Investment Pattern in Mutual Funds free essay sample

There are variehes of funds available The sk~lls type of fund are different. A manager who successfully manages growth funds. may not be suitable for managing income funds and vice-versa In assessing the performance of hnd, what one needs to emphasize is selection of securities and its timing. These are basically dependent on research output. Research, in turn, may relate to economy, industry, company, and markets. Normally, a growth fund may require 90 per cent or even a llttle over 90 per cent of its funds invested in equity and quasi-equity instruments. Income funds may invest 80 per cent In fixed income yielding instruments, In the c~ of growthcwnincome funds, investment pattern may range between the above two; 50-60 per cent of corpus could be in fixed income instruments and 30-40 per cent in equity related securities and the balance in cash market. Sectoral funds are special funds, which propose to invest in a particular industry like power, telecommunication, transport, banking, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Investment Pattern in Mutual Funds or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page MMF invests in shon-term money market lnsbuments such as treasury bills, Deposits (short term), commercial papers etc. , No Load is a fund free of sales wth a vlew charges and the entry charge. Guilt funds Invest in government secunt~es to ach~eve risk free return whlle maintaining stability of returns and liquidity. a The Investment pattern of funds depends on the characteristics of markets also. In matured capital markets, fund managers are able to move freely from one market to another as s~tuation demand% Indian markets, however, Lack both depth and liquidity Among all the markets, equity markets have better liquidity but remain to be highly volatile. Of more than 6000 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), only the shares of around 3000 companies are being traded. Out of this, nearly 2500 companies are infrequently traded and only nearly 500 scrips are being traded daily. Again, all these 500 scnps do not have sufficient and necessary depth by which one can buy or sell a few thousands of shares without causing much volatility in the prices of the concerned scrip. Fund manager, therefore, has very limited opponunity to choose from and is left with not more than 150 scrips. Therefore, Indian capital market is considered to be a very shallow market The secondary market for government securities and treasury bills is almost absent. Most often, it is impossible to find buyers or sellers and those who buy has to wait till redemption. Corporate debt market too experiences the same fate of government securities market. Owng to the above mentioned reasons, the fund managers are not able to shift funds from one market to another so as to safeguard themselves from expected loss or to reap the anticipated gain from one segment or the other. COMPARISON OF RETURNS It is very important to understand returns and risks behavlour of each instnunent, in order to appreciate lnvestment pattern of each fund. Hence, a omparison of returns on some of the instruments over the last 15 years (1980-81 to 1994-95) is made. The returns analysed come from BSE Sensitive Index (BSE Sensex), gold, silver, bank rate, fixed deposits, treasury bills and call money The BSE Sensex which IS a representative of average yield on equity Investment has given, on an average, 32. 61 per cent return This is the highest return among all the yielded 9. 14 per cent and 7. 57 per assets. During the same penod, gold and s~lver, cent respectively It 1s very interesting to note that changes in whole-sale price index WPI) during the same period averaged at 8. 03 per cent. In real terms, investors who invested in sliver could get only negative real return while they have marginally gained by investing in gold The return on call money was 11. 09 per cent and treasury bills 4 6 per cent when bank rate continuously dropping d o m 7 per cent Thus, equity stands out as one of the most profitable Investment opportunities of all the investment avenues The yield from fixed deposits worked out to be 11 80 per cent only. I RBI Bulln~n. Currency and Banking 1996-96 At present, among all the financial products, mutual fund products are most popular and are much more powerful to influence the monetary and economlc policy of the Government. The emerglng scenario in India is also an indication that future financial markets in India will be dom~natedby mutual funds and Indian monetary authority wII have a tough time to redefine the financial and monetary policy. In t h s changing market scenario complexion and growing expectations of investors the onus of success will depend on prudence of investment programming and investment management of Indian mutual funds.

The Role of Building Design in Building Construction

In building design, there are very many aspects that have to be considered when coming up with an appropriate structure that follows all the basic rules of design (Allen Iano, 2008). A perfect example of one aspect that many architects, engineers, and designers think about when designing buildings is saving power.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Role of Building Design in Building Construction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are several devices that can be used for the purpose of saving power and energy. However, for the purpose of this paper, I introduce a natural way with which power and energy can indeed be saved. This paper discusses the use and design of the green building as the best aspect with which energy and power can be efficiently sustained. The green building is technically referred to as green construction in building design. Other people call it a sustainable building. It essential ly revolves around construction and utilization of procedures which are environmentally conscious and use of resources effectively in all the stages of construction. This starts from the selection of a proper site, the architectural design, building, tasks, care, repairs, and even flattening down of a structure. These procedures require the collaboration of the team of designers and architects as well as the owner of the building at all the phases of the project. This practice of green building enhances and supplements the classical processes of building design relative to factors such as the economy, use, resilience, and coziness. In as much as emerging technologies are continually being created to supplement the existing trends in developing greener buildings, the mutual goals is that such structures are designed to decrease the general effect of the built atmosphere on the occupant’s health and the natural surrounding through: Effectively utilizing available energy and ot her resources such as water Safeguarding the health of the people and enhancing worker’s performance Decreasing the amount of waste, effects of pollution, and the general degradation of the environment The model of ecological development finds its way back to the fossil oil and pollution of the environment crises in the 1970s. The green building caucus in the United States of America arose from the massive call for more energy efficient and building practices that were also environmentally conscious. There are several reasons for having green structures. These include environmental, economic as well as social considerations. Nevertheless, contemporary sustainability practices require cohesive and synergistic structural designs. This is in relation to new buildings as well as repair of old structures. This model combines the building phases with every green exercise used with a design goal to develop a synergy in all the processes used (Yan Stellios, 2006).Advertising L ooking for assessment on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Choosing to build green combines an array of procedures, styles, and skills to eradicate and eventually finish the effects of building structures on the environment as well as the well-being of the people. It normally puts an emphasis on making good use of the opportunities offered by renewable sources such as utilizing energy from the sun through techniques like passive solar. Other ways are using the active solar as well as photovoltaic methods to save power. Compared to modern power saving devices, it is important to observe that natural energy can indeed be saved through power saving devices such as solar panels for later use. This is a green way to save power. The design of green buildings normally incorporates efforts to minimize the use of energy. This includes the embodied energy needed to remove, progress, carry, and fix building tools as well as the ope rating energy needed to offer services like heating and powering of the building equipment. Since most high performance structures make use of little operating energy, embodied energy has become more significant and important for use. This energy could sum up to 30% of the total energy used in a single life cycle. In fact, several studies have proven that buildings constructed basically with wood materials possess lesser embodied energy compared to those constructed basically with brick or materials that are concrete in nature. This also includes steel. To minimize the use of operating energy, building designers make use of specific details which decrease the release of air through an element known as the building envelope. The envelope refers to a hurdle found between the conditioned and the unconditioned area. They also advice that high-performance windows be used in addition to more insulating materials in wall areas, ceiling boards, as well as floors of the buildings. The passiv e solar building design is an approach which is often executed in homes with low energy levels. Building designers position the windows and building walls and place sunshades, verandahs, and tree coverings to cover windows and the roofs when it is summer season. The aim is to maximize the capturing of solar energy in the winter season which is saved in summer. Moreover, efficient positioning of the window helps give more natural lighting into a building and reduce the need to have electric lighting in the daytime. Costs associated with energy use can also be minimized through heating water by solar (Kats, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Role of Building Design in Building Construction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Allen, E Iano, J 2008, Fundamentals of building construction: materials and methods. John Wiley Sons Inc, New Jersey. Kats, G 2003, The cost and financial benefits of gr een buildings, McGraw Hills, New York. Yan, J Stellios, P 2006, Design for sustainability, China Architecture and Building Press, Beijing. This assessment on The Role of Building Design in Building Construction was written and submitted by user Camila T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Writing a Two Page Essay Sample

Writing a Two Page Essay SampleIf you have ever looked at a two page essay sample then you know that it is very different from the standard paper format. In this article I will talk about what makes this form of essay so different. When writing a two page essay, it is best to follow a guide or template. There are several available, but for now I am going to talk about the 'two page' template because this is one of the simplest.A two page essay sample is written in a paragraph format. The first paragraph has three main points and the second paragraph has two main points with an accompanying paragraph. This type of writing format can be very easy to use and adapt.The main points are in the first paragraph and an accompanying paragraph in the second paragraph. The first paragraph is important because it contains information about the topic that the essay is about. The next paragraph, on the other hand, is really for the purpose of summarizing the two main points of the essay.Once you ha ve included the main points, you need to add a short paragraph explaining why these points are important. This is a great way to connect the dots and explain why the two main points make sense. This short paragraph is in direct response to the main points and summarizing them in one sentence.Finally, you need to include a final paragraph that explains why you think the two main points make sense. You also need to write a conclusion because this is where you will explain why the main points are important. There is really no need to explain the benefits of the main points, just the reason why they are important.If you are struggling with how to structure a two paragraph essay and how to connect the two main points you may want to find a two paragraph essay sample that is in the same category as your topic. A lot of people write these two paragraph essays every semester for college classes.If you don't have any references that are related to your topic then you could draw from your own personal experiences or from a teacher that you respect. The ability to relate is essential to passing this type of essay. Your teachers will be able to give you great examples of the type of essay that they found difficult and why.The last thing you need to do is to be patient and learn when to take a break. Every student goes through this process so do not become frustrated when it seems like you are stuck. There is a reason why you have been working on this essay all semester and you need to remember that.

Early Christianity in North Africa

Early Christianity in North Africa Given the slow progress of Romanization of North Africa, it is perhaps surprising how quickly Christianity spread across the top of the continent. From the fall of Carthage in 146 BCE to the rule of Emperor Augustus (from 27 BCE), Africa (or, more strictly speaking, Africa Vetus, Old Africa), as the Roman province was known, was under the command of a minor Roman official. But, like Egypt, Africa and its neighbors Numidia and Mauritania (which were under the rule of client kings), were recognized as potential bread baskets. The impetus for expansion and exploitation came with the transformation of the Roman Republic to a Roman Empire in 27 B.C.E. Romans were enticed by the availability of land for building estates and wealth, and during the first century C.E., north Africa was heavily colonized by Rome. Emperor Augustus (63B C.E.14 C.E.) remarked that he added Egypt (Aegyptus) to the empire. Octavian (as he was then known, had defeated Mark Anthony and deposed Queen Cleopatra VII in 30 B.C.E. to annex what had been the Ptolemaic Kingdom. By the time of Emperor Claudius (10 B.C.E.45 C.E.) canals had been refreshed and agriculture was booming from improved irrigation. The Nile Valley was feeding Rome. Under Augustus, the two provinces of Africa, Africa Vetus (Old Africa) and Africa Nova (New Africa), were merged to form Africa Proconsularis (named for it being governed by a Roman proconsul). Over the next three and a half centuries, Rome extended its control over the coastal regions of North Africa (including the coastal regions of modern day Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco) and imposed a rigid administrative structure on Roman colonists and indigenous peoples (the Berber, Numidians, Libyans, and Egyptians). By 212 C.E., the Edict of Caracalla (aka Constitutio Antoniniana, Constitution of Antoninus) issued, as one might expect, by the Emperor Caracalla, declared that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be acknowledged as Roman Citizens (up till then, provincials, as they were known, did not have citizenship rights). Factors Which Influenced the Spread Of Christianity Roman life in North Africa was heavily concentrated around urban centers- by the end of the second century, there was upwards of six million people living in Roman North African provinces, a third of those living in the 500 or so cities and towns which had developed. Cities like Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia), Utica, Hadrumetum (now Sousse, Tunisia), Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) had as many as 50,000 inhabitants. Alexandria considered the second city after Rome, had 150,000 inhabitants by the third century. Urbanization would prove to be a key factor in the development of North African Christianity. Outside of the cities, life was less influenced by Roman culture. Traditional Gods were still worshipped, such as the Phonecian Baal Hammon (equivalent to Saturn) and Baal Tanit (a goddess of fertility) in Africa Proconsuaris and Ancient Egyptian beliefs of Isis, Osiris, and Horus. There were echoes of traditional religions to be found in Christianity which also proved key in the spread of the new religion. The third key factor in the spread of Christianity through North Africa was the resentment of the population to Roman administration, particularly the imposition of taxes, and the demand that the Roman Emperor be worshiped akin to a God. Christianity Reaches North Africa After the crucifixion, the disciples spread out across the known world to take the word of God and the story of Jesus to the people. Mark arrived in Egypt around 42 C.E., Philip traveled all the way to Carthage before heading east into Asia Minor, Matthew visited Ethiopia (by way of Persia), as did Bartholomew. Christianity appealed to a disaffected Egyptian populous through its representations of resurrection, an afterlife, virgin birth, and the possibility that a god could be killed and brought back, all of which resonated with more ancient Egyptian religious practice. In Africa Proconsularis and its neighbors, there was a resonance to traditional Gods through the concept of a supreme being. Even the idea of holy trinity could be related to various godly triads which were taken to be three aspects of a single deity. North Africa would, over the first few centuries C.E., become a region for Christian innovation, looking at the nature of Christ, interpreting the gospels, and sneaking in elements from so-called pagan religions. Amongst people subdued by Roman authority in North Africa (Aegyptus, Cyrenaica, Africa, Numidia, and Mauritania) Christianity quickly became a religion of protest- it was a reason for them to ignore the requirement to honor the Roman Emperor through sacrificial ceremonies. It was a direct statement against Roman rule. This meant, of course, that the otherwise open-minded Roman Empire could no longer take a nonchalant attitude to Christianity- persecution, and repression of the religion soon followed, which in turn hardened the Christian converts to their cult. Christianity was well established in Alexandria by the end of the first century C.E. By the end of the second century, Carthage had produced a pope (Victor I). Alexandria as an Early Center of Christianity In the early years of the church, especially after the Siege of Jerusalem (70 C.E.), the  Egyptian  city of Alexandria became a significant (if not the most significant) center for the development of Christianity. A bishopric was established by the disciple and gospel writer Mark when he established the Church of Alexandria around 49 C.E., and Mark is honored today as the person who brought Christianity to Africa. Alexandria was also home to the  Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament which traditional has it was created on the orders of Ptolemy II for the use of the large population of Alexandrian Jews. Origen, head of the  School of Alexandria  in the early third century, is also noted for compiling a comparison of six translations of the old testament- the  Hexapla. The Catechetical School of Alexandria was founded in the late second century by Clement of Alexandria as a center for the study of the allegorical interpretation of the Bible. It had a mostly friendly rivalry with the School of Antioch which was based around a literal interpretation of the Bible. Early Martyrs It is recorded that in 180 C.E. Twelve Christians of African origin were martyred in Sicilli (Sicily) for refusing to perform a sacrifice to the Roman Emperor Commodus (aka Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus). The most significant record of Christian martyrdom, however, is that of March 203, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus (145211 C.E., ruled 193211), when Perpetua, a 22 year old noble, and Felicity, her slave, were martyred in Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia). Historical records, which come partially from a narrative believed to have been written by Perpetua herself, describe in detail the ordeal leading up to their death in the arena- wounded by beasts and put to the sword. Saints Felicity and Perpetua are celebrated by a feast day on March 7th.   Latin as the Language of Western Christianity Because North Africa was heavily under Roman rule, Christianity was spread through the region by the use of Latin rather than Greek. It was partially due to this that the Roman Empire eventually split into two, east and west. (There was also the problem of increasing ethnic and social tensions which helped fractured the empire into what would become the Byzantium and Holy Roman Empire of medieval times.) It was during the reign of Emperor Commodus (161192 C.E., ruled from 180 to 192) that the first of three African Popes was invested.  Victor I, born in the Roman province of  Africa  (now  Tunisia), was pope from 189 to 198 C.E. Amongst the achievements of Victor I are his endorsement for the change of Easter to the Sunday following the 14th of Nisan (the first month of the Hebrew calendar) and the introduction of Latin as the official language of the Christian church (centered in Rome). Church Fathers Titus Flavius Clemens (150211/215 C.E.), aka  Clement of Alexandria, was a Hellenistic theologian and the first president of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. In his early years, he traveled extensively around the Mediterranean and studied the Greek philosophers. He was an intellectual Christian who debated with those suspicious of scholarship and taught several notable ecclesiastical and theological leaders (such as Origen, and Alexander the Bishop of Jerusalem). His most important surviving work is the trilogy  Protreptikos  (Exhortation),  Paidagogos  (The Instructor), and the  Stromateis  (Miscellanies) which considered and compared the role of myth and allegory in ancient Greece and contemporary Christianity. Clement attempted to mediate between the heretical Gnostics and the orthodox Christian church and set the stage for the development of monasticism in Egypt later in the third century. One of the most important Christian theologians and biblical scholars was Oregenes Adamantius, aka  Origen  (c.185254 C.E.). Born in Alexandria, Origen is most widely known for his synopsis of six different versions of the old testament, the  Hexapla. Some of his beliefs about the transmigration of souls and universal reconciliation (or  apokatastasis, a belief that all men and women, and even Lucifer, would ultimately be saved), were declared heretical in 553 C.E., and he was posthumously excommunicated by the Council of Constantinople in 453 C.E. Origen was a prolific writer, had the ear of Roman royalty, and succeeded Clement of Alexandria as head of the School of Alexandria. Tertullian (c.160c.220 C.E.) was another prolific Christian. Born in Carthage, a cultural center much influenced by Roman authority, Tertullian is the first Christian author to write extensively in Latin, for which he was known as the Father of Western Theology. He is said to have laid down the foundation on which Western Christian theology and expression is based. Curiously, Tertullian extolled martyrdom, but is recorded of dying naturally (often quoted as his three score and ten); espoused celibacy, but was married; and wrote copiously, but criticized classical scholarship. Tertullian converted to Christianity in Rome during his twenties, but it was not until his return to Carthage that his strengths as a teacher and defender of Christian beliefs were recognized. The Biblical Scholar Jerome (347420 C.E.) records that Tertullian was ordained as a priest, but this has been challenged by Catholic scholars. Tertullian became a member of the heretical and charismatic Montanistic order around 210 CE, given to fasting and the resultant experience of spiritual bliss and prophetic visitations. The Montanists were harsh moralists, but even they proved to lax for Tertullian in the end, and he founded his own sect a few years before 220 C.E. The date of his death is unknown, but his last writings date to 220 C.E. Sources The Christian period in Mediterranean Africa by WHC Frend, in Cambridge History of Africa, Ed. JD Fage, Volume 2, Cambridge University Press, 1979. Chapter 1: Geographical and Historical Background Chapter 5: Cyprian, the Pope of Carthage, in Early Christianity in North Africa by Franà §ois Decret, trans. by Edward Smither, James Clarke, and Co., 2011. General History of Africa Volume 2: Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Unesco General History of Africa) ed. G. Mokhtar, James Currey, 1990.

Visit The Cosmic Pillars of Creation, Again

Visit The Cosmic Pillars of Creation, Again Do you remember the first time you saw the Pillars of Creation? This cosmic object and the ghostly images of it that showed up in January 1995, made by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope, captured peoples imaginations with their beauty. The PIllars are part of a a starbirth region similar to the Orion Nebula and others in our own galaxy where hot young stars are heating up clouds of gas and dust and where stellar EGGs (short for evaporating gaseous globules) are still forming stars that may someday light up that part of the galaxy.  Ã‚   The clouds that make up the Pillars are seeded with young protostellar objects- essentially starbabies- hidden away from our view. Or, at least they were until astronomers developed a way to use infrared-sensitive instruments to look through those clouds to get at the babies within. The image here is the result of Hubbles ability to peer past the veil that hides starbirth from our prying eyes. The view is amazing.   Now Hubble has been pointed again toward the the famous pillars. Its Wide-Field 3 camera captured the multi-colored glow of the nebulas gas clouds, revealed wispy tendrils of dark cosmic dust, and looks at the rust-coloured elephants’ trunk-shaped pillars. The telescopes   visible-light image it took provided an updated, sharper view of the scene that so caught everyones attention in 1995.   In addition to this new visible-light image, Hubble has provided a detailed view that youd get if you could strip away the clouds of gas and dust hiding the stellar newborns in the pillars, which is what an infrared light view gives you the ability to do.    Infrared penetrates much of the obscuring dust and gas and unveils a more unfamiliar view of the pillars, transforming them into wispy silhouettes set against a background peppered with stars. Those newborn stars, hidden in the visible-light view, show up clearly as they form within the pillars themselves. Although the original image was dubbed the Pillars of Creation, this new image shows that they are also pillars of destruction.    How does that work?   There are hot, young stars out of the field of view in these images, and they emit strong radiation which destroys the dust and gas in these pillars. Essentially, the pillars are being eroded by strong winds from those massive young stars. The ghostly bluish haze around the dense edges of the pillars in the visible-light view is material that is being heated by bright young stars and evaporating away. So, its entirely possible that the young stars that havent cleared their pillars could be choked off from forming further as their older siblings cannibalize the gas and dust they need to form.   Ironically, the same radiation that tears apart the pillars is also responsible for lighting them up and causing the gas and dust to glow so that Hubble can see them.   These arent the only clouds of gas and dust that are being sculpted by the action of hot, young stars. Astronomers find such intricate clouds around the Milky Way Galaxy- and in nearby galaxies as well. We know they exist in such places as the Carina nebula(in the southern hemisphere sky) which also contains a spectacular supermassive star about to blow up called Eta Carinae.   And, as astronomers use Hubble and other telescopes to study these places over long periods of time, they can trace motions in the clouds (presumably by jets of material flowing away from the hidden hot young stars, for example), and watch as the forces of star creation do their thing.   The Pillars of Creation lie about 6,500 light-years away from us and is part of a larger cloud of gas and dust called the Eagle Nebula, in the constellation Serpens.

Read below. ( college students struggling in writing when they get in Essay

Read below. ( college students struggling in writing when they get in the college. how can we overcome) - Essay Example Therefore, students need to direct their skills and intelligence to a new task in order to cope up with the required standards in college writing. Sometimes meeting the required standards for college writing can be very difficult and challenge, therefore, it is necessary for students to understand themselves and what motivates them to write. This essay provides a very thoughtful discussion on why transitioning from high school to college especially when it comes to writing using support from Rose and Bartholomae’s articles and my experience. More so, the essay will explore what teachers and students should do to help new college students to be successful in their college writing classes. Notably, expectations of writing in high school and college differ, but generally, speaking and writing is very important and are required before learning the skill (Bartholomae 5), and even though college has some features similar with high school, college introduces a new set of rules and ex pectations including writing expectations. Studies reveal that both high school teachers and college instructors agree on the importance of reading and writing skills but college instructors stress more on grammar and usage as opposed to high school teachers. ... More so, college students can sometimes be invited to use writing to react to a reading and speculate about it, or be asked to analyze the reading and make a worthwhile claim with good reasons to support this claim. All these tasks are not done in high school and this shows how writing advances when one joins a college. Actually, in college, an argument is less contentious and more systematic, and it can be described as a set of statements arranged a coherent and thoughtful manner. Usually, students are expected to propose a claim and develop evidence and reasons to back up their claim. More so, they have to ensure that there are limits and objections to their claim. A claim should be reasonably challenged for it to be interesting, and in colleges, students not only write to express what they think but also to show why others might agree with their writing. Moreover, students know that what they write is not the absolute truth and so they consider whatever they write as partial, inco mplete and subjected to challenge. Therefore, college students do write in a way that enables other people to test their reasoning, that is, propose a claim, reasons and responses to the challenges so as to allow the readers to see what the students think and decide whether to agree with their ideas or not. All these form an integral part of college education and for the time covered in college, students are expected to read, conduct research, gather information, analyze and then communicate it to the readers through writing. Some high school English teachers tend to teach skills that they think colleges and universities want from their students, but they may not catch up with the expectations of the

Peter The Great Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Peter The Great - Essay Example He was a true fighter and did not get discouraged by defeats. Rather he tried to strengthen himself so as to defeat his enemy. He has brought many reforms to Russia, be it be regarding marriages, taxes or the Church. Peter the Great also known as Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov, was a tyrant and ruler of Russia in the late 17th and early 18th century. He ruled, reformed and revolutionized the country in his own ways, bringing a storm of transformations. Peter was born on 9th June 1972 to Alexei Mikhailovich. He had a reign of forty two years over Russia, starting from May 7 1982 until his death. Peter was a curious man. He was receptive to all sorts of learning, whether it belonged to his own culture or not. He was also ruthless, having no mercy for those who rebelled. His list of achievements earned him many titles, such as "the Great", "Father of His Country" and "Emperor of all the Russias". Peter the Great had been given the gigantic responsibility of running the empire when he was a mere ten years old. Since then and till his death, Peter the Great's mind and body were always working to find ways in which he can improve Russia and make it better. His endeavours and successes made him great. Though he had been given power in 1682, he became the sole ruler of Russia in 1696 after the deaths of his mother, Naryshkina and half brother, Ivan V. Only then he had the authority and independence to take major moves and bring key reforms in Russia. Some of the accomplishments and reforms brought about by and the efforts put in by Peter the Great, in chronological order, are: Modernizing Russia Peter the Great was not one of the conventional types. He himself was eager to learn from other cultures and was willing to adapt their ways. He plays a big role in modernizing Russia. He had many Western advisors on the suggestions of whom he restructured the whole of the Russian Army on the standards and practices of the Europeans. Oppositions and criticisms were thrown at his new policies but he remained steadfast., showing utmost belief in his decisions. Peter cruelly suppressed everybody who rebelled against his new procedures, be it be the Streltsy, Bashkirs or the Astrakhans. Peter, during his visit to the West, realized that European ways and traditions were way superior to the Russian ones. As a result, he ordered all his courtiers and officers to get rid of their long beards. Moreover, Peter was so determined in sweeping westernization all over Russia that he passed the orders of collecting taxes from those who want to keep beards, in an attempt to decrease the number of people who keep beards. Not only his army, but other officials were also told to dress in European style. Furthermore, he endeavoured to bring a halt to the tradition of arranged marriages. He thought the custom was barbaric and led to domestic violence as the couple were being forced to stay with each other and the matrimonial ecstacy was missing. In 1699, Peter the Great changed the format of the calendar to incorporate the counting of years from the time Christ was born, rather than the old way of counting years from the Creation of the World. Now people had to celebrate New Year on 1st January, discarding the previous September 1. Russia - A