Illumination, Heroism and Harmony Preface The task of preparing teaching-learning material for value- oriented education is enormous. There is, first, the idea that value-oriented education should be exploratory rather than prescriptive, and that the teaching- learning material should provide to the learners a growing experience of exploration. Secondly, it is rightly contended that the proper inspiration to turn to value-orientation is provided by biographies, autobiographical accounts, personal anecdotes, epistles, short poems, stories of humour, stories of human interest, brief passages filled with pregnant meanings, reflective short essays writ

Catherine the Great as statesman We can hardly doubt the good intentions of Catherine in the early years of her reign. In her copy of Fenelon's Telemaque were found these resolutions: Study mankind, learn to use men without surrendering to them unreservedly. Search for true merit, be it at the other end of the world, for usually it is modest and retiring. Do not allow yourself to become the prey of flatterers; make them understand that you care neither for praise nor for obsequiousness. Have confidence in those who have the courage to contradict you, ... and who place more value on your reputation than on your favor. Be p

Pre - Contents Cover Page Acknowledgements This monograph is part of a series on Value-oriented Education centered on three values: Illumination, Heroism and Harmony. The research, preparation and publication of the monographs that form part of this series are the result of the cooperation of the following members of the research team of the Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research, Auroville: Abha, Alain, Anne, Ashatit, Auralee, Bhavana, Christine, Claude, Deepti, Don, Frederick, Ganga, Jay Singh, Jean-Yves, Jossy, Jyoti Madhok, Kireet Joshi, Krishna, Lala, Lola, Mala, Martin, Mirajyoti, Namrita, Olivier, Pa

A few anecdotes and events during Catherine's reign I "New Russia" and the journey to Crimea The journey to the Crimea, which Catherine made in 1787, was a triumphal progress of incredible magnificence, marking a splendid climax in her reign. It was intended to impress not only Turkey, but the whole civilized world with the wealth and power of the Empress of Russia, and as planned by Potemkin it more than succeeded. But, while the courts of Europe received prompt reports about this magnificent journey, news of the Russian people percolated¹ more slowly. At this time, in fact, a severe famine afflicted the country. Hungry beggars swarme

The Arrival in Russia On 10 January 1744, the Princess Sophia of Anhalt- Zerhst set out with her parents as though on their annual visit to Berlin. Their departure from Zerbst was unobtrusive, for both her mother and father had taken care to give the impression in the town that nothing special was happening; they had not even explained to their daughter the reason for these hurried arrangements. But Sophia herself knew that she was embarking on no ordinary journey and, although not yet fifteen years old, she knew too, that this was a fateful step in her life. The excitement in the Anhalt-Zerbst family had started on New Year’s Day. Mail had come as they sa

Catherine II (Painting of Russian School, copy after Alexander Roslin) II Reform of the Law Although Catherine did not hesitate to follow self-interest in foreign relations, she took an idealistic view of her domestic problems. She turned from Machiavelli¹ to Montesquieu². When she thought of Courland and Poland she pictured herself as a general on horseback; when she thought of Russia she pictured herself as the Little Mother, Matushka. She and Russia were united against the rest of the world. The Empress wished to make her people happy without making hers elf unhappy. Russia had despotic, conflicting, chaotic laws. There was a printed code

Notes Russia under Catherine the Great Frederick the Great wrote, about 1776: « Of all the neighbors of Prussia, Russia merits most attention, as being the most dangerous; it is powerful and near. Those who in future will govern Prussia will like me, be forced to cultivate friendship of these barbarians." Always, in thinking of Russia, we most remember its size. Under Catherine the Great it included Esthonia, Livonia, Finland (in part), European Russia, the northern Caucase and Siberia. Its area expanded from 687000 to 913000 square kilometers in the eighteen century; its population grew from thirteen millions in 1711 to thirty million in 1790. In 1722,97.7 p

How She Came to Power Shortly after 4pm on Xmas Day 1761, the doors from the bedchamber were flung open. The Prince Nikita Trubetskoi, one of the oldest senators, appeared in the doorway. He was in tears, as were all present, and then, controlling his emotion, he announced the death of the Empress, Elisabeth, and proclaimed the new sovereign. Emperor Peter III. Catherine was at least nearing her goal. Eighteen years had passed since as a young girl she had first arrived in Russia, ambitious to make a glorious career for herself. Those years had passed for the most part in boredom and isolation, from which she had escaped into books and riding. She was now thirty

Catherine the Great ( Panting by Johann Baptist Lompi the Elder - 1793 ) Catherine the Great Introduction In England the period of the New Monarchy from Edward IV to Elizabeth, in France the great Bourbon period from Henry IV to Louis XIV in Spain the epoch which extends from Ferdinand to Philip II, in Russia the rule of Peter the Great and Catherine were the time in which these nations reached their maturity, formed fully and confirmed their spirit and attained to a robust organisation. And all these were periods of absolutism or of movement to absolutism and a certain foundation of uniformity or attempt to found it. This absolutism clot