Historian Harold James Ruthven Murray pinned down the closest origin of modern chess from an ancient board game played in India during the 6th century. However, other historians believe that chess originated from another game played in ancient Persia around the 7th century. It is also important to note that some scholars consider ancient China […]
Category Archives: Society
Wahhabism: Principles and Criticisms
Religious leader and theologian Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab from the eighteenth century started a movement in the region of Najd intended to reform Sunni Islam, particularly to denounce practices concerning the veneration of saints and the visiting of their tombs and shrines, as well as the unhindered interpretation of Islamic teachings. To propagate his teachings […]
In Brief: Difference Between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam
Sunni Islam and Shia Islam are the two major branches of Islam or, in other words, two of the main sectarian divisions. The general difference between the two stems from the recognized true successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni Islam vs. Shia Islam: Understanding the Difference Between the Two At the core of Sunni Islam […]
Explainer: The Abdication of King Edward VIII
Prince Edward effectively became King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and the Emperor of India when his father, King George V, died on 20 January 1936. However, his reign lasted only 11 months when he abdicated the throne on 11 December 1936, thus leading to the ascension […]
Role of King George VI During World War 2
King George VI became the King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth on 11 December 1936 after the abdication of his older brother, King Edward VIII, who later became the Duke of Windsor. Although his ascension to the throne came as a surprise, he became the symbol of British determination […]
The Role of Queen Elizabeth II in World War 2
The United Kingdom and the self-governing Dominions other than Ireland entered the Second World War in September 1939 when they declared war on Nazi Germany. Reigning monarch King George VI and his family resolved to stay in London despite bombing raids from the German forces and against the advice of British government officials. Lord Hailsham […]
Water Cremation 101: Pros and Cons of Alkaline Hydrolysis
Body disposal through alkaline hydrolysis involves placing the intact dead body in a pressurized vessel that is then filled with a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide. It is then heated to a temperature of around 160 degrees Celsius while under an elevated pressure to prevent boiling. The entire process effectively breaks down the body […]
Advantages and Disadvantages of Cremation
Cremation has become an alternative to the burial of an intact body because of pressing concerns over limited land availability and the increasing price of burial land. It is specifically a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning or combustion. During the cremation process, the body is subjected to a temperature of […]
Difference Between the Holy See and Vatican City
The Holy See and Vatican City are often intermixed. Numerous people would refer to the Vatican City as the See of Rome. Of course, this is inevitable. The independent city-state is home to the Holy See and, thus, remains at the center of Roman Catholicism. In addition, the confusion is made worse by the fact […]
The Fixation of Belief: The Four Methods
Charles Sanders Pierce, an American philosopher and scientist who has been labeled as the father of pragmatism, wrote an essay called “The Fixation of Belief” in 1877 as part of his series of discussions about the logic of science. It examined how people acquire and hold on to beliefs or their principles, opinions, viewpoints, dogmas, […]
