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Frederick I (1122-1190), also known as Frederick Barbarossa, was the nephew of German king Conrad III, and became Duke of Swabia in 1147. When Conrad died in 1152, he named Frederick as his successor on his deathbed, rather than his own son, Frederick IV of Swabia. He was later crowned King of Italy and Holy Roman emperor in 1155, as well as being proclaimed King of Burgundy in 1178.<br/><br/> Frederick was given the name Barbarossa ('red beard') by the northern Italian cities he attempted to conquer, waging six campaigns in all to subsume Italy, struggling constantly with the various popes and interference from the Byzantine Empire. Frederick embarked on the Third Crusade in 1189, after his sixth and final Italian expedition ended in success, a massive campaign in conjunction with the French King Philip Augustus and the English King Richard the Lionheart.<br/><br/> Before Frederick even arrived in Jerusalem however, he drowned in the Saleph river in 1190, leaving the German army in a state of chaos and ultimately leading to the dissolution of the Crusader army. He was considered an exceptionally charismatic leader and one of the Holy Roman Empire's greatest mediaeval emperors, with his contributions including the reestablishment of the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' (Roman rule of law). His qualities were considered almost superhuman by some, his ambition, longevity, organisational skills, battlefield acumen and political perspicuity all adding to his reputation.
Rati is the Hindu goddess of love, carnal desire, lust, passion and sexual pleasure. Usually described as the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, Rati is the female counterpart, the chief consort and the assistant of Kama (Kamadeva), the god of love. A constant companion of Kama, she is often depicted with him in legend and temple sculpture. She also enjoys worship along with Kama. Rati is often associated with the arousal and delight of sexual activity, and many sex techniques and positions derive their Sanskrit names from hers.<br/><br/> The Hindu scriptures stress her beauty and sensuality. They depict her as a maiden who has the power to enchant the god of love. When the god Shiva burnt her husband to ashes, it was Rati, whose beseeching or penance, leads to the promise of Kama's resurrection. Often, this resurrection occurs when Kama is reborn as Pradyumna, the son of Krishna. Separated from his parents at birth, Rati – under the name of Mayavati – plays a critical role in the upbringing of Pradyumna. She acts as his nanny, as well as his lover, and tells him the way to return to his parents by slaying the demon-king, who is destined to die at his hands. Later, Kama-Pradyumna accepts Rati-Mayavati as his wife.
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Malay-Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era.<br/><br/>Members of this community in Malaysia identify themselves as 'Nyonya-Baba' or 'Baba-Nyonya'. Nyonya is the term for the females and Baba for males. It applies especially to the ethnic Chinese populations of the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java and other locations, who adopted partially or in full Malay-Indonesian customs to become partially assimilated into the local communities.<br/><br/>While the term Peranakan is most commonly used among the ethnic Chinese for those of Chinese descent also known as Straits Chinese (土生華人; named after the Straits Settlements), it may also be applied to the Baba-Yaya community in Phuket and other provinces of southern Thailand.
Turkey: A Turkish dervish. Photo by Jean Pascal Sebah (1872 - 6 June 1947), c. 1920-1930.<br/><br/> A dervish/darvish/darwish in Islam is a believer or religious mendicant in a Sufi fraternity (tariqah) who has chosen material poverty. Their focus is on the universal values of love and service, to try and reach God through abandoning ego. In many Sufi orders, a dervish is known practice dhikr (Islamic meditation) through physical exertions to attain an ecstatic trance.<br/><br/> In folklore, dervishes are often credited with the ability to perform miracles and ascribed supernatural powers.
Phnom Penh lies on the western side of the Mekong River at the point where it is joined by the Sap River and divides into the Bassac River, making a meet place of four great waterways known in Cambodian as Chatomuk or 'Four Faces'. It has been central to Cambodian life since soon after the abandonment of Angkor in the mid-14th century and has been the capital since 1866.<br/><br/> An elegant Franco-Cambodian city of broad boulevards and Buddhist temples, it was considered one of the jewels of Southeast Asia until Cambodia became involved in the Second Indochina War in 1965. Ten years later victorious Khmer Rouge forces captured the city. These extreme left-wing communists, led by the secretive Pol Pot, ordered the immediate evacuation of Phnom Penh causing up to two million deaths during the period 1975-79. During this time the city was abandoned and fell into ruin. Since the defeat of the Khmer Rouge in 1979 it has been gradually recovering, but still bears scars of a terrible past.
In mid-19th century Siam, both men and women wore wore similar hairstyles, with the head shaved except for a round tuft on the crown which was spiked like a brush. Both sexes also wore mid-length trousers, or 'pha nung', which were supported by a belt or tied in a knot. Middle and upper-class women generally wore a sarong or cloth over their left shoulder to cover their breast, leaving their right arm free. Before this time, the midriff and chest were usually left exposed with tattoos decorating the torso.