Monday, January 27, 2020

Empirical Analysis On The 7ps Of Pizza Hut Marketing Essay

Empirical Analysis On The 7ps Of Pizza Hut Marketing Essay Abstract and aim By using personal survey questionnaire, 150-200 students of City University of Hong Kong will be asked, in order to find out the competitive advantage of Pizza hut and compare with Spaghetti House for places to buy food in names and addresses from Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories. Addresses were area code to census tracts. Based on individual factors are traditional explanations for the inability of some people to change dietary habits. This study examines the food service by Pizza Hut and its competitive advantages over Spaghetti House Aim This work aims to find out the successful factor of other competitors and to provide suggestions and evidences in order to increase the sales and profits of Pizza Hut by improve Pizza Huts services and its competitive advantages. Background / outline Hong Kong is an international city. There are seven million residents and lots of tourists would love to shop in Hong Kong thus there are different social cultures exist including diet habit. Foreign food is playing an important role in Hong Kong to suit customers different needs. There are a lot of western restaurant in Hong Kong such as, Spaghetti House, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut etc. Lots of people especially teenagers like Pizza Hut very much, they love to eat western foods, so Pizza Hut attracts a bulk amount of regular customer for a long period. Pizza Hut is an American famous restaurant chain, offering different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread, Pizza Hut is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., the worlds largest restaurant company, with approximately 34,000 restaurants, delivery-carry out units, kiosks in 100 countries. Pizza Hut has been serving Hong Kong for almost 30 years. The first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Hong Kong in 1981 with its first delivery service began in 1992, while the business of Pizza Hut is still increasing every year. Since 1987, Hong Kong Pizza Hut franchise has owned by the Jardine Matheson Group. At present, Hong Kong Pizza Hut has a total of over 70 branches and more than 3000 employees. The main competitor of Pizza Hut is Spaghetti House. Spaghetti House is also a famous western restaurant in Hong Kong. The menu of Spaghetti House is similar to Pizza Hut; its target market is a little different from Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut vs Spaghetti House  ¼Ã… ½Which one is more famous?  ¼Ã… ½Which one do customers prefer?  ¼Ã… ½Which products are more competitive? We hope to find the answer during this project. In this project, well analyze the 7Ps of market strategies of Pizza Hut and take the personal survey in order to find out the competitive advantage of Pizza Hut and the comparison with Spaghetti House in Hong Kong. More, we can also know that which one is better and more famous. Secondly, we focus on physical evidences from customers opinions to improve the environments of both restaurants. Finally, we refer to the result gained from questionnaires to make the recommendations and suggest new marketing strategies to Pizza Hut for the improvement. Objective and research questions Study the demographics of target customers Determine which attributes of pizza are the most important to the customers Determine the preference of product package by the customers Determine the acceptance of new products by our target customers Identify the purchase behavior of the customers Identify which promotion channels are the most effective Measure the satisfactory level of customers towards Pizza Hut Critical Literature Review Western fast food chains development and impact in Asia Majority scholar to believe food is more affected by culture to restrict in consumption product. As far as relatively other products concerned, that is more difficult to change the customers behavior such as U.S breakfasts manufacturer Kelloggs to spend 20 years time in Japan, ability success to entry use as major rice and kelp soup make breakfast of consumption market. Some country and district such as Japan and Hong Kongs children as regards coke, pizza and spaghetti etc foreign countrys food never again, but that local food is accompany children to grow and combine in local culture. From the above, Pizza Hut can identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans. Therefore, research and development professionals stay on HK of competitor initiatives and explore demand for fast food products. Advertising agencies working with clients in the food industries understand the product buyer to develop messages and images that compel consumers to purchase Italian food products. Business development executives understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships. Finally, information and research center librarians provide market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with the vital information they need to do their jobs more effectively. A 360 ° View of Fast Food and Impulse Habits Here has huge market growth potential for manufacturers and retailers to development in fast food chains and fast food services. According to the ACNielsen survey result, citizens average monthly purchase frequency in fast food, impulse food and drinks is around 20. Monthly Purchase Frequency for Impulse Food and Drinks in Hong Kong In addition, in a global consumer survey conducted over the Internet by ACNielsen in October 2004, 30 percent of Asia Pacific consumers claimed to eat takeaway at least once a week, closely behind the US (33%). As the result, eight of global top tens fast food consumption market from Asia Pacific, and Hong Kong ranks is the worlds No.1, have a fast food than traditional 26% higher than the United States , hard upon is Malaysia (59%) and the Philippines is 54%, 12% said never again to eat fast food, have 35% eat fast food even more. ACNielsens data also showed that although in the United States have 97% of adults do not mind eat fast food, but this data has also been Asia exceeded. From this result, fast food culture can popular in Hong Kong is about the Hong Kong peoples to demand fast and convenient lifestyle. Many people require swift and convenient, hurried cadence of life may not have time to cook at home, it affects our lifestyle, make to popularity of fast food culture in Hong Kong. As the same time because of the convenient location, the price is cheaper. In additional, because may about Hong Kong peoples personality, most are not satisfied to spend too much time on waiting. However, teenagers usually to eating fast food more during the noon or after school. While an adults to eat breakfast is out of home that provides an opportunity for suppliers and retailers. So, fast food culture is the most sales in Hong Kong. Top 10 Global Markets for Weekly Fast Food Consumption Hong Kong 61% Malaysia 59% Philippines 54% Singapore 50% Thailand 44% China 41% India 37% US 35% Australia 30% New Zealand 29% Source: ACNielsen Online Survey, October 2004 Modeling repurchases frequency and customer satisfaction for fast food outlets In this competition environment of Hong Kong, leading the company is necessary customer that requires spending many resources to enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction with the company. Therefore, the company need understanding what factor is affect customers behavior and satisfaction, and then try to improve the customer services quality in the fast food industry, thus help make more loyalty customers. Improving service quality has become one of the most important strategies a service provider can use to differentiate itself from its competitors and thus position itself more effectively in the marketplace (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). Rust and Oliver (1994) suggested that quality is one dimension on which satisfaction is based. Although many studies provide a theoretical basis for studying the relationship between waiting time, consumer satisfaction and return frequency, they have failed to investigate the relationship between waiting time and the return frequency. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of waiting time and other service quality factors on customer satisfaction and return frequency in the fast food industry. As waiting time appears to be a vital factor of the services in fast food operations, therefore, fast food industry is chosen for our research purpose. Based on a survey of fast food outlets, we formulate a repurchase frequency model and a satisfaction model. The repurchase frequency model describes the relationship between the number of return visits and service quality factors including waiting time. The overall satisfaction model describes the relationship between the customers overall satisfaction level, the waiting time and other service quality factors. These models will help managers to identify root causes for customer satisfaction and loyalty and thus enable them to make focused improvements in critical areas to improve profitability. Hong Kong fast food culture Hong Kong is a delicacies paradise, and also is a fast food paradise, various Chinese and Western fast food restaurant at Hong Kong everywhere, lunch take-out to office are also has good idea or business. Hong Kong fast cadence of life, high working performance, many things have to stress efficiency and effectiveness of demand. It is because fast food more emphasize fast, therefore many foods have prepared cooked and heating for consumers. So, fast food culture offers fast and convenient especially popular for peoples. Nowadays, the purposes to co-operate for healthy fashion, fast food already changed into emphasize foods quality and sustenance, many foods have consumer to pay or order then start cook. Therefore, foods will more fresh and higher quality than prepared cooked. At the other hard, fast food chain to be particular about decoration than before, show the high class and city lifestyle; Detrude of fast-food restaurants in recent years, hot pot, iron meals and other food types, making customers to stay longer in the fast-food restaurants, but also because of the fast-food restaurants to make food choices many more customers are willing to patronize fast food restaurants. A financial tsunami to assist development fast food industry Although global financial tsunami cause economic recession, but fast food always is catering trades exotic flowers, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) these fast food chains have grow a business volume in this period. Cafà © De Coral, Pizza Hut etc. also want to development this period. Due to economic crisis affected unemployment and so on reason, thus affected consumers confidence. However, relatives enhance of fast foods attraction, increasing peoples in order to save times or money abandoned traditional restaurant meals, and tend to choice fast food. Therefore, fast food chain has obtained more market. Form the above; Pizza Hut should continue its diversification strategy to gain more market share. It should incorporate or develop healthier food include low-carbohydrate pizzas to satisfy the needs of different customer. If it is able to stay ahead of the competition in this aspect, they will have a strong competitive advantage over other companies. Service quality in the fast food industry Service quality has become a predominant part of all advanced organizations strategic plans. Increasing attention paid to service quality has resulted in more progress and profit for organizations. At an international marketing level, in a struggle for a share of market, managers have to understand and know how to modify their operations for success in the various cultures of Hong Kong. From the above reason, can organization provide good service; staffs quality and skills have important influence. Therefore, enhance staff with the training and improve the quality of services, Including improves the quality of staff and customer service and provide effective services such as staff is advised to review the guests a la carte in order to reduce opportunities for error, the menu and dishes can be coded to facilitate data input, restaurant customers should be informed in advance of waiting or cooking time and adoption a recognized service standards and guidelines etc. These can be satisfying consumers needs and attraction their have to patronize. Research methods/ Methodologies Category Options The degree to which the research question has been crystallized 1. Exploratory study 2. Formal study The method of data collection Monitoring Communication Study The power of the researcher to produce effects in the variables under study Experimental Ex post facto The purpose of the study Reporting Descriptive Causal-Explanatory The time dimension Cross-sectional Longitudinal The topical scope Breadth and depth of the study Case Statistical study The research environment Field setting Simulation The participants perceptional awareness of the research activity Actual routine The main purpose of our study is needed to find out the comparison of Pizza Hut and Spaghetti house. We need to collect the primary data and secondary data to analysis Pizza Huts 7Ps mainly. (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical environment) First, we collect the secondary data from internet to know backgrounds, histories, objective, and the annual reports of Pizza Hut and Spaghetti House etc. Then, we collect other useful information on the internet. Afterwards, we go to libraries to find books such as population information and literature. After that, we use Self- Administered Surveys (Intercept and computer) and Personal Interview (Questionnaire) to collect the primary data. Indeed that information is related to our objective. To collect primary data, we will design a set of questionnaire about 7Ps. The method is taken by samples in Hong Kong (different regions in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territory). The proportion will be 60:80:60, a half of male and female. It can be avoided unfair saturation. The sample size will be 200 that it can be reduced bias. The age distribution limits are 10 to 40. Our survey method is face-to-face interview, after the interview well give them a gift. (Such as coupon) We can understand Pizza Huts competitive advantage through information and make the recommendations on new market strategies for Pizza Hut for further improvement. However, we have limited information in secondary data. In conclude, our information mainly come from primary data. Secondary data is collected from other peoples or organizations, general major secondary datas sources are internet and daily, moreover including survey, census and companys records. However, the primary data is reversing the secondary data, its major used in survey research works. Secondary datas advantages is save more collect datas time, because many background work may carried out or complete, such as some reviews and case studies was carried out, statistics and published book may used to media promotion. And about the secondary datas disadvantages, because the data sources not every is trusty, even authorities data may undependable. Secondary data can be obtained from two different research strands Quantitative and Qualitative. Quantitative included housing, social security, census and other related databases. Qualitative included focus groups transcripts, observation records, structured interviews, semi-structured, research-related documents and other personal. Any required respondent to complete the questionnaire by oneself is referred to as a self-administered survey. The most survey method is via use internet, fax, newspaper and e-mail, or via restaurant and shops feedback form. According to this self-administered survey is require some inaccurately questionnaire considerations, because have some respondent may cause sensitive question or other special reason thus to indiscriminate answer the questions. Self-administered surveys advantage is using anonymous form to answer the questionnaire, thus make the questionnaires answer have more effective and true. At the other hard, can make respondent more convenient to answer, and can eliminate the bias, the cost is more than telephone and personal interview cheaper. However, the most of self-administered survey also not actual to control who to answer questionnaire, the respondent may read other part of respondents answer, thus affect their feedback. A personal interview is one of direct research method that allows face to face conversation between an interviewer and the respondent at home, in shopping centers or everywhere. The use of personal interviews provides interviewers with opinions, and the process of interaction via understanding. Personal interviews allow analyses of thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and opinions that have a high level of content validity (Babbie, 2006). Personal interviews are an appropriate qualitative data collection methodology in a variety of settings including exploration of issues in sensitive areas such as internal agency evaluations or internal agency satisfaction studies. Personal interviews allow participants to share qualitative information in a manner that allows freer expression of ideas and opinions. Advantages of personal interviews: 1. Qualitative data obtained from small sample. 2. Rapport leads to fewer refusals. 3. In-depth answers possible. 4. Observation improves accuracy. Disadvantage of personal interviews: 1. Invasion of privacy. 2. Interviewer bias. 3. Cost: Professional Interviewer expensive. 4. People not at home. 5. Can be slow and time consuming. 6. Postal surveys: Distributing or mailing door to door a written questionnaire to a sample of buyers for their completion at home or at work. Project Plan/Gantt Chart

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Essay --

Introduction This report will introduce a five star hotel of ‘ice world’ that is located in Zermatt, Switzerland. In addition, this essay will also introduce a business plan of the ‘ice world’ that includes business background, business goals, website goals and competitor websites. The main point of this report is to analyse the environment of target audiences and website competitors to find the website target market. Also research needs to be undertaken to find what kind of service suits customers of website tasks and to make a decision of how to design the website page templates, making page contents and tools. Moreover, the analysis process intends to increase marketing techniques and market share. Business Background Zermatt has 29 mountains around the little town, which has the best ice resort in the world and where local people can ski all year around. ‘Ice world’ is built in the middle of the Alps Mountain range and has 70 rooms that include 30 deluxe rooms and 15 presidential suites. There are also luxurious entertainment facilities in the ice hotel, such as an ice bar, massage service and spa, so that customers can enjoy their relaxation time. In addition, the restaurant also has a variety of food from around the world that can make customers feel at home. The hotel has 90 professional staff and provides the best industry standard of service to customers in this particular ice hotel. Business Goals The most important business goals are to increase market share and develop the benefit of the hotel, such as using the power of internet and social media to increase hotel popularity and build strong brands of the hotel. Although, respect of customer’s cultures is a vital part of hotel atmosphere, especially for internationa... ...tion from Internet. Use internet to reserve a room is very common to see, (Musante, Bojanic & Zhang, 2009) and it’s a good chance for hotel to advertising and increase market share. Our website has include some popular social media links that could help hotels to increase reputation and customers also can visit our websites in a very convenience way. Conclusion This report has shown that business goals, the objectives of a hotel’s website that with the two main competitors, comparative analysis of what’s do customers need and want. In addition, this report also displayed the features details of a hotel, and how it’s shown on the hotel's website. In conclusion, it’s introduced the some ways of treat people to view our hotel’s website, and how to increase people's interest. Moreover, these programs could help the hotel to achieve their goals, objectives and target.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Expansion of Islam during the Medieval Period Essay

The development of Islam in world history has resulted in major political, economic, and military ramifications, not only in the Islamic world, but also in the global community at that period. Only decades following the first recitations of the Qur’an by Prophet Muhammad, a vast empire of the Islam religion can be traced from the Atlantic Ocean going all the way to Central Asia in the east. Islam has expanded greatly indeed during the Medieval Era. This new global order has massive implications, and resulted into various wars, and states and governments fought with each other and outside forces. Despite counter-revolutions in the spread of the religion, Islam continued to gain ground in the vast regions of Africa, the India, and Southeast Asia. The Islamic civilization was indeed one of the most highly developed in the world during the Medieval Era, which was later on exceeded by the Europe empires with the economic and military growth of the West. The advancement of Islam during the Medieval period was great and notable, as the religion that is fairly young grew to be one of the most dominant world religions even today, with an estimated more than 1 billion follower, second only in size to Christianity. The preceding paragraphs shall be the historical account of this rise of the Islam religion. Islam religion: Brief Overview The Islamic tradition finds its origins from the teachings of their prophet Muhammad during the 7th Century. Consisting of more than a billion followers all over the world, Islam can be said to be the 2nd biggest of all the world religions. The most holy text of Islam is the Quran, which is believed to have been given to Muhammad by God, or Allah. This religion also recognizes Moses and Jesus as prophets, and regard their teachings as important, which would account for certain parallelisms with world religions such as Christianity. The Islamic life is basically guided by the Five Pillars, which prescribes certain aspects of life and forms their culture and traditions. Believing in a single God whom Muslims would call Allah, most of the Quranic teachings are even used as laws of states that have Islam as the state religion. Like Christianity, the teachings of Jesus are one viewed with high regard; but for Islam, Jesus is a prophet rather than God, hence they reject the Trinity concept. Muslims follow certain codes of conduct, like the daily requirement of praying for a number of times a day and a strict diet, like the refusal to ingest pork. The church of Islam is called the Mosque, wherein like all other religions, certain rituals are being conducted. The history in the medieval era: Rise of the caliphate (632–750) Before starting his move to Medina, where he migrated, Muhammad commenced his teaching of Islam at the holy city of Mecca, and achieved the goal of uniting the Arabian tribes of Arabia into a unified Arab Muslim religious polity. Following the death of Muhammad during the year of 632, there were rising conflicts in the Islamic community on who would succeed him as leader of the community. Nominated to obtain such position was Abu Bakr, who was one of the closest people and collaborator to Muhammad; his name was raised by Umar ibn al-Khattab, also Muhammad’s companion. Abu Bakr was then became the first â€Å"caliph†, as his leadership gained great support. Although his leadership walso experience some opposition who would support another person in the name of Ali ibn Abi Talib, is argued to be a designated successor. The avengement of a defeat in war by the Byzantine forces was made one of the first agenda, although the Ridda wars, or â€Å"Wars of Apostasy†, which was an Arab tribe rebellion, were the first acts of Abu Bakr. The territory of the Caliphate in 750 Umar succeeded as the caliph, when Abu Bakr passed away in the year 634, which was then followed respectively by Uthman ibn al-Affan and Ali ibn Abi Talib, and these first four leaders where dubbed as the al-khulafa’ ar-rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliphs. Under their collective leadership, the Islamic territory saw continual expansion into Persian and Byzantine empires. When Umar was assassinated in 644, the election of Uthman as successor was met with increasing opposition. In 656, Uthman was also killed, and Ali assumed the position of caliph. After fighting off opposition in the first civil war (the â€Å"First Fitna†), Ali was assassinated by Kharijites in 661. Following this, Mu’awiyah, who was governor of Levant, seized power and began the Umayyad dynasty. These disputes over religious and political leadership would give rise to schism in the Muslim community. The majority accepted the legitimacy of the three rulers prior to Ali, and became known as Sunnis. A minority disagreed, and believed that Ali was the only rightful successor; they became known as the Shi’a. After Mu’awiyah’s death in 680, conflict over succession broke out again in a civil war known as the â€Å"Second Fitna†. Afterward, the Umayyad dynasty prevailed for seventy years, and was able to conquer the Maghrib and Al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula, former Visigothic Hispania) and the Narbonnese Gaul} in the west as well as expand Muslim territory into Sindh and the fringes of Central Asia. While the Muslim-Arab elite engaged in conquest, some devout Muslims began to question the piety of indulgence in a worldly life, emphasizing rather poverty, humility and avoidance of sin based on renunciation of bodily desires. Devout Muslim ascetic exemplars such as Hasan al-Basri would inspire a movement that would evolve into Sufism. For the Umayyad aristocracy, Islam was viewed as a religion for Arabs only; the economy of the Umayyad empire was based on the assumption that a majority of non-Muslims (Dhimmis) would pay taxes to the minority of Muslim Arabs. A non-Arab who wanted to convert to Islam was supposed to first become a client of an Arab tribe. Even after conversion, these new Muslims (mawali) did not achieve social and economic equality with the Arabs. The descendants of Muhammad’s uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib rallied discontented mawali, poor Arabs, and some Shi’a against the Umayyads and overthrew them with the help of their propagandist and general Abu Muslim, inaugurating the Abbasid dynasty in 750. Under the Abbasids, Islamic civilization flourished in the â€Å"Islamic Golden Age†, with its capital at the cosmopolitan city of Baghdad. The Islamic Golden Age (750–1258) By the late 9th century, the Abbasid caliphate began to fracture as various regions gained increasing levels of autonomy. Across North Africa, Persia, and Central Asia emirates formed as provinces broke away. The monolithic Arab empire gave way to a more religiously homogenized Muslim world where the Shia Fatimids contested even the religious authority of the caliphate. By 1055 the Seljuq Turks had eliminated the Abbasids as a military power, nevertheless they continued to respect the caliph’s titular authority. During this time expansion of the Muslim world continued, by both conquest and peaceful proselytism even as both Islam and Muslim trade networks were extending into sub-Saharan West Africa, Central Asia, Volga Bulgaria and the Malay archipelago. The Golden Age saw new legal, philosophical, and religious developments. The major hadith collections were compiled and the four modern Sunni Madh’habs were established. Islamic law was advanced greatly by the efforts of the early 9th century jurist al-Shafi’i; he codified a method to establish the reliability of hadith, a topic which had been a locus of dispute among Islamic scholars. Philosophers Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Al-Farabi sought to incorporate Greek principles into Islamic theology, while others like the 11th century theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali argued against them and ultimately prevailed. Finally, Sufism and Shi’ism both underwent major changes in the 9th century. Sufism became a full-fledged movement that had moved towards mysticism and away from its ascetic roots, while Shi’ism split due to disagreements over the succession of Imams. The spread of the Islamic dominion induced hostility among medieval ecclesiastical Christian authors who saw Islam as an adversary in the light of the large numbers of new Muslim converts. This opposition resulted in polemical treatises which depicted Islam as the religion of the antichrist and of Muslims as libidinous and subhuman. In the medieval period, a few Arab philosophers like the poet Al-Ma’arri adopted a critical approach to Islam, and the Jewish philosopher Maimonides contrasted Islamic views of morality to Jewish views that he himself elaborated. Starting in the 9th century, Muslim conquests in the West began to be reversed. The Reconquista was launched against Muslim principalities in Iberia, and Muslim Italian possessions were lost to the Normans. From the 11th century onwards alliances of European Christian kingdoms mobilized to launch a series of wars known as the Crusades, bringing the Muslim world into conflict with Christendom. Initially successful in their goal of taking the Holy land, and establishing the Crusader states, Crusader gains in the Holy Land were later reversed by subsequent Muslim generals such as Saladin; who recaptured Jerusalem during the Second Crusade. In the east the Mongol Empire put an end to the Abbassid dynasty at the Battle of Baghdad in 1258, as they overran in Muslim lands in a series of invasions. Meanwhile in Egypt, the slave-soldier Mamluks took control in an uprising in 1250 and in alliance with the Golden Horde were able halt the Mongol armies at the Battle of Ain Jalut. Mongol rule extended across the breadth of almost all Muslim lands in Asia and Islam was temporarily replaced by Buddhism as the official religion of the land. Over the next century the Mongol Khanates converted to Islam and this religious and cultural absorption ushered in a new age of Mongol-Islamic synthesis that shaped the further spread of Islam in central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Ottomans and Islamic empires in India (1258–1918) The Seljuk Turks conquered Abbassid lands and adopted Islam and become the de facto rulers of the caliphate. They captured Anatolia by defeating the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, thereby precipitating the call for Crusades. They however fell apart rapidly in the second half of the 12th century giving rise to various semi-autonomous Turkic dynasties. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Ottoman empire (named after Osman I) emerged from among these â€Å"Ghazi emirates† and established itself after a string of conquests that included the Balkans, parts of Greece, and western Anatolia. In 1453 under Mehmed II the Ottomans laid siege to Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium. The Byzantine fortress succumbed shortly thereafter, having been battered by superior Ottoman cannonry. Beginning in the 13th century, Sufism underwent a transformation, largely as a result of the efforts of al-Ghazzali to legitimize and reorganize the movement. He developed the model of the Sufi order—a community of spiritual teachers and students. Also of importance to Sufism was the creation of the Masnavi, a collection of mystical poetry by the 13th century Persian poet Rumi. The Masnavi had a profound influence on the development of Sufi religious thought; to many Sufis it is second in importance only to the Qur’an. In the early 16th century, the Shi’ite Safavid dynasty assumed control in Persia and established Shi’a Islam as an official religion there, and despite periodic setbacks, the Safavids remained powerful for two centuries. Meanwhile, Mamluk Egypt fell to the Ottomans in 1517, who then launched a European campaign which reached as far as the gates of Vienna in 1529. After the invasion of Persia, and sack of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258, Delhi became the most important cultural centre of the Muslim east. Many Islamic dynasties ruled parts of the Indian subcontinent starting from the 12th century. The prominent ones include the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) and the Mughal empire (1526–1857). These empires helped in the spread of Islam in South Asia. but by the mid-18th century the British empire had ended the Mughal dynasty. In the 18th century the Wahhabi movement took hold in Saudi Arabia. Founded by the preacher Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, Wahhabism is a fundamentalist ideology that condemns practices like Sufism and the veneration of saints as un-Islamic. By the 17th and 18th centuries, despite attempts at modernization, the Ottoman empire had begun to feel threatened by European economic and military advantages. In the 19th century, the rise of nationalism resulted in Greece declaring and winning independence in 1829, with several Balkan states following suit after the Ottomans suffered defeat in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The Ottoman era came to a close at the end of World War I. Conclusion The history of the Islamic religion during the medieval era is great and dynamic indeed, as the rise into global prominence could be noted to be a magnificent and unprecedented event in world history. Truly, the historical struggle of Islam is one that has witnessed countless conflicts and eventually successes. Even today, even as the religion has not regained the glory of the Golden Ages, it remains to be one of the most dominant world religions in our global community, as billions of followers continue to adhere to the teachings of their prophet Mohammad.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Themes of Alienation and Control in James Joyces Araby...

Alienation of â€Å"Araby† Although â€Å"Araby† is a fairly short story, author James Joyce does a remarkable job of discussing some very deep issues within it. On the surface it appears to be a story of a boys trip to the market to get a gift for the girl he has a crush on. Yet deeper down it is about a lonely boy who makes a pilgrimage to an eastern-styled bazaar in hopes that it will somehow alleviate his miserable life. James Joyce’s uses the boy in â€Å"Araby† to expose a story of isolation and lack of control. These themes of alienation and control are ultimately linked because it will be seen that the source of the boys emotional distance is his lack of control over his life. The story begins as the boy describes his†¦show more content†¦But the boys must play in â€Å"dark muddy lanes,† in â€Å"dark dripping gardens,† near â€Å"dark odorous stables† and â€Å"ash pits† (Sample Essays). The boy cannot expect to have any control over the seasons or weather. Nevertheless, this bitterness contributes to his feeling of vulnerability. One of the more dehumanizing aspects of the story is that nowhere does anyone ever refer to the boy by name. He is always referred to as you or boy. This could be attributed to the fact that, on the whole, there is relatively little dialogue, and the story is rather short. However, the boy is also the narrator of the story and could have easily introduced himself. After all, in the first paragraph he introduces his setting, it would not have been unreasonable for him to have mentioned his name. It seems likely then that the boys name was omitted deliberately. By depriving the boy of a name, he is denied any sense of identity, consequently alienating him even further. The plot of the story is based around the boy attempting to go to the bazaar, Araby so that he may return with a gift that will please Mangans sister. While in some ways Mangans sister offers the boy some hope, she is also a m ajor source of the his alienation. He desperately lusts for her attention and affection. His recount of his mourning ritual: â€Å"When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped. I ran to the hall, seized my books and followed her. I kept her brownShow MoreRelatedThemes in James Joyces Araby Essay667 Words   |  3 PagesIn the story of, Araby James Joyce concentrated on three main themes that will explain the purpose of the narrative. The story unfolded on North Richmond Street, which is a street composed of two rows of houses, in a desolated neighborhood. Despite the dreary surroundings of dark muddy lanes and ash pits the boy tried to find evidence of love and beauty in his surroundings. Throughout the story, the boy went through a variety of changes that will pose as different themes of the story includingRead MoreAlienation of Araby Essay1884 Words   |  8 PagesAlienation of Araby Although Araby is a fairly short story, author James Joyce does a remarkable job of discussing some very deep issues within it. On the surface it appears to be a story of a boys trip to the market to get a gift for the girl he has a crush on. Yet deeper down it is about a lonely boy who makes a pilgrimage to an eastern-styled bazaar in hopes that it will somehow alleviate his miserable life. James Joyces uses the boy in Araby to expose a story of isolation and lackRead MoreJames Joyce and the Dead Essay897 Words   |  4 Pagesthe year of 1882 in Dublin a famous writer of the name James Joyce was born and as of the year of 1941 in Zurich, Switzerland James Joyce passed away at the age of 59. Joyce began his career by writing short stories that engraved, with extraordinary clarity, aspects of Dublin life. These stories were published a part of the Dubliners in 1914. Fifteen stories of his filled the pages within Dubliners the stories are: The Sisters, An Encounter, Araby, Eveline , After the Race, Two Gallants, The boardingRead MoreEssay on James Joyces Araby3507 Words   |  15 PagesJames Joyces Araby I doubt there are book logs that commence with a note directing a reader, specifically you, even though I get the impression from Mr. Little to whom riding between pairs of glasses suggesting that in order to gather a bounty against my beloved head I must be obliged to fathoming on how to receive topic sentences with cradling arms and craters of dimples (have to love formalities, even of those lolling head-stumps, after all, it keeps NATO all trite