http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/asia Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 14 May 2026 11:43:54 -0400 Thu, 14 May 2026 11:43:54 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1942/imperial-mughal-literature-a-rich-source-of-scientific-information By Abhijit M. Bal - India was ruled by the Timurid-Mughal dynasty from 1526 to 1857. This period is mainly recognised for its art and architecture. The Timurid-Mughals also promoted knowledge and scholarship. Two of the Mughal emperors, Babur and Jahangir, wrote their memoirs. Babur’s daughter, Gulbadan Begum, composed the biography of her brother, Humayun. The imperial literature contains rich information. In this essay, I have highlighted the scientific information contained in the manuscripts. These include details of natural calamities, description of the natural world, astronomical sciences, medical sciences... Fri, 25 Feb 2022 10:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1942/imperial-mughal-literature-a-rich-source-of-scientific-information http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1918/euthanasia-and-consensual-harm-evaluating-the-moral-and-legal-asymmetry-of-self-and-other-regarding-acts By Anna L. Peters - Suicide is legal in almost every country, but places where euthanasia is permitted remain in the minority (Mishara and Weisstub 2016). In many legislatures, suicide is not a criminal act. It is, however, a criminal act for you to assist me in this, either indirectly by providing the means (assisted suicide), or directly by performing the fatal act (euthanasia), even if I ask for your assistance. This dichotomy is emblematic of a pattern that can be found in many legal systems: person B – the agent, throughout – is prohibited from doing to person A – the principal, throughout &... Mon, 25 Oct 2021 08:48 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1918/euthanasia-and-consensual-harm-evaluating-the-moral-and-legal-asymmetry-of-self-and-other-regarding-acts http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1876/cultural-misrepresentation-of-the-east-in-nicholas-roerichs-art By Arundhati Kalyan - Nicholas Roerich was inspired by the mystical concept of “Shambhala”—a utopian expanse of endless truth, knowledge and peace—and his paintings of Asia in the period 1923-1947 attempt to portray the pursuit of this utopian land in diverse Eastern traditions. While several scholars have praised his work for its unconventional style and unique message, I argue that his art fails to live up to the true nature of Eastern cultures and religions and instead distorts them. Through a detailed analysis of a selection of Roerich’s paintings from this period, I show that cultural... Fri, 12 Feb 2021 11:12 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1876/cultural-misrepresentation-of-the-east-in-nicholas-roerichs-art http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1829/construction-of-asian-identity-in-restaurant-menus-a-case-study By Mika Skibinsky - This paper explores the meaning and implications of “Asian” in the context of American restaurant menus. I determine what kind of language in dish descriptions, specifically ingredients and adjectives, indexes a restaurant or dish as “Asian.” Then, building on Mapes (2018), I observe how “Asianness” is constructed and performed using key discourse strategies, which I divide into two parts: Constructing “The Other” and Constructing “The Comfort Zone.” I then discuss how the construction of “Asianness” indexes the restaurant... Thu, 29 Oct 2020 09:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1829/construction-of-asian-identity-in-restaurant-menus-a-case-study http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1777/why-are-south-asian-immigrant-women-vulnerable-to-domestic-violence By Humza Husain - South Asian women in particular are not only vulnerable to domestic violence, but exceptionally vulnerable to underreporting of domestic violence. The problem compounds itself by making it difficult not only to quantify the issue, but also harder to understand its roots. This paper studies this phenomenon by analyzing the potential causes for both domestic violence as well as underreporting, through understanding what systemic, legislative, and cultural issues specifically plague South Asian women in the United States. Stark cultural differences between eastern and western values and culture,... Fri, 20 Dec 2019 09:25 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1777/why-are-south-asian-immigrant-women-vulnerable-to-domestic-violence http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1648/the-next-frontline-of-the-battle-against-the-islamic-state-southeast-asia By Elani Owen - The global network of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh,2 is expanding rapidly. Southeast Asia is especially vulnerable because of its large Muslim population and its history of extremist groups. In fact, some experts predict that Daesh could establish a strong satellite presence in Southeast Asia within the next year, with dire consequences for the region.3 As the leader in the global fight against terror and in the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, the United States (U.S.) needs to increase its counter terrorism cooperation with the governments in Southeast Asia... Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1648/the-next-frontline-of-the-battle-against-the-islamic-state-southeast-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1552/world-war-ii-in-the-united-states-colony-of-the-philippines-beyond-the-bataan-death-march-and-douglas-macarthur By Martha M. Helak - World War II ranks among the deadliest military conflicts in history. From 1939-1945, the estimated number of casualties worldwide exceeded 60 million.[1] The United States suffered military fatalities in excess of four hundred thousand, and the Philippines, an archipelago in Southeast Asia and an American colony from 1898 to1946, endured horrifying atrocities such as the Bataan Death March.[2] One hundred thousand Filipino civilians (the majority being women, children, and the elderly), were ultimately slaughtered by Japanese Marines during the sack of Manila.[3] By March of 1945, this cosmopolitan... Tue, 07 Mar 2017 05:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1552/world-war-ii-in-the-united-states-colony-of-the-philippines-beyond-the-bataan-death-march-and-douglas-macarthur http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1512/the-asean-experience-northeast-asia-and-beyond-free-trade-and-economic-integration By Aik Seng Tan - Economic regionalism has been an observable phenomenon worldwide. Many countries around the world pursue some degree of economic integration with neighbouring countries, in the hopes of capitalizing on the benefits of such an arrangement. At the turn of the 21st century, there already existed various regional economic institutions, including the highly integrated Eurozone in Europe and the East African Community (EAC) for continental Africa. This is in addition to a proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) between countries, which can be regional or cross regional in nature. Many... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1512/the-asean-experience-northeast-asia-and-beyond-free-trade-and-economic-integration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1318/norm-or-necessity-the-non-interference-principle-in-asean By Tram-Anh Nguyen - Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of the most prominent intergovernmental organizations in Asia. ASEAN's main achievement has been to unite ten countries in Southeast Asia through shared goals of regional peace and prosperity.i It attributes this success to the "ASEAN Way", of which the principle of non-interference is an integral part.1 Singapore's former Foreign Minister, Shunmugam Jayakumar asserted in 1997 that ASEAN's principle of non-interference in countries' domestic affairs had been "the key factor as to why no military conflict had broken out... Fri, 01 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1318/norm-or-necessity-the-non-interference-principle-in-asean http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1319/the-new-silk-road-assessing-prospects-for-win-win-cooperation-in-central-asia By Siyao Li - The New Silk Road, formally termed the Silk Road Economic Belt and also known as the "One Belt, One Road," was first proposed by China's President Xi Jinping during his 2013 visit to Central Asia. This initiative aims to revive the historical vitality of trade and exchanges among Central Asian countries and China.1 The vision of the Economic Belt "[brings] together China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe (the Baltic); linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean."2 In Central Asia, the New Silk Road is designed to pass through Khorgos,... Fri, 01 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1319/the-new-silk-road-assessing-prospects-for-win-win-cooperation-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1183/kant-and-mill-on-physician-assisted-suicide By Anna Kozlova - In Diane’s case, this maxim would be that, “If I suffer in indignity, I should end my own life.” If that were to be adopted, nobody on this earth would remain alive due to the every-day struggles we all face. This is a particularly strong maxim to disobey, as it is considered a perfect duty to oneself, due to the fact that it is without exception, and not influenced by personal inclinations, as imperfect duties may be (Kant, 1964, p. 29). Additionally, Kant has countered the case for suicide by disagreeing that the act of killing oneself can come from self-love. As Kant explains... Tue, 29 Sep 2015 11:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1183/kant-and-mill-on-physician-assisted-suicide http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1178/surveying-the-challenges-and-opportunities-of-americas-foreign-policy-toward-central-asia By Andreas Borgeas - America’s record of engagement in Central Asia[i] has been extensive during its post-9/11 era of adventurism. Between its vast military infrastructure and its explosive expansion of new commercial and security networks, the US has invested enormous resources in Central Asia in the last fourteen years. Consequently the US has financed repressive governments, ignited religious resistance groups, and exacerbated tensions with neighboring powers Russia and China. Indeed the US recalibrated its traditional foreign policy toward this region in order to pursue a forward operating position... Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1178/surveying-the-challenges-and-opportunities-of-americas-foreign-policy-toward-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1186/women-of-war-the-female-fighters-of-the-liberation-tigers-of-tamil-eelam By Erin Alexander - This paper explores the gendered dimensions of ethnic conflict, with a focus on the role that women have played in the LTTE. I analyze the gendered reconstruction of Tamil women in war to determine whether their participation in violence has altered their selfperception and, to a lesser extent, society’s view of female combatants. My analysis is based on many sources that offer first-hand knowledge of, and interviews with, female LTTE fighters. In order to better understand the roots of the conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese peoples of Sri Lanka, Section II first provides a brief history... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1186/women-of-war-the-female-fighters-of-the-liberation-tigers-of-tamil-eelam http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1188/us-policy-of-engagement-toward-north-korea-normalizing-the-balance-of-terror By Jung-Ju Lee - In this paper, I outline and evaluate three approaches to addressing the international threat posed by North Korea: 1) Hostile isolation through economic sanctions, intimidation, and aggressive military posturing to instigate denuclearization 2) Containment by impeding vertical and horizontal proliferation of North Korean missiles that emphasizes the maintenance of status quo over a policy of denuclearization 3) Engagement through multilateral efforts to offer political and economic incentives in exchange for gradual dismantlement of nuclear weapons production, backed by guarantees of international... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1188/us-policy-of-engagement-toward-north-korea-normalizing-the-balance-of-terror http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1190/muslims-in-moscow By Caitlin Toto - Since then, an inherent intolerance for Muslims has been embedded within the foundation of the country’s national identity. The recent influx of Muslims, precipitated by stagnant development in the Caucuses and Central Asia, have highlighted and reinforced the ideal that Muslims pose as an inferior, yet dangerous “other” in Muscovite society. Paradoxically, Moscow’s economy has become increasingly dependent upon an “outsider” workforce that many of its citizens hold a prejudice against; thus, the Russian government must soon find a way to alleviate the bitter... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1190/muslims-in-moscow http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1607/women-in-the-schoolhouse-whitehouse-and-whorehouse-empowering-sex-trafficked-women-in-southeast-asia-through-education-and-political-participation By Matthew Lozada - While the enslavement of humans has been occurring even before the dawn of written history, today's form of slavery occurs on an unprecedented scale in both scope and reach. This work attempts to understand the most vulnerable sectors of population groups and the strength of the laws in Southeast Asian countries that address the human trafficking epidemic in the region. This endeavor uses quantitative analysis through the linear regression function of the SPSS program to operationalize and see whether the factors of gender parity, educational attainment, or political representation show strong... Fri, 31 May 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1607/women-in-the-schoolhouse-whitehouse-and-whorehouse-empowering-sex-trafficked-women-in-southeast-asia-through-education-and-political-participation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1199/the-great-convergence-asia-the-west-and-the-logic-of-one-world By Kishore Mahbubani - Mr. Mahbubani is a Professor of Public Policy and Dean of the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He is the former Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, and later served as Singapore Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In that capacity he served as the President of the UN Security Council from January 2001 to May 2002. He is the author of Can Asians Think?, Beyond the Age of Innocence: Rebuilding Trust between America and the World and The New Asian Hemisphere: the Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East. His articles have appeared... Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1199/the-great-convergence-asia-the-west-and-the-logic-of-one-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1204/prospect-of-northeast-asian-regionalism-comparative-case-study-of-southeast-asia-and-northeast-asia By Soomin Oh - Regionalism, as Edward Mansfield describes, usually involves policy coordination through formal institutions within a region.1 Although there are conceptual debates surrounding what a region is and what regionalism is, empirically speaking one would say that there is a solid regionalism in Southeast Asia under the name of Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN. Northeast Asia, on the other hand, lacks a definite regional organization, although there are multilateral alliances that involve nations of Northeast Asia, such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Keeping these two regions... Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1204/prospect-of-northeast-asian-regionalism-comparative-case-study-of-southeast-asia-and-northeast-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/731/the-soviet-nationality-policy-in-central-asia By Salvatore J. Freni - The Soviet nationality policy for Central Asia in the early twentieth century was an acceleration of the processes of modernization that the Russian Empire had already begun. However, building socialism in a region where no working class existed and intellectuals based their knowledge primarily on religious texts presented inherent challenges. The primary means of identification for an individual lay within a particular tribe, valley, or oasis rather than in the Western concepts of ‘nationality’ or ‘ethnicity.’ Expanding over an enormous territory and inhabited by a multitude... Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/731/the-soviet-nationality-policy-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/701/arsenic-contamination-of-groundwater-in-nepal-good-public-health-intention-gone-bad By Roman Shrestha - Nepal is a small developing country in South Asia, bordered by China to the north and India to the south, east and west. With a total land area of 56,827 square miles, the country is predominantly mountainous with more than 80% of the total area covered by hills and mountains. However, the southern belt of Nepal consists of flat alluvial plains called the Terai region, populated by almost half of the total population of the country.1 According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) census, 2012, the estimated total population of the country is 29,890,686 with growth rate of 1.768% per annum.... Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:16 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/701/arsenic-contamination-of-groundwater-in-nepal-good-public-health-intention-gone-bad http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/673/trade-and-conflict-in-south-asia-examining-the-relationship-between-trade-interdependence-and-militarized-conflict By Urjita Sudula - The relationship between trade and conflicts between countries in South Asia is important to examine because of the rising prominence of this region of the world. Security issues are of utmost concern when considering the damaging effects that armed conflict has on global economic relations. Therefore, this paper aims to examine whether South Asia has become more stable and less conflict prone as a result of increasing trade relations between countries that have had a history of tense interactions. I rely on primarily quantitative methods to answer this crucial question, through the use of statistical... Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/673/trade-and-conflict-in-south-asia-examining-the-relationship-between-trade-interdependence-and-militarized-conflict http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/631/russia-and-iran-strategic-partners-or-competing-regional-hegemons-a-critical-analysis-of-russian-iranian-relations-in-the-post-soviet-space By Moritz A. Pieper - Russia and Iran have a long history of being geographic neighbours, rivals, competitors and partners - a history which has coined mutual expectations, stereotypes and interactions. Still present in the Iranian collective memory, Tsarist Russia expanded territorially into wide parts of what had hitherto been part of “Greater Iran” in Central Asia and the Caucasus. That way, Tehran lost Tbilisi and Baku to Russia in the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan and the khanates of Yerevan and Nakhichevan in the 1828 Treaty of Turkmanchai (Katouzian 2009: 144) - a historic disgrace which not only took... Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/631/russia-and-iran-strategic-partners-or-competing-regional-hegemons-a-critical-analysis-of-russian-iranian-relations-in-the-post-soviet-space http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/571/the-model-minority-asian-american-youth-and-the-harmful-perpetuation-of-a-cultural-myth By T D - A salient example of the overwhelming parental pressure exerted on first and second generation Asian-Americans, New York Times bestseller Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother describes one mother’s merciless integration of home life and academic expectation. Exalting a harsh parenting style as typical of the “Chinese way,” Yale Law School professor Amy Chua proudly shares the secrets behind her daughters’ success. Pushing her children to excel in all subjects, she finds that it is “crucial to override their preferences” because “nothing is fun until you&rsquo... Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/571/the-model-minority-asian-american-youth-and-the-harmful-perpetuation-of-a-cultural-myth http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/557/debating-voluntary-human-adult-euthanasia By Jeremy W. Wilson - Active euthanasia is most commonly associated with and frequently debated form of the practice. “Active euthanasia occurs when death is deliberately induced, as when a lethal dose of a drug is injected” (Santrock, 620). The most commonly referred to terms that come to mind when a person thinks of human euthanasia is not advanced directive or DNR orders but rather assisted suicide and physician-assisted suicide, also sometimes referred to as mercy killing. Euthanasia is almost always associated with an action that is performed on a patient to end their life rather than inaction in the... Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/557/debating-voluntary-human-adult-euthanasia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/528/the-effect-of-cedaw-ratification-in-central-asia By Vince A. Gonzalez - If ratification of CEDAW is related to women’s economic, political, and social rights, one would expect states that have ratified CEDAW to respect the rights of women more than states that have not ratified. I use the CIRI Human Rights Data Project measure of women’s economic, political, and social rights to analyze this hypothesis. The CIRI human rights data project’s measure of women’s economic, political, and social rights consists of a scale of 0 (no rights) to 3 (equal rights). The following is analysis of the data itself and the average scores given to the region... Mon, 16 May 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/528/the-effect-of-cedaw-ratification-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1232/the-odd-couple-modernization-and-democratization-in-southeast-asia By Nicholas Anderson - Seymour Martin Lipset's, "the more well-to-do a nation, the greater chances that it will sustain democracy,"1 has set off over five decades of intense debate over the conditions most conducive to democratic transition and establishment. Variations of what has become known as the modernization theory have been applied to innumerable cases in a variety of ways, in attempts to test its validity. In the process, Southeast Asia (SEA) has emerged as a region which seemingly defies the general thrust of this theory.2 With both incredibly rich authoritarian regimes and incredibly poor democracies, on... Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1232/the-odd-couple-modernization-and-democratization-in-southeast-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/505/understanding-iran-between-central-asia-and-the-gulf-cooperation-council By Tamim K. Kashgari - The Islamic Republic of Iran today sits at the crossroads of Asia between the Middle East and Central Asia. This inherently places it in very close proximity to over half of the world's known energy reserves both in the form of petroleum and natural gas. Thus, an understanding of Iranian intentions and motivations in both these regions are of paramount importance for the entire global community. On a superficial level, these regions share striking similarities. Both the Central Asian States as well as the Arab Gulf States are predominantly comprised of Sunni Muslims. They also share the trait... Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:35 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/505/understanding-iran-between-central-asia-and-the-gulf-cooperation-council http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1257/the-politics-of-asian-regionalism-in-korea-identity-politics-and-its-implications-for-us-rok-relations By Kim Dae-Gyeong - Drawing from the concept of national identity in the Constructivist School of International Relations, this paper sheds light on the interaction between identity politics and pan-Asian regionalist vision in South Korea today by examining how competing political groups – the progressives, leftists and conservatives – have formulated differing regional policies and long-term goals. After showing that each group’s distinctive identities toward North Korea and the United States have influenced the formation of controversies over regionalist visions, this paper suggests that successful... Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1257/the-politics-of-asian-regionalism-in-korea-identity-politics-and-its-implications-for-us-rok-relations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/261/japans-multilateral-gambit-leading-the-charge-toward-an-east-asian-community By Michael J. Norris - If Japan was a person, it would be an exceptionally wealthy yet rapidly aging individual, who, for two decades, had been struck by illness. One might therefore find it unexpected for this person to be busily working on constructing the new face of Asian regional economic cooperation. This, nevertheless, is exactly what Japan is doing. Since the Democratic Party of Japan crushed the dominant Liberal Democratic Party in the August 2009 elections, the new Japanese administration, led by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, has been articulating its vision for a new, integrative regional economic body in... Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/261/japans-multilateral-gambit-leading-the-charge-toward-an-east-asian-community http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/179/exploring-the-american-immigrant-experience-through-literature By Brian Richards - In “Amor de lejos: Latino (Im)migration Literatures,” B.V. Olguin writes, “Latino/a (im)migration narratives…often illustrate the traumatic aspects of displacement by focusing in part on how immigration, migration, exile, and colonization place people in a state of national limbo” (333). Similarly, in “The New Immigration and the Literature of Asian America,” Hye Suh and Robert Ji-Song Ku write, “Asian American literature bears the traces of global capitalism, technology, migration from south to north, new possibilities for national identity in... Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:48 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/179/exploring-the-american-immigrant-experience-through-literature