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CHINA'S GOALS DISCUSSIONS:

For our Goal #10:

What are the cultures and Beliefs of Chinese people?

Click Link To read our answers for our Goal: Fast & Easy!!!

Link: 1. Social Customs
2. Culture of China
3. Culture

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China & http://english.people.com.cn/data/China_in_brief/china_in_brief.html

CHINA'S GOALS DISCUSSIONS:

For our Goal #9: 9. What is the History and importance of the great wall of China?

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= Great Wall of China

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China

CHINA'S GOALS DISCUSSIONS:

For our Goals #7&8:

7. How Can I explain the similarities and differences between: Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism & Legalism?
8. How did these religions influence the government and life in China?

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1. Regional Belief

a. Chinese Buddhism
b. Confucianism
c. Taoism or Daoism
d. Legalism (Chinese philosophy)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_traditional_religion & http://english.people.com.cn/data/China_in_brief/china_in_brief.html

CHINA'S GOALS DISCUSSIONS:

For our Goal #6:

6. What were Mao's goals with the Cultural Revolution?

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1. 1949–1976, The Mao Era
Revolution
Korean War
Hundred Flowers Campaign
Anti-Rightist Movement
Great Leap Forward

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution

CHINA'S GOALS DISCUSSIONS:

For Goals #4&5:
4. Who were the important people during each of the major dynasties?
5. What important achievements or accomplishments occurred during each of these dynasties?

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1. Prehistoric and Ancient History(1.7 million B.C.)
2. Qin Dynasty (221--206 B.C.)
3. Han Dynasty (206 B.C.--A.D. 220)
4. Tang Dynasty (618--907)
5. Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty (960-1911)
6. Modern Period (1840--1919)
7 New-Democratic Revolution (1919--1949)
8 People's Republic of China (1949--)

2. Identify different dynasties that existed in India.

I. The Caliphate (632-1258)
It was a republican institution created at Medina soon after the death of Prophet Muhammad. The first four caliphs were elected. The fifth caliph, however, inaugurated monarchical rule which was held successively by two families. The Caliphate, therefore, had three phases.
(A) The Rightly-Guided? Caliphs (632-661)
There were four of them who ruled over an expanding empire from Medina and Kufa. Only one of them figures in our citations:
3. Usmãn (646--656)
It was during his reign that one of his military commanders, Abd ar-Rahmãn bin Samûrah, succeeded in occupying Seistan and parts of Zabul for a short time in 653.
(B) The Ummayads (661-749)
This dynasty, founded by the fifth caliph, had fourteen kings who ruled from Damascus. Only one of them figures in our citations:
6. Al-Walîd I (705-715)
It was during his reign that one of his generals, Muhammad bin Qãsim, succeeded in occupying Sindh and some parts of the Punjab between 712 and 715.
Another general, Qutaibah bin Muslim al-Bãhîlî, operated mostly in Khurasan and Transoxiana which were cradles of Hindu culture at that time but not parts of India proper. He is also credited with the conquest of Balkh where he destroyed a famous Buddhist Vihãra.
(C) The Abbãsids (750-1258)
This dynasty succeeded the Umayyads and moved the seat of the Caliphate to Baghdad. Starting with the nineteenth caliph it had thirty-seven rulers, the last of whom was killed by Halãkû, the Mongol conqueror, in 1258. After the reign of the eighth caliph, Mu?tãsim (833-842), of this dynasty, the rulers were non-entities and power passed into the hands of Turkish dynasties which rose one after another. Only two of them figure in our citations:
2. Al-Mansûr (754-775)
It was in his reign that his governor of Sindh, Hashãm bin ?Amrû al-Taghlabî, led an expedition to Kandahar on the west coast of India in 756.
3. Al-Mahdî (775-785)
He sent, a naval expedition to the coast of Saurashtra in 776.
II. The Saffãrid Dynasty of Seistan (871-900)
This Persian-Turkish dynasty arose when the Abbãsid Caliphate had weakened. It occupied Zabul and Sindh which included Multan at that time. It had only 2 rulers both of whom figure in our citations:
1. Yã?qûb bin Laith (871-875) 2. ?Amrû bin Laith (875-900)
III. The Qarãmitah Dynasty of Multan (980-1175)
After the Saffãrids lost their hold on Sindh, Multan separated from the province and became an independent Muslim kingdom. By 980 it had become a stronghold of the Qarãmitah sect of the Isma?ilîs. Jalam bin Shaibãn who figures in our citations cannot be placed in any dynastic succession, nor assigned a reign-period. The only thing we know about him is that he destroyed the image of the famous Ãditya Temple at Multan and killed its priests.
IV. The Yamînî or Ghaznivid Dynasty (977-1186)
The Saffãrid dominions in Khurasan, Seistan and Zabul had been taken over by the Sãmãnids, a dynasty which had arisen more or less at the same time as the Saffãrids and had its seat at Bukhara. Alptigîn, the Sãmãnid governor of Khurasan, rebelled, occupied Ghazni in 963 and declared independence. The dynasty founded by him proved incompetent and the throne was seized in 977 by Subuktigîn, a manumitted slave of Alptigîn. Subuktigîn became the founder of the Ghaznivid Dynasty which came to be known as the Yamînî Dynasty as well when the caliph at Baghdad was mighty pleased with the iconoclastic exploits of Subuktigîn?s son, Mahmûd, and conferred on him the appellation of Yamînu?d-Daulah.
The Yamînî Dynasty had 18 rulers, the last two of whom functioned from Lahore after Ghazni was occupied by the Seljûks. Five of these rulers figure in our citations.
1. Amîr Subuktigîn (977-997) 2. Sultãn Mahmûd (997-1030) 3. Sultãn Mas?ûd I (1030-1042) 4. Sultãn Ibrãhîm (1059-1099) 5. Sultãn Mas?ûd III (1 099-1151)
V. The Shanshabãnî or Ghûrid Dynasty (1149-1206)
This dynasty arose in the Ghûr region of Afghanistan and had its seat at Firuz Koh. To start with, the rulers were tributaries of the Ghaznivids. They started becoming independent as the Ghaznivids got involved in a struggle with the Seljûks and suffered a decline. We have counted the Ghûrid rulers from Alãu?d-Dîn Jahãnsûz who stormed and burnt down Ghazni in 1149. Ghazni was, however, occupied by the Seljûks soon after and, later on, by the Guzz Turks. It was only in 1175 that the Ghûrids succeeded in reoccupying it.
The Ghûrid king, Ghiyãsu?d-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm, who had succeeded his uncle Alãu?d-Dîn Jahãnsûz at Firuz Koh, appointed his younger brother, Shihãbu?d-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm, as the governor of Ghazni. Shihãbu?d-Dîn (1175-1206) occupied Sindh and Multan, ousted the last Ghaznivid ruler from Lahore, defeated the Chauhãns of Ajmer and the GãhaDvãDs of Kanauj, and extended his conquests upto the borders of Bengal. His conquests were consolidated mainly by his able general, Qutbu?d-Dîn Aibak. Another general of his, Ikhtiyãru?d-Dîn Bakhtiyãr Khaljî, ousted the Senas of Bengal from Lakhnauti and led an unsuccessful expedition into Assam and Bhutan. Meanwhile, Shihãbu?d-Dîn had become the king of Ghûr on the death of his brother in 1203 and styled himself as Muizzu?d-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm. He is popularly known as Muhammad Ghûrî, and regarded as the founder of Muslim rule in India. He was murdered in 1206 and the Shanshabãnî dynasty came to an end.
Muhammad Ghûrî, Qutbu?d-Dîn Aibak, and Ikhtiyãru?d-Dîn Bakhtiyãr Khaljî figure in our citations.
VI. The Khwãrizmian Dynasty (1121-1231)
This powerful dynasty had its seat at Khwãrizm (modern Khiva in the Turkmenian Republic of the erstwhile U.S.S.R). It had 6 rulers. It was overthrown by Chingiz Khãn, the Mongol conqueror, in 1220 when its fifth ruler died in flight. The sixth and the last ruler, Jalãlu?d-Dîn Mankbarnî, who figures in our citations, escaped to Sindh in 1222 and tried to establish a new kingdom. He had, however, to leave in 1223 via Makran and wandered to various places in Iran and Iraq till he was killed by the Kurds in 1231.
VII. The Mamlûk or Slave Dynasties of Delhi (1206-1290)
These were the three dynasties founded successively by Qutbu?d-Dîn Aibak, Shamsu?d-Dîn Iltutmish and Ghiyãsu?d-Dîn Balban, all of whom were manumitted slaves. With their seat at Delhi, the three dynasties had 10 rulers. The founder of the first dynasty, Qutbu?d-Dîn Aibak, figures in our citations mostly as a viceroy of Muhanmmad Ghûri, though he ruled as a sultãn also from 1206 to 1210. The third ruler Shamsu?d-Dîn Iltutmish (1210-1236), the founder of the second Mamlûk Dynasty, also figures in our citations. He was a slave of Qutb?d-Dîn Aibak and became king after ousting Aibak?s son. He extended his sway over the whole of North India by garrisoning a number of cities and towns and led expeditions against centres of Rãjpût power in Rajasthan, Bundelkhand and Malwa. He is regarded as the real builder of Muslim power in India, though Afghanistan, Sindh and a large part of the Punjab had, meanwhile, passed under Mongol occupation.
VIII. The Khaljî Dynasty of Delhi (1290-1320)
It succeeded the third and the last Mamlûk Dynasty and had only 3 rulers. All of them figure in our citations:
1. Jalãlu?d-Dîn (1290-1296) 2. Alãu?d-Dîn (1296-1316) 3. Mubãrak Shãh (1316-1320)
With his seat at Delhi, Alãu?d-Dîn extended Muslim hegemony or rule over Gujarat, Rajasthan, Malwa, Maharashtra, Telingana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu by subduing or overthrowing one Rãjpût dynasty after another. The expedition to Gujarat was led by his brother and general, Ulugh Khãn, while those to Maharashtra, Telingana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were commanded by his slave, Malik Kãfûr. He himself was in charge of expeditions to Rajasthan and Malwa.
IX. The Tughlaq Dynasty of Delhi (1320-1412)
This dynasty which took over at Delhi from the Khaljîs had 10 rulers, though its power declined steeply after the death of the third in 1381 and more or less disappeared after the invasion of Tîmûr in 1398. Five rulers of this dynasty figure in our citations:
1. Ghiyãsu?d-Dîn Tughlaq (1320-1325) 2. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351) 3. Fîrûz Shãh (1351-1388) 4. Tughlaq Shãh bin Fîrûz Shãh (1388-1389) 5. Nasîru?d-Dîn Muhammad Shãh (1389-1394)
Muhammad bin Tughlaq had reconquered South India which had slipped out of the Muslim stranglehold after the eclipse of the Khaljîs. But he lived to see the disintegration of his southern domain. Soon after, the Muslim Bahmanî Sultanate rose in the Deccan and the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire in the South.
X. The Shãh Mîr Dynasty of Kashmir (1339-1561)
Islamic power prevailed in Kashmir because the latter-day Hindu Rãjãs had employed a large number of Muslims in their army and administration. Most of these Muslims were refugees sent out by the Mongol invasion of Islamdom in the thirteenth century, even though some of them strutted around as Sayyids and Sufis. The founder of the Shãh Mîr Dynasty had only to stage a coup d?etat. The dynasty had 14 rulers of whom two figure in our citations:
6. Sikandar Butshikan (1389-1413) 7. Fath Shãh (1489-1499 and 1505-1516)
XI. The Bahmanî Dynasty of the Deccan (1347-1527)
The founder of this dynasty consolidated a widespread rebellion against Tughlaq rule in the Deccan, and proclaimed himself a sultãn. It had its seat at Gulbarga before it moved to Bîdar in 1422. It had 15 rulers. The last five of them were kings only in name because power at Bidar passed into the hands of the Barîd Shãhî Dynasty and elsewhere into those of four other dynasties-the Nizãm Shãhîs of Ahmadnagar, the ?Ãdil Shãhîs of Bijapur, the Imãd Shãhîs of Berar and the Qutb Shãhîs of Golconda-towards the close of the fifteenth century. Six Bahmanî rulers figure in our citations:
1. Alãu?d-Dîn Hasan (1347-1358) 2. Mujãhid Shãh (1375-1378) 3. Fîrûz Shãh (1379-1422) 4. Ahmad Shãh Walî (1422-1435) 5. Alãu?d-Dîn Ahmad Shãh II (1436-1458) 6. Muhammad Shãh II (1463-1480)
XII. The Muslim Dynasty of Gujarat (1392-1572)
The founder of this dynasty was a Rãjpût who was converted to Islam in the reign of Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq. It had 10 rulers before Gujarat was conquered by the Mughals in 1527. Six of them figure in our citations:
1. Muzaffar Shãh I (1392-1410) 2. Ahmad Shãh I (1411-1443) 3. Qutbu?d-Dîn Ahmad Shãh II (1451-1458) 4. Mahmûd BegDhã (1458-1511) 5. Muzaffar Shãh II (1511-1526) 6. Bahãdur Shãh (1526-1537)
XIII. The Sharqî Dynasty of Jaunpur (1394-1479)
It was founded by a favourite eunuch of Fîrûz Shãh Tughlaq soon after the latter?s death, and was overthrown by Bahlûl Lodî, the founder of the Lodî Dynasty of Delhi/Agra. One of its 6 rulers figures in our citations.
4. Mahmûd bin Ibrãhîm (1440-1457).
XIV. The Khaljî Dynasty of Malwa (1435-1531)
Malwa had become independent of Delhi under the Ghûrî Dynasty founded in 1390. It had 4 rulers when it was overthrown by the Khaljî Dynasty in 1435. The second dynasty also had 4 rulers. Two of them figure in our citations:
1. Mahmûd Shãh I (1435-1469) 2. Ghiyãsu?d-Dîn (1469-1500)
XV. Lodî Dynasty of Delhi/Agra (1451-1526)
The Tughlaq Dynasty had been succeeded at Delhi by the Sayyid Dynasty which ruled form 1412 to 1451. It was a weak dynasty and its last ruler invited Bahlûl Lodî, his governor of the Punjab, to take over. The second Lodî ruler shifted the capital from Delhi to Agra in order to be better able to dominate and expand into Central India. Of the 3 rulers of the Lodî Dynasty two figure in our citations:
2. Sikandar Lodî (1489-1517) 3. Ibrãhîm Lodî (1517-1526)
XVI. The Nizãm Shãhî Dynasty of Ahmadnagar (1490-1630)
This dynasty was founded by one of the Bahmanî governors who was a Brahmin convert from Maharashtra. It had 11 rulers till its kingdom was annexed by the Mughals. One of them figures in our citations:
4. Murtazã Nizãm Shãh (1565-1588)
XVII. The ?Ãdil Shãhî Dynasty of Bijapur (1490-1686)
Founded by another of the Bahmanî governors, it had 9 rulers till the kingdom was conquered by the Mughals. One of them figures in our citations:
5. ?Alî I ?Ãdil Shãh (1557-1580)
XVIII. The Qutb Shãhî Dynasty of Golconda (1507-1687)
Founded by a third Bahmanî governor, it had 7 rulers till it was overthrown by the Mughals. Four of them figure in our citations:
1. Qulî Qutb Shãh (1507-1543) 2. Ibrãhîm Quth Shãh (1550-1580) 3. Muhammad Qulî Qutb Shãh (1580-1612) 4. Abdu?llãh Qutb Shãh (1626-1672)
XIX. The Mughal Dynasty of Agra/Delhi (1526-1857)
Founded by a new Islamic invader, Zahîru?d-Dîn Bãbar, this dynasty had 21 rulers. But after 1712 when its seventh ruler died, the Mughal kings became playthings in the hands of powerful ministers and court factions. The Dynasty received a shattering blow from the invasion of Nãdir Shãh in 1739. After the death of its fourteenth ruler, Muhammad Shãh, in 1748, its empire disintegrated very fast. In due course, Mughal rule became more or less confined to the Red Fort at Delhi where, too, the king lived at the mercy of the Marathas and, later on, the British. Nine Mughal rulers figure in our citations:
1. Bãbur (1526-1530) 2. Humãyûn (1530-1538 and 1556) 3. Akbar (1556-1605) 4. Jahãngîr (1605-1628) 5. Shãh Jahãn (1628-1658) 6. Aurangzeb (1658-1707) 7. Bahãdur Shãh (1707-1712) 8. Farrukh Siyar (1713-1719) 9. Muhammad Shãh (1720-1748)
XX. The Sûr Dynasty of Agra/Delhi (1540-1556)
This dynasty rose to power by overthing the second Mughal king, Humãyûn, and was in turn overthrown by him. It had four rulers, the last one of whom did not belong to the bloodline. Its first two rulers figure in our citations:
1. Sher Shãh (1540-1545) 2. Islãm Shãh (1545-1554)
XXI. The Karrãnî Dynasty of Bengal (1563-1576)
This dynasty arose when Sulaimãn Karrãnî, the governor of Bihar from the days of Sher Shãh Sûr, moved to Gaur in Bengal after the death of Islãm Shãh Sûr and declared himself an independent king of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Soon after, he moved his capital to Tandah. There were three rulers in this line, of whom the first, Sulaimãn, (1563-1573), figures in our citations.
XXII. The Mughal Sûbãhdãrs of Bengal (1717-1757)
The Mughal governors of Bengal (which included Bihar and Orissa also) became independent for all practical purposes after the passing away of Bahãdur Shãh, the Mughal emperor, in 1712. Murshid Qulî Khãn I who had become Sûbãhdãr in 1717 nominated his son-in-law, Shujãu?d-Dîn, to succeed him. The capital of Bengal had meanwhile been moved from Dacca to Murshidabad. Murshid Qulî Khãn II who figures in our citations was Shujãu?d-Dîn?s son-in-law and was made the deputy governor in 1728 with his seat at Dacca. This first line of the independent Sûbãhdãrs of Bengal was overthrown in 1739 by Alîvardî Khãn whose grandson and successor, Sirãju?d-Daulah, was defeated by the British in 1757 in the Battle of Plassey.
XXIII. Abdãlî or Durrãnî Dynasty of Afghanistan (1747-1818)
The dynasty arose when, on the death of Nãdir Shãh the Persian adventurer, one of his generals, Ahmad Khãn Abdãlî, styled himself as Ahmad Shãh Durr-i-Durrãn (Pearl of the Age) and set up an independent principality in Afghanistan in 1747. With his seat at Qandhar he led seven invasions into the Punjab and farther afield. In one of his invasions (1762), he blew up the Harimandir at Amritsar, filled up the sacred tank with the debris, and desecrated the holy site by slaughtering cows on it. He died in 1773 and figures in our citations.
XXIV. Muslim Usurpers in Mysore (1761-1799)
There were only two of them, Hyder ?Alî (1761-1781) and his son, Tîpû Sultãn (1782-1799). The second who died fighting the British in 1799, figures in our citations.
XXV. Sufis or Warrior Saints
Fourteen sufis or warrior saints figure in our citations. The list of this type of iconoclasts should have been much larger. But we could not get hold of the appropriate histories, most of which are in private collections. The histories that are printed these days are quite often edited in order to eschew ?controversial materials?.
http://www.bharatvani.org/books/htemples2/app1.htm

3. Know their culture and beliefs.

India's culture is marked by a high degree of syncretism[54] and cultural pluralism.[55] It has managed to preserve established traditions while absorbing new customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants; multicultural concerns have long informed India’s history and traditions, constitution and political arrangements.[56] Many Indian cultural practices, languages, customs, and monuments are examples of this co-mingling over centuries.
Notable architectural creations, such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Mughal architecture, examples of Dravidian architecture are the result of traditions that combined elements from several parts of the country and abroad. The vernacular architecture displays notable regional variation.
Indian music is highly diversified. Classical music is mainly split between the North Indian Hindustani and South Indian Carnatic traditions. Highly regionalised forms of popular music include filmi and folk music like bhangra. Many classical dance forms exist, including bharatanatyam, kathakali, kathak, kuchipudi, manipuri, odissi and yakshagana. They often have a narrative form and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements.
The earliest literary traditions in India were mostly oral and were only later transcribed. Most of these are represented by religious texts such as the Vedas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana; Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu is among India's oldest. Among many notable Indian writers of the modern era, using both Indian languages and English, Rabindranath Tagore is perhaps the most famous.
The Indian film industry is the world's most prolific; its most recognisable face is the Mumbai-based "Bollywood," which produces commercial Hindi films and is the largest producer of feature films in the world.[57] Other strong cinema industries are based on the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi languages.
The cuisine of India is diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods vary from region to region. Rice and wheat are the nation's main staple foods.[58] The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food[57] and sweets are popular in India.
Traditional Indian dress greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles and depends on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include the sari for women and the lungi or dhoti for men.
India's national sport is field hockey, even though cricket is the most popular sport in India. In some states, particularly those in the northeast and the coastal states of West Bengal, Goa, and Kerala, football is the more popular sport. In recent times, tennis has also gained popularity. Chess, commonly held to have originated in India, is also gaining popularity with the rise of the number of recognized Indian grandmasters. Traditional sports include kabaddi, kho-kho, and gilli-danda, which are played nationwide. India is home to the age-old discipline of yoga and to the ancient martial arts, Kalarippayattu and Varma Kalai.
Indian festivals come in a vast variety; many are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. The most popular holidays are Diwali, Holi, Onam, Dussehra, the two Eids, Christmas, Ugadi, and Vaisakhi. India has three national holidays. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in the individual states. Religious practices are an integral part of everyday life and are a very public affair. Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, although urban families now prefer a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_India

6. Know the ways how Indians worship their gods.

In 326 BC Alexander the Great conquered the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent as far as the Hyphasis River, and established satrapies as well as several cities, such as Bucephala, until his troops refused to go further east. The Indian satrapies of the Punjab were left to the rule of Porus and Taxiles, who were confirmed again at the Treaty of Triparadisus in 321 BC, and remaining Greek troops in these satrapies were left under the command of general Eudemus. Sometime after 321 Eudemus toppled Taxiles, until he left India in 316 BC. Another general also ruled over the Greek colonies of the Indus: Peithon, son of Agenor,[4] until his departure for Babylon in 316 BC, and a last one, Sophytes, may have ruled in northern Punjab until around 294 BC. Greek Late Archaic style capital from Patna (Pataliputra), 3rd century BC, Patna Museum (click image for references). According to Indian sources, Greek ("Yavana") troops seem to have assisted Chandragupta Maurya in toppling the Nanda Dynasty and founding the Mauryan Empire.[5] By around 312 BC Chandragupta had established his rule in large parts of the northwestern Indian territories. In 303 BC, Seleucus I led an army to the Indus, where he encountered Chandragupta. The confrontation ended with a peace treaty, and "an intermarriage agreement" (Epigamia, Greek: Επιγαμια), meaning either a dynastic marriage or an agreement for intermarriage between Indians and Greeks. Accordingly, Seleucus ceded to Chandragupta his northwestern territories, possibly as far as Arachosia and received 500 war elephants (which played a key role in the victory of Seleucus at the Battle of Ipsus):
"The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. But Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants."
—Strabo 15.2.1(9) Also several Greeks, such as the historian Megasthenes followed by Deimakos and Dionysius, were sent to reside at the Mauryan court. Presents continued to be exchanged between the two rulers. Bilingual edict (Greek and Aramaic) by king Ashoka, from Kandahar. Kabul Museum (click image for translation).
On these occasions, Greek populations apparently remained in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent under Mauryan rule. Chandragupta's grandson Ashoka, who had converted to the Buddhist faith declared in the Edicts of Ashoka, set in stone, some of them written in Greek, that Greek populations within his realm also had converted to Buddhism:
"Here in the king's domain among the Greeks, the Kambojas, the Nabhakas, the Nabhapamkits, the Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Andhras and the Palidas, everywhere people are following Beloved-of-the-Gods' instructions in Dharma."—Rock Edict Nb13 (S. Dhammika). In his edicts, Ashoka claims he sent Buddhist emissaries to Greek rulers as far as the Mediterranean (Edict No13), and that he developed herbal medicine in their territories, for the welfare of humans and animals (Edict No2).The Greeks in India even seem to have played an active role in the propagation of Buddhism, as some of the emissaries of Ashoka, such as Dharmaraksita, are described in Pali sources as leading Greek ("Yona") Buddhist monks, active in Buddhist proselytism (the Mahavamsa, XII[8]). It is also thought that Greeks contributed to the sculptural work of the Pillars of Ashoka. Again in 206 BC, the Seleucid emperor Antiochus led an army into India, where he received war elephants and presents from the king Sophagasenus:
"He (Antiochus) crossed the Caucasus (Hindu Kush) and descended into India; renewed his friendship with Sophagasenus the king of the Indians; received more elephants, until he had a hundred and fifty altogether; and having once more provisioned his troops, set out again personally with his army: leaving Androsthenes of Cyzicus the duty of taking home the treasure which this king had agreed to hand over to him."—Polybius 11.39 [10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Greek

7. Know the role of woman in the society.

General comments on being a woman in India:
When women speak professional they often get much help from males
A single successful woman is less accepted by her peers than the women who are married.
Women rarely drive cars, but occasionally are seen operating motor scooters.
Drivers and servants are the norm for successful women.
Men gather at many places throughout the community such as the well, or a central gathering spot but women are confined to their immediate home and often visit from rooftop to rooftop.
There is much contrast between women’s role in India and other countries.
Women’s Dress Even in the 21st century women in India continue to wear the tradition style of clothing, while men on the whole especially those in urban areas have adapted the Western style of dress. For women there are two predominant styles of dress. One is the Saree (Sari) and the second the pajamas with tunic top. These articles of clothing are available in a broad array of fabric and colors. A separate scarf is almost always worn with either of these styles. These are worn for practical reasons, not as a fashion statement. They are used to cover the face, wash the face, and protect themselves from pollution and other environmental hazards as well as being utilized to carry many things needed in a woman’s daily life. Work and Careers Career choices for women are limited. Unless the shop or business was very upscale women were not evident as clerks, cashiers or general help. More women are attending college, and many perceive a college education as preparation for finding an appropriate husband. In Rural area’s many men leave home to find work in the city, leaving the wife to provide the necessary food for the family to survive. The oldest female child must drop out of school to tend to the younger siblings while the mother works in the field. Limited Child care facilities –mothers often take children to the work place. Marriage To insure purity of family bloodline, families insist on arranged marriages. The child inherits the caste of their father and brides live with grooms’ family. Inter caste marriages are tolerated if it is the groom who marries down. For consenting to such a match a bigger dowry is demanded by the grooms family. Brides’ and grooms’ families advertise in paper for mates. Divorce is rare in India. Unlike Western cultures engagement and wedding rings are not exchanged instead a marriage necklace is given to the bride by the mother-in-law.
In rural area’s marriage often takes place at 12-13 years of age. This results in numerous health issues for the young bride as well as any of her resulting children
http://www.canr.msu.edu/vanburen/India/women.htm



8. Identify their gods and goddesses.

The Gods and Goddesses
Aditi Description: Mother of the gods. Rules Over: Sky, earth, past and the future.
Agni Other Names: Pramati. Description: Has seven tongues which he uses to consume sacrifices. Fire God. Pictured as a man with three flaming heads, three legs and seven arms, clothed in black with smoke forming his standard and headdres. Rules Over: Rain, weather, storms, protector of the home, wealth, power, new beginnings, light, rebirth, immortality, justice, forgiveness, love, virility, mediation between the gods and men.
Aryaman Description: God of the Heavens. Rules Over: Sun, Moon, winds, waters, seasons.
Asvins Other Names: Aswins, Nasatyas. Description: Twin gods of the morning. They rode in a gold car drawn by horses or birds. The physicians of the Gods. Their Names: Dasra and Nasatya. Rules Over: Morning and evening stars, healing, old age, protection of love and marriage.
Brahma Other Names: Prajapati (A form of him, at least). Description: Part of the triad with Vishnu and Shiva. Father of the gods, men and the world. Guardian of the world. Shown riding a swan and has red skin, four heads and wore white robes. In his four arms he carries his scepter (or a spoon/string of beads), the Vedas, a bow and a water jug. Rules OveR: Magick, wisdom, knowledge.
Brihaspati Other Names: Bramanaspati. Description: Master of magickal power and the priesthood. Rules Over: Magick, priesthood, created things.
The Buddha Description: Divine Teacher. Avatar/Incarnation of Vishnu. Rules Over: Spiritual illumination, wisdom, self-realization.
Chandra Other Names: Soma. Description: Moon god whose name came from the intoxicating, hallucinogenic drink made for the gods. Rules Over: Psychic visions and dreams, rising on the inner planes, pleasant forgetfulness.
Devi Other Names: Mahadevi, "Shakti". Description: Shiva's Consort. Most powerful of the Goddesses.
Durga Other Names: Jaganmatri (aspect of them, at least). Description: One of the triad with the Goddesses Uma and Parvati. In her aspect of Durga Pratyangira, she is a yellow woman with ten arms who carries a trident, sword, drum and bowl of blood. Mother Goddess. Rules Over: Death, destruction, futility, ruin, comfort, help, power, nurturing, protection, defense.
Gandharvas Description: Gods of the air, rain clouds and rain. Adept horsemen and musicians. Rules Over: Truths, medicines, musical skills, air, cloud and rain.
Ganesha Other Names: Ganesa, Ganapati, Gajani. Description: Elephant-headed god of scribes and merchants. Invoked before any undertaking to ensure success. Rules Over: Wisdom, good luck, literature, books, writing, worldly success, prosperity, peace, beginnings, successful enterprises, journeys, building, overcoming obstacles, taming dangerous forces, combination of force and cunning.
Ganga Description: Goddess of the river Ganges. Rules Over: Purification.
Gauri Descriptoin: Benign aspect of the Great Goddess. Rules Over: Wealth, good fortune.
Indra Other Names: Parjanya, Svargapati, Meghavahana, Vajri, Sashra. Description: King of the Gods, Guardian of the Eastern quarter. Pictured as fair with golden skin riding an horse, elephant (Airavata) or in a chariot drawn by two tawy horses. Rules Over: War, weather, fertility, lightning, sky, warriors, violence, weather, fertility, lightning, sky, warriors, violence, reincarnation, rain, strength, bravery, horses, elephants, love, sensual desire, rainbow, personal intervention, law, magick power, rivers, time, seasons, storms, opposition to evil, creativity, the sun, hunting dogs, offerings.
Jyeshtha Description: Goddess of bad luck. Rules Over: Revenge, dark magick.
Kali Other Names: Kali Ma. Description: "The black mother" who has a dual personality exhibiting traits of both gentleness and love, revenge and terrible death. Wife of Shiva. As the female Holy Trinity she is called Prakriti (Nature). Pictured with black skin, hideous face smeared with blood, fur arms and bare breasts. She despises most males. Rules Over: Regeneration, revenge, fear, dark magick, sexual activities, protection of women.
Kami Other Names: Dipaka, Gritsa, Mayi, Mara, Ragavrinta, Titha. Description: God of desire. Ever-yojng man riding a parrot and is accompanied by his wives Rati, Vasanta, and the Apsaras. Rules Over: Physical love, pleasures, sensual desire, spring, women, flowers.
Karttikeya Other Names: Skanda, Subramanya. Description: Chief war god with six heads and twelve arms. Defender of the gods. Women cannot enter his temples. Rules Over: Revenge, dark magick, war.
Krishna Other Names: Vishnu (Incarnation of him). Description: Most famous avatar of Vishnu. Had 180 wives. His birth was announced by a star and angelic voices. It is said that Krishna returns at the end of each age to save the righteous, destroy sin, and establish goodness and holiness. Rules Over: Erotic delights, sexual pleasures, love, music, savior from sins.
Kubera Other Names: Kuvera, Khanapati, Dhanapati, Jambhalla. Description: Dwarf god of Earth and treasures of the earth enthroned in the Himalayas. Fat, white, bejeweled, hideous dwarf with three legs and only eight teeth. Rules Over: Fertility, wealth, treasure, minerals, gold, silver, jewels, pearls, precious stones.
Lakshmi Other Names: Rukmini. Description: Goddess of love and beauty. She gave Indra the drink of soma (wise blood) from her own body so he could produce the illusion of birth-giving and become king of the devas. Rules Over: Good fortune, prosperity, success, love, feminine beauty.
Manjusri Description: Patron of grammatical science. Rules Over: Enlightenment, wisdom, civilization, books and writing.
Mara Description: Master magician. Rules Over: Illusion, dark magick.
Parvati Other Names: Mena, Haimavati. Description: God of the Himalayas, Virgin Mother Goddess. Represents union of god and goddess, man and woman. Rules Over: Desire, ecstacy.
Puchan Other Names: Pushan. Description: Lead souls to the afterworld. Considered a good guide, leading his followers to wealth. Rules Over: Marriage, journeys, roads, cattle, meetings, prosperity, material gain.
Rama Other Names: Ramachandra. Description: Princely incarnation of Vishnu. Hero God.
Rati Other Names: Mayavati. Description: Goddess of sexual passions. Wife of Rama. Rules Over: Lust, sexual activities.
The Ribhus Description: Artisan elves who are the sons of Indra by Saranyu. Gods of crafts, horses and the Sun. Rules Over: Herbs, crops, streams, creativity, blessings.
Rudra Other Names: Pasupati, Tryambaka. Description: Lord of beasts, ancient Vedic god of the dead and prince of demons. Ruddy or swarthy man with a wild temper. Rules Over: Healing, herbs, death, disease, the jungle, wild animals, the woodlands, cattle, intelligence, song, sacrifice, creation, prosperity, thieves, storms, wind, judgment.
Sarasvati Description: Inventor of Sanskrit and discoverer of soma in the Himalayas. Graceful woman with white skin, wearing a crescent Moon on her brow and seated on a lotus flower. Rules Over: Arts, science, music, poetry, learning, teaching.
Savitri Description: Rising and descending aspects of the Sun. Golden-haired goddess who rides in a car drawn by two brilliant horses. Rules Over: Night, rest, healing, long life, immortality, dispels tribulation.
Shiva Other Names: Siva, Mahakala, Lingodbhava, Rudra, Pashupa, Bhutapati, Tryambaka, Digambara, Nataraja, Natesa, Shiva Ardhanari. Description: Member of the Hindu triad with Brahma and Vishnu. Merciful fertility god who is also an ascetic who practices yoga. Always represents great power. Rules Over: Fertility, physical love, destruction, strength, medicine, storms, warriors, long life, healing, magick, weapons, cattle, rivers, fire, death, dance, rhythm, meditation, war, righteousness, judgment.
Siva Jnana-Dakshinamurti Description: God of all wisdom. Rules Over: Wisdom, meditation.
Siva Lingodbhava Description: God of reproduction and fertility. Rules Over: Fertility, procreation.
Surya Description: Chief Sun God. Some stories say he is the original source of soma which he gave to the moon to be distributed to the gods. Dark red man with three eyes and four arms who rides a chariot pulled by seven mares, each one representing a day of the week. Rules Over: Measures, understanding, waters, winds, complete dominion, blessings, spiritual enlightenment.
Tara Description: Mother Goddess who helped to control human sexuality in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Rules Over: Knowledge, compassion, punishment, threats, control, enlightenment.
Tvashtar Other Names: Tvashtri. Description: Creator of all things and craftsman of the gods. Created magickal weapons for the gods. Rules Over: Arts and crafts, skill with the hands, creativity, source of all blessings, granter of prosperity.
Uma Other Names: Uma Haimavati. Description: Corn Goddess who is part of the trinity of the Great Goddess. Mediates conflicts between Brahma and the other gods. Rules Over: Light, beauty, fertility, harvest, crops, the Earth, the dark seasons, yogic asceticism.
Vajrapani Description: God of lightning. Similar to Pan. Rules Over: Woodlands, physical love, ecstasy.
Varuna Description: God of the Sun. Judge of man's deeds. Created the heavens , earth and the air between them. Rules Over: Rain, wind, rivers, the Sun, truth, justice, punishment, heavenly gifts, law, magick power, snakes, demons, white horses, oceans, the creative will, seasons, death, rewards, prophecy.
Vishnu Description: With three steps he measured the seven worlds. Intermediary between the gods and man. Sun God. To help man, Vishnu appears on Earth as a human avatar. Nine avatars are said to have already come, with a tenth yet to appear. Rules Over: Peace, power, strength, compassion, love, abundance, success, victory.
Visvakarma Description: God of smiths and craftsmen. Creator and maintainer of everything in the universe, making things hold their individual shapes. Rules Over: Animals, horses, creativity, weapons making, architecture, building, smiths, craftsmen.
Yama Other Names: Dharmaraja, Samana, Pitripati, Sraddaheva, Dandadhara. Description: Judge of the dead. God of death, truth and righteousness. Judges men's dharma. Rules Over: Judgment, destiny, death, punishment.
http://www.scns.com/earthen/other/seanachaidh/godindia.html

9. Know their economic status.

For most of its post-independence history, India adhered to a quasi-ocialist approach with strict government control over private sector participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. However, since 1991, India has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms and reduced government controls on foreign trade and investment. Foreign exchange reserves have risen from US$5.8 billion in March 1991 to US$208 billion in June 2007,[38] while federal and state budget deficits have reduced.[39] Privatisation of publicly-owned companies and the opening of certain sectors to private and foreign participation has continued amid political debate.[40] With a GDP growth rate of 9.4% in 2006-07, the Indian economy is among the fastest growing in the world.[41] India's GDP in terms of USD exchange-rate is US$1,103 billion, which makes it the twelfth largest economy in the world.[42] When measured in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), India has the world's fourth largest GDP at US$4.156 trillion.[6] India's per capita income (nominal) is $979, ranked 128th in the world, while its per capita (PPP) of US$3,700 is ranked 118th.
The Indian economy has grown steadily over the last two decades; however, its growth has been uneven when comparing different social groups, economic groups, geographic regions, and rural and urban areas.[43] Although income inequality in India is relatively small (Gini coefficient: 32.5 in year 1999- 2000)[7] it has been increasing of late. Despite significant economic progress, a quarter of the nation's population earns less than the government-specified poverty threshold of $0.40/day. In addition, India has a higher rate of malnutrition among children under the age of three (46% in year 2007) than any other country in the world.[43][44]
India has a labour force of 509.3 million, 60% of which is employed in agriculture and related industries; 28% in services and related industries; and 12% in industry.[6] Major agricultural crops include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes. The agricultural sector accounts for 28% of GDP; the service and industrial sectors make up 54% and 18% respectively. Major industries include automobiles, cement, chemicals, consumer electronics, food processing, machinery, mining, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, steel, transportation equipment, and textiles.[6]
In 2006, estimated exports stood at US$112 billion and imports were around US$187.9 billion. Textiles, jewellery, engineering goods and software are major export commodities. Crude oil, machineries, fertilizers, and chemicals are major imports. India's most important trading partners are the United States, the European Union, China, and the United Arab Emirates.[6] More recently, India has capitalised on its large pool of educated, English-speaking people to become an important outsourcing destination for multinational corporations. India has also become a major exporter of software as well as financial, research, and technological services. Its natural resources include arable land, bauxite, chromite, coal (of which it has the fourth largest reserves in the world), diamonds, iron ore, limestone, manganese, mica, natural gas, petroleum, and titanium ore.

10. Describe modern India.

India at the time of independence was a country beset with great economic problems. It had suffered colonial exploitation for about two centuries and was recovering painfully from the blight of a distressing famine. The disruption of life caused by the Second World War had aggravated the crisis. Large parts of the country were under the feudal rule of Indian princes and only a miniscule minority had taken any initiative to modernize their states. In any case, the benefits of industrializations remained confined to a small privileged section of the society. With freedom from foreign rule, also came partition and the government was confronted with the awesome task of rehabilitating millions of refugees.
Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of India since independence has been to overcome the trauma of partition and forge a unified modern nation from a bewildering diversity. India today can take pride in its federal form of governance that gives full scope to the development of the country's diverse ethnic and linguistic groups within the overall framework of a united nation.
The process of political integration was completed in two stages after the adoption of a federal constitution on January 26, 1950. First by securing the merger of princely states and then by the redrawing of the boundaries of the states to accommodate the aspirations of major linguistic or ethnic groups. This political transformation synchronized a revolutionary social change with far reaching economic development.
Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first Prime Minister of India was influenced by socialist thought. Many young leaders also seriously attempted to give the policies of the Indian National Congress - the party in the vanguard of the anti imperialist struggle - a socialist ideological orientation. Mahatma Gandhi too was unequivocal in his championing of the impoverished masses. God for him was no other but the Daridranarayan, poorest of the poor.
The new government gave top priority to economic planning for development. Land reforms were undertaken to ensure greater social justice and eradicate bondage. Steps were taken to accelerate industrialization and redress regional imbalances. Progress was slow, as the infrastructure was not there. People had very high expectations and the government had to provide for education, health care and employment for hundreds of millions of people. For more than three decades, India's national income grew by no more than 3.6 per cent a year, one of the slowest growth rates in the developing world. Its per capita income was among the lowest.
It took the nation almost half a century to find its feet. Today India is a nuclear power, has launched satellites into space, produces its own steel, and builds its own warships and many of its aircrafts. It has an impressive heavy engineering base, and is one of the few developing countries that is able to bid successfully for heavy engineering turnkey contracts in other developing countries. Its progress in agriculture is equally impressive.
India's most impressive achievement is that the Indian economy today is stable and self-reliant. A powerful entrepreneurial class has emerged - almost as important an objective as securing all-round industrial development.
India's strategy for development has had many critics. It was pointed out that the emphasis on heavy industry made capital inefficient and lowered the annual rate of growth of GNP to about 3.6 per cent between 1950 and 1975.
But the philosophy of self-reliance is finally paying off. By the 80's, the first phase of industrialization was largely over. India now has a well-developed industrial base that can produce almost anything that the country needs. The scientific and technical infrastructure is capable of responding to complex challenges. With the success of the green revolution that began in 1975, India has also become self-sufficient in food grains.
A self confident nation, India is prepared to interact with the rest of the world without anxiety or inhibition. Just when other countries began to increase protection, the Indian government began to lower protective barriers, invite global tenders for its major investment projects, and encourage industry to secure the most up-to-date technology from abroad.
http://www.goindiago.com/history/modern.htm

Answers:
1. Know the origin, location and boundary of India.

Origin- The name India (/'ɪndiə/) is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.[10] The ancient Greeks referred to the ancient Indians as Indoi, the people of the Indus.[11] The Constitution of India and common usage in various Indian languages also recognise Bharat (pronunciation (info), IPA: [/bʰɑːrət̪/]) as an official name of equal status. Hindustan (/hin̪d̪ust̪ɑːn/ (info)), which is the Persian word for “Land of the Hindus” and historically referred to northern India, is also occasionally used as a synonym for all of India.
Location and Boundary- Located on the Indian subcontinent, India consists roughly of three major parts; in the north the massive Himalayas mountain range (with the highest point being the Kanchenjunga at 8,598 m) and the Indo-Gangetic plain (with deserts in the western end), and in the south the extensive Deccan plateau. The latter is part of a large peninsula in between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west, with both being part of the greater Indian Ocean.
India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari and the Krishna. A small part of the upper course of the name-giving Indus lies within Indian territory.
http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/i/in/india.html

Hero- Code colors: What's the meaning? INDIA Grp

RED Punctuating the flying swordplay of "Hero" is a love story between two fabled assassins: Broken Sword, played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (above) and Flying Snow, played by Maggie Cheung. Red was the first color Mr. Zhang chose, which presented Mr. Doyle with an immediate problem: in his work with Hong Kong directors like Wong Kar-wai, Mr. Doyle had made a conscious effort not to use the color. "Up until `In the Mood for Love,' " he says, "we avoided red at all costs. I think I've probably said on at least 25 films, `No red,' because it has too many associations in Asia." Then he had to find a way to produce images that would match the unusual red of the hand-dyed costumes. To do this he decided to switch from Fuji, the film brand used for most of the film, to Kodak. "The red is a Kodak red," he said. "It's a much more saturated solid red."

WHITE In the third section of "Hero," When Maggie Cheung rushes to save her lover in the third section of "Hero," she rides by a dramatic backdrop of cliffs that, Mr. Doyle says, "look like old walls falling apart." Having decided to shoot a key part of the third tale in a desert near the border with Kazakhstan, the filmmakers picked the white of the desert at noon for the costumes in this section. When it came to actually shooting there, however, the crew found the desert at noon beautiful but unendurable; they had to wait until later in the day to shoot, when it was cool enough to work. "The white became a little bit warmer than white," Mr. Doyle notes, "because of the evening light."

BLUE The filmmakers decided to stage the climax of the second story on a magnificent lake in the Jiuzhaigou cq region of China, and the color of the water, they say, inspired them to make this section blue. As Mr. Doyle explains: "We knew that one section should be red, but we weren't sure what the other colors were. And so we wandered around China looking for spaces that were interesting or unexpected or perhaps hadn't been shot before. And we said, `Oh, this might work for this, therefore this section is this color.' It kind of evolved organically." The resulting lack of contrast between characters and setting was intentional. "The thing about color is that it's like light," Mr. Doyle says. "In order to see darkness on film, you need a bright spot in some part of the frame. In other words, you need a contrast. In this film you're totally surrounded by one color, and that's very rare."

GREEN Woven through the variously colored stories of "Hero" are green flashbacks — in the one above, Mr. Leung enters a palace hung with floating green curtains. While most of the movie's bold colors were achieved by using filters and processing the film in unusual ways and using filters , the curtains had to be color-corrected on a computer to get the exact shade the filmmakers were after. Mr. Doyle, an Australian who made his name in Asian cinema, is impatient with universal theories of color like the one offered by the Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro: "Storaro says green is the color of knowledge. Well, I've done many films where green was the color of memory, and that's just a personal choice. Actually, in `Hero' we used green for the flashbacks because we ran out of colors. We'd done all the other stuff. So we had the red, we had the blue, we had the white — there was only green left, basically. You're not going to do anything in orange or pink." Source:http://www.helloziyi.us/Articles/Hero_Color_Code.htm
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Hero- Code colors: What's the meaning? INDIA Grp

Friday, August 3, 2007

Hero- Code colors: What's the meaning?
RED Punctuating the flying swordplay of "Hero" is a love story between two fabled assassins: Broken Sword, played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (above) and Flying Snow, played by Maggie Cheung. Red was the first color Mr. Zhang chose, which presented Mr. Doyle with an immediate problem: in his work with Hong Kong directors like Wong Kar-wai, Mr. Doyle had made a conscious effort not to use the color. "Up until `In the Mood for Love,' " he says, "we avoided red at all costs. I think I've probably said on at least 25 films, `No red,' because it has too many associations in Asia." Then he had to find a way to produce images that would match the unusual red of the hand-dyed costumes. To do this he decided to switch from Fuji, the film brand used for most of the film, to Kodak. "The red is a Kodak red," he said. "It's a much more saturated solid red."
WHITE In the third section of "Hero," When Maggie Cheung rushes to save her lover in the third section of "Hero," she rides by a dramatic backdrop of cliffs that, Mr. Doyle says, "look like old walls falling apart." Having decided to shoot a key part of the third tale in a desert near the border with Kazakhstan, the filmmakers picked the white of the desert at noon for the costumes in this section. When it came to actually shooting there, however, the crew found the desert at noon beautiful but unendurable; they had to wait until later in the day to shoot, when it was cool enough to work. "The white became a little bit warmer than white," Mr. Doyle notes, "because of the evening light."
BLUE The filmmakers decided to stage the climax of the second story on a magnificent lake in the Jiuzhaigou cq region of China, and the color of the water, they say, inspired them to make this section blue. As Mr. Doyle explains: "We knew that one section should be red, but we weren't sure what the other colors were. And so we wandered around China looking for spaces that were interesting or unexpected or perhaps hadn't been shot before. And we said, `Oh, this might work for this, therefore this section is this color.' It kind of evolved organically." The resulting lack of contrast between characters and setting was intentional. "The thing about color is that it's like light," Mr. Doyle says. "In order to see darkness on film, you need a bright spot in some part of the frame. In other words, you need a contrast. In this film you're totally surrounded by one color, and that's very rare."
GREEN Woven through the variously colored stories of "Hero" are green flashbacks — in the one above, Mr. Leung enters a palace hung with floating green curtains. While most of the movie's bold colors were achieved by using filters and processing the film in unusual ways and using filters , the curtains had to be color-corrected on a computer to get the exact shade the filmmakers were after. Mr. Doyle, an Australian who made his name in Asian cinema, is impatient with universal theories of color like the one offered by the Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro: "Storaro says green is the color of knowledge. Well, I've done many films where green was the color of memory, and that's just a personal choice. Actually, in `Hero' we used green for the flashbacks because we ran out of colors. We'd done all the other stuff. So we had the red, we had the blue, we had the white — there was only green left, basically. You're not going to do anything in orange or pink."
Source:http://www.helloziyi.us/Articles/Hero_Color_Code.htm