Class 11 English Unit 4 History and Culture

(Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations.)

Yes, I firmly believe that both the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal were created by ruthless autocratic rulers. The Great Wall of China was built to protect the northern empire of China from enemy attacks. There are nineteen distinct walls, with the first wall being built as early as the 7th century BC.

The Great Wall of China could not possibly be built by voluntary individual effort. As a form of brutal punishment, people were forced to undertake such massive projects by autocratic rulers. Historical texts mention that people throughout the empire had to share collective responsibility with each other. If a person did not behave according to the strict state rules, others had to report them. If they did not, they were violently dismembered or beheaded. Those who made the greatest contribution to the state were highly rewarded, while those whose lives were deemed inconsequential were used as disposable slaves in Shi Huangdi’s massive construction projects such as the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canal, and the extensive street networks that grew up for simple trade and travel.

Likewise, the magnificent Taj Mahal is the direct result of the autocratic ruler of the Mughal Empire in India, Shah Jahan. It is widely believed that he built it to immortalize his beloved wife Mumtaz. However, legends say Shah Jahan had the artists’ hands cut off to prevent them from ever recreating the same type of structure. Historical facts show that the king was far more inconsiderate and dictatorial than romantic. It took 20,000 forced workers to build the Taj Mahal over 20 grueling years.

Everyone easily remembers the names of the emperors who commissioned these structures, but no one is eager to explore the dark, slave-driven reality behind their construction. Therefore, the Great Wall and the Taj Mahal must undeniably be considered as the creations of autocratic rulers.

Feudalism is defined as a dominant social and political system that existed in Europe during the Middle Ages, in which common people worked and fought for powerful nobles who gave them basic protection and the use of land in return.

Pros of feudalism:
Feudalism effectively helped protect fragile communities from the violence, chaos, and warfare that broke out immediately after the fall of Rome and the total collapse of strong central government in Western Europe. Feudalism temporarily secured Western Europe’s society and kept out powerful, marauding invaders. The Lords were the major authority figures who kept away the people’s immediate worries of starvation or invasion. Furthermore, feudalism helped people to develop highly localized qualities like loyalty, bravery in combat, generosity, and humility towards their protectors.

Cons of feudalism:
The underlying concept of feudalism used to rigidly divide poor and rich people into two unchangeable classes. It created severe, permanent class divisions among the population. Common and weak people had to be entirely dependent upon the mercy of the Lords. It created an incredibly easy environment for powerful people to ruthlessly impose their power over others without legal consequence. Lords could easily do whatever they wanted. Peasants and serfs had to survive under the absolute control of the lords, and they were legally not allowed to leave their lords’ land. They were completely restricted in movement, marriage, and even daily activities without their lords’ explicit permission.

(List: teach, cost, write, see, get up, throw)