AP+WORLD+HISTORY

essays to print

Throughout a societies reign, many factors influence the empire’s outcome. However, sometimes these variables can drastically change the path a empire takes; leading to unique qualities of each. The Islamic Empire was drastically different from the other empires around the same time period because of its distinctive religion. For example, the religion of the Indian Empire placed strict boundaries within social classes causing its society and economy to differ greatly from the egalitarian values in the Islamic Empire which caused a unified economy and society. Within the Indian Empire, Hinduism was the main religion for many years which caused disruptions unlike the unification within the Islamic Empire. Both Hinduism and Muslim provided for a salvation, however the way to reach this higher state differed. Within Hinduism there were very strict social classes. At the top of the social pyramid were the Brahmans. They were the priestly class within the Indian Empire and were very important within the society. Following the Brahmans were the Kshatriya. These people were the rulers and warriors. The Vaishya class, which consisted of merchants, followed the warrior class. Finally, the sudra was the last class within the Hindu caste system. These people were the farmers and artisans. However, these were only the classes recognized by society ;there was a group of people, the untouchables, that were at the bottom of the system. In fact, they were not even considered a part of the society. All of these classes were put into place because of Hinduism. Hinduism believed in karma. To gain karma, one must complete good deeds within their life. The main hope of gaining karma was to climb the social ladder. However, this social stratification caused the empire to become separated. Often in society, there was friction between classes. It was extremely hard to move within this system; causing people to become stuck in a particular class. The upper classes looked down on the lower classes, especially the untouchables. Most refused to make eye contact with these people because they were thought to be dirty and the more important people did not want to become infected with their dirt. These social differences also greatly affected the economy of the Indian Empire. Because the higher classes consisted of priests and warriors, the middle and lower classes consisted of working people. The middle and lower classes were looked down upon by the kshatryia and brahmans because they thought they did not have as much karma. These lower class people were the ones providing the goods that would support the entire empire. They were the farmers, artisans and traders. Without these people, the empire would fail quickly because they are supporting the entire population. They are essentially the backbone of the society. Being in these social classes also limited people from changing their occupation. Because each class was designated certain professions, it was very unlikely that a person would raise the status of their occupation and place within society. This caused disruption within the empire because there was a lack of unity and freedom. Without these two components it is very difficult to have peace. When there is constant inequalities and differences related to status; feelings of envy and separation occur causing disruption with the empire. However, this was very different from the society and economy in the Islamic Empire. Within the Islamic Empire the beliefs were considered to be more based on egalitarianism instead of the separation of people with provided them with relative peace. The religion of the Islamic Empire was Muslim, which allowed for prosperity within the society and the economy. The God of this religion was Allah. Allah had a profit named Mohammed that played a big role in connecting Allah with the citizens of this region. In the eyes of Allah ,all men were equal. Everyone who followed the Qur’an and practiced Muslim tradition had an equal chance of reaching salvation, which the Muslims saw as a paradise. In this religion, each person was required to confess their faith, perform ritualistic prayers, give alms, fast during Ramadan and complete a pilgrimage to Mecca. These practices are slightly similar to the ritualistic beliefs that were incorporated in Hinduism. If a person followed these five practices, which were known as the five pillars of Islam, they would become eligible for salvation. This unified all Muslims because they had the same goal. Within Hinduism, it was extremely hard for one to reach the afterlife because of karma and the process of rebirth. They had to go through very long processes and rituals in order to finally reach their form of salvation, however the Muslims simply had to follow the basics of the religion. This unity had a great impact of the economy of this empire. Even though there were classes like there was in Hinduism, it was easier to move within the society because of the united feelings and the words of Allah. This caused economic opportunities and the chances to increase wealth as well as social status. In addition, being a merchant was not looked down upon in this society as it was in Indian culture. A big reason why this difference took place was the fact that Mohammed, the profit, was a merchant himself. It was seen as a respected profession. Because of the level of respect, people were encouraged to trade which improved the overall economy. Religion was a main factor in the differences between Islamic society and economy and its Indian counterparts. The people in the Indian Empire were separated because of the social caste system promoted by Hinduism which greatly affected the social interactions and economical prosperity of the empire. However, the equal opportunities preached by Allah and accepted within Muslim beliefs caused social equality and economic prosperity. The social caste system influenced society by causing feelings of inadequacy within lower classes. It also affected the economy by regarding professions, such as merchants, as unrespectable within society; when actually they were the ones providing the stimulus of the economy. However, in Islamic culture all believers were seen as equal which gave each person a sense of unity. The economy also prospered because professions ,such as merchant ,were accepted and respected within society; causing trade to increase thus improving the economy. Overall, different religious beliefs and values contributed to the uniqueness and individuality of the Islamic Empire.
 * Islam Essay**


 * China Essay**

Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, founded the religion of Buddhism. Buddhism originated in India and then migrated into China via the Silk Road. The religion of Buddhism is based on karma and following the pathway to enlightenment. The main objective of Buddhism is to take away material belongings in order to reach the elimination of sorrows once they reach Nirvana. Therefore, during turbulent times in Chinese history, the Chinese were faithful in practicing Buddhism as a way to cope with the hardships of invasion and uncertainty; however as the Chinese empire gained stability they shifted their focus onto prosperity and neglected the Buddhist ways because life did not give them a need to cope. During times of instability in China the Chinese people turned to Buddhism to help them cope and deal with the hardships life brought them. When Siddhartha Gautama realized death and sickness was everywhere in the world, he decided that most things caused pain therefore he was eager to find a way to cease the pain. As stated in “The Four Noble Truths”(document 1), the first sermon preached by Buddha, “Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, disease is sorrow, death is sorrow, contact with the unpleasant is sorrow, separation from the pleasant is sorry, every wish unfilled is sorrow.” According to the First Noble Truth, everything in life is filled with grief and nobody can ever be completely satisfied. All of the suffering people face roots the craving of material objects that can only bring temporary happiness. In order to end the suffering, there must be a “complete stopping of that craving, so that no passion remains, leaving it, being emancipated from it, being released from it, giving no place to it.” Once a person follows the eightfold path and the four noble truths, they will end their suffering and finally reach enlightenment. These principles and philosophies are displayed through Chinese history. Zhi Dun (document 2), a Chinese scholar during the period when northern China was invaded by central Asian steppe nomads, believed in the ways of Buddhism. During these rough times he believed that if he followed the teaching of Buddhism ” He will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit, and then will enter Nirvana.” Zhi Dun, like all other Buddhists, believes that in order to reach enlightenment you must follow the teachings of Buddha, observe laws and sacrifice pleasures. If you followed these simple steps and build up karma, you would reach Nirvana. During this time period in China, the general morale was low. The northern boarder in China was left unsecured which allowed the invasion of nomads. The central Asian steppe nomads created an unstoppable power which rivaled the Chinese government. During this time of uncertainty, the Chinese were desperate for a way to stop the suffering that the turmoil that the disputes brought. They found the answer to ceasing their sorrows in Buddhism. Buddhism gave them faith in reaching a higher being and ending the suffering associated with warfare. Since Zhi Dun was held with such high regards by the Chinese aristocrats and high officials he had a very strong influence on people. If he promoted Buddhism, which held all believers on an equal playing field, the confidence of the Chinese citizens would improve therefore refining the overall state of the empire. Even though Buddhism helped get the Chinese through difficult times, as the Han empire declined the Chinese were finally creating their own identity which put most Chinese people on the fence about Buddhism. Around 500 C.E, the Han empire in China began to collapse which caused uncertain times for the Chinese however during this time period the Chinese government was starting to create an identity for their culture which made them unsure about practicing Buddhism. Buddhism got caught between these two issues because it was not consistent with Chinese history and did not originate from China ;however it still seemed to help out the Chinese in difficult times. In “The Disposition of Error” (document 3) you can see the uncertainty within China. People are questioning the ways of Buddhism because they differ from Confucius. One person even questioned “If Buddhism is the greatest and most venerable of ways, why did the great sages of the past and Confucius not practice it?“ The anonymous writer of this document defends the Buddhist ways by informing the society of the good it can bring. This document was written during a time when Chinese culture was finally starting to identify itself. In addition to this, the southern part of China was experiencing suffering associated with the warfare. Within document 3 it is evident that even though the Chinese people were desperate for their own identity and ways and becoming skeptical, influential scholars were still supporting Buddhism because of the unsettled nature of the empire. As Zhi Dun mentioned in document 2 “one who follows the ways of the Buddha will eventually reach enlightenment and reach Nirvana.” This gave the Chinese people during this period of time some hope. People might have also been skeptical about Buddhism because they were unfamiliar with its origin and practices. This skepticism perhaps originated from the fact that Buddhism did not originate from China. Perhaps they did not recognize the history behind the religion. It would have been helpful to have a document from a commoner about this period of time. This type of document would be make it easier to decipher if the warfare and suffering happening in southern China affected the mindset of everyday people. Since Buddha, Zhi Dun and Zong Mi were all scholars who have high influence within the community, it would be interesting to see if their views and opinions influenced commoners in China. However once the disputes during the Han empire ceased the Tang Dynasty instilled unity and stability which altered the views on Buddhism. Buddhism is looked at as being a religion to assist those looking for the relief of their sorrows and pains so as the Tang Dynasty is China allowed the country to gain stability the need for Buddhism declined and Confucianism took hold. The Tang Dynasty is know to have brought renewed imperial unity and prosperity. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism had reached its highest point. Han Yu, a leading Confucian scholar and official at the Tang imperial court, wrote the “Memorial on Buddhism” (document 4) at this time in China. In the “Memorial on Buddhism” Han Yu does not agree with Buddhism because it does not match up with Chinese customs. Han Yu held a very status in the Imperial Court. In order to reach his high status in a job, he must past an examination on Confucianism. Since this man probably was very educated on this religion, the Confucius ways were probably instilled into him which possibly could have altered his opinion. Another example of the disputes between Buddhism in the government is in the essay “On the Nature of Man” written by Zong Mi. Zong Mi not only was a Buddhist scholar, but also favored by the Tang Imperial household. He believed that even though Buddha, Confucius and Laozi were different sages and had different ways of approaching religion and philosophy all three of them created an orderly society “and should be observed with respect.” Zong Mi experienced both sides of conflict; from a Buddhists views and from a Confucius views. Zong Mi saw that even though the ways and the approaches were different they all held the society together and there was no need for fighting. However, the Tang Emperor Wu believed Buddhism should be eradicated from China altogether because it caused social disturbances within the empire. He believed that Buddhism “wears out the people’s strength, pilfers their wealth, caused them to abandon their lords and parents …” During the Tang Dynasty there was unity and success in China. The unity did not give people a need to pray for the relief of their pains and worries because China was a particularly calm and prosperous place during this empire. Because of prosperity, they did not have to sacrifice things in order eliminate their sorrows because overall the country was stable and they could enjoy the good it brought to them. In conclusion, it is evident that Buddhism was looked on as a salvation to the Chinese people during times of hardship and uncertainty about the state of the country however as time progressed and the county became more stabilized there was no longer a need for them to pray for their hardships to be taken away because there was no longer countrywide disputes and uncertainty about the future.


 * Rome Essay**

Although numerous things changed throughout the Roman military and economy, the farmers always were the backbone of the military. During the Roman Republic, there was always small farmers providing food for the large empire. In addition to sustaining the empire through agriculture, they also provided a constant supply of recruits to the military. The agriculture in China was also similar during the Han Empire because they also were able to have a large output of crops that fed a large population. The fact that the farmers were in the military affected the well-being of everyone throughout the empire. The farmers who also served as soldiers, were loyal to the state and instrumental in expanding the empire to the east and the west. Since there were enough crops, money was coming into the military and also to the farmers. The amount of trade increased because they had relative peace within the empire and they had a sufficient amount of goods to trade. Thus, because there was food, they were satisfied because the citizens did not have to worry about starvation. This basic necessity was being met. This improved the military by allowing them to defend the boarders from invasion and expand the territory because they were strong. The military was also important because it was needed to protect the empire, especially on its borders where it was susceptible to foreign nomadic invaders. However, as the ownership of the land was transferred from the small farmers to the aristocrats it set in motion social changed that impacted Rome. The catalyst for change within the economy and the military of the Roman Empire was the transfer of land ownership. Large wealthy landowners started taking over state own land, buying the land from the small peasant farmers in the process. They developed large estates called latifundia that replaced the small farmers with slave labor. The development of the latifundia created a decline in the number of small farmers. Because the small farmers were the primary source of new soldiers, the number of men who were available to serve in the army declined. This also caused a large number of the small farmers and their families to move to the cities where they created a large class of landless poor. This migration increased the disparity between the social classes in Rome. Many of the small farmers ended up moving to Rome where they began to live in horrible conditions. These once content farmers were now living in housing that was extremely poor, and even unsafe. The government was forced to give out free grain to feed them because their income was gone and were even provided with entertainment to lower the violence and social unrest amongst the poor. In addition, the great slave population on the latidundia often rebelled the land owners to become fearful. At one point in time, there were two brothers named Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus who came to believe that the decline of the small farmer was the underlying cause of Rome’s problems. Unfortunately, the rich landowners were angry with these brothers and did not want to implement any of their suggestions because it would mean they would loose their own land. The two brothers were ultimately killed because of their views. In fact, these small farmers new conditions affected the military greatly by giving more power to the generals and creating a military based on professional soldiers. The recruits from the army now came from the urban and rural poor who owned no property. The Roman general Marius was the first to recruit this way. In order to entice these recruits to join the military, the generals promised the men land of their own. In order to get this land, the generals had to work to get laws passed that would provide these benefits for their veterans. Because of this new arrangement, the soldiers must promise loyalty to the general, and not the state. This created a military where individual generals possessed great power and in affect did not have to take orders from the emperor in power. This new power structure ultimately changed the dynamics of government because when a ruler died, he was not usually seceded by an heir, rather the new ruler often came into power because he had a strong general behind him with the most powerful army. The soldiers had no real interest in working for the well-being on the government because their sole purpose was pleasing the general so that they could gain land. Property ownership was also a way to gain ones social standing within the empire, causing this to become a very powerful incentive. As the number of army recruits declined because of civil war and plague, the Romans were forced to enlist soldiers from outside the roman empire, for example the Germans. This costs money which put a strain on the economy. Foreign recruits certainly did not have the interest in protecting the empire as Romans. When there are so many social conflicts and issues within an empire, it leads to instability. As the economy and military within an empire becomes unstable, it will become hard to sustain itself throughout time. It is evident that throughout the history of the Roman Empire the agricultural economy had a big impact on the military of the empire. As the latifundias were put into place and the land was redistributed from small farm owners to aristocrats, the economy and the military suffered. Because the economy and military suffered, they caused the ultimate fall of the empire because they weakened the overall state of the empire.
 * So**metimes the same factors that lead to success can ultimately contribute to the downfall of an empire. It is possible to detect very distinct changes within the Roman Empire as the empire grew and developed. These changes occurred both in the economy and the military of Rome, however some aspects remained the same. For example, throughout history the agricultural basis of the economy sustained the empires large military by providing food and recruits, however as time progressed the distribution of land caused downfalls within the economy and military which ultimately caused the empire to fall because it caused social changes which affected the society and army.


 * India Essay**

Throughout history, things are supposed to changed. People evolve and the beliefs they possess mature. It is possible to detect very distinct changes within India as the country grew and developed. These changes occurred both in the philosophy and the religions of India, however some aspects remained the same. For example, the philosophical and religious views of the afterlife remained the same throughout history however, their philosophical and religious views on the attainment of this afterlife changed due to the fact that Buddhism promoted the belief of bodhi, or wisdom, which taught the Buddhists to think about life instead of following rituals to be accepted into a happy afterlife. Although numerous things changed about Indian philosophy and religion throughout history, their beliefs on the concept of an afterlife remained the same. In Buddhism, which was considered more of a philosophy about life rather than a religion, and in Hinduism, there were beliefs on reaching an afterlife. In Indian culture, there was a set of rules called the Dharma. The Dharma was the law to their existence and the path to their destiny. If they followed The Dharma, they would reach a place of eternal happiness once their life on earth ended. Throughout a person’s life, they build up something called Karma. They gained Karma if they follow the ways of the Dharma and made acceptable decisions throughout their lives, and they would loose Karma if they do not follow the specific rules their religion set out for them. Because Karma was based on making good decisions and choices, both the philosophy and religion of India promoted non-violence. Ultimately, Karma determined if a person would proceed into the afterlife and how they would be re-incarnated. In both the philosophy of Buddhism and religion of Hinduism there are beliefs of re-birth, which is also called samsara. In Hinduism, it is taught that the body and soul continue to die and become re-born because of samsara. Since the desire to be born again links with the desire to receive pleasure through your body, it is thought that the person would be trapped in the cycle of re-birth and never reach the ultimate goal of the afterlife. Once the person seeks a higher forms of happiness and truly discovers them self, the cycle of being re-born will cease and they will reach a happy state after life. In the philosophy of Buddhism, it is believed the samsara is a wheel that continues until they reach nirvana, with is enlightenment. Even though these factors remained the same throughout history, the Buddhists promoted philosophy and becoming wise whereas the Hindus thought following specific rituals would lead them to a happy afterlife. The catalyst for change regarding philosophy and religion in India was the Buddhist’s appreciation and value for wisdom in comparison to the Hindu’s valued ritualistic behaviors and ideas in hope of reaching a happy afterlife. The Buddhists believed in following the middle path. The middle path was the median between asetism, living a simple life, and materialism, getting what you want and doing what you want. On the other hand, Hindus were expected to live extremely simple lives and give up all forms of pleasure. Even though Hinduism was practiced by more than 70 percent of the population, it was difficult to reach the afterlife because in order to reach it you had to deprive yourself of things and follow specific rules. Because the basis of Buddhism is wisdom, Buddhists saw this factor as being more important then just simply sacrificing yourself from experiencing life’s important lessons. The only way to become wise is to have lessons to learn from, and if you are restricted by your religion, you will never be able to reach such a wise state. The next major difference between the philosophy and religion of India was the Hindu rituals. In the Hindu religion there were around 3,300 deities they prayed too. Their main god, Brahma, would manifest himself in different gods for each aspect of the Hindu’s life. He was one god expressed in many ways. Hinduism is neither polytheistic nor monotheistic. In order to reach the happiness of the afterlife, a person must pray to all of these deities and follow daily and special occasion rituals. One of the daily rituals they perform is the puja. This ritual was done to keep each person aware of their family and their own responsibilities as individuals. There are over 7 rituals performed while a child is in the womb and during the first stages of its life. The rituals include Samskars, Punsavana and Simantonnyana just to name a few. There were also rituals for boys in the uppermost three classes, rituals for marriage and rituals for death. However, the Buddhists tried to escape these ritualistic behavior. Once they have eliminated this formulated equation to the afterlife, it allowed them to define their own meaning of enlightenment and gain the necessary wisdom to reach it. Enlightenment is dependent on the individual person instead of being dependent of following an equation. Each person must determine what exactly eternal happiness means to them, then they will be content with their lives. The last major change throughout the philosophy and religion of India was the caste system. The caste system was set in place by the Hindus and was divided by skin color. At the top of the caste was the Brahmins who were usually priests and teachers. Next were the Ksatriya group who were the warriors and rulers. Below the Ksatriya were there Vaisyas who was farmers, merchants and various other jobs. These three classes had the ability to receive the two-born ceremony. However, the next class was not. This next class was the Sudras, or laborers. They usually did hard physical work for the upper-class. Technically, there were only four classes in Indian history, but at the way bottom of the system were the Untouchables. They were associated with filth and could not even be seen by the members of the upper classes. Even though this type of class system is mostly associated with Indian culture, it also made appearances in both Muslim and Christian religion. The Hindu people thought that these classes helped differentiate the people who had earned good karma in their lives and the people who had bad karma in their lives. They believed that this system would help people reach the afterlife. However, the Buddhist people believed in egalitarianism, everybody was equal. This same concept makes an appearance in the United States Declaration of Independence where it states “all men are created equally.“ Everybody had an equal chance at obtaining enlightenment, it was not only reserved for the upper class. Not only did this promote faith in the Buddhist people, but it also gave them a sense of unity that allowed them to be productive in other aspects of life because classes did not interfere. This was very wise behavior for the time being because it was based on the concept of equality whereas Hinduism was based on competition. The fact that Buddhism relied on wisdom and Hinduism relied on rituals really caused a turning point in Indian philosophy and religion. Throughout the history of India, many aspects of the philosophy and religion remained the same however, as the Buddhist religion began to appreciate wisdom over the ritualistic behaviors of the Hinduism religion the philosophy and religious beliefs of India changed greatly.


 * Assyria/Persia Essay**

History shows us that every empire, even the great ones, has a beginning and an end. One of the major factors that influences an empire’s reign is the style of the ruler. This factor directly impacts the society and economy of each empire. For example, the violent nature of the Assyrian empire caused the economy and society of Assyria to ultimately fail, whereas the calm and peaceful nature of the Persian leaders allowed the Persian empire to prosper in the area of its economy and society. The Assyrian empire was ruled under violent beliefs which is the main reason why its economy and society failed. The Assyrian empire was a military monarchy. A person’s rank and position in the military structure determined their social status. They saw strength, brute force and toughness as qualities to possess. Because these were masculine traits, men were valued over women in the society because they were able to demonstrate these qualities. Most of the men in the empire were soldiers and involved in the military, or they were farmers and traders. This did not leave many important tasks for women to do within the empire. The military also drained most of the men from the society. Because they were off defending the empire and conquering new nations, most of the people left at home were women, children and the elderly, impacting family life. Art was also impacted by this militaristic focus. Some pieces of art depicted the King and his warriors in battle and hunting animals. This shows that the military and violence were so influential to the society that it even had a strong impact on their culture. It seeped into all aspects of their lives. Violence led to the empire’s fall because it ultimately weakened the social structure by promoting more violence and causing the people to feel scared and afraid of the military. The people often lived in fear and did not feel united with their rulers and the military. Another way the violent nature of the Assyrians affected its longevity was by bringing down the economy. In Assyria, many of the men were at war. The military was very large and often needed to be replenished with men after a battle. Since there was a constant need for more men to join the army, there were very little men that were able to stay at home to farm and trade. Since tradesmen often passed down their trade to their sons, and many young men were at war, there was nobody for the tradesmen to teach their craft to and keep it living in the economy. Another way the militaristic views damaged the economy was by depleting its supply of materials. Because the military was constantly active, they would need to be regularly replenished with ammunition, horses and the resources they needed to fight. Since they were constantly at war and in turmoil, it made trade across the various regions of the empire difficult to establish. All of these factors eventually weakened the empire which made it vulnerable to being conquered by the Persians. The Persians had a style of ruling that was the exact opposite to a military based empire-an empire of peace. The Persian empire was ruled with very peaceful beliefs which is the main reason why it was able to prosper with respect to its society and economy. The Persian empire was one of the largest empires in history Cyrus the Great established the peaceful style of ruling for the Persian empire. He had much wisdom and differed greatly from previous conquerors. Many of there conquerors would destroy anything against their belief whereas Cyrus the Great treasured differences. Because of this, he retained the societies and structures that were previously in place. At the top of the Persian empire was the King who ruled the society. Below him were 20 satraps who governed each province, also known as a satrapy in Persia. When the Persians would conquer a new territory, they would allow the local government officials to stay in power. The Persians let them continue with their customs and religion. This allowed the nation to retain its culture and become diverse. The people in the Persian society were happy because the ranks and positions in society stayed in place and they were allowed to conduct their daily way of life under the satrap and the king. Under these conditions a society can grow and prosper and family units remained in tact. In addition to the Persian society flourishing, the economy also grew and expanded within the empire. When the Persians came into a new nation and conquered them, they allowed them to retain their ways of doing business. Unlike the Assyrians, the Persians did not destroy, but rather embraced the differences and took the best things and practices from each region. As the empire expanded, more opportunities fro trade arose across the provinces. Because everybody was united under the ruler, there was nothing getting in the way of people and goods moving across the wide regions. Different areas were able to learn about different ways of doing business, which allowed for new economic opportunities and collaboration. In conclusion, a peaceful empire thrived in a world of violence because it united the people and allowed them to choose which traits they saw were important in a successful empire. The violent nature of the Assyrian empire caused the economy and society of Assyria to ultimately fail by promoting violence. The people of Assyria did not feel united at all, and were afraid of the military. The military used up many valuable resources and did not allow the economy to prosper. The calm and peaceful nature of the Persian leaders allowed the Persian empire to prosper in the area of its economy and society. The Persian economy primarily was based on using each satraps strengths to help the economy grow. The Persian society was a very diverse place, and did not have any set social classification system because the Persian government allowed each conquered nation to continue with their previous ways of life. Overall, when a nation of people feel united and peaceful in their empire every aspect of life seems just a little bit easier.