title: Cavite City

text: At the height of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, the Port of Cavite was the arrival and departure port of the Spanish galleons that brought many foreign travelers (Mostly Spaniards and Latinos) to its shores. The Port of Cavite was fondly called "Ciudad de Oro Macizo" meaning the "City of Solid Gold". The Chinese emperor at one time sent some of his men to this place they called "Keit" (Cavite) to search for gold. Marilola Perez in her 2015 Thesis "Cavite Chabacano Philippine Creole Spanish: Description and Typology" cites a large number of Mexicans settling in Cavite and spreading to Luzon, integrating into the local population and leading peasant revolts. Mexicans weren't the only Latin Americans in Cavite, as there were also a fair number of other Latin Americans, one such case was the Puerto Rican, Alonso Ramirez, who became a sailor in Cavite, and published the first Latin American novel entitled "Infortunios de Alonso Ramirez"


title: Cavite City

text: Between 1609 and 1616 the galleons "Espiritu Santo" and "San Miguel" were constructed in the shipyard of the port, called the "Astillero de Rivera" (Rivera Shipyard of Cavite), sometimes spelled as "Ribera.


title: Cavite City

text: The narrow San Roque isthmus or causeway (now M. Valentino Street) connected Cavite Puerto to San Roque town, its only border town. Maps from the 17th century show that this narrow isthmus was wider, as wide as the town itself. Problems with rising water and the encroaching waves that plagued Cavite Puerto since the beginning must have eroded the land into a narrow isthmus.


title: Cavite City

text: Control over the port was turned over to the Americans by Spain after the Treaty of Paris of 1898 at the turn of the 19th century. At the start of the American era, Cavite Puerto became the seat of the U.S. Naval Forces in the Philippines. It was redesigned to make way for modern ships and armaments. The ruinous historical structures like Fort Guadalupe were demolished, along with most of Fort San Felipe.


title: Cavite City

text: Local government administration was under the renamed "Presidentes municipales" with the direct supervision of the American Army Officers (the first being Colonel Meade). The first Filipino "Presidentes municipales" were appointed: Don Zacaria Fortich for Cavite Puerto, Don Francisco Basa for San Roque, and Don Pedro Raqueño Bautista for Caridad.


title: Cavite City

text: In 1900, the Caviteños tasted their first election under the American regime. They elected in each pueblo or town, local officials called "Presidente municipal", "Vice-Presidente municipal" and a "Consejo" (council) composed of "Consejales" (councilors). They elected Don Gregorio Basa as "Presidente Municipal" of the town now known as Cavite City.


title: Cavite City

text: In 1901, the Philippine Commission approved a municipal code as the organic law of all local governments throughout the country. In its implementation in 1903, the three separate pueblos of Cavite Puerto, San Roque and La Caridad were merged into one municipality, which was called the Municipality of Cavite. By virtue of a legislative act promulgated by the First Philippine Assembly, Cavite was again made the capital of the province. Subsequently, its territory was enlarged to include the district of San Antonio and the island of Corregidor. The Municipality of Cavite functioned as a civil government whose officials consisted of a Presidente Municipal, a Vice-Presidente Municipal and ten Consejales duly elected by the qualified voters of the municipality.


title: Cavite City

text: In 1909, Executive Order No. 124, of Governor-General W. Cameron Forbes, declared the Act No. 1748 annexing Corregidor and the islands of Caballo (Fort Hughes), La Monja, El Fraile (Fort Drum), Santa Amalia, Carabao (Fort Frank) and Limbones, as well as all waters and detached rocks surrounding them, to the Municipality of Cavite.


title: Cavite City

text: Under the Philippine Commonwealth, Assemblyman Manuel S. Roxas, sponsored Commonwealth Act No. 547 elevating Cavite town to a chartered city. Upon approval into law on September 7, 1940, the executive function of the city was vested in a City Mayor appointed by the President of the Philippine Commonwealth. The legislative body of the City of Cavite was vested on a Municipal Board composed of three electives, two appointive and two ex-officio councilors, the presiding officer of which is the City Mayor.


title: Cavite City

text: On December 10, 1941, two days after an attack that had destroyed American air defenses at Clark Field and three days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Imperial Forces destroyed Cavite Naval Base and bombed Cavite City.


title: Cavite City

text: Later, after Japan seized the Philippines, Japanese leaders appointed at least two city mayors of Cavite City.


title: Cavite City

text: The island of Corregidor played an important role during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. The island was the site of two costly sieges and pitched battles—the first during the first months of 1942, and the second in January 1945—between the Imperial Japanese Army and the U.S. Army, along with its smaller subsidiary force, the Philippine Army.


title: Cavite City

text: In 1945 during the fight for the liberation of the country from Japanese hands, the US and Philippine Commonwealth military bombarded the Japanese forces stationed in the city, completely destroying the old historic port city of Cavite. The old walls and the Porta Vaga gate were damaged. Most of the structures were destroyed while some of the church towers remained. The city was littered with bomb craters.


title: Cavite City

text: After the war, the city's local administration resumed the way it was before the war. The walls, gate and ruins of the old city were later removed. Only the bell tower of the Santa Monica Church of the Recollects and the two bastions of Fort San Felipe remain of the old city.


title: Cavite City

text: Republic Act No. 981, passed by the Congress of the Philippines in 1954, transferred the capital of the province from Cavite City to the newly established Trece Martires. Subsequently, the city charter was amended. By virtue of an amendment to the charter of Cavite City, the City Mayor, City Vice Mayor and eight councilors were elected by popular suffrage. The first election of city officials was held in 1963.


title: Cavite City

text: In the latter part of 1960s or early 1970s, the land adjacent to the San Roque isthmus was reclaimed. The new land is now occupied by the San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite and some residential houses. The present Cavite City Hall is built where the north tower end of the western wall was, which was already partly reclaimed by 1945.


title: Cavite City

text: Half of the old port city, including Fort San Felipe, is now occupied by Naval Base Cavite and is closed to the public. The old historic core of Cavite is now part of the San Roque district of Cavite City and is referred today as either Fort San Felipe or Porta Vaga. The former location of the Porta Vaga gate, the western wall and its towers are now occupied by the Governor Samonte Park.


title: Cavite City

text: The City of Cavite occupies most of the hook-shaped Cavite Peninsula that juts into Manila Bay. The peninsula is bounded by Bacoor Bay to the southeast. The peninsula ends at two tips – Sangley Point and Cavite Point. Cañacao Bay is the body of water formed between Sangley Point and Cavite Point. The latter was the location of the old historic Port of Cavite. Both Bacoor and Cañacao Bays are inland bays of the larger Manila Bay. The city's only land border is the Municipality of Noveleta to the south.


title: Cavite City

text: The city is the northernmost settlement in the Province of Cavite, which lies southwest from Manila with a direct distance of about but about by road. Sangley Point, the former location of the United States Sangley Point Naval Base, is the northernmost part of the city, peninsula and province. The former American military naval base has since been converted into a Philippine military base.


title: Cavite City

text: The historic island of Corregidor, the adjacent islands and detached rocks of Caballo, Carabao, El Fraile and La Monja found at the mouth of Manila Bay are part of the city's territorial jurisdiction.


title: Cavite City

text: Cavite city has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), with pronounced dry season from December to April and quite lengthy wet season from May to November that brings abundant rainfall into the city.


title: Cavite City

text: The city proper is divided into five districts: Dalahican, Santa Cruz, Caridad, San Antonio, and San Roque. These districts are further subdivided into eight zones and a total of 84 barangays.


title: Cavite City

text: According to 2000 census data, Christianity is the most prevalent religion in Cavite City, where a majority of Caviteños practice Roman Catholicism. Other Christian religious groups in the city include the Aglipayan Church, Iglesia ni Cristo (I.N.C), Jehovah's Witnesses, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Jesus Is Lord Church (JIL), The United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Churches, Baptists and Bible Fundamental churches, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Members Church of God International or Ang Dating Daan and other UPC churches. A Muslim minority is also present in the city.


title: Cavite City

text: The Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga (Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga) is the patroness of Cavite City. She is revered by Catholics as the Celestial Guardian and Protector of the entire Province of Cavite since her arrival in Cavite shore. The image of Our Lady of Porta Vaga is designated as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. This is the oldest existing dated Marian painting in the Philippines.


title: Cavite City

text: The image of the virgin is painted on a canvas. The virgin is depicted as a lady in mourning. Mary, garbed in black and white attire, seems to be on her knees as she contemplates the passion of her son. Before her are the crown of thorns and the nails instrument of Christ's passion. An inscription was found at the back of the painting – "A doze de Abril 1692 años Juan Oliba puso esta Stma. Ymagen Haqui", which means,"The sacred image was placed here by Juan Oliba on April 12, 1692". This particular icon was used to bless the galleon plying between Cavite and Acapulco (Mexico) during formal sending off ceremonies. Thus, she was also called the Patroness of the Galleons.


title: Cavite City

text: The image was originally enshrined at the "Ermita de Porta Vaga", a small church located adjacent to the Porta Vaga gate of Cavite Puerto and was destroyed during the last world war. The image is presently enshrined at the San Roque Parish Church, one of the three parishes in the city.


title: Cavite City

text: Chabacano is a Spanish-influenced creole language formerly spoken by majority of the people living in the city of Cavite. Chabacano emerged sometime after the arrival of the first Spaniards and Mexicans in the late 16th century. During this period, the people that lived near the military arsenal in Cavite City put themselves in contact with the Spaniards and Mexicans and began to incorporate in their own dialect many Spanish words, which then gave birth to the creole. Majority of residents today speak Tagalog.


title: Cavite City

text: Today, Chabacano is generally considered to be dying with only a fraction of the people, mostly elderly, able to speak the language. According to the Philippine professor, Alfredo B. German who wrote a thesis on the grammar in Chabacano dialect, the present conditions no longer favor the disenrolment of the same one. There are many probable reasons for the diminishing of Chabacano, among these being the massive arrival of Tagalog-speaking migrants to the city of Cavite, and intermarriage.


title: Cavite City

text: One of the poets and Philippine writers, Jesus Balmori expressed himself in Chabacano. He was a great admirer of the dialect and wrote several verses in it. Another admirer of this dialect was Don Jaime de Veyra, the illustrious writer and famous Philippine historian, who feared more than all the probable extinction of the Chabacano when he wrote the following prophetic lines, "I am afraid that the inevitable absorption of the "Tagalog invasion" on one side and the invasion of the English on the other hand, will wipe out or extinguish this inherited Castilian language in existence with his last representatives in the following generation." Professor Gervacio Miranda who also wrote a book in Chabacano said in his preface the following thing, "My only objective to write this book is to possibly conserve in written form the Chabacano of Cavite for posterity," fearing the extinction of the dialect.


title: Cavite City

text: The city is home to the Annual Cavite City Water Festival or Regada, held every 17th and 24th day of June. It is a festive and religious celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist. Regada started in 1996 and features the "Paulan" or "Basayawan", which is a street party where celebrators dance under water sprinklers. Another celebration is the Feast for the Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga, which is annually observed by local Catholics during every second Sunday of November.


title: Cavite City

text: Other notable holidays include the observance of Julián Felipe's birthday (January 28). Felipe, who composed the Philippine National Anthem, was born and raised in Cavite City. The city's Charter Day, known locally as simply Cavite City Day, which commemorates the signing of the city charter in 1940, is held every September 7.


title: Cavite City

text: Food in Cavite City is influenced by its Spanish heritage combined with Filipino tradition. One popular native dish is bacalao (sauteed codfish), which is served during the Lenten season. A variation of "bibingka" locally known as "bibingkang samala" can also be found in the city. This delicacy is made of glutinous rice ("malagkit"), coconut milk and sugar.


title: Cavite City

text: The only road connecting Cavite City to the rest of Luzon is the National Route 62, which begins at P. Burgos Avenue in Caridad district and continues towards Noveleta as the Manila–Cavite Road (not to be confused with Manila-Cavite Expressway). A proposal to construct an expressway from Kawit to Cavite City via Bacoor Bay has been raised to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). When realized, the expressway would serve as a link to Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx).


title: Cavite City

text: Cavite City has one airport, Danilo Atienza Air Base, located at Sangley Point. The airport is operated by the Philippine Air Force. It was formerly a US Naval Base, called Naval Station Sangley Point, until it was turned over to the Philippine government in 1971. There are proposals to convert the base into a civilian airport, as a solution to the overcrowding of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.


title: Cavite City

text: As of 2019, no active water-based public transportation services were based in Cavite City. Metrostar Ferry, which began operations in 2007, used to serve trips from San Roque district to Pasay, Metro Manila. A new service from the Intramuros district of Manila to the nearby town of Noveleta to the south debuted in January 2018 and is currently the nearest water-based transport to the city.


title: Cavite City

text: Water services are currently provided by Maynilad. Meanwhile, electric services are currently provided by Meralco.


title: Cavite City

text: The flag of the city created by Mayor Timoteo O. Encarnacion, Jr. and was adopted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod through Resolution No. 95-081 dated September 6, 1995, in time for the 55th Cavite City Charter Day. The meaning, symbol and significance of the flag components:


title: Cavite City

text: The current seal of the city was designed by Mayor Timoteo O. Encarnacion, Jr. It was adopted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod through Resolution No. 140-90, then approved by the Local Executive on September 7, 1990. On November 3, 1993, the National Historical Institute and the president, through the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued a Certificate of Registration recognizing the new seal.


title: Cavite City

text: The shield stands for bravery and fortitude. The colors red, white, blue, yellow stand for the loyalty of the people to its government. The inclusion of the rays portrays the role of Cavite as one of the original provinces that rose up in arms against Spanish domination in 1896 in the Philippine Revolution.


title: Cavite City

text: The white triangle inscribed within the shield with the letters KKK at the corners represents the part played by The city in the organization of the Katipunan. Don Ladislao Diwa of the city was one of the triumvirate who organized the patriotic group. Many Katipuneros came from the city.


title: Rich Swann

text: Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Champion.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the name Rich Swann, which is his ring name today. In WWE, he is a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Additionally, Swann has competed for promotions such as Full Impact Pro, Evolve, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Dragon Gate and Major League Wrestling (MLW). He is a former RevPro British Tag Team Champion, FIP World Heavyweight Champion, FIP Tag Team Champion, Open the United Gate, Open the Owarai Gate and Open the Triangle Gate Champion.


title: Rich Swann

text: In 2018, Swann signed with Impact Wrestling winning the Impact X Division Championship and later winning the Impact World Championship becoming the second African-American to hold that championship (after Bobby Lashley) and the third African-American world champion in the history of the company after Ron Killings and Bobby Lashley. In 2021, Swann would unify the Impact World Championship and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.


title: Rich Swann

text: Richard Allen Swann was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 15, 1991. Swann's father was killed by his girlfriend when Swann was 12 years old. His mother died when he was 16, after which Swann "fell in with a rough crowd" and began using cocaine. However, after his supplier died of a heart attack, Swann, with help from his aunt, stopped using cocaine, got an apartment and finished high school.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann originally started training for professional wrestling at the age of 14 in 2005 under Adam Flash, Darren Wyse and Ray Alexander in York, Pennsylvania. He made his debut in 2008, working under the ring names Rich Money and El Negro Mysterio. Swann's influences include Psicosis, Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Rob Van Dam, Jerry Lynn, Super Crazy and The Hardy Boyz.


title: Rich Swann

text: In 2009, Swann began training under D. J. Hyde, Drew Gulak, Ruckus and Sabian at Combat Zone Wrestling's (CZW) training school and made his debut for the promotion on May 9, 2009, wrestling in a dark match, where he was defeated by Sabian. Swann made his main card debut on June 13 with a win over Chris Halo. On October 10, Swann entered a tournament to determine the inaugural CZW Wired TV Champion. After a win over Joe Gacy, he was eliminated by Adam Cole in his second round match on November 14. On January 30, 2010, Swann formed the "Irish Driveby" tag team with Ryan McBride, defeating the Spanish Armada (Alex Colon and LJ Cruz) in their first match together. After a win over the Switchblade Conspiracy (Joe Gacy and Sami Callihan) on February 13, Swann and McBride were granted a shot at the CZW World Tag Team Championship on March 13, but were defeated by the Best Around (Bruce Maxwell and TJ Cannon). Afterwards, Irish Driveby earned victories over teams like Notorious Inc. (Devon Moore and Drew Blood), The Garden State Gods (Corvis Fear and Myke Quest), and Team Macktion (Kirby Mack and T.J. Mack). On August 7, Swann unsuccessfully challenged Drew Gulak for the CZW Wired TV Championship. On September 10, Swann and McBride entered a tournament to determine the new CZW World Tag Team Champions, defeating Team Macktion in their first round match. However, on November 13, they were eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by Philly's Most Wanted (Blk Jeez and Joker). On January 7, 2011, the Irish Driveby was defeated by the Runaways (Joe Gacy and Ryan Slater) in what would turn out to be the team's final match together.


title: Rich Swann

text: After twice failing to qualify for the Best of the Best X tournament and unsuccessfully challenging Adam Cole for the CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship, Swann was looking to restart his CZW career, but on May 14, 2011, suffered another loss against Alex Colon. After the match, Robbie Mireno, Ruckus and Chrissy Rivera entered the ring and announced they were reforming Blackout, before offering both Swann and Colon spots in the stable, which both accepted. With his new partners, Swann formed a new, exciting and popular version of one of CZW's most accomplished groups. After a six-month break from CZW, during which Swann supposedly represented Blackout in Japan, Swann returned to the promotion on November 12, when he, Colon and Ruckus defeated Alex Payne, Joe Gacy and Ryan Slater in a six-man tag team match. On January 14, 2012, Swann received another shot at the CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship, but was unable to dethrone Sami Callihan. During 2012, Swann began spending more and more time in Japan, resulting in his time with Blackout being short-lived as early in the year, Alex Colon and Chrissy Rivera quit Blackout to form the new 4Loco stable. After another seven-month break from CZW, Swann returned to the promotion on August 11, losing to newcomer Shane Strickland in a singles match. The two had a rematch on September 8, where Strickland was again victorious. After the match, Swann offered to shake Strickland's hand, but then laid him out with a spin kick. On November 10, Swann first unsuccessfully challenged Masada for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship during an afternoon show and later in the evening, also failed to capture the CZW Wired TV Championship from A. R. Fox in a four-way match, which also included Lucky 13 and rival Shane Strickland. Swann and Strickland had their third singles match against each other on December 8 at Cage of Death XIV, where Swann was able to pick up his first win over the newcomer. Swann received another shot at the CZW Wired TV Championship on February 9, 2013, at CZW's fourteenth anniversary show, but was again defeated by A. R. Fox.


title: Rich Swann

text: On July 24, 2010, Swann made his debut for Dragon Gate USA, defeating Scott Reed at the tapings of the Enter the Dragon 2010 pay-per-view. On September 11, Swann made his debut for Dragon Gate USA's close affiliate, Evolve, taking part in a six-way match, which was won by Johnny Gargano. Swann returned to Dragon Gate USA during the September 25–26 weekend, taking part in four-way and six-way matches won by Chuck Taylor and Brodie Lee, respectively. On October 29 at , Dragon Gate USA's first live internet pay-per-view, Swann was defeated in a singles match by Homicide. Following the match, Swann was approached by Austin Aries, who offered to take him under his wing as his new protégé. However, after Aries was defeated by Masato Yoshino, Swann seemingly turned down his offer. Later that same event, Swann, Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano attacked Cima and Ricochet, before announcing that they were not joining any of Dragon Gate USA's established stables, but were instead forming a new one named "Ronin". The villainous Ronin stable wrestled their first match together at the following day's Freedom Fight 2010 pay-per-view, defeating Aries, Genki Horiguchi and Ricochet in a six-man tag team match. On January 28, 2011, at , Swann was defeated by Aries in a singles match. During that same weekend, Ronin started a rivalry with the Blood Warriors, a new villainous stable led by Cima, effectively ending Ronin's run as villains. On March 1, Swann and the rest of the Ronin stable started their first tour of Japan with Dragon Gate USA's parent promotion, Dragon Gate. During the tour, which lasted until March 15, Ronin worked mainly in matches against the Blood Warriors. On April 3 at Open the Ultimate Gate 2011, Austin Aries, who had just lost a match, where he had put his Dragon Gate USA career on the line, feigned passing the torch to his former rivals in Ronin, but instead ended up turning on them and joining Blood Warriors. On June 3 at Fearless 2011, Swann was defeated in a singles match by Blood Warriors leader Cima, following interference from Aries. Two days later at Enter the Dragon 2011, Swann and Gargano teamed with Masato Yoshino in a six-man elimination tag team match, where they defeated Blood Warriors representatives Austin Aries, Brodie Lee and Cima.


title: Rich Swann

text: On June 8, 2011, Swann, without Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano, started his second tour of Dragon Gate. During the tour, Swann aligned himself with Blood Warriors' rival stable, Junction Three. On July 24, Swann unsuccessfully challenged Naoki Tanizaki for the Blood Warriors Authorized Open the Brave Gate Championship. On August 6, Swann and Junction Three stablemate Gamma entered the 2011 Summer Adventure Tag League, but were eliminated in their first round match by Blood Warriors representatives Naruki Doi and Yasushi Kanda. During the tour, Swann also got to show his comedic side, first working under the ring name "Rich Ichikawa", and then as "Swann Hansen" in a match on November 5, where he defeated Stalker Ichikawa for the Open the Owarai Gate Championship, Dragon Gate's comedy wrestling title. In mid-November, Swann returned to the United States for a week to take part in Dragon Gate USA events. During the events, Swann, Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano began having problems with each other. On November 13 at Freedom Fight 2011, Swann earned a big win, when he pinned Blood Warriors member Akira Tozawa in a tag team match, where he and Chuck Taylor faced Tozawa and BxB Hulk. Six days later, Swann returned to Japan and Dragon Gate. The tour lasted until Dragon Gate's final event of 2011 on December 25, during which Swann and Junction Three stablemates Dragon Kid and Gamma unsuccessfully challenged Kzy, Naruki Doi and Naoki Tanizaki for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship. After the match, Tanizaki attacked Swann and stole his Open the Owarai Gate Championship belt, which was later vacated as a result. Swann returned to Dragon Gate in February 2012 and on February 9, took part in a fourteen-man tag team match, where Blood Warriors defeated Junction Three, which, as a result, was forced to disband. The following month, Swann aligned himself with the new World-1 International stable to oppose Mad Blankey, the former Blood Warriors taken over and renamed by Akira Tozawa. On March 29, Swann made another short return to the United States, taking part in a Dragon Gate USA and CZW co-promoted event, which saw Ronin being defeated by Mad Blankey representatives Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk and Uhaa Nation in a three-way trios match, which also included the D.U.F. trio of Arik Cannon, Pinkie Sanchez and Sami Callihan. During the following day's Open the Ultimate Gate 2012 pay-per-view, Chuck Taylor turned on Johnny Gargano, effectively ending Ronin.


title: Rich Swann

text: On March 31 at Mercury Rising 2012, Swann took part in a six-way "Chuck Taylor Invitational" match, which was won by El Generico. Later that same event, Swann saved Johnny Gargano from Chuck Taylor, chasing his former stablemate out of the arena. In April, Swann returned to Dragon Gate for another tour, during which he again made appearances as "Swann Hansen". On July 28, Swann defeated Chuck Taylor via disqualification in a Dragon Gate USA grudge match. The following day at Enter the Dragon 2012, Swann and World-1 International stablemate Ricochet were defeated by A. R. Fox and Cima in a match for the vacant Open the United Gate Championship. On November 2 at Fearless 2012, Swann pinned Chuck Taylor for the win in a six-man captain's fall tag team match, where he teamed with A. C. H. and Cima and Taylor with his new Gentleman's Club stablemates Drew Gulak and Orange Cassidy. Two days later at Freedom Fight 2012, Swann defeated Taylor in a No Disqualification match. On February 14, 2013, Swann returned to Dragon Gate, teaming with Masato Yoshino in a tag team match, where they defeated Jimmy Kagetora and Jimmy Kanda. On March 3, Swann teamed with World-1 International stablemates Naruki Doi and Shachihoko Boy to defeat the Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin and Ryo "Jimmy" Saito) for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship. On May 10, Swann entered his first King of Gate tournament, but was eliminated in his first round match by Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!. On June 1, Swann received a shot at the Open the Brave Gate Championship, but was defeated by the defending champion, Masato Yoshino. On June 5, Swann, Doi and Shachihoko lost the Open the Triangle Gate Championship to M2K (Jimmy Susumu, K-Ness and Masaaki Mochizuki) in their second title defense. On July 28 at Enter the Dragon 2013, Dragon Gate USA's fourth anniversary event, Swann teamed up with his World-1 International stablemate Ricochet to unsuccessfully challenge The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) for the Open the United Gate Championship. On September 22 at Evolve 24, Swann unsuccessfully challenged former Ronin stablemate Johnny Gargano for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship. The rivalry between Swann and Gargano culminated in an "Evolution's End" match on August 10, 2014, where Swann was victorious. Post-match, Swann was attacked by the Premier Athlete Brand of Anthony Nese, Caleb Konley and Su Yung, leading to Gargano returning to the ring and chasing the three away.


title: Rich Swann

text: On September 13, Swann received his first shot at the Evolve Championship, but was defeated by the defending champion, Drew Galloway. On January 10, 2015, Swann, Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano reformed Ronin and defeated the Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lancelot) and Moose in a match, where the losing team had to split up. On April 18, Swann and Gargano defeated Anthony Nese and Caleb Konley to win the Open the United Gate Championship. On May 30, Ronin successfully defended the title against Drew Gulak and Tracey Williams. After the match, Gargano announced they were retiring the Open the United Gate Championship since Dragon Gate was the past and demanded the creation of the Evolve Tag Team Championship. On August 15, Swann turned on Gargano, costing him his match against Ethan Page. Swann would defeat Gargano the next night after interference from Page.


title: Rich Swann

text: On November 6, 2009, Swann made his debut in his hometown for Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW), unsuccessfully challenging Adam Carelle, later known as Adam Cole, for the MCW Rage Television Championship.


title: Rich Swann

text: On November 21, 2009, Swann made his debut for Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW), losing to his trainer D. J. Hyde. Swann made his second appearance for the promotion on March 20, 2010, when he unsuccessfully challenged Bandido Jr. for the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship in a five-way match.


title: Rich Swann

text: On January 16, 2010, Swann won his first professional wrestling title, defeating Lince Dorado to become the inaugural Real Championship Wrestling (RCW) Cruiserweight Champion. After one successful title defense against Skull, Swann lost the title to Steve Diaz in a three-way ladder match, which also included Skull, on June 5, 2010.


title: Rich Swann

text: On April 24, 2010, Swann made his debut for the Chikara promotion, when he took part in the "Rey de Voladores" opening round four-way match, which was won by Ophidian and also included Cheech Hernandez and Frightmare. Swann returned to the promotion on February 19, 2011, when he unsuccessfully challenged Frightmare for the Chikara Young Lions Cup. On September 20, 2014, Swann returned to take part in the 2014 "Rey de Voladores" tournament, but was defeated by Shynron in a four-way match, also involving Chuck Taylor and Tigre Uno.


title: Rich Swann

text: On November 7, 2010, Swann made his debut for the German Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) promotion, teaming with Bernd Föhr, Greg Excellent and Zack Sabre Jr. in an eight-man tag team match, where they were defeated by Adam Cole, Blk Jeez, Drew Gulak and Karsten Beck.


title: Rich Swann

text: On December 3, 2010, Swann made Full Impact Pro (FIP) debut, entering the 2010 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup and defeating Grizzly Redwood in his first round match. The next day, he defeated Jigsaw to advance to the semifinals of the tournament, where he was defeated by Sami Callihan. Swann returned to FIP on October 11, 2013, when he unsuccessfully challenged Trent Barreta for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. The next day, Swann's FIP Florida Heritage Championship match with Gran Akuma ended in a time limit draw. On December 6, Swann wrestled Roderick Strong in a match, which ended in a no contest, after the two were attacked by FIP Tag Team Champions, The Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lancelot). This led to a tag team match, where Swann and Strong defeated The Bravado Brothers to become the new FIP Tag Team Champions. Next day, at Violence is the Answer, they retained the title against Andrew Everett and Caleb Konley. They lost the title to Juicy Product (David Starr and J. T. Dunn) on May 2, 2014. On November 14, during FIP's parent company WWNLive's tour of China, Swann defeated Trent Barreta for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. He was stripped of the title due to an injury on February 20, 2015. Swann regained the title from Roderick Strong on April 18. He lost it to Caleb Konley on July 3.


title: Rich Swann

text: On December 11, 2012, Swann made his Mexican debut for the Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU) promotion in a seven-way elimination match for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. Swann was the last man eliminated by Daga, who, as a result, retained his title. On November 1, 2013, Swann won a six-way match for the Florida Underground Wrestling (FUW) Flash Championship. He lost the title to Jesus De Leon on September 26, 2014. On March 15, 2014, The Inner City Machine Guns made an appearance for English promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW), defeating The Swords of Essex (Paul Robinson and Will Ospreay) to win the Undisputed British Tag Team Championship.


title: Rich Swann

text: On October 27, 2012, Swann made his debut for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), losing to Roderick Strong. In his second appearance for the promotion on December 1, Swann was defeated by El Generico.


title: Rich Swann

text: On January 12, 2013, Swann teamed up with Ricochet for the 2013 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament. The team, dubbed "The Inner City Machine Guns", was eliminated in their first round match by The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). The Inner City Machine Guns returned to take part in PWG's All Star Weekend 9, defeating the team of A. R. Fox and Samuray del Sol during the first night on March 22. During the second night, they teamed with Fox in a six-man tag team match, where they were defeated by Brian Cage, Kevin Steen and Michael Elgin. On August 9 at PWG's tenth anniversary event, the Inner City Machine Guns unsuccessfully challenged The Young Bucks for the PWG World Tag Team Championship in a three-way ladder match, which also included the DojoBros (Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong). Swann returned to PWG on August 30 to take part in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles, but was eliminated from the tournament in his first round match by Michael Elgin. On January 31, 2014, the Inner City Machine Guns made it to the finals of the 2014 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament, before losing to the Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent?). In the following year's tournament, the Inner City Machine Guns defeated Biff Busick and Drew Gulak in the first round, before falling to eventual tournament winners Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee in the semifinals.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann then entered his third consecutive Battle of Los Angeles on August 29, 2015, but was defeated in the first round by Marty Scurll. The following day, he teamed with Ricochet, Angélico and Fénix in an eight-man tag team match, where they were defeated by Mount Rushmore 2.0 (Roderick Strong, Super Dragon and The Young Bucks). This turned out to be Swann's final appearance for PWG before signing with WWE.


title: Rich Swann

text: Following an Evolve show in 2014, rapper Wale sent out a tweet, stating that Swann and Uhaa Nation needed to be in WWE, calling them "the future of the business". This got the attention of Mark Henry, who arranged a WWE tryout for Swann in September 2014. A year later, it was reported that Swann had signed a developmental contract with the promotion and would be reporting to its developmental branch NXT the following month. WWE officially announced Swann's signing to NXT on October 28. Swann made his debut at an NXT house show on October 30, wrestling in a Halloween battle royal, which was won by Bayley. Swann made his singles match debut at a house show on November 20, losing to Riddick Moss. He made his first televised appearance on the January 20, 2016, episode of "NXT", losing to Baron Corbin. On the March 23 episode of "NXT", Swann was defeated by NXT Champion Finn Bálor. On October 13, Swann and No Way Jose entered the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, defeating Drew Gulak and Tony Nese in their first round match. They were eliminated from the tournament on October 28 by The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar).


title: Rich Swann

text: On June 13, 2016, Swann was announced as a participant in the upcoming Cruiserweight Classic tournament. The tournament began on June 23 with Swann defeating Jason Lee in his first round match. On July 14, Swann defeated Lince Dorado in his second round match. On August 26, Swann was eliminated from the tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual winner T. J. Perkins.


title: Rich Swann

text: On the August 22 episode of "Raw", Swann was announced as part of the upcoming cruiserweight division. Swann made his "Raw" debut on September 19, wrestling in a four-way match won by Brian Kendrick and also included Cedric Alexander and Gran Metalik. On the November 21 "Raw", Swann defeated Noam Dar and T. J. Perkins to become the #1 contender to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. On November 29, Swann defeated Brian Kendrick on the premiere episode of "205 Live" to win the title. The following week, Swann defeated Kendrick in a rematch to retain the title, following a distraction from Perkins. On December 18 at , Swann retained the title in a triple threat match against Kendrick and Perkins. After the match, Swann and Perkins were attacked by a returning Neville. On January 29, 2017, Swann lost the Cruiserweight Championship to Neville at Royal Rumble. After recovering from a minor injury, Swann received his title rematch against Neville on the March 6 "Raw", but again lost.


title: Rich Swann

text: On December 10, 2017, following his arrest, WWE suspended Swann indefinitely for violating the company's zero tolerance policy against domestic violence. He was originally scheduled to face Drew Gulak in a match to determine the number one contender to the Cruiserweight Championship, (which was then held by Enzo Amore), the following night on "Raw", but the match was cancelled in light of his domestic violence arrest. On February 15, 2018, WWE officially announced that Swann and WWE had mutually agreed on his release.


title: Rich Swann

text: Following his release from the WWE, Swann's return to the independent circuit was confirmed for Mexican promotion The Crash Lucha Libre on March 17 in Tijuana, Mexico. He was also announced to be making appearances for both the House of Hardcore promotion and the United Kingdom's Southside Wrestling Entertainment. On April 14, Swann made a surprise return to CZW, announcing himself as the final participant in Best of the Best 17. Due to Impact Wrestling's and Major League Wrestling's partnerships with AAA, Swann appeared at Triplemanía XXVI to fight Brian Cage, Jeff Jarrett and Fenix.


title: Rich Swann

text: On June 2, 2018, Swann made his debut in Major League Wrestling (MLW) defeating Kotto Brazil. On June 30, he was defeated by ACH, following that he began teaming with ACH on the program. On July 7, Swann and ACH defeated Team Filthy (Simon Gotch and Tom Lawlor). The two would then feud with the Hart Foundation (Brian Pillman Jr., Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) but would be defeated on each encounter. On August 25, ACH and Swann faced the Lucha Bros. for the MLW Tag Team Championships in a losing effort. ACH would stop appearing for the promotion in September 2018, putting an end to their tag team. On December 15, Swann would return to being a singles competitor losing to Rush. On January 12, 2019, Swann was defeated by Dragon Lee, in a match where he wrestled as a heel. However at the end of the match he shook Lee's hand. On February 17, Swann would lose to the debuting Ace Austin. After the match, Swann would attack the referee, commentator Rich Bocchini and the ring announcer cementing his heel turn in the process. The following week he defeated Lance Anoa'i in a singles match.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann made his debut for Impact Wrestling on June 21, 2018, defeating Trevor Lee. It would be later revealed he signed a multi-year deal with the company. On the July 5 episode of "Impact", Swann lost to Fénix. On the July 12 episode of "Impact", Swann and The Lucha Bros (Fénix and Pentagón Jr.) lost to Ohio Versus Everything (Dave Crist, Jake Crist and Sami Callihan). On the September 20 episode of "Impact", Swann and Matt Sydal lost to The Lucha Bros.


title: Rich Swann

text: On the October 4 episode of "Impact", Swann lost to Sydal after interference from the debuting Ethan Page. On the October 11 episode of "Impact", Swann revealed Willie Mack would be his tag team partner at Bound for Glory, where they defeated Sydal and Page. On the October 18 episode of "Impact", Swann lost to Brian Cage in an X Division Championship match. On the November 29 episode of "Impact", Swann and Mack lost to The Lucha Bros.


title: Rich Swann

text: On the December 13 episode of "Impact", Swann defeated Dave Crist in an Ultimate X Qualifier. At Homecoming, Swann defeated Ethan Page, Jake Crist and Trey Miguel in an Ultimate X match to win the vacant Impact X Division Championship. On the January 25 episode of "Impact", Swann defeated Hijo Del Vikingo; after the match, Sami Callihan offered Swann a spot in his faction OVE, but Swann declined. On the February 8 episode of "Impact", Swann was attacked by Callihan and was thrown off the ramp through a table. On the March 8 episode of "Impact", OVE made a last ditch effort to recruit Swann to the group, but he attacked them instead. On the March 22 episode of "Impact", Swann defeated Callihan to retain the X Division Championship. At United We Stand, Swann defeated Flamita to retain the X Division Championship. At Impact Wrestling Rebellion, Swann defeated Callihan in an oVe Rules match to retain the X Division Championship. At Slammiversary XVII, Swann defeated Johnny Impact to retain the X Division Championship. Swann lost the championship to Jake Crist on the July 19 tapings of "Impact", ending his reign at 194 days. This episode aired on tape delay on July 26. At Unbreakable, Swann and Willie Mack competed in a three-way tag team match for the Impact World Tag Team Championship, which was won by The North. At Prelude to Glory, Swann and Mack defeated The Desi Hit Squad (Mahabali Shera and Rohit Raju). At Bound for Glory, Swann and Mack competed in another three-way tag team match for the Impact World Tag Team Championship, which was again won by The North. At Turning Point, Swann and Mack unsuccessfully challenged The North for the Impact World Tag Team Championship.


title: Rich Swann

text: At No Surrender, Swann received a shot at the Impact World Championship, but lost to Sami Callihan. At Bash at the Brewery 2, Swann, Mack, Tessa Blanchard and Brian Cage lost to Ohio Versus Everything in an eight-person elimination tag team match where he suffered a knee injury, and underwent surgery that sidelined him for several months.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann made his return from injury in the main event of Slammiversary on July 18, 2020, competing in an elimination match for the Impact World Championship, eliminating Eric Young, who attacked Swann and re-injured his knee with a steel chair. On the August 4 episode of "Impact!", Swann announced his (kayfabe) retirement from wrestling due to the injury. As Swann was exiting the arena, he was once again attacked by Young. Swann returned on the September 1 episode of "Impact!", where he attacked Young after winning the Impact World Championship. The following week on "Impact!", Swann announced that he had been medically cleared to compete and challenged Young for the Impact World Championship at Bound for Glory which Young accepted. At the event, Swann defeated Young to win the Impact World Championship for the first time. On the October 27 episode of "Impact!", Swann made his first successful title defense in a rematch against Young. He then successfully defended the title against Sami Callihan at Turning Point and Chris Bey at Final Resolution.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann would then begin a feud with the AEW World Champion Kenny Omega after Swann was denied permission to leave the arena due to Omega's arrival on the December 8 episode of "Impact!". This led to a six-man tag team match where Swann teamed with Chris Sabin and Moose against Omega and The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) in a losing effort at Hard To Kill on January 16, 2021. At No Surrender, Swann retained the Impact World Championship against Tommy Dreamer during the latter's fiftieth birthday. On the February 23 episode of "Impact!", Swann saved Jake Something during a post-match beat down from Moose. On the same episode, Scott D'Amore announced a unification match for the Impact World Championship and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between Moose and Swann for Sacrifice and the winner would face AEW World Champion Kenny Omega at Rebellion in a title vs title match. At Sacrifice, Swann defeated Moose to unify the Impact World Championship and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. At Rebellion, Omega defeated Swann, ending his reign as Impact World Champion.


title: Rich Swann

text: At Under Siege, Swann returned to save Willie Mack from getting beat down by W. Morrissey. He went on to face Morrissey at Against All Odds in a losing effort. Swann reteamed with Mack to go after the Impact World Tag Team Championship, but failed to get them from The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) in multi team matches at Slammiversary and Emergence, and a regular tag team match at Victory Road. At Bound for Glory, Swann competed in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match, where the winner could choose any championship match of their choice, but was eliminated by eventual winner Moose and W. Morrisey. At Turning Point, Swann defeated VSK. On January 8, 2022, at Hard To Kill, Swann took part in a 10-man Hardcore War against The Good Brothers and Violent By Design in a winning effort. At No Surrender, he joined Team Impact in another 10-man tag team match against Honor No More, but failed to win after Eddie Edwards turned on them. On the Countdown To Sacrifice pre-show, Swann teamed with Mack to defeat Honor No More's Matt Taven and Mike Bennett. At Multiverse of Matches, he competed in an Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship, which was won by Trey Miguel. At Rebellion, Swann and Mack failed to capture the Impact Tag Team Championship in an Eight-Team Elimination Challenge.


title: Rich Swann

text: On May 28, Swann defeated Matt Cardona at the Vegas Vacation event held by The Wrestling Revolver to win the Impact Digital Media Championship for the first time. Afterwards, Cardona refused to give up the title, attacked Swann after the match, and made it off with the title belt. On the June 9 episode of "Impact!", Cardona appeared on a Zoom call with tag team partner Brian Myers, "relinquishing" the title to the latter after suffering a torn bicep. Myers challenged Swann to a Digital Media Championship match at Slammiversary to determine the "real" champion, where Swann defeated Myers to retain the title. At Against All Odds, Swann lost the title to Myers in a Dot Combat match, ending his reign at 35 days.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann has formerly utilized a standing 450° splash as his finisher up to 2016, and currently uses a Phoenix splash from the middle or top rope. During his tenure in WWE, Swann had almost been given the name Silk Morris.


title: Rich Swann

text: Swann married his girlfriend of five years, Vannarah Riggs, a fellow professional wrestler better known as Su Yung, in March 2017.


title: Rich Swann

text: On December 10, 2017, Swann was arrested in Gainesville, Florida on charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment. The victim was identified as his wife. According to the arrest report, Swann and Riggs had gotten into an argument over Swann criticizing Riggs' performance at a show that night. When Riggs tried to get away from Swann, witnesses state that he grabbed her in a headlock and dragged her back into his car. Swann was released from Alachua County Jail later that same day and told to get in contact with court services.


title: Rich Swann

text: On January 25, 2018, all charges against Swann were dismissed, when a determination was made by prosecutors that there was "insufficient evidence" to move forward with the case.


title: Rich Swann

text: On December 30, 2021, Riggs announced that she was pregnant with the couple's first child. Their son was born in February 2022.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: Chicken and waffles is an American dish combining chicken with waffles. It is part of a variety of culinary traditions, including Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and soul food, and is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: Chicken and waffles, as a combined recipe, first appeared in the United States' colonial period in the 1600s in Pennsylvania Dutch country. The traditional Pennsylvania Dutch version consists of a plain waffle with pulled, stewed chicken on top, covered in gravy. Although the dish originated in eastern Pennsylvania, it is generally found throughout the Northeastern United States.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: A version using fried chicken is associated with the American South. The soul-food version of chicken and waffles grew in popularity after the opening of the Wells Supper Club in Harlem, New York, in 1938. The waffle is served as it would be for breakfast, with condiments such as butter and syrup. This combination of foods is beloved by many people who are influenced by traditions of soul food passed down from past generations of their families. This version of the dish is popular enough in Baltimore, Maryland, to become a local custom.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: The exact origins of this dish are unknown. Waffles entered American cuisine in the 1600s with European colonists. The food's popularity saw a notable boost after 1789 with Thomas Jefferson's purchase of four waffle irons in Amsterdam.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: In the early 1800s, hotels and resorts outside Philadelphia served waffles with fried catfish. Such establishments also served other dishes such as fried chicken, which gradually became the meat of choice due to catfish's limited, seasonal availability. Waffles served with chicken and gravy were noted as a common Sunday dish among the Pennsylvania Dutch by the 1860s.By the end of the 19th century, the dish was a symbol of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, brought on in part by its association with tourism. A 1901 memoir recalled a tavern in the Pittsburgh neighborhood East Liberty in western Pennsylvania, well known for "suppers of spring chickens and waffles."


title: Chicken and waffles

text: By the 1840s, broiled chicken and waffles were the celebrated specialty at Warriner's Tavern in Springfield, Massachusetts, owned by "Uncle" Jeremy Warriner and his wife "Aunt" Phoebe, two well-known abolitionists. Prior to the Civil War, chicken and waffles were extravagant breakfast staples in plantation houses through much of the South, prepared by the well-trained cooks.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: In 1909, a Griswold's waffle iron advertisement promised, "You can attend a chicken and waffle supper right at home any time you have the notion if you are the owner of a Griswold's American Waffle Iron."


title: Chicken and waffles

text: A traditional story about the origin of the dish in soul food states that because African Americans in the South rarely had the opportunity to eat chicken and were more familiar with flapjacks or pancakes than with waffles, they considered the dish a delicacy. For decades, it remained "a special-occasion meal in African American families." Other historians, however, cite a scarcity of early evidence of the dish's existence in the South; they place the origin later, after the post-Civil War migration of Southern African-Americans to the North during the Reconstruction Era. The combination of chicken and waffles does not appear in early Southern cookbooks such as "Mrs. Porter’s Southern Cookery Book", published in 1871, or in "What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking", published in 1881 by former slave Abby Fisher. Fisher's cookbook is generally considered the first cookbook written by an African American. The lack of a recipe for the combination of chicken and waffles in Southern cookbooks from the era may suggest a later origin for the dish. Popular culture may have associated the dish with the South by 1917, when Edna Ferber's "Fanny Herself" mentioned a Chicago restaurant falsely advertising "Southern chicken dinner with waffles and real maple syrup, 35 cents each."


title: Chicken and waffles

text: Fried chicken and waffles came to Los Angeles by 1931, when they were served at The Maryland, a restaurant that marketed the dish as a Southern specialty. James M. Cain's 1941 novel "Mildred Pierce" concerns a woman who finds success serving "chicken-and-waffle dinner" at her Glendale restaurant.


title: Chicken and waffles

text: In New York, the dish was served in the African-American community in Harlem as early as the 1930s in such locations as Tillie's Chicken Shack, Richard Wells' jazz nightclub, and particularly the Wells Supper Club. In 1935 Bunny Berigan composed a jazz instrumental titled "Chicken and Waffles".


title: Chicken and waffles

text: Since the 1970s, chicken and waffles have gained popularity in Los Angeles due to the fame of former Harlem resident Herb Hudson's restaurant Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles, which has become known as a favorite of some Hollywood celebrities, referenced in several movies, and spun off several more into a small chain.


title: Aston University

text: Aston University (abbreviated as Aston. for post-nominals) is a public research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first college of advanced technology in 1956. Aston University received its royal charter from Queen Elizabeth II on 22 April 1966.


title: Aston University

text: Aston pioneered the integrated placement year concept over 50 years ago, and more than 73% of Aston students take a placement year, the highest percentage in the UK.


title: Aston University

text: In 2020, Aston University was named "University of the Year" by "The Guardian", and the newspaper also awarded Aston Students' Union its "Buildings That Inspire" award. The Times Higher Education Awards named Aston University as its "Outstanding Entrepreneurial University" in 2020.


title: Aston University

text: In September 2021, Aston was shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2021.


title: Aston University

text: The origins of Aston University are a School of Metallurgy formed in the Birmingham and Midland Institute in 1875. The Birmingham Municipal Technical School separated from the Institute in 1895, teaching chemistry, physics, metallurgy and electrical engineering; it expanded and by 1917 was also teaching botany and other subjects to trainee teachers. In 1911, commercial classes were introduced and grew into an independent School of Commerce by 1916. The school changed its name in 1927 to the Birmingham Central Technical College, to reflect its changing approach to teaching technology.


title: Aston University

text: In 1951, the Technical College was renamed the "College of Technology, Birmingham", and work began on the Main Building at Gosta Green. In 1956, it became the first elite designated college of advanced technology and underwent a major expansion. It moved into buildings that were constructed between 1949 and 1955 to a design by Ashley & Newman. Princess Margaret laid one of the first foundation stones at the base of the new building in 1951. The building is one of Europe's largest freestanding brick buildings. In 1955, the College of Advanced Technology was opened by Her Majesty The Queen. The college expanded again to a design by the City Architect of Birmingham Alwyn Sheppard Fidler between 1957 and 1965.


title: Aston University

text: The car manufacturer Aston Martin took one part of its name from the nearby Aston University combining it with that of its co-founder Lionel Martin.


title: Aston University

text: It officially became the "University of Aston in Birmingham" on receipt of its royal charter on 22 April 1966, and the first chancellor of the university, Lord Nelson of Stafford, was installed on 10 May. The charter of the university outlines objectives appropriate to a technological university: "to advance, disseminate and apply learning and knowledge by teaching and research, for the benefit of industry and commerce and of the community generally: and to enable students to obtain the advantage of a university education, and such teaching and research may include periods outside the University in industry or commerce or wherever the University considers proper for the best advancement of its objects." The emphasis given to the sandwich course system, and the maintenance of strong links with industry, arises naturally from the institution's history. The motto of the university is the same as that of the City of Birmingham – "Forward".


title: Aston University

text: In 1983, Aston University, in partnership with Birmingham City Council and Lloyds Bank, established Birmingham Technology Ltd., which manages the Aston Science Park adjacent to the university site. The establishment of the Aston Science Park and Aston University's contribution to the city of Birmingham was fully recognised when the area was granted its own postal address "The Aston Triangle" in 1984, emphasising the campus as an official district of Birmingham. The logo of the establishment takes from the shape of the area.


title: Aston University

text: Aston University hosted the British Science Festival in September 2010, said to be Europe's largest public science event.


title: Aston University

text: The university is a lead sponsor of Aston University Engineering Academy, a university technical college (UTC) which opened in September 2012. The UTC is for students aged 14 to 19 wishing to pursue further study and careers in engineering, and is located at the edge of the Aston University campus.


title: Aston University

text: In October 2014, Aston announced plans to launch Aston Medical School in October 2015. The university also announced a £35 million cash injection for a major upgrade of the campus, including a new £19 million revamp of Aston Business School and improvement work to the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies and the School of Languages and Social Sciences.


title: Aston University

text: In February 2017, Aston University launched its online programme website. Four of their MSc programmes are offered 100% online to students in the UK and worldwide, including the Aston Business School's MBA.


title: Aston University

text: In July 2017, Aston became the first University in the UK to have degree apprenticeship graduates. Aston began working in close partnership with Capgemini, to create the first degree apprenticeship: Digital and Technology Solutions in 2012.


title: Aston University

text: In 2021, the university announced plans to close its Department of History, Languages and Translation, focusing instead on health, engineering, and business. This decision led to protests from members of the university, as well as humanities scholars broadly. Professional groups, including the Royal Historical Society and the American Historical Association, condemned the move, and public figures, including Sir Keith Burnett and Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green criticised the university leadership. Facing public opposition and protests from staff and students, university officials reversed their position and agreed to save the History programme. Although cuts to language instruction would continue.


title: Aston University

text: Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, The university is situated on a 60-acre campus at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England. As well as being home to over 3,000 students, the Aston University campus has the following amenities available: sports centres, swimming pool, 120 station gym, library, cafés, restaurants, pubs, shops, travel centre, hairdresser, health centre, dentist, places of worship, opticians, a bank, automated teller machines and plenty of outside space.


title: Aston University

text: Aston University Library is on four floors and contains over 250,000 books, 800 current printed periodicals and has over 700 reader places. It provides online access to over 40 electronic databases and more than 3,400 electronic journals. The library is open 24 hours a day to Aston students and staff during exam time, and on average, around 12 hours a day during term time.


title: Aston University

text: Around the campus there are also various open-access IT suites, offering computer and internet access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They offer access to a range of software packages, database systems and computer-aided learning materials.


title: Aston University

text: The Aston's sports facilities include a 25 m swimming pool, sauna and steam room, two sports halls, 120-station gym, weights and fitness rooms, two-storey dance studio and 35 sports clubs. The campus also has two 3G floodlit sports pitches. Clubs train and compete, many in the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Leagues. Off campus the university manages a 40-acre sports ground with floodlit pitches, pavilion for all outdoor sports.


title: Aston University

text: During 2020, Aston restructured its schools into three colleges, notably merging the School of Languages and Social Sciences with Aston Business School, and Aston Medical School with the School of Life and Health Sciences. The resulting colleges, schools, and departments are as follows:


title: Aston University

text: The university's arms were granted on 18 March 1955 by Garter, Clarenceux and Norroy and Ulster kings of Arms to the Birmingham Corporation, for use by the former College of Technology. They were designed to show the college's connection with the city and with the teaching of technology. The arms consist of a shield and crest. The shield has two sections – the field (the main background) which is coloured blue and a chief (the broad band across the top of the shield) of silver. On the field is a diagonal line of five gold diamonds joined one to the other, similar to the first quarter of the Arms of the City of Birmingham and incorporated in the Arms of the college to show its connection with the city. This was adopted by the family of Birmingham which derived its name from the then hamlet of Birmingham, and provided the Lords of the Manor from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. On the chief is depicted an open book bound in red placed between two black hammers, showing the connection of the university with technology, the book representing learning and the hammers engineering and allied trades.


title: Aston University

text: The crest is also designed to stress the pursuit of knowledge. It consists of a red torch held erect by a forearm between two branches of gold laurel. Having been originally worn on the helmet of a fully armed person, the crest is always placed on the top of the helm. The method of joining the crest to the helm was usually concealed by decoration and, in the university's arms, this is effected by the use of a wreath and a crown. The wreath is silver, red and black, these colours being taken from the shield. It is surmounted by a mural crown (resembling a wall), which is reserved in modern grants for persons and organisations connected with public corporations. The cloth mantling which hangs down from the top of the helm is the survival of the cloak which was originally worn to protect the armour, coloured in the two principal colours of the shield, blue and gold.


title: Aston University

text: In 2016, to mark the 50th anniversary of the university, Her Majesty's College of Arms granted the favour of supporters to Aston University's arms, following a request from the Vice-Chancellor, Julia King, the Baroness Brown of Cambridge.


title: Aston University

text: On 29 September, during a service at St Phillips Cathedral, The Letters Patent was formally presented to Aston University by the York Herald, Michael Peter Desmond O'Donoghue Esq..


title: Aston University

text: The arms are supported by a Canada goose and a red squirrel. The Canada goose represents the family of geese living on the university campus. The squirrel is the crest of the arms of Aston Manor and is a rebus. (The picture is a pun on the persons name. The owners of Aston Manor were the Holte family and a squirrel's nest is called a holt). This explains the ancient connection between the squirrel and Aston. The animal also appears on the university mace and on the chancellor's chain of office. This chain was originally the property of the mayor of Aston Manor.


title: Aston University

text: The gorse around the animals' necks is a reference to Gosta Green. During the 18th century, it was known as "Gostie" Green, this combined the name of the landowner (William de Gorsty) with the local plant called 'gorse'


title: Aston University

text: In the latest 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, Aston University was ranked in the top 12 in the UK in all four of its broad subject areas, with 86% of research undertaken was described as 'internationally significant'. 88% of Aston academic staff were submitted for research assessment, one of the highest proportions in the UK. According to the RAE, the university's strengths include Business and Management, General Engineering, Subjects Allied to Medicine (Optometry, Biology, Pharmacy and Psychology), Languages and European Studies.


title: Aston University

text: Aston University has been ranked in the top 25 of UK institutions in the 2022 Guardian University Guide.


title: Aston University

text: Aston University received a Gold award as part of the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The framework evaluates universities on criteria including teaching quality, learning environment and student outcomes, taking into account factors such as student satisfaction, retention rates and employment


title: Aston University

text: Many factors make up the overall League Table rankings; Aston prides itself on consistently strong performances for the metrics related to student outcome successes. For example, in the 2021 Guardian University Guide Aston are ranked 11th in the UK for ‘Continuation’ which measures the proportion of students that drop-out of university following their first year. The 2021 Guardian also ranks Aston joint 24th in the UK for ‘Value Added’ which compares student University grades against their expected grades based on entry qualifications.


title: Aston University

text: In addition to this, the 2021 Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide ranks Aston University 31st in the UK for the proportion of students achieving a 1st or 2:1 degree classification, and the same publication ranks Aston 30th in the UK for ‘Graduate Prospects’, based on the proportion of graduates in a professional level job or further study within 15 months of graduation.


title: Aston University

text: In addition to these immediate successes of Aston's students and graduates, there is also evidence of strong long-term benefits of Aston degrees, as the 2020 Longitudinal Education Outcomes study found that Aston graduates had the 15th largest median salary of all UK institutions 5 years after graduation.


title: Aston University

text: Founded in 1947 Aston Business School (ABS) is one of the largest and oldest business schools in the UK. The school was ranked 8th in the UK and 33rd in the world by QS in 2012 and it is among the top 60 of business schools in the world to hold triple accreditation. ABS was the first UK business school to be awarded the prestigious EQUIS accreditation, in 1999. ABS is the first institution in the UK to be allied with Beta Gamma Sigma by establishing a BGS Collegiate Chapter. In 2006 it opened a new £22m extension including new study rooms and two new lecture theatres.


title: Aston University

text: Aston University is currently top 100 in the World for Business and Management in the 2020 QS World Subject Rankings and top 200 for Accounting and Finance in the same publication.


title: Aston University

text: The business school's Masters Management course was ranked by the "Financial Times" in 2012 as 5th in the UK, 33rd in Europe and 36th in the world. The paper also ranked Aston Business School as 4th in the world for careers in 2011. In the school's most recent Research Assessment Exercise in 2008, all research areas submitted ranked in the top 9 in the UK. 45% of the research submitted was judged to be "excellent" or "world-leading". Top 1% of Business Schools Worldwide with Triple Accreditation from AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS World Top 100 Universities for Business and Management Studies by QS Ranking (2019).


title: Aston University

text: Aston is 2nd in the UK for developing marketing professionals and 7th in the UK for finance professionals, based on the career outcome data of more than 313+ million LinkedIn members. The university was also 23rd in the UK for accounting professionals. According to the "Complete University Guide 2016", Aston is ranked 6th for marketing, 22nd for accounting and finance, 22nd for economics and 23rd for business and management studies in the UK.


title: Aston University

text: Aston Students' Union (SU) (formerly Guild) is a non-profit, independent charity set up with the aim of representing and supporting its members who are primarily current students at Aston University. The SU operates a number of commercial and non-commercial services including; the Advice & Representation Centre (ARC), the Aston Athletic Union which supports the university sports clubs, the Aston Societies Federation which supports a large number of non-sporting societies, the SU Shop, Copyshop and B4 Bar. The SU is funded by grant income from Aston University and by funds raised by the SU's commercial services. The SU is led by a Trustee Board consisting of elected students and external trustees. Day-to-day management is by a team of permanent staff and by an elected student team called the Executive Committee. The SU building consists of 5 floors and is located in the centre of the Aston University Campus.


title: Aston University

text: On 29 November 2006, the students voted to disaffiliate the Guild (now Union) from the National Union of Students, but voted to re-affiliate on 26 November 2014.


title: Aston University

text: All of the student housing that Aston owned was sold to UNITE Students in 2016. In the 1970s, three tower blocks containing student accommodation were constructed on Aston University campus; Dalton, Lawrence and Stafford Towers. In April 2007, Aston University submitted a planning application for demolition of the three 1970s towers and to replace them with new student accommodation blocks as well as apartments for tutors, retail units and administrative offices. Lawrence and Dalton Towers were demolished on 8 May 2011. Stafford Tower, Gem Sports Centre and Lakeside Conference Centre were demolished on 27 April 2014 to make way for a new entrance to Aston University and a five-acre green space. The new landscaped area includes a new walkway into the university from the city centre and a pavilion, to be used for teaching and as a catering facility for outdoor events. The new buildings are named the William Murdoch, the James Watt, the Harriet Martineau and the Mary Sturge Residences.


title: Aston University

text: Another addition to Aston University student dwelling stock is the Lakeside complex on campus which was completed in August 1999.


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: A Kid Named Cudi is the debut mixtape by American rapper Kid Cudi, released on July 17, 2008, by New York City streetwear brand 10.Deep, in conjunction with independent record label Fool's Gold Records. Considered his breakout project, the mixtape marked Cudi's first official release, issued prior to his debut album "" (2009).


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: Production was handled by Plain Pat and Emile; samples range from Outkast to Paul Simon and N.E.R.D to Band of Horses. The mixtape allowed a new progression of Kid Cudi with the release catching the ear of Kanye West, founder of GOOD Music, whom Cudi would ultimately be signed to later that year. Notably, the album contains the song "Day 'n' Nite", Kid Cudi's commercial debut single, which reached number three on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart.


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: The mixtape received favorable reviews from music critics, and is also largely credited with establishing Cudi's fan base. Cudi reissued a re-mastered version of "A Kid Named Cudi", 14 years after its original release, on July 15, 2022, via Republic Records. The mixtape was reissued following Cudi's first greatest hits album "The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1" (2022) and prior to his eighth solo album "Entergalactic" (2022), also preceding his 2022 global concert tour To the Moon.


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: In 2005, Kid Cudi moved from his hometown Shaker Heights, Cleveland, Ohio to New York City in pursuit of a career in music. Upon moving to NYC, Cudi stayed with his uncle, accomplished jazz drummer Kalil Madi, in the South Bronx. While working different Manhattan retail jobs to support himself, he would go on to make several connections in the music industry, the first being American record executive Plain Pat at a Def Jam meeting. He would later be kicked out by his uncle and forced to find a new place; the parents of Dot da Genius, a new frequent collaborator of Cudi, allowed him to stay with their family in Brooklyn, as long as he kept creating music with their son. The following connection Cudi made was through a friend of Plain Pat, a high-profile hip hop producer by the name of Emile Haynie, who discovered Cudi through social media site MySpace, where Cudi had uploaded the Dot da Genius-produced track “Day n Nite.”


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: In 2007, Cudi would meet American disc jockey A-Trak, who would go on to sign Cudi to officially release “Day n Nite” as a single, through his label imprint Fool's Gold Records. As “Day n Nite” would climb major music charts, the three would work towards creating Cudi's first full-length release. With its production overseen by Plain Pat and Emile Haynie, Cudi's debut mixtape would be released on July 17, 2008, by NYC streetwear brand 10.Deep, in conjunction with indie record label Fool's Gold. The mixtape would serve as the catalyst for Cudi to sign to GOOD Music, the label imprint of American rapper Kanye West. Plain Pat, who was West's A&R at the time, had previously introduced him to Cudi's music. He would officially sign with GOOD Music after West called upon Cudi to help work on his fourth album "808s & Heartbreak" (2008), where Cudi impressed West, ultimately contributing vocals to two songs (“Welcome to Heartbreak” and “Paranoid”) and co-writing two more (“Heartless” and “RoboCop”).


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: On February 5, 2008, Fool's Gold Records released “Day n Nite” as a single via digital distribution and 12-inch vinyl. An electro-house remix produced by Italian duo Crookers and an abundance of rappers recording their own verses over the original production, helped Cudi gain major recognition.


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: In April 2008, Cudi released a music video for a song titled “Heaven at Nite”. Directed by American filmmaker Vashtie Kola, it features Cudi in a party scene throughout the video. When speaking on the record, Cudi said “the ‘Heaven at Nite’ is in the sense of nightlife being heaven; going out and drowning your sorrows and trying to lighten up your spirits. But at the same time, you can see it in somebody's face that their mind is on something completely different.” On May 12, 2008, Cudi released a trailer for the mixtape, which garnered considerable attention on hip hop blog sites.


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: Upon its release the mixtape received favorable reviews from music critics, and is also largely credited with establishing Cudi's fan base. Guido Stern of Rapreviews wrote “Kid Cudi is creating the biggest buzz out of Cleveland since Bone Thugs”, concluding with "We've already learned from Lil Wayne and Kanye West that the public is willing to embrace the martian—if accordingly entertaining. Fortunately, Kid Cudi isn't short in that respect, and will no doubt only improve upon his stellar debut given proper management and artistic liberation." Pinpoint Music wrote ""A Kid Named Cudi" blends styles, beats and even genres. From a Mims-esque 'This Is Why I'm Hot' beat in the single 'Day ‘N’ Night', to the slowed down tracks 'Man on the Moon' and '50 Ways to Make a Record' that will remind you of something by Gym Class Heroes. Heavy-hitting tracks 'T.G.I.F.' and 'Cleveland Is the Reason' finish the mixtape strong with clear influences from Mr. West on both tracks."


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: Ian A. of "Teen Ink" wrote "His work has changed my persona on rap music greatly. Everyone out there who thinks rap is stupid, just listen to some of Kid Cudi’s music and hopefully you will change your mind." In a 2013 article for "The BoomBox", the author wrote: "On ["A Kid Named Cudi"], Cudi raps and croons over samples and interpolations of Gnarls Barkley, Paul Simon, Band of Horses, J Dilla, Nosaj Thing, N.E.R.D. and Outkast. He melded indie rock, electronica and dubstep seamlessly with hip-hop without pandering or reaching. Before Drake broke through with 2009’s "So Far Gone", rapping and singing over Swedish indie poppers Lykke Li and Peter Bjorn and John, Cudi tweaked with multi-genre covers and seamless transitions between singing and rapping."


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: In 2021, Cudi revealed plans to upload the mixtape on to streaming services in the US. The early 2020s saw popular mixtapes from the late 2000s be reissued on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, including Cudi's Republic Records label-mates Lil Wayne with "No Ceilings" (2009) and Nicki Minaj with "Beam Me Up Scotty" (2009). In January 2022, Cudi gave an update on the process citing sample clearance issues. On March 9, 2022, during a performance on Encore, the virtual concert app Cudi launched earlier in February, Cudi announced that the mixtape would be coming to streaming platforms “very soon” and would also receive a vinyl release.


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: On July 4, 2022, Cudi announced that the mixtape would be officially issued to streaming services on July 15, just two days shy of the 14th anniversary of its original release. Cudi also revealed that he recorded a new intro, and all songs have been remastered. On July 10, Cudi revealed the re-issue would feature new cover art. Cudi unveiled the new album cover the following day, detailing how “this photo was taken by Mel D. Cole on 9.22.08 in NYC. Right before my life changed forever.”


title: A Kid Named Cudi

text: The mixtape was commercially re-released and made available on streaming services for the first time, on the announced date of July 15, with "50 Ways to Make a Record" being the only track omitted from the reissue. Cudi revealed that the track, which samples the 1976 "Billboard" number-one hit single "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by American singer Paul Simon, could not be cleared for an official release.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Aḥmad al-Fārūqī as-Sirhindī (1564-1624) was a South Asian Islamic scholar from Punjab, Hanafi jurist, and member of the Naqshbandī Sufi order. He has been described by some followers as a Mujaddid, meaning a “reviver", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the newly made religion of Din-i Ilahi and other problematic opinions of Mughal emperor Akbar. While early South Asian scholarship credited him for contributing to conservative trends in Indian Islam, more recent works, notably by ter Haar, Friedman, and Buehler, have pointed to Sirhindi's significant contributions to Sufi epistemology and practices.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Most of the Naqshbandī suborders today, such as the Muḥammadī, Haqqānī, Qāsimī, trace their spiritual lineage through Sirhindi as the "Mujaddidī" branch.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Ahmad Sirhindi was born on 26 May 1564 in the village of Sirhind, Punjab. He received most of his early education from his father, 'Abd al-Ahad, his brother, Muhammad Sadiq and from Muhammad Tahir al-Lahuri. He also memorised the Qur'an. He then studied in Sialkot, which had become an intellectual centre under the Kashmir-born scholar Kamaluddin Kashmiri. There he learned logic, philosophy and theology and read advanced texts of tafsir and hadith under another scholar from Kashmir, Yaqub Sarfi Kashmiri (1521-1595), who was a sheikh of the tariqa Hamadaniyya Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani Sufi Order. Qazi Bahlol Badakhshani taught him jurisprudence, prophet Muhammad's biography and history.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Sirhindi also made rapid progress in the Suhrawardī, the Qadirī, and the Chistī traditions, and was given permission to initiate and train followers at the age of 17. He eventually joined the Naqshbandī order through the Sufi missionary Khwaja Baqi Billah, and became a leading master of this order. His deputies traversed the Mughal Empire in order to popularize the order and eventually won favour with the Mughal court.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Ahmad Sirhindi's teaching emphasized the inter-dependence of both the Sufi path and sharia, stating that "what is outside the path shown by the prophet is forbidden." Arthur Buehler explains that Sirhindi's concept of shariah is a multivalent and inclusive term encompassing outward acts of worship, faith, and the Sufi path. Sirhindi emphasizes Sufi initiation and practices as a necessary part of shariah, and criticizes jurists who follow only the outward aspects of the sharia. In his criticism of the superficial jurists, he states: "For a worm hidden under a rock, the sky is the bottom of the rock." Sirhindi also wrote a treatise under the title ""Radd-e-Rawafiz"" to justify the execution of Shia nobles by Abdullah Khan Uzbek in Mashhad. In this he argues:


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: "Since the Shia permit cursing Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and one of the chaste wives (of the Prophet), which in itself constitutes infidelity, it is incumbent upon the Muslim ruler, nay upon all people, in compliance with the command of the Omniscient King (Allah), to kill them and to oppress them in order to elevate the true religion. It is permissible to destroy their buildings and to seize their property and belongings."


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: He has expressed his hate towards Shias in his letters too. According to him, the worst distorters of faith "are those who bear malice against the companions of Prophet Muhammad. God has called them Kafirs in the Quran". In a letter to his discple Sheikh Farid, the Mir Bakhshi of the Mughal empire, he said that showing respect to the distorters of faith ("ahl-e-Bidʻah") amounted to destruction of Islam.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: In his Makutbat letter 193 he is said to have stated "The execution of the accursed Kafir of Goindwal (Guru Arjan Dev Ji) at this time is a very good achievement indeed and has become the cause of a great defeat of the hateful Hindus."


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Jahangir writes in his Tuzuk that he had the Guru put to death and had his property confiscated. Mujaddid-i-Alf Thani Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi (1564-1624), as a hard-line supporter of Islamic orthodoxy and a highly influential religious revivalist, had opposed Akbar’s policy of religious tolerance. He had concerns about the spread of Sikhism in Punjab. So he cheered on the murder of the Guru, thus giving it a religious rather than political colour.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: According to Simon Digby, "modern hagiographical literature emphasizes Sirhindi's reiterated profession of strict Islamic orthodoxy, his exaltation of the shariah and exhortations towards its observance." On the other hand, Yohanan Friedmann questions how committed Sirhindi was to shariah by commenting: "it is noteworthy that while Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi never wearies of describing the minutest details of Sufi experience, his exhortations to comply with the shariah remain general to an extreme." Friedmann also claims "Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi was primarily a Sufi interested first and foremost in questions of mysticism." Sirhindi wrote a letter to Mughal emperor Jehangir emphasizing that he is now correcting the wrong path taken by his father, emperor Akbar.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Ahmad Sirhindi advanced the notion of "wahdat ash-shuhūd" (oneness of appearance). According to this doctrine, the experience of unity between God and creation is purely subjective and occurs only in the mind of the Sufi who has reached the state of "fana' fi Allah" (to forget about everything except Almighty Allah). Sirhindi considered "wahdat ash-shuhūd" to be superior to "wahdat al-wujūd" (oneness of being), which he understood to be a preliminary step on the way to the Absolute Truth.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: I wonder that Shaykh Muhyī 'l-Dīn appears in vision to be one of those with whom God is pleased, while most of his ideas which differ from the doctrines of the People of truth appear to be wrong and mistaken. It seems that since they are due to error in "kashf", he has been forgiven... I consider him as one of those with whom God is well-pleased; on the other hand, I believe that all his ideas in which he opposes (the people of truth) are wrong and harmful.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: When Sirhindī explains the meaning of waḥdat al-wujūd, he demonstrates little acquaintance with the writings of Ibn ʿArabī or his major followers. By insisting that it was an inadequate expression of the nature of things and that it needed to be supplanted by waḥdat al-shuhūd, he was taking for granted that it was the teaching of Ibn ʿArabī and that wujūd was being used in the philosophical sense. He seemed not to recognize that Ibn ʿArabī used it to mean “finding” and “witnessing” as well as “being” and “existence.” So, at least partly because Sirhindī was oblivious to the meaning of wujūd as finding and perceiving, he felt it necessary to insist that seeing God in all things goes back to the viewer. The unity achieved on the path to God, he claimed, is that of shuhūd, not that of wujūd. But, for Ibn ʿArabī and many of his followers these two words meant the same thing. So Sirhindī not only ascribes a doctrine to Ibn ʿArabī that he does not profess—waḥdat al-wujūd—but he also understands wujūd in a way that is not compatible with Ibn ʿArabī’s use of the word.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Sirhindi had originally declared the reality of the Quran "(haqiqat-i quran") and the reality of the Ka'ba ("haqiqat-i ka'ba-yi rabbani") to be above the reality of Muhammad ("haqiqat-i Muhammadi"). This caused fury of opposition, particularly among certain Sufis and ulama of Hijaz who objected to the Ka'ba having exalted spiritual "rank" than the Prophet. Sirhindi argued in response that the reality of the Prophet is superior to any creature. The real Ka'ba is worthy of prostration since it is not created and is covered with the veil of nonexistence. It is this Ka'ba in the essence of God that Sirhindi was referring to as the reality of the Ka'ba, not the appearance of the Ka'ba ("surat-i ka'ba"), which is only a stone. By the latter part of the nineteenth century, the consensus of the Naqshbandi community had placed the prophetic realities closer to God than the divine realities. The rationale for this development may have been to neutralize unnecessary discord with the large Muslim community whose emotional attachment to Muhammad was greater than any understanding of philosophical fine points.


title: Ahmad Sirhindi

text: Naqshbandi Sufis claim that Ahmad Sirhindi is descended from a long line of "spiritual masters" all the way up to prophet Muhammad.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Crime in Canada is generally considered low overall. Under the Canadian constitution, the power to establish criminal law and rules of investigation is vested in the federal Parliament. The provinces share responsibility for law enforcement (although provincial policing in many jurisdictions is contracted to the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police), and while the power to prosecute criminal offences is assigned to the federal government, responsibility for prosecutions is delegated to the provinces for most types of criminal offences. Laws and sentencing guidelines are uniform throughout the country, but provinces vary in their level of enforcement.


title: Crime in Canada

text: According to the latest report of Statistics Canada, overall crime in Canada has been steadily declining since the late 1990s as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI) and the Violent Crime Severity Index (VCSI), with a more recent uptick since an all-time low in 2014. Both measures of crime saw an 8 to 10 percent decrease between 2010 and 2018. Violent crime, specifically homicide, has declined in Canada by over 40% since its peak in 1975, placing Canada 79th in the world by homicide rate—far worse than Australia, England, and Ireland, comparable to or slightly worse than Belgium, and relatively close to poorer European countries. It is tied for first in the Americas with Chile (homicide rates are 2.7 times lower than in the United States). Current crimes that are increasing include drug-related offences, fraud, sexual assault and theft, with fraud increasing 46% between 2008 and 2018.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Crime rates in Canada were reported at 5,334 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants with violent crime at 1,098 incidents and property crime at 3,245 incidents (per 100,000).


title: Crime in Canada

text: The province or territory with the lowest crime rate in 2017 was Quebec with 3,359 incidents per 100,000 followed by Ontario with 3,804 incidents per 100,000. The province or territory with the highest crime rate for 2017 was Nunavut with 34,948 incidents per 100,000. Overall crime decreased 23% between 2007 and 2017 with all provinces experiencing a decrease in crime (up to 34%) with the exception of Yukon which saw no decrease and Nunavut which saw an increase. Violent crime was lowest in Prince Edward Island followed by Ontario and Quebec. The three northern territories have higher per capita crime rates than any province.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Canada's homicide rate per capita (per 100,000) inhabitants has been declining since a peak in the 1970s. After dropping to a low point of 1.44 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013, Canada's homicide rate has been rising again. In 2015 the rate rose to 1.68 per 100,000 people, up from 1.47 the previous year. According to Statistics Canada data from 2016, police reported 611 homicides across Canada in 2016, a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 people. Canada's national homicide rate 2017 was the highest it's been in a decade, Statistics Canada says, because of a spike in gang-related violence and shootings. The agency said there were 660 reported homicides in Canada last year. Not only was that an increase of nearly eight per cent from 2016, it also pushed up the homicide rate to 1.8 victims for every 100,000 people, the highest since 2009. The agency also said the rates of other serious offences, including attempted murder, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault were all up last year, as was the use of guns in violent crimes.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Police reported criminal violence is thought to be an undercount of actual violence rates. Thus, approximately every five years, Statistics Canada conducts a survey of victimization in Canada. The last General Social Survey conducted was in 2004, where 24,000 people were contacted by telephone: 106 reported incidents of violence per 1,000 polled, which is slightly lower than in 1999 when it was 111 per 1,000 polled.


title: Crime in Canada

text: In 2007, the number of murders dropped to 594, 12 fewer than the previous year. One-third of the 2007 murders were stabbings and another third were by firearm. In 2007, there were 190 stabbings and 188 shootings. Handguns were used in two-thirds of all firearm murders. Seventy-four youths were accused of murder, down 11 from the previous year. About eighty-four percent of murders were done by someone known to the victim. Male victims of homicide were most likely to be killed by an acquaintance, someone known to them through a criminal relationship, or a stranger. Female victims of homicide were most frequently killed by a current or former intimate partner, or another family member. The province with the highest crime rate was Manitoba while the lowest crime rates occurred in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Police reported that the number of hate crimes in Canada dropped to 1,798 in 2018 compared to 2,073 in 2017 as per the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey. However, the number is still higher than the previous years when there were 1,409 in 2016, 1,362 in 2015 and 1,295 in 2014. Religion continues to be the leading motivation and cause for the hate crimes (37%) in Canada according to the survey conducted by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS).


title: Crime in Canada

text: Crime statistics vary considerably through different parts of Canada. In general, the eastern provinces have the lowest violent crime rates while the western provinces have higher rates and the territories higher still. Of the provinces, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have the highest violent crime rates. The chart below also shows that Saskatchewan has the highest provincial assault rate, and that Manitoba has the highest provincial sexual assault rate, robbery rate and homicide rate of any Canadian province. In many instances the crime rates in the Yukon, North West Territories and Nunavut are the highest in the country and can be up to ten times the national average.


title: Crime in Canada

text: 2020 crime statistics for the provinces and territories are given below, as reported by Statistics Canada.


title: Crime in Canada

text: In 2005, there were 61,050 police officers in Canada which equates to one police officer per 528.6 persons, but with significant regional variations. Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island have the fewest police per capita with 664.9 and 648.4 persons per police officer, respectively. Conversely, the highest ratio of police to population is found in Canada's northern territories; Nunavut has 247.9 persons per police officer, the Northwest Territories has 248.5 persons per officer and the Yukon has 258.2 persons for each police officer.


title: Crime in Canada

text: That is a substantially lower rate than most developed countries with only Japan and Sweden having so few police officers. The United States has one officer per 411.5 persons, and Germany 344.8.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Canada's national police force is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) which is the main police force in Canada's north, and in rural areas except in Quebec, Ontario, and Newfoundland. Those three provinces have their own provincial police forces, although the RCMP still operate throughout rural Newfoundland and also provide specific federal policing services in Ontario and Quebec. Many cities and districts have their own municipal police forces, while others have contracts with the provincial police or RCMP to police their communities.


title: Crime in Canada

text: A publication posted on Statistics Canada reported that in 2009, only a small portion of crimes that happen are reported to the police (31% of all crimes), and this figure has been lowering from 1999 (37%) and 2004 (34%). Only 54% of break and enters, 43% of robberies, and 34% of assaults are reported to the police. The most common reason for not reporting a crime was the victim thought it was not important enough (68%). Other common reasons include; they think the police cannot do anything about it (59%), or they dealt with it another way (42%). Multiple reasons are given so the percentages do not sum to 100%.


title: Crime in Canada

text: Canada abolished the death penalty for murder in 1976, instituting a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for murder.


title: Crime in Canada

text: In 2001, Canada had about 32,000 people in prison or about 0.13% of the total population. Globally, the United States was the country with the highest percentage of inmate population (about 0.7% of the total population). The European average is 0.2% of the total population, with France and Germany having lower rates than Canada, but with the United Kingdom, Spain and most of Eastern Europe having higher ones.