنری کے دوران، دیبل کے بحری قزاقوں نے حجاج کو سیلون کے حکمران کے تحفے لوٹ لیے اور عرب کے بحری جہازوں پر حملہ کیا جو سری لنکا میں مرنے والے مسلمان فوجیوں کے یتیموں اور بیواؤں کو لے جا رہے تھے۔ اس طرح اموی خلافت کو ایک جائز مقصد فراہم کیا، جس نے انہیں مکران اور سندھ کے علاقوں میں قدم جمانے کے قابل بنایا۔ اموی خلافت نے محمد بن قاسم کو سندھ پر حملہ کرنے کا حکم دیا۔ اس نے 6,000 شامی گھڑ سواروں کی قیادت کی اور سندھ کی سرحدوں پر اس کے ساتھ ایک پیشگی محافظ اور چھ ہزار اونٹ سوار اور پانچ کیٹپلٹس (منجانک) تھے۔ محمد بن قاسم نے سب سے پہلے دیبل پر قبضہ کیا، جہاں سے عرب فوج نے سندھ کے ساتھ ساتھ کوچ کیا۔ روہڑی میں اس کی ملاقات داہر کی افواج سے ہوئی۔ داہر جنگ میں مر گیا، اس کی فوجوں کو شکست ہوئی اور محمد بن قاسم نے سندھ پر قبضہ کر لیا۔ محمد بن قاسم 712ء میں دیبل میں داخل ہوا۔ ان کی کوششوں کے نتیجے میں وہ دیبل پر قبضہ کرنے میں کامیاب ہو گیا۔ اس نے پے در پے اپنی فاتحانہ پیش رفت جاری رکھی، نیرون، قلعہ (جسے سکہ کہا جاتا ہے)، برہمن آباد، الور، ملتان اور گجرات۔ ملتان کی فتح کے بعد، اس نے اپنے ہتھیار کشمیر کی بادشاہی کی سرحدوں تک لے گئے، لیکن اس کی برطرفی

BIOGRAPHY

September 30, 2022

Sumundara Gupta

Sumundara Gupta Samudragupta (reigned 335-380) was the second ruler of the Gupta Dynasty, who ushered in the Golden Age in India. He was a benevolent ruler, an excellent warrior, and a patron of the arts. Samudragupta, son of Chandragupta I, was perhaps the greatest king of the Gupta dynasty. He took the Gupta dynasty from its insignificant position to its dizzy heights. For his marvellous achievements, he has been described as the Napoleon of India. Dr V.A. Smith remarks “Samudragupta, the second Gupta monarch was one of the most remarkable and accomplished kings of India’s history”. Chandragupta, I selected Samudragupta as his successor in the presence of all his courtiers in the royal court. Therefore, Chandragupta-I blessed him, saying, “Protect you this Earth”. If Chandragupta-I and Kumardevi were the joint rulers, Samudragupta succeeded both of them. He was, in fact, proud of being the son of the daughter of the Lichchhav. He ascended the throne about 335 A.D. The choice of Samudragupta as king was accepted with joyous satisfaction by the advisors. But those who were of equal birth and were rivals to the throne became ‘pale-faced’ with disappointment. So scholars conclude that there have been other sons of Chandragupta-I who aspired to the throne and thus, the accession of Samudragupta was disputed. It’s said that the revolt of the other princes was headed by the eldest brother Kacha. But Samudragupta suppressed the revolt, killed Kacha, and ascended the throne. But other scholars say that Kacha was ready to seize the throne for a quick period during which he struck some coins and several other such coins bearing the name of Kacha are found. But other scholars don’t accept this view. They believe that Samudragupta had another name Kacha, and therefore the coins bearing that name were of Samudragupta himself The coins of Kacha earn the epithet ‘Sarva- Rajochhetta’ which term can apply only to a good warrior and conqueror like Samudragupta. Allan says, “Kacha was the original name of the emperor and he took the name Samudragupta in allusion to his conquests”. After the death of his father, his son Samudragupta began to rule the kingdom and didn’t rest until he conquered almost the full of India. His reigning period could also be described as a vast campaign. To start with, he attacked the neighbouring kingdoms of Shichchhatra (Rohilkhand) and Padmavati (in Central India). He conquered the entire Bengal and some Kingdoms in Nepal and he made Assam pay him tribute. He absorbed some Tribal states just like the Malvas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Abhiras, and therefore the Madura. Samudragupta’s territories extended from the Himalayas in the north to the river Narbada in the south and from the Brahmaputra River in the east to the Yamuna River in the west. His greatest achievement can be described as the political unification of most of India or Aryavarta into a formidable power. He assumed the title of Maharajadhiraja (The King of the Kings). Samudragupta extended his Kingdom in the west over Khandesh and Palghat. However, he preferred to keep up friendly terms with Vatakata in Central India. He performed Aashvamadha Yajna (Horse Sacrifice) after winning every big battle. This great warrior had a benevolent heart. He showed great nobility towards all those kings who were defeated. He gave various tribal states autonomy under his protection. Knowing the invincible power of Samudragupta the frontier states came forward to submit themselves to him. Except for the vastness of his kingdom, Samudragupta received homage from a handful of foreign kings. The Kushan princes of the North-West ruled in peach beyond. In the Indus basin also, friendly relations were maintained with the King Mahendra of Ceylon who had built a splendid monastery at Bodh Gaya after obtaining the permission of Samudragupta. Samudragupta was a man of remarkable abilities and unusually varied gifts – warrior, statesman, general, poet and musician, philanthropist, he was all in one. As a patron of arts and letters, he epitomized the spirit of his age. Coins and inscriptions of the Gupta period bear testimony to his “versatile talents and ‘ Indefatigable energy”. Most certainly, Samudragupta is the father of the Gupta monetary system. He started maintaining seven different types of coins. They’re referred to as the quality Type, the Archer Type, the Battle Axe Type, the Aashvamedha Type, the Tiger Slayer Type, the King, and Queen Type, and also the Lyrist Type. They exhibit a fine quality of technical and sculptural finesse. He died in 380 A.D. سمندر گپت سمندر گپت (حکومت 335-380) گپتا خاندان کا دوسرا حکمران ہے جس نے ہندوستان میں سنہری دور کا آغاز کیا۔ وہ ایک مہربان حکمران، عظیم جنگجو اور فنون لطیفہ کا سرپرست تھا۔ چندر گپت اول کا بیٹا سمندر گپت شاید گپت خاندان کا سب سے بڑا بادشاہ تھا۔ اس نے گپتا خاندان کو اس کی غیر معمولی حیثیت سے اس کے چکر کی بلندیوں تک پہنچا دیا۔ ان کے شاندار کارناموں کے لیے انھیں ہندوستان کا نپولین کہا جاتا ہے۔ ڈاکٹر وی اے سمتھ نے ریمارکس دیے کہ ‘سمندرا گپت، دوسرا گپتا بادشاہ ہندوستان کی تاریخ کے سب سے قابل ذکر اور قابل بادشاہوں میں سے ایک تھا’۔ چندر گپت، نے شاہی دربار میں اپنے تمام درباریوں کی موجودگی میں سمندر گپت کو اپنا جانشین منتخب کیا۔ اس لیے چندرگپت اول نے اسے آشیرواد دیتے ہوئے کہا، ‘اس زمین کی حفاظت کرو’۔ اگر چندر گپت اول اور کمار دیوی مشترکہ حکمران تھے تو سمندر گپت ان دونوں کا جانشین ہوا۔ اسے درحقیقت لچھو کی بیٹی کا بیٹا ہونے پر فخر تھا۔ وہ تقریباً 335 عیسوی میں تخت پر بیٹھا، سمندر گپت کے بطور بادشاہ انتخاب کو مشیروں نے خوشی سے قبول کیا۔ لیکن وہ لوگ جو مساوی پیدائشی تھے اور تخت کے حریف تھے مایوسی کے ساتھ ’پیلا چہرہ‘ ہو گئے۔ چنانچہ علماء نے یہ نتیجہ اخذ کیا کہ چندر گپت اول کے دوسرے بیٹے بھی تھے جو تخت کے خواہشمند تھے اور اسی وجہ سے سمندر گپت کے الحاق پر اختلاف کیا گیا۔ کہا جاتا ہے کہ دوسرے شہزادوں کی

BIOGRAPHY

September 30, 2022

Kanishka

Kanishka Kanishka was the king of the Kushana Empire in South Asia. Kanishka is considered to be one of the foremost significant rulers of the Kushan Kingdom, a part that included the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, and possibly regions north of Kashmir in central Asia. He was famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements, and Ashoka and Harshavardhana are considered to be the best kings by Buddhists. He had an enormous empire, it extended from Oxus in the East to Varanasi in the West, and from Kashmir in the North to the coast of Gujarat including Malwa in the South. The date of his accession to the throne isn’t certain but is believed to be 78 AD. This year marks the start of an era, which is thought because of the Shaka era. Under Kanishka, the Kushan reached a brand new zenith in wealth and culture that highlighted art, architecture, literature, and science. The tolerance of the kingdom’s ruler toward different cultures and religions allowed Kushan to profit from the knowledge and wealth of a number of the best civilizations of the time. As a result of such cross-cultural connections, the Buddhist religion owes much of its development and spread throughout Asia to Kanishka and also Kushan. It is not known when Kanishka was born. The dates of his reign are subject to debate, but the foremost reliable dates seem to be from A.D. 78 to 103. Just how Kanishka came to power is additionally not known, but he succeeded Wema Kadphises II and was the fourth king of the Kushan. The Kushan Empire came into existence under Kajula Kadipheses in the north of India in Bactria.v Kanishka was tolerant of all religions. He issued many coins during his rule. His coins depict Hindu, Buddhist, Greek, Persian, and Sumerian-Elemite images of gods, showing his secular religious policy. he is remembered for his association with Buddhism. He was a Buddhist convert and convened the fourth Buddhist council in Kashmir. This council in Kashmir marked the start of the Mahayana cult of Buddhism. He patronized both the Gandhara School of Greco-Buddhist Art and also the Mathura School of Hindu Art. He sent Buddhist missionaries to numerous parts of the world to spread Buddhism. Kanishka is remembered in Buddhist architecture mainly for the multi-story relic tower, enshrining the relics of the Buddha, constructed by him at Peshawar. Under Kanishka, the Kushan spread their boundaries to include the world of present-day Afghanistan, northern India, and parts of Middle Asia. The capital city of this kingdom was Puruhapura, or modern Peshawar, Pakistan. The empire flourished economically because the Kushans were up-to-date with many of the world’s most vital civilizations, including Rome, China, and Parthia (a part of what today is Iran). Trade and commerce were encouraged and cities and urbanization followed. The ruins of a city established by Kanishka are discovered under present-day Taxila, India. The Kushans also had a good deal of control over a major trade route called the Silk Road. کنشک کنشک جنوبی ایشیا میں کشانہ سلطنت کا بادشاہ تھا۔ کنشک کو کشان سلطنت کے سب سے اہم اور اہم حکمرانوں میں سے ایک سمجھا جاتا ہے، ایک ایسا علاقہ جس میں برصغیر پاک و ہند کا شمالی حصہ، افغانستان، اور ممکنہ طور پر وسطی ایشیا میں کشمیر کے شمال میں واقع علاقے شامل تھے۔ وہ اپنی فوجی، سیاسی اور روحانی کامیابیوں کے لیے مشہور تھا، اور اشوک اور ہرش وردھن کو بدھ مت کے ماننے والوں کا سب سے بڑا بادشاہ سمجھا جاتا ہے۔ اس کی ایک وسیع سلطنت تھی، یہ مشرق میں آکسس سے لے کر مغرب میں وارانسی تک اور شمال میں کشمیر سے لے کر جنوب میں مالوا سمیت گجرات کے ساحل تک پھیلی ہوئی تھی۔ اس کے تخت پر فائز ہونے کی تاریخ یقینی نہیں ہے لیکن خیال کیا جاتا ہے کہ یہ 78 عیسوی ہے۔ یہ سال ایک دور کا آغاز ہے، جسے شکا دور کے نام سے جانا جاتا ہے۔ کنشک کے تحت، کشان دولت اور ثقافت میں ایک نئے عروج پر پہنچے جس نے فن، فن تعمیر، ادب اور سائنس کو اجاگر کیا۔ مختلف ثقافتوں اور مذاہب کے تئیں بادشاہی کے حکمران کی رواداری نے کشان کو اس وقت کی چند عظیم ترین تہذیبوں کے علم اور دولت سے فائدہ اٹھانے کا موقع دیا۔ اس طرح کے بین الثقافتی رابطوں کے نتیجے میں، بدھ مذہب اپنی زیادہ تر ترقی کا مرہون منت ہے اور پورے ایشیا میں کنشک اور کشان تک پھیل گیا۔ کنشک کی پیدائش کب ہوئی یہ معلوم نہیں ہے۔ اس کے دور حکومت کی تاریخیں بھی زیر بحث ہیں، لیکن سب سے زیادہ معتبر تاریخیں 78 سے 103 تک کی معلوم ہوتی ہیں۔ کنشک کس طرح برسراقتدار آیا، یہ بھی معلوم نہیں ہے، لیکن وہ ویما کدفیسس دوم کا جانشین ہوا اور کشان کا چوتھا بادشاہ تھا۔ . کشان سلطنت ہندوستان کے شمال میں باختر میں کجولا کاڈیفیسس کے تحت وجود میں آئی۔ کنشک تمام مذاہب کے تئیں روادار تھا۔ اس نے اپنے دور حکومت میں بہت سے سکے جاری کئے۔ اس کے سکوں میں ہندو، بدھسٹ، یونانی، فارسی، اور سمیرین-ایلیمیٹ دیوتاؤں کی تصویریں ہیں، جو اس کی سیکولر مذہبی پالیسی کو ظاہر کرتی ہیں۔ انہیں بدھ مت کے ساتھ وابستگی کے لیے یاد کیا جاتا ہے۔ وہ بدھ مت کے ماننے والے تھے اور انہوں نے کشمیر میں چوتھی بدھ کونسل بلائی۔ کشمیر میں اس کونسل نے بدھ مت کے مہایان فرقے کا آغاز کیا۔ اس نے گندھارا اسکول آف گریکو بدھسٹ آرٹ اور متھرا اسکول آف ہندو آرٹ دونوں کی سرپرستی کی۔ اس نے بدھ مت کو پھیلانے کے لیے بدھ مت کے مشنریوں کو دنیا کے مختلف حصوں میں بھیجا۔ کنشک کو بدھ فن تعمیر میں بنیادی طور پر کثیر المنزلہ اوشیش ٹاور کے لیے یاد کیا جاتا ہے، جس میں بدھ کے آثار کو شامل کیا جاتا ہے، جسے اس نے پشاور میں تعمیر کیا تھا۔ کنشک کے تحت، کشان نے موجودہ افغانستان، شمالی ہندوستان اور مشرق وسطیٰ کے کچھ حصوں کو شامل کرنے کے لیے اپنی حدود کو پھیلا دیا۔ اس

BIOGRAPHY

September 30, 2022

Ashoka

Ashoka Ashoka also called Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from CA. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India’s greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after some military conquests. His empire stretched from the Hindu Kush Mountains mountains in Afghanistan to present-day Bangladesh and therefore the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. He conquered the kingdom named Kalinga, which none of his ancestors had conquered starting from Chandragupta Maurya. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar). He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he had waged out of a desire for conquest. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a lover of ahimsa (nonviolence), love, truth, tolerance, and vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history as a philanthropic administrator. Ashoka was born to the Mauryan emperor Bindusara and his queen, Dharma [or Dhamma]. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, the founding father of the Mauryan dynasty. He had been given royal military training knowledge. He was a fearsome hunter, and consistent with a legend killed a lion with just a wooden rod. He was very adventurous and a trained fighter, who was known for his skills with the sword. thanks to his reputation as a frightening warrior and a heartless general, he was sent to curb the riots in the Avanti province of the Mauryan empire. Bindusara’s death in 273 BC led to a war over succession. consistent with Divyavandana, Bindusara wanted his son Sushim to succeed him but Ashoka was supported by his father’s ministers. A minister named Radhagupta seems to have played a very important role. Ashoka managed to become the king by getting obviate the legitimate heir to the throne, by tricking him into entering a pit stuffed with live coals. The Dipavansa and Mahavansa check with Ashoka killing 99 of his brothers, sparing just one, named Tissa, although there’s no clear proof about this incident. The coronation happened in 269 BC. The first part of Ashoka’s reign was quite bloodthirsty, he became a lover of the Buddha‘s teaching after his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India in the present-day states of Orissa and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Kalinga was a state that prided itself on its sovereignty and democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary democracy, it had been quite an exception in ancient Bharata where there existed the concept of Rajdharma. Rajdharma means the duty of the rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with the concept of bravery and Kshatriya dharma. The Kalinga War happened eight years after his coronation. From his 13th inscription, we come to understand that the battle was a massive one and caused the deaths of over 100,000 soldiers and plenty of civilians who rose in defence; over 150,000 were deported. When he was walking through the grounds of Kalinga after his conquest, rejoicing in his victory, he was moved by the number of bodies strewn there and therefore the wails of the kith and kin of the dead. ars after his succession to the throne. As the legend goes, at some point after the war was over, Ashoka ventured out to roam the city and everyone he could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism, and he used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to new heights, as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. He made Buddhism his state religion around 260 BC, propagated it and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly must be credited with the first serious try to develop a Buddhist policy. He is acclaimed for constructing hospitals for animals and renovating major roads throughout India. After this transformation, Ashoka came to be referred to as Dhammashoka (Sanskrit), meaning Ashoka, the follower of Dharma. Ashoka defined the principles of dharma as nonviolence, tolerance of all sects and opinions, obedience to parents, respect for the Brahmans and other religious teachers and priests, liberality towards friends, humane treatment of servants, and generosity towards all. These principles suggest a general ethic of behaviour to which no religion or group could object. Ashoka ruled for an estimated forty years. After his death, the Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more years. Ashoka had many wives and youngsters, but many of their names were lost to time. Mahindra and Sanghamitra were twins born by his first wife, Devi, in the city of Ujjain. He had entrusted to them the job of creating his state religion, Buddhism, more popular across the known and therefore the unknown world. Mahindra and Sanghamitra went into state and converted the King, the Queen, and their people to Buddhism. They were naturally not handling state affairs after him. The reign of Ashoka Maurya could easily have disappeared into history because the ages passed by and would have had he not left behind a record of his trials. The testimony of this wise king was discovered in the variety of magnificently sculpted pillars and boulders with a variety of actions and teachings he wished to be published etched into the stone. What Ashoka left behind was the first written communication in India since the traditional city of Harappa. The language used for inscription was the then-current spoken form called Prakrit. In the year 185 BC, about fifty years after Ashoka’s death, the last Maurya ruler, Brhadrata, was assassinated by the commander-in-chief of the Mauryan military, Pusyamitra Sunga, while he was taking the Guard of Honor of his forces. Pusyamitra Sunga founded the Sunga dynasty (185 BC-78 BC) and ruled just a fragmented part of the Mauryan Empire. Many of the northwestern territories of the Mauryan Empire (modern-day Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan) became the Indo-Greek Kingdom.

BIOGRAPHY

September 30, 2022

Kautilya

Kautilya Kautilya, also called Chanakya or Vishnugupta (flourished 300 BCE), Hindu statesman and philosopher who wrote a classic treatise on polity, Artha-shastra (“The Science of Material Gain”), a compilation of virtually everything that had been written in India up to his time regarding artha (property, economics, or material success). Chanakya’s birthplace is a matter of controversy, and there are multiple theories about his origin. In keeping with one theory, he was born in Pataliputra or a town in Kusumpur near it. In keeping with the Buddhist text Mahavamsa Tika, his birthplace was Taxila. The Jain scriptures like Adbidhana Chintamani mention him as a Dramila, implying that he was a native of south India. In keeping with other Jaina accounts, Chanakya was born in the village of Canada to Caṇin and Caṇesvari, a Brahmin couple. Other sources mention his father’s name as “Chanak”, and state that his name derives from his father’s name. Chanakya was educated at Takshashila, an ancient centre of learning located in north-western ancient India (present-day Pakistan). He later became a teacher (acharya) at the same place. Chanakya’s life was connected to 2 cities: Takshashila and Pataliputra(present-day Patna in Bihar, India). Pataliputra was the capital of the Magadha kingdom, which was connected to Takshashila by the northern high road of commerce. Chanakya and Chandragupta are credited with defeating the powerful Nanda Empire and establishing the new Maurya Empire. Mudrarakshasa (“The Signet of the Minister”), a play dated variously from the late 4th century to the first 8th century, narrates the ascent of Chandragupta Maurya to power: Sakatala, an unhappy royal minister, introduced Chanakya to the Nanda king, knowing that Chanakya wouldn’t be treated well in the court. Insulted at the court, Chanakya loosened the sikha (lock of hair) and swore that he wouldn’t tie it back till he destroyed the Nanda kingdom. In keeping with Mudrarakshasaa, Chandragupta was the son of a royal concubine named Mura and spent his childhood in the Nanda palace. Chanakya and Chandragupta signed a pact with Parvataka (identified with King Porus by some scholars) of northwest India that ensured his victory over the Nanda empire. Their combined army had Shaka, Yavana (Greek), Kirata, Kamboja, and Vahlik soldiers. Following their victory, the territories of the Nanda empire were divided between Parvataka and Chanakya’s associate Chandragupta. However, after Parvataka’s death, his son Malayaketu sought control of all the previous Nanda territories. He was supported by Rakshasaa, the previous Nanda minister, several of whose attempts to kill Chandragupta were foiled by Chanakya. As a part of their game plan, Chanakya and Chandragupta faked a rift between themselves. As a sham, Chandragupta removed Chanakya from his ministerial post, while declaring that Rakshasa is better than him. Chanakya’s agents in Malayaketu’s court then turned the king against Rakshasa by suggesting that Rakshasa was poised to interchange Chanakya in Chandragupta’s court. The activities by Chanakya’s spies further widened the rift between Malayaketu and Rakshasa. His agents also fooled Malayaketu into believing that the five of his allies were aiming to join Chandragupta, prompting Malayaketu to order their killings. In the end, Rakshasa winds up joining Chandragupta’s side and Malayaketu’s coalition is undone by Chanakya’s strategy. Once, Chanakya found a mother scolding her child for burning himself by eating from the centre of a bowl of porridge instead of the cooler edge. Chanakya realized his initial strategic error: he was attacking Magadha, the middle of the Nanda territory. He then changed his strategy and focused on capturing the areas located at the peripheries of the Nanda empire. With the help of Suvashini, he drove a wedge between the King and Rakshasa. Finally, he defeated the last Nanda king and established a replacement empire with Chandragupta Maurya because of the emperor. in step with the Buddhist texts, Chandragupta was the son of the chief of the Moriya clan of Pippalivana. Chanakya once saw him leading a band of local youth and was highly impressed. He picked Chandragupta because the leader of the anti-Nanda revolt. Chanakya continued to function as an advisor to Chandragupta after the establishment of the Maurya Empire. In step with a preferred legend mentioned in the Jain texts, Chanakya wants to add small doses of poison to the food eaten by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, to create proof against the poisoning attempts by the enemies. Unaware, Chandragupta once fed a number of his food to his queen Durdhara who was 7 days away from delivery. The queen, not immune to the poison, collapsed and died in a few minutes. To save the heir to the throne, Chanakya cut the queen’s belly open and extracted the fetus even as she died. The baby was named Bindusara because he was touched by a drop (Bindu) of blood having poison. When Bindusara was in his youth, Chandragupta gave up the throne and followed the Jain saint Bhadrabahu to present-day Karnataka and settled in the place of Shravana Belagola. He lived as an ascetic for a few years and died of voluntary starvation in step with Jain tradition. Chanakya meanwhile stayed in the court as an advisor to Bindusara. The real reason for Chanakya’s death is unknown and disputed. in step with a legend, Subandhu, one of Bindusara’s ministers, didn’t like Chanakya. In the future, he told Bindusara that Chanakya was chargeable for the murder of his mother. Bindusara asked the nurses, who confirmed the story of his birth. Bindusara was horrified and enraged. When Chanakya, who was an old man by now, learned that the King was angry with him, he decided to finish his life. Per the Jain tradition, he decided to starve himself to death. By now, the King learned the whole story: Chanakya wasn’t directly to blame for his mother’s death, which was an accident. He asked Subandhu to convince Chanakya to give up his conception to kill himself. However, Subandhu, pretending to conduct a ceremony for Chanakya, burnt Chanakya alive. Two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra and Neetishastra (also referred to as Chanakya Niti). The Arthashastra

BIOGRAPHY

September 30, 2022

Chandra Gupta Maurya

Chandra Gupta Maurya Chandragupta was the founding father of the Maurya dynasty, which ruled ancient India for about 140 years. His troops conquered one northern Indian kingdom after another and claimed lands that stretched as far west as Afghanistan. In this way, Chandragupta united northern India under one ruler for the first time in history. He established the first territorial empire in ancient India, covering most of the Indian subcontinent. He was assisted by his political adviser, KAUTALYA, who also commenced the principles for the administration of the country. This broad framework of the administrative organization was adopted by many succeeding dynasties. Chandragupta Maurya’s origins were shrouded in mystery. Having been remarked by peacock tamers, he can be of low caste birth. In keeping with other sources, Chandragupta Maurya was the son of a Nanda prince and a dasi called Mura. It’s also possible that Chandragupta was of the Maurya tribe of Kshatriyas. Much of what’s known about his youth is gathered from later classical literature, yet classical Greek and Latin sources discuss Chandragupta by the names ‘Sandracottos’ or ‘Andracottus’. Chandragupta Maurya was born into this changing ancient land, near Pataliputra, where, in the sixth century BCE, Magadha rulers had raised armies to overcome widely and build the first large state in the region. From the obscure Moriya clan, Chandragupta may have owned some land around Magadha before he led Magadha armies to overcome janapadas as far west as Punjab and Sind. In doing so, he had crossed a cultural divide. Agro-pastoral warrior lineages controlling various janapadas had diverse cultural identities, but later Vedic sources indicate that some had embraced Aryan culture as far east as Prayaga (Allahabad). Magadha lay further east on the outer fringe of Aryan culture, and it was here in the east that Buddha Gautama had composed a spiritual and ethical path that diverged from Aryan Brahmanism. Having conquered local competitors, the armies of Magadha expanded west. Victorious commanders subordinated janapadas under an imperial authority whose main work was to keep up its capability. This rudimentary imperial scaffolding provided a framework for Chandragupta’s ambition. In the far west, Magadha troops faced Achaemenid Greek armies marching across Persia. As Greek soldiers marched east and Magadha troops marched west, they both knew they were following old routes of long-distance travel, but they didn’t know that they were creating a brand new world of politics that would stretch from Greece to Assam. Routes from Europe to the Orient and from Magadha to Persia met in Punjab; thus the Indus became the symbolic western border of a vicinity that Greeks called ‘India’. The original division of Asia and Europe, East and West, Orient and Occident derived from military competition over routes and resources flowing across ancient Eurasia. Ancient empires thus invented cultural boundaries that we still accept today; how these territorial identities declined to the current is a long story that we are going to follow in the coming chapters. Chandragupta won wars for Magadha in Sind and should have fought Alexander the Nice in Punjab before Alexander’s army mutinied to force a Greek retreat down the Indus in 327 BCE. Alexander then sailed to Mesopotamia and died in Babylon at age thirty-four. After Alexander died in 323 BCE, Chandragupta, turned his attention to Northwestern India (modern Pakistan), where he defeated the satrapies (described as “prefects” in classical Western sources) left in situ by Alexander. Chandragupta marched east, conquered his overlords, and became South Asia’s first emperor. He launched his Maurya imperial dynasty by building on Magadha victories to include janapadas during a structure of military command that eventually deployed nine thousand elephants, thirty thousand cavalry, eight thousand chariots, and several other hundred thousand soldiers on its many battlefields. Supporting its war machine with taxes, troops, provisions, commanders, and victories preoccupied the Maurya state, which sustained a political candidate elite that was the first of its kind. Elite intellectuals became the brains of the empire. One legendary figure was Kautilya, referred to as the author of the Arthasastra, a manual of statecraft and administration. This text wasn’t completed until the Gupta age, 600 years later, and thus it constitutes one of many links between the 2 classical empires of the Ganga basin. The Mauryan Empire, which Chandragupta founded, owes its name to the house of the Mauryas, under whose rule the Indian subcontinent saw, for the first time in history, a substantial degree of political unity. The empire lasted until 187 BC. The Mauryan Empire was very strong and independent because it had some quiet political unity. Everything starts in the Mauryan capital. The Mauryan capital was Pataliputra (present-day Patna), the chief city of the old kingdom of Magadha. The economy, altogether its important aspects, was controlled by the state, and mines, forests, large farms, munitions, and spinning industries were state-owned and managed. The people were divided into seven endogamous groups– philosophers, peasants, herdsmen, traders, soldiers, organizations, and councillors. the military was composed of the four traditional Indian divisions: forces mounted on elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry, and cared-for large (Chandragupta’s forces reputedly numbered 600,000 men). The religious life of the empire may best be characterized as pluralistic. The overall religious policy of the Mauryas was to encourage tolerance. At present time the Maurya Empire is remembered collectively as the golden age of Indian history, a time when the country was united and independent. Chandragupta Maurya renounced his throne to his son, Bindusara, who became the new Mauryan Emperor. Chandragupta then became an ascetic under the Jain saint Bhadrabahu Swami, migrating south with him and ending his days in self-starvation at Shravanabelagola, in present-day Karnataka. چندر گپتا موریہ چندرگپت موریہ خاندان کا بانی تھا جس نے قدیم ہندوستان پر تقریباً 140 سال حکومت کی۔ اس کی فوجوں نے ایک کے بعد ایک شمالی ہندوستان کی سلطنت کو فتح کیا اور ان زمینوں کا دعویٰ کیا جو مغرب میں افغانستان تک پھیلی ہوئی تھیں۔ اس طرح چندرگپت نے تاریخ میں پہلی بار شمالی ہندوستان کو ایک حکمران کے تحت متحد

BIOGRAPHY

September 30, 2022

Alexander

Alexander Alexander III the Great, the King of Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian empire is taken into account as one of the best military geniuses of all times. He was a thought for later conquerors like Hannibal the Carthaginian, the Romans Pompey and Caesar, and Napoleon. Alexander was born in 356 BC in Pella, the traditional capital of Macedonia. He was the son of Philip II, King of Macedonia, and Olympias, the princess of neighbouring Epirus. He spent his childhood watching his father transforming Macedonia into a good military power, winning victory after victory on the battlefields throughout the Balkans. When he was 13, Philip hired the Greek philosopher Aristotle to be Alexander’s tutor. During the next three years, Aristotle gave Alexander training in rhetoric and literature and stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy, all of which became of importance in Alexander’s later life. In 340, when Philip assembled a large Macedonian army and invaded Thrace, he left his 16-year-old son with the ability to rule Macedonia in his absence as regent, which shows that even at such a young age Alexander was recognized as quite capable. But because the Macedonian army advanced deep into Thrace, the Thracian tribe of Maedi bordering north-eastern Macedonia rebelled and posed a danger to the country. Alexander assembled a military, led it against the rebels, and with swift action defeated the Maedi, captured their stronghold, and renamed it after himself Alexandroupolis. Two years later in 338 BC, Philip gave his son a commanding post among the senior generals because the Macedonian army invaded Greece. At the Battle of Chaeronea, the Greeks were defeated and Alexander displayed his bravery by destroying the elite Greek force, the Theban Secret Band. Some ancient historians recorded that the Macedonians won the battle because of his bravery. But not too long after the defeat of the Greeks at Chaeronea, the royal house split apart when Philip married Cleopatra, a Macedonian girl of high nobility. At the marriage banquet, Cleopatra’s uncle, General Attalus, remarked Philip fathering a ‘legitimate’ heir, i.e., one that was of pure Macedonian blood. Alexander threw his cup at the person, blasting him for calling him ‘bastard child. Philip stood up, drew his sword, and charged at Alexander, only to trip and fall on his face in his drunken stupor at which Alexander shouted: “Here is that the man who was preparing to cross from Europe to Asia, and who cannot even cross from one table to a different without losing his balance.” Alexander earned the epithet “the Great” because of his unparalleled success as a military commander. He never lost a battle, despite typically being outnumbered. This was thanks to the utilization of terrain, phalanx and cavalry tactics, bold strategy, and therefore the fierce loyalty of his troops. The Macedonian phalanx, armed with the sarissa, a spear 6 meters (20 ft) long, had been developed and perfected by Philip II through rigorous training, and Alexander used its speed and manoeuvrability to great effect against larger but more disparate Persian forces. Alexander also recognized the potential for disunity among his diverse army, which employed various languages and weapons. He overcame this by being personally involved in the battle, in the manner of a Macedonian king. In his first battle in Asia, at Granicus, Alexander used only a small part of his forces, perhaps 13,000 infantry with 5,000 cavalries, against a way larger Persian force of 40,000. Alexander placed the phalanx in the middle and cavalry and archers on the wings so that his line matched the length of the Persian cavalry line, about 3 km (1.86 mi). Against this, the Persian infantry was stationed behind its cavalry. This ensured that Alexander wouldn’t be outflanked, while his phalanx, armed with long pikes, had a considerable advantage over the Persian’s scimitars and javelins. Macedonian losses were negligible compared to those of the Persians. At Issus in 333 BC, his first confrontation with Darius, he used the identical deployment, and again the central phalanx pushed through. Alexander personally led the charge within the centre, routing the opposing army. At the decisive encounter with Darius at Gaugamela, Darius equipped his chariots with scythes on the wheels to interrupt the phalanx and equipped his cavalry with pikes. Alexander arranged a double phalanx, with the centre advancing at an angle, parting when the chariots bore down so reforming. The advance was successful and broke Darius’ centre, causing the latter to escape yet again. Several of Alexander’s strongest personality traits formed in response to his parents. His mother had huge ambitions and encouraged him to believe it had been his destiny to conquer the Persian Empire. Olympias’ influence instilled a way of destiny in him, and Plutarch tells us that his ambition “kept his spirit serious and lofty in advance of his years”. However, his father Philip was Alexander’s most immediate and influential role model, because the young Alexander watched him campaign practically every year, winning victory after victory while ignoring severe wounds. Alexander’s relationship with his father forged the competitive side of his personality; he had a desire to outdo his father, illustrated by his reckless behaviour in battle. While Alexander worried that his father would depart him with “no great or brilliant achievement to be shown the world”, he also downplayed his father’s achievements to his companions. Alexander was erudite and patronized both arts and sciences. However, he had little interest in sports or the Olympic games(unlike his father), seeking only the Homeric ideals of honour (timê) and glory (kudos). He had great charisma and force of personality, characteristics which made him an excellent leader. His unique abilities were further demonstrated by the inability of any of his generals to unite Macedonia and retain the Empire after his death – only Alexander could do so. During his final years, and particularly after the death of Hephaestion, Alexander began to exhibit signs of megalomania and paranoia. His extraordinary achievements, let alone his ineffable sense of destiny and also the

BIOGRAPHY

January 29, 2022

What Is Included in a Biography? Key Elements

What Is Included in a Biography? Key Elements There are certain situations in life where you will be asked to put in writing about people — either about yourself or somebody else — and knowing what information to incorporate in a biography is a helpful opening. Sometimes a personality’s life is so stuffed with rich details and interesting facts that it’s difficult to understand what to incorporate and what to depart from; but, there are some guidelines to follow which will facilitate your determining what to incorporate in a biography. Parts of a Biography: Key Elements to IncorporateThe first step in writing a biography is to decide on what to incorporate. The length and content of biographies can vary significantly, but there are some common elements in altogether types. Consider including these elements about the topic of the biography. Start With Basic Facts About the Person Consider the length of the biography – this can help determine what proportion, or how little, the information you ought to include, and the way in-depth that information should be. a straightforward paragraph will contain some general, basic facts such as: Date and place of birth (and death, if applicable) Current location of residence Educational background Professional experience Area of experience Major achievements These elements don’t all must be included in every bio. Consider what makes the foremost sense in light of the story of the person the bio is about and therefore the purpose that the bio is being created. Use that information to see what parts of the biography have to be included. Expand to incorporate In-Depth Information What is included during a biography will become more complex because the biography gets longer: the more words you’ve got to use, the more facts you’ll be able to consider for inclusion. A biography that’s several pages long will move into more detail about the person’s history; a book will further discuss what events throughout life made them who they were, and what’s significant about them. A few key components you will want to incorporate during a longer biography are: Birth and childhood –Providing details about the time and place someone was raised will give your readers historical context. As an example, when writing a few 1960s civil rights activists, share information about what variety of situations the person grew up in. Adult life –The bulk of your biography is maybe visiting target the subject’s adult life when significant events began to unfold. specialize in notable events, like the beginning of a relationship, a dramatic life change, or another major turning point. Death –If the topic of your story is deceased, you will likely want to hide the events that unfolded before their passing. What legacy did they leave behind? Interesting facts or anecdotes – Share interesting stories about the individual’s history, selecting things that will be engaging to readers or particularly relevant to the aim that the biography is being written Quotes about the person –If the person has been the topic of articles, books, or news stories, consider working on very few quotes illustrating what others have said about the individual. Photograph of the person –If the bio is distributed via print, published online, or highlighted during a PowerPoint before a presentation, include a photograph of the person. As you write more involved biographies, you will find yourself faced with questions on what to incorporate and the way to speak about it. Just keep in mind why this person is interesting to you, and who may be interested enough to read the biography. Then write the biography that supports the facts that may be most vital to your audience which tells the foremost about your subject. Consider Your Audience The key to writing a good biography is admittedly found within this idea: choose facts that are both relevant and interesting to your audience. To try and do this, you ought to consider why the biography is required and who is going to be reading it, then concentrate on those areas of the person’s life that the audience will likely want to understand. Bio to Introduce a Brand New Employee If you’re writing a brief biography that may be sent in a company-wide email to introduce a brand-new employee, keep in mind the occasion and audience. This kind of bio should specialize in the person’s work history and skill, with perhaps some personal facts that may help co-workers get to grasp the new team member. This kind of bio wouldn’t contain details about the person’s parents or anything too personal. Such information isn’t appropriate for matters or the target market. On the other hand, that information could be highly relevant if you’re writing a biography that may be employed in a psychological study. Writing for an Unknown Audience Of course, you will not always know who your target market is — if you’re writing a book, for instance, you cannot always tell who will read it. In these cases, it’s safe to assume that those who will read the biography have an interest in the person, and that is why they’re reading. In such a situation, an honest approach is to focus totally on what makes this person special and target your research accordingly. A biography about someone who achieved an excellent scientific discovery may specialize in the person’s education and early experiments that led to the discovery. It may also discuss how the invention impacted the person’s life, the lives of others, or the individual’s profession or field of study. These are the items that individuals reading about the topic are probably curious about learning. Choose Your Focus Knowing how you need to divide the story and what points you want to debate will facilitate your determining what information is most vital. as an example, if the main target of your biography is someone’s service during a war, then you would not have to spend lots of your time on their early career as a salesman unless that had sway on their actions during the war. Consider samples of bios with different focuses. Sample Biography for a Student Student bios should include current information and future goals. Use a 3rd person point of view (POV) for this kind of bio.

BIOGRAPHY

September 05, 2021

Elizabeth Blackwell: The ‘first female doctor’ in history whose men voted unanimously against her admission to medical college

Elizabeth Blackwell: The ‘first female doctor’ in history whose men voted unanimously against her admission to medical college Elizabeth had eight other siblings and they were a combination of the nine Blackwell family’s eyes and contradictions – you may be familiar with the name of Elizabeth Blackwell, commonly referred to as the ‘First Lady Doctor’. Born in Bristol in the early 19th century, Elizabeth was the first woman to receive a formal medical degree from the United States. You may have had a picture book about them as a child that is about inspiring girls Or you may have heard of them. His father, Samuel, was a dissenter, a non-conformist who disagreed with the Church of England. He was second to none in contradictions. He also had his sugar refinery and was against slavery. That is, on the one hand, he was making a profit from the labour of slaves and on the other hand, he hated keeping slaves. He also provided his five daughters with the same educational opportunities as he did for his four sons. I moved with my children from Bristol to New York. He hoped to replace Caribbean sugarcane with sugarcane grown in the north. But then he died, and by the time he left the world, he was completely paralyzed. Her last lesson was that having a husband is not a guarantee of security. And perhaps that is why none of her daughters have ever married. Who was Elizabeth Blackwell? Elizabeth received her medical degree in 1849. Five years later, his sister, Emily, also received the degree. Blackwell was an enlightened and socially diverse woman with a strong sense of accomplishment. We were the ones who declared that humanity cannot achieve enlightenment unless women prove that they can do whatever they want and that success is not achieved through sexual ability. Elizabeth wanted to be a person whose life was in line with Fuller’s idea. She did not choose medical education because she loved science or because she loved others. She was relieved (in fact she thought the disease was a sign of weakness) but it was a rare way for her to prove her point. If he succeeds in passing all the required exams, who can argue that he is not a doctor? After several rejections, Blackwell managed to enrol in Geneva Medical College, a small rural area in western New York State. His admission to the college was also a problem. The faculty opposed the idea of including a woman among the students and considered it ridiculous and voted unanimously against it. Due to the confiscation, he gained unwavering respect from his classmates. People outside the college started thinking that he was either very clever or insane. What woman would want to read about the body while living with men? Aware of the loneliness of his professional career, Blackwell later attracted his five-year-old sister, Emily, to medicine. Elizabeth Blackwell: A Female Physician In a sketch made in 1847, Blackwell read a mischievous note from a fellow student. Medical school students did not know much about the actual patients, and the graduating class did not know much about them. There was an element of ignorance – Blackwell left for Europe in April 1849, three months after graduation, to receive practical medical training in Paris. There she studied at a government maternity hospital, where she lost an eye to an infection. She then moved to London, where she worked at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. Befriended young Florence Nightingale, who later made a name for herself. When he returned to New York in 1851, he felt that the phrase ‘family physician’ had kept him away from patients. The impression at the time was that a female physician was simply an abortionist who performed secretly illegal activities. But it did not turn out as they had hoped for. But Emily soon joined him with her medical degree, and then in 1857, the two sisters joined together in New York’s Infirmary for Indigenous Women and Children. Poor women were less concerned about their doctor’s gender, and the infirmary began to accommodate female medical graduates who were slowly growing in number and who wanted to end their training – the first hospital to have a full staff, Consisting of women. Shortly after the American Civil War in 1861, the Blackwell Sisters convened a meeting of their donors and supporters and appealed to the women of New York. In response, thousands of women attended the first organizational meeting of the Women’s Central Association of Relief, which later became the United States Sanitary Commission, the largest civic organization since the war. Selected nurses and supervised their training. But when it finally became clear that the male doctors were not acknowledging their involvement on equal terms, she gave up the effort. The inauguration of the Women’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary took place. She was the first woman to be included in the British Medical Register. Encouraged by prominent female doctors, including Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sofia Jacques Blake, she began campaigning against the practice’s public health advocacy and infectious diseases law, forcing prostitutes to go to hospitals. I was admitted. She became the founder of the National Health Society, whose slogan was ‘Diet is better than cure.’ She believed that a female doctor should be like a science teacher. He spent the last decades of his life in a beach cottage in Hastings with his adopted daughter, Kitty. Why is Elizabeth famous? She was not a very interesting person, and most people would not have been happy to meet her. Complicated. Elizabeth Blackwell disliked the emerging women’s rights movement. She believed that women’s right to vote was foolish unless they handed over their ideological freedom to men. She disagreed with Florence Nightingale’s view that the real role of women in health was that of nurses, and she did not agree with her sister Emily about the proper role of female doctors. Elizabeth viewed her mission more in terms of