Comparison of UK and Indian Cultures

Comparison of UK and Indian Cultures Introduction In this era of globalization in business environment, companies are expanding their business all over the world, i.e. in different countries and each of them with different cultures. One area in particular of growing importance is intercultural management skills. Culture in international business nowadays is recognized to have a major role to play in the international sales, marketing, recruitment, management and mergers. In short, culture is behind everything we do or say. (www.kwintessential.co.uk) Therefore, in the international and multi-cultural business community, there are very much possibilities of misunderstandings which can have a negative effect on the people which will intern affect the productivity of the organization. This complexity requires a manager to adapt in order to offer modern solutions to these problems. (www.kwintessential.co.uk) Culture is: Something shared by all or almost all members of some social group. Something older members of a group try to pass to younger members. Something (as in the case of morals, laws, and customs) that shapes behavior, or structures ones perception of he world. Therefore culture is all that one needs to know in order to be accepted in a society or an organisation which is a sum total of all the beliefs, values and norms shared by a group of people who have been brought up in a society to think, feel, interpret and react in a particular manner. Or it is a human need of adapting to circumstances and transmitting these skills and knowledge to the next generations. It can also be said as culture as mental programming is also crystallization of history in the hands, minds and hearts of the present generation. (Hofstede, 2001). This essay will talk about the cultural difference between India which is my home culture and UK which is the counterpart. I have chosen UK because I have been to UK for my Supervised Work Experience (SWE) and during my stay in UK I never paid attention towards the UK culture dimensions and would now like to analyze with respect to the different models. But before that lets have a look at some customs or values that are followed in these countries: India Hinduism Social freedom amongst the sexes is not appreciated. Use of first name to address people is avoided. The method of greeting depends on the social status of the person you are meeting i.e. if a son is meeting his father usually he greets him by bowing down and touching his feet. Where as educated people, in business meeting shake hands to welcome or greet each other. If invited for dinner one may only have the dinner with the business partner and not the whole family and do not get upset if you host asks you several times to have some more food. It is Indian custom to make sure that the guest does not get up hungry from the table. Also at the table one should use the right hand in passing food as Indian consider left hand as impure. UK: British people are formal, sophisticated, value privacy and are sensitive. Within UK controlled business environment, maintain decorum and avoid casualness in dress and conversation, loudness and shouting is too taboo. Family names and first name are preferred. British people are good negotiators as they are tolerant and good listeners. Fine manners and good etiquette are expected at all social occasions. Gift giving is not a normal custom in UK. (Harris, 2004 Rodrigues, 2001) Hofstede Model Cross-cultural study to find out the differences in national cultures, this was done by Hofstede across 60 different countries which included matched samples of business employees. These studies together identified four independent dimensions of national culture differences. The dimensions explored were Power distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism verses collectivism and Masculinity verses femininity. The first of four dimensions discovered by Hofstede is called power distance. Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful member of an organization or an institution accept and expect that the power is distributed unequally (Hofstede, 2001). The basic problem which is prevalent here is to what extent in a culture the degree of inequality between a less powerful individual and a high powerful individual is expected and accepted. India stands at the 10/11 position in the survey with a score of 77 whereas Great Britain is on the 42/44 position with a score of only 35. (see appendices-) For example During my SWE the service operation head of the whole hotel chain was very friendly, who was also the head of my department. I used to share my personal problems with her and even go out for dinner. This example would be further analyzed in the competencies. The second dimension is labeled as uncertainty avoidance (UA). It refers to the extent a culture or organization prepares its members to feel comfortable or uncomfortable in an unstructured situation (Hofstede, 2001). The issue involved here is the level to which a culture or society would accept strict laws and regulations over uncertainty and risk. Countries or cultures scoring high on UA have long history and the population is homogeneous. Risks even calculated are avoided and new ideas and concepts are difficult to introduce whereas countries on low UA scores are completely opposite. Although there is not much of a difference in the ranks given by Hofstede but still India scores a higher rank than Great Britain, also this dimension does not have a major role in the core competencies.( see appendices-) The third is individualism and collectivism which is the degree to which a culture stress on that right of an individual as compared to those of a group. Countries scoring high on individualism live in the I culture and strive for personal goals and achievements. In such countries it is acceptable to pursue personal goals at the expense of other. Whereas a country scoring low in individualism has the we culture. Individual desires and goal could be suppressed for the good of the group. For Example In UK culture people always consider themselves as an Individual, they are more bothered about themselves even if they belong to same family, whereas in India people consider each other as a part of a group and thats the reason joint families still exist in Indian society. The last one is masculinity and femininity which refers to the distribution of role between the two genders i.e. male and female. Countries with high masculinity are observed to have the following characteristics i.e. Priorities in life for people are achievement, wealth and expansion. Usually people settle conflicts through aggressive means.Women and men have different roles in society. OftenProfessionals in these countries work for longer hours and short vacations. Whereas in counties which are low in masculinity the following is observed. Priorities are the family, relationships and quality of life.Conflicts are usually solved though negotiation.Men and women share equal positions in society. Masculinity/Femininity are equally powerful but in respect to Hofstede, 2006 research both India and UK share common Masculinity culture as in both of these cultures social gender roles are clearly distinct.( see appendices) Halls Model The vital distinction is made by the anthropologist Edward Hall between high and low- context cultures and how these contexts have an effect on communication. In High Context cultures high context communication: information is either in the physical context or internalized in the person with little communication in the explicit words or message and on the other hand a low context culture communication most information is contained in explicit codes, such as words (Harris, 2004). High context cultures depend heavily on the external environment, situations, and non-verbal behavior in creating and interpreting communications. In high context cultures when individuals communicate they try to find out how much the listener knows about what is being discussed. People in high context cultures emphasize on interpersonal relationships, also developing trust is very important factor or step which should be made before starting a business. People are collectivist and work on their intuition rather than on reasons and are more indirect as well as formal. India is high context culture. Whereas in Low Context cultures the environment is less important, and non -verbal behavior is often ignored. While communication is going on the listener knows nothing or little and need to be told about what is being discussed. People in low context cultures emphasize legal documents rather than inter personal relationships or trust. People are individualistic and work based on logical reasoning and not on intuition, also they are direct and informal. UK is a low context culture. For example During my SWE I was asked by my colleague to help her with the work load. Instead of saying I can not, I said it would be difficult. The example would be analyzed in the competencies areas. The second concept given by Hall was to do with the how different cultures structure or manage their time i.e. polychronic verses the monochronic time orientation. The polychronic cultures believe in doing many things at one time and the monochronic cultures believe in doing one task at given point of time and time is subordinate to interpersonal relationships. UK belongs to monochromic culture and India is a polychronic culture. Stereotyping Another important factor or variable that the managers in the organization need to keep in mind is stereotyping. Stereotypes are set of attitudes that causes us to attribute qualities and characteristics to a person based on the group to which that individual belongs. (Harris, 2004) It basically involves categorizing and making perceptions about people based on ones experiences and it guides ones behavior towards that group of people in a particular way. Teamwork A team is a number of persons associated in same joint action, while teamwork is described as cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of persons working together towards the actualization of a goal (Harris, 2004). A hotel firm can only survive if the employees are ready to work and produce an effective team. As each and every operation in the hospitality industry is interrelated to each other. For example front office is depended upon housekeeping department for clean rooms and restaurant is dependent on kitchen for cooking food. Thus in order to have a successful multicultural team member should have complimentary skills and should think in favor of the team.( example see appendices-) Communication All activities involve communication. In the global era different managerial activities like motivating, leading, negotiation exchanging information etc are all based on the manager of one culture to communicate effectively and successfully to people of other cultures. Communication can not only verbal or written but also non-verbal i.e. body language, expressions etc (Adler, 1997). In international Hospitality and Tourism industries language plays a very important role, as both of these industries include direct guest contact; good language and communication skills can either make or break the impression of the organization especially hotels.( example see appendices) Conflict and Negotiation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conflict- A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash (www.ANSWER.COM) Causes of conflict communication failure personality conflict value differences goal differences methodological differences substandard performance lack of cooperation differences regarding authority differences regarding responsibility competition over resources non-compliance with rules (www.geocities.com) These are some of the factors which causes conflict in an working environment of an organization which needed to be resolved through various modes and means Force Negotiate Bargain Avoid Accommodation and Appease (Mead 1998:2005) The most important tool is negotiation whichs is used to resolve conflict Negotiation is a process in which two or more entities come together to discuss common and conflicting interests in order to reach an agreement of mutual benefit (Harris, 2004). In international business negotiation, there can be misunderstanding due the difference in the culture to culture in language, cultural conditioning, negotiation style, approach to problem solving etc. Negotiation plays a very important role in Hospitality and Tourism Industries, such as negotiation on room rate with guests and travel agents in different countries etc. As India belongs to polychromic culture, while taking decisions people from India tend to involve other people (colleagues) into the negotiation process which makes the process longer. This also confirms the stereotype associated with them. This also happens as India a collectivist and high PDI country. Whereas UK which is monochromic culture they see time as an asset and quantity to be scheduled, they emphasize on making agendas and finish the work or taking the decision in time. Negotiation can also be effected by the communication style of the country i.e. as explained earlier the concept of high and low context cultures i.e. misunderstanding due to lack of clarity amongst the two cultures thus leading to unsatisfactory results of negotiation. Evaluating myself- Me, As a manager After completing my reflective practice assignment and following up the tasks given to us. After doing the Hofstedes measuring cultural differences approach model or exercise and I found that I measured masculinity more than femininity which clarifies that the job which is given or I undertake is done to get personal sense of accomplishment and I look for new and challenging opportunities for a high success .I would describe my self as low power distance human being as I would like to work with those mangers which makes decision by considering all the employees view points rather making their own personal decision I would focused more on collectivism rather on Individualism as I look for more opportunities to improve upon my skills and develop new skills by adapting to new working conditions ( see appendices- ) Cultures are normally attributed to groups of people but, within group each individual has his/her own individual characters which make the person stand out from others. I would describe my self as a good listener, good observer, cooperative with employees, Flexible and competitive (see appendices-). These individual characteristics make me stand out from other members of different cultures. The results of CCAI indicate that my strongest are is Personal Autonomy and my weakest area is Flexibility/Openness. While scores in Emotional Resilience and Perceptual Activity almost the same.( see appendices-) The area in which I lack the most is communication among different cultures; while I can easily handle situations in which things do not go as per plan or situations and in which stress and tolerance occurs. I lack in area where I am expected to communicate among different cultures, despite of the fact that, I would love to spend some time with people from different cultures. By improvin g my intercultural skills such as communication i.e. how to react on different ideas, people and experiences and I should not focus on what other people are saying and doing rather make my own decisions. This will make me a better person while I am in different culture and in my own culture. Also I should learn to appreciate different people and expenses. In the next six months by following up the action plan I would improve on my communication skill by reading novels and newspapers and also at the same time try interact and discuss on different issues with people in college whom I normally dont interact with, as it will also help me in appreciating different people as well. Completing this exercise would help me in dealing with different people at my future work place and also communicating effectively with them.(see appendices-) Conclusion and Recommendations The main focus of this essay was to analyze similarities and dissimilarities among Indian and UK cultures. This was done though use of two models of cultural analysis done by Hofstede and Hall. It was realized that both the cultures are too different from each other. As hospitality and tourism industry are growing at a rapid scale and due to globalization of the business, the demand for multicultural employees is increasing, but managing employees from totally different cultures like in India or UK would be great challenge faced by the managers in the industry. Also international visitors often expect that service providers should understand and respect their customs, beliefs and cultures, if not it may lead to cross cultural conflicts. Following are the recommendations for UK and India based managers: Cross cultural training should be provided to the employees so that they can adjust in new cultures. Information about other cultures should be provided which will lead to better understanding amongst the employees and enhanced teamwork. While communicating with Britishers, Indian people should use simple words which are grammatically correct should be used and direct communication should take place as British people belong to a low context culture and prefer messages/communication to be structured directly, that they get immediate to the point and state conclusions and bottom line. Proper understanding of other cultures and choosing appropriate negotiation process can produce effective and useful negotiation. A manager must find out the common and the uncommon values of his and counterparts culture in order to conduct effective and successful negotiation. While negotiating between UK and Indian cultures, managers should take care of the body languages, Gestures and use of grammatically correct language for communications should be used also, importance of time should be taken into consideration. Cross cultural training should be provided to the employees so that they can adjust in new cultures. Information about other cultures should be provided which will lead to better understanding amongst the employees and enhanced teamwork. Another consideration for global managers is that they should have/develop good listening skill. Bibliography Adler .N.J, (1997), International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, 4th Edition, South-Western, United States. Abercrombie.N and Warde .A( 2001), The Contemporary British Society, Black well PublishersLtd, Great Britian. Brislin. W.Richard , ( 1981), Cross Cultural Encounters, Pergamon Press, USA. Brislin.W. Richard and Cushner. K,( 1996), Intercultural Interactions, 2ed , Sage Publications, USA. Barker. C.( 2002) , Making Sense of Cultural Studies , Sage Publications, London. Conflict: Definition, Synonyms, from answers.com ( online) cited on 2 November url: http://www.answers.com/topic/conflict Francesco, A. M. Gold, B. A. (2005) International Organizational Behavior : Texts, cases and exercises Upper Saddle Row, New Jersey, Pearson/Prentice Hall. Grazia. V.(1981), The Cultural Of Content,University of Cambridge , Cambridge Hooker.J,(2003) , Working Across Cultural , Standford University Press, Califonia. Hofstede .G ,(1985) , The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practises and Theories , London. Harris. P., Robert .T. M Sarah. V. M, 2004, Managing Cultural Differences Global Leadership Strategies for 21st century, 6th Edition, Elsevier, London. Hodgetts. R, Luthans. F, Doh. J, 2006, International Management Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 6th Edition, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi. Hofstede. G, 2001, Cultures Consequences, 2nd Edition, Sage Publications, London Kwintessential (2008), Intercultural Training (online) cited on 3 December URL: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/intercultural-training.html Mead, R. 1998 International Management: Cross Cultural Dimensions 2nd edition Cambridge MA. Blackwell Publishers Mead, R. 2005 International Management: Cross Cultural Dimensions 3rd edition Cambridge MA. Blackwell Publishers Rodriguez. C, 2001, International Management A cultural Approach, 2nd Edition, South-Western College Publication, United Kingdom Robinson. M.(1999) , Cultural Conflicts In Tourism Inevitablity and Inequality, CAB Publication, USA Schneider.C.Susan. and Basoux Louis.J,( 1997), Managing Across Cultural , Prentice Hall, Europe. Storry.M and Childs. P.( 1997), British Cultural Identities,Routledge New York Samovar. A .Larry and Porter.E. Richard,( 2003) , Intercultural Communication , 10th edition , Thompson Learning, USA Singh.Y.(2002),Culture Change In India,Rawat Publication, Jaipur. Yahoo: Causes of conflict ( online ) cited on 4 November url: http://geocities.yahoo.com/causes of conflict

Apollo 11 Mission

Apollo 11 Mission The Apollo 11 mission was the first man mission to land on the Moon. The Apollo 11 team left Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969 at 13:32UTC. The mission’s team included Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Commander Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene â€Å"Buzz† Aldrin Jr. After being in orbit for 72 hours, Armstrong and Aldrin climbed into the Lunar Module, named the Eagle, and prepared for their descent to the Lunar surface. The Lunar Module â€Å"Eagle† consisted of two parts: the descent stage and the ascent stage. The descent stage had the engine used to land on the Moon, four legs, a storage area for experimental gear and a ladder for the crew to climb down to the Moon’s surface. The descent stage module also served as the launch platform for the ascent stage module when it was time to leave the Moon’s surface and reunite with the Command Service Module. The two Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the Moon at 4:18pm EDT on July 20, 1969 at a site called Mare Tranquillitatis. This site was chosen for many factors which included: smoothness, approach, propellant requirements, free return, and slope. The Lunar Module was equipped with cameras that would provided live television coverage of Armstrong’s first steps onto the moon at 10:56pm EDT and proclaimed: â€Å"That’s One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind†. At 11:16 p. m. EDT, Buzz Aldrin stepped out of the Lunar Module and joined Neil Armstrong on the Moon’s surface. During the time the astronauts were on the surface of the Moon they collect about forty- seven pounds of Lunar surface materials. This material was collected for later analysis by scientists back on Earth. Armstrong and Aldrin stated in communication with Houston that they notice that the Moons gravity was very different than that on Earth. They had to move slowly by leaping of hopping with both feet to keep their balance. Some of the items the astronauts left on the Moon’s surface were an American flag as a reminder of their accomplishments, a disc that contained 73 messages from around the world, a patch from Apollo 1, medals from Russian cosmonauts, and the U. S. symbol that was an eagle carrying an olive branch. The two astronauts were on the Moon for about 2 hours 30 minutes before successfully connecting back with the command ship. After the successful landing, walking, and return to the command ship, Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin prepared for the trip back to Earth after spending 128 hours in space. The decent to Earth took place on July 24, 1969. The astronauts landed in the Pacific Ocean east of Wake Island 195 ? hours after launch. Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin were than quarantined due to landing on the Moon and also the fear that they may have brought back some undiscovered pathogens while they were there. After a three week long quarantine the astronauts were released. On August 13, 1969 the three astronauts excited to be released were met by crowds of cheering Americans. There were parades to honor the astronauts in cities like New York, Chicago and LA on the same day of their release from quarantine. Apollo 11 mission objective was accomplished. They had safely landed men on the Moon and brought them back to Earth again. This mission made many things possible for the future of space travel and what was to come. Works Cited â€Å"Apollo 11. † Lunar science and exploration. Lunar and Planetary Institute. 26 Sept. 2008 . This website source offered the detailed information of the whole Apollo 11 Mission from the take off to the landing on the Moon and back to Earth again. The specifics of every aspect of the astronaut's activities such as experiments, the first steps, details on the landing sites. There were also a variety of pictures of the Apollo 11 Mission and its crew. I found this site very useful because of the great amount of detailed information about what the astronauts went through and how long it took them to complete this mission. Apollo 11. † Science Channel. Comcast Cable. 99, Rockford. 28 Sept. 2008. During this broadcast you witnessed the Apollo 11 crew member Neil Armstrong making his first steps and the famous words that were spoken â€Å"One small step for man one giant leap for mankind. â€Å"It was amazing to see the actual footage from the original broadcast of the first steps on the Moon. I found it exciting to be transport ed to the actual event in history. Garner, Joe. â€Å"Apollo 11 MAN WALKS ON MOON. † We Interrupt This Broadcast. By Joe Garner, Walter Cronkite and Bill Kurtis. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 1998. 68-72. The area of the book that pertained to Apollo 11 Mission told of the take off from Earth and the close call when landing on the Moon. Many of the details in this book were covered more thoroughly in my other resources. There was only one fact that I obtained from this book that was not mentioned in anything else I had read, that was about the plaque left on the Moon. Weaver, Kenneth F. â€Å"The Flight of Apollo 11. † National Geographic Dec. 1969: 752-87. This article tells of the landing in great detail, the events that took place while on the Moon as well as the technology that was used on Earth and in space for this mission. Also included in this article was how this feet had changed the outlook for the future of space travel for the better and how landing on the Moon and safely returning to Earth. I found this article to be one of the most informative resources I used in writing my paper. Wilford, John N. â€Å"MEN WALK ON THE MOON. † New York Times 21 July 1969: 1-2. This newspaper article told the readers about Armstrong's first steps on the Moon. Also it told of the items collected from the Moon's surface for future scientific experiments back on Earth. Finally the article told of the Presidents words of congratulations and pride in the accomplishments and advancements the astronauts made in the vision of future and in peace for all mankind. The New York Times newspaper article summarized key points of the Apollo 11 Mission which informed millions of people that may have missed the broadcast of the events on July 21,1969. I found this newspaper showed how important the Apollo 11 Mission was to the world and how this event changed history.

From Now on, Let Women Kill Their Own Spiders

After reading the two articles â€Å"I Want a Wife† and â€Å"From Now On, Let Women Kill Their Own Spiders†,I find a better way to reduce both women’s and men’s complaints is for women to learn how to love themselves. The first article is written by Judy Brady from the point of view of women; even though is a woman, she wants a wife because a wife does all the housework in a family (Brady 542). In another article, written by Dave Barry, entitled â€Å"From Now On, Let Women Kill Their Own Spiders†, the author humorously appeals to men, telling them not to spoil their wives but to let their wives do their own business, like killing spiders (Barry 539). A woman's love is selfless and fearless; she pays all her attention to family and work. As a professional woman, she needs to work everyday no matter how difficult it is; as a housewife, she needs to keep the house clean and put everything in order; as a mother, she shoulders the responsibility to educate children and create an environment in which children can grow up healthy and happy. Women, you are so silly, when you find your husband paying less attention to you and beginning to complain, you totally lose yourself. So, women, don’t give all your love to others — you should learn to love yourself! To be a better woman, you should learn to appreciate yourself, even if you are just an ordinary woman who does not have a beautiful face or perfect figure. Every morning take a quick shower, put on a simple makeup, and be in a good mood. To be a better woman, you should love yourself and that means not only your appearance but also your inner beauty. Reading some articles everyday or even the newspaper won’t take a long time, but will increase your knowledge. To be a better woman, you should not abandon yourself. Women after getting married, in order to take care of her husband and children, they often give up their hobbies, friends or their own business. Taking time to do what you want is also a way to love yourself. To be a better woman, you should give yourself a beautiful vision and brilliant smile. You should believe that each couple is full of hopes and dreams for their future life together. In the journey of life, no one can accompany you all the time, but yourself. As a result, women must learn to love themselves. Only in this way can your life be filled with confidence and courage and be less lonely and helpless.

Alexander the Great in The Human History - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 663 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/07 Category History Essay Level High school Topics: Alexander The Great Essay Did you like this example? Alexander the Great was one of the most powerful military leaders in human history. He never lost and won countless battles to unite much of the eastern world and build the biggest empire known to man. Much of what he did still influences us today. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Alexander the Great in The Human History" essay for you Create order But in order to fully understand what he did and how he did it you have to start with the beginning. Alexander was born in 356 B.C. to King Philip II and Queen Olympias in Macedonia, but legend says that his father was really Zeus. Philip was an outstanding military leader and turned Macedonia into a great empire and a powerful force. He had dreams of conquering Persia and uniting the eastern world. Philip was a huge influence in Alexanders life and gave him most of his drive in conquering Persia and uniting the eastern world. Philip taught Alexander to be fearless and have great courage at a very young age. When Alexander was 12, he tamed a wild horse named Bucephalus. Many men were scared of the great stallion because of how mean and massive it was. This horse became his war horse for the rest of his life and he rode him into countless battles starting with a battle against the Sacred Band of Thebes. Everyone knew them as an unstoppable and unbeatable fighting force. Alexander was only 16 when he was left in charge of Macedonia while his father was off fighting the Byzantiums. Alexander saw this as a chance to prove his worth to his father and lead his cavalry against the Sacred Band of Thebes in 338 B.C., Alexanders cavalry destroyed them and was praised by Macedonia for it. In 336 B.C. Philip was assassinated, Alexander being only 20 claimed the throne and killed his rivals before they could take the throne. Once that was finished he followed in his fathers footsteps and began his long journey to world domination. He appointed Antipater as regent and set out for Persia. He crossed the Hellespont and met Persian and Greek forces at the Granicus river and defeated them with ease. He then headed south and took the cities of Sardes, Miletus, Mylasa, and Halicarnassus. In 333 B.C., Alexander was met by a massive Persian army in the town of Issus. Though outnumbered, Alexanders army had more experience than the Persian and decimated the Persian army. Darius III, king of Persia, fled the battle with a small portion of his troops leaving his family behind. After Alexander claimed Issus he moved toward the Island of Tyre. Tyre resisted for several days but had her walls breached in July 336 B.C. by Alexander. Moving south Alexander conquered Egypt and establishe d the city of Alexandria, it still stands today. After Egypt was conquered Alexander faced Darius at Gaugamela in October 331 B.C. for one final battle. After fierce fighting Darius began to flee but was killed by his own men. When Alexander saw his body he gave him a proper burial and proclaimed himself as the king of Persia, but someone named Bessus had also named himself king. Alexander chased him until Bessus own men handed him over to Alexander who executed him. After many years of fighting, Alexander was finally the true king of Persia. He marched on into India to unite the known world. After conquering tribes in India Alexanders men had decided that they were tired of fighting. There was mutiny among his men so Alexander agreed to go home. On the way back however Alexander was struck with an illness that ended up killing him on June 323 B.C. at age 35. After all his hard work he died before he could name a successor and the empire he fought so hard to create unraveled and was sent into political turmoil. Nonetheless Alexander was one of the greatest military leaders in all of human history. His cities are still important cultures to this day. He will always be known as the man who united an entire world.