sun worship Veneration of the sun or its representation as a deity. It appears in several early cultures, notably in ancient Egypt, Indo-Europe, and Mesoamerica, where urban civilizations were combined with a strong ideology of sacred kingship, in which kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from it. The imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower world, which he visits daily, was prominent. Sun heroes and deities also figure in many mythologies, including Indo- Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian. In late Roman history, sun wor¬ ship was of such importance that it was later called “solar monotheism.” See also Amaterasu, Re, Shamash, Sol, Surya, Tonatiuh.
Sun Yat-sen Vsun-'yat-'senV or Sun Yixian Vsim-'e-she-'onV (b. Nov. 12, 1866, Xiangshan, Guangdong province, China—d. March 12, 1925, Beijing) Leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party, known as the father of modern China. Educated in Hawaii and Hong Kong, Sun embarked on a medical career in 1892, but, troubled by the conservative Qing dynasty’s inability to keep China from suffering repeated humiliations at the hands of more advanced countries, he forsook medicine two years later for poli¬ tics. A letter to Li Hongzhang in which Sun detailed ways that China could gain strength made no headway, and he went abroad to try organizing
expatriate Chinese. He spent time in Hawaii, England, Canada, and Japan and in 1905 became head of a revo¬ lutionary coalition, the Tongmenghui (“Alliance Society”). The revolts he helped plot during this period failed, but in 1911 a rebellion in Wuhan unexpectedly succeeded in over¬ throwing the provincial government.
Other provincial secessions fol¬ lowed, and Sun returned to be elected provisional president of a new government. The emperor abdi¬ cated in 1912, and Sun turned over the government to Yuan Shikai. The two men split in 1913, and Sun became head of a separatist regime in the south. In 1924, aided by Soviet advisers, he reorganized his Nation¬ alist Party, admitted three commu¬ nists to its central executive committee, and approved the establishment of a military academy, to be headed by Chiang Kai-shek. He also delivered lectures on his doctrine, the Three Principles of the People (nationalism, democracy, and people’s livelihood), but died the following year without having had the opportunity to put his doctrine into practice. See also Wang Jingwei.
Sunbelt Region, south and southwestern U.S. It is characterized by a warm climate, rapid population growth since 1970, and relatively con¬ servative voting patterns. Comprising 15 states, it extends from Virginia and Florida in the southeast through Nevada in the southwest, and includes southern California.
sunburn Acute skin inflammation caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or other sources. More common and severe in light-skinned people, it ranges from mild redness and tenderness to intense pain, edema, and blistering, sometimes with shock, fever, and nausea. The process begins after 15 minutes in the sun, but redness starts 6-12 hours later and peaks within a day. Pigment cells in the skin increase melanin production (“tan”). Cold compresses and analgesics reduce pain. Limit¬ ing sun exposure, using sunscreen, and wearing protective clothing can prevent severe sunburn. Long-term sun exposure can eventually cause skin cancer, as well as skin wrinkling and thickening.
Sunda Islands Archipelago extending from the Malay Peninsula to the Moluccas. The islands make up most of the land area of Indonesia, with only northern and northwestern Borneo and the eastern portion of Timor not under Indonesian political control. They include the Greater Sunda Islands (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and adjacent smaller islands) and the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor, Alor, and adjacent smaller islands). Most of the islands are part of a geo¬ logically unstable and volcanically active island arc. Malay cultures and languages predominate in the area.
Sunda Strait Channel between the islands of Java and Sumatra. It is 16-70 mi (26-110 km) wide and links the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. It contains several volcanic islands, the most famous of which is Kraka- toa (Krakatau).
Sundanese Any member of the highland people of western Java, Indon., distinguished from the Javanese mainly by their language and their strict adherence to Islam. First mentioned in the 8th century ad, they are one of the three principal ethnic groups on the island. They once followed Mahay ana Buddhism but converted to Islam in the 16th century under the influence of Muslim trade. Sundanese villages are ruled by a headman and a council of elders. Marriage, birth, and death ceremonies conform closely to the Javanese pattern but are often mixed with Hindu elements. Modem developments have tended to erase differences between the Sun¬ danese and other peoples of Java. The Sundanese number about 26 mil¬ lion.
Sunday, Billy orig. William Ashley Sunday (b. Nov. 19, 1862/ 63, Ames, Iowa, U.S.—d. Nov. 6, 1935, Chicago, Ill.) U.S. religious revivalist. He became a professional baseball player with the Chicago White Sox in 1883 and later played in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Philadelphia. In 1887 he underwent a conversion experience; he began preaching in 1897 and was ordained in the Presbyterian church in 1903. A flamboyant
Sun Yat-sen
BROWN BROTHERS
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Sunderland ► Sunzi I 1845
preacher of fundamentalist theology whose sermons reflected the social upheaval caused by the transition from a rural to an urban society, he advocated a strict morality and campaigned effectively for Prohibition. He conducted hundreds of revival meetings and reached an estimated 100 million people. His popularity faded in the 1920s, but he continued preaching until his death.
Sunderland Town, seaport, and metropolitan borough (pop., 2001: 280,807), northern England. Located at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, the town was known as Wearmouth in Saxon times; it for¬ merly included Monkwearmouth, site of a monastery built in 674 where the Venerable Bede studied. Sunderland itself (named for the part of Monkwearmouth “sundered” from the monastery by the river) was char¬ tered in the late 12th century. The port grew rapidly as the coal trade developed in the 17th century, and by the mid- 18th century it was a major shipbuilding centre. Modern industries include glassware and automobile manufacturing. Within the borough are the seaside resorts of Roker and Seabum. In addition to the town of Sunderland, the city and metropoli¬ tan borough includes the towns of Washington, Houghton-le-Spring, and Hetton-le-Hole.
Sunderland, Robert Spencer, 2nd earl of (b. Sept. 5, 1641, Paris, France—d. Sept. 28, 1702, Althorp, Northamptonshire, Eng.) English statesman and chief adviser in the reigns of Charles II, James II, and William III. After a period in diplomatic service, he twice served as secretary of state (1679-81, 1683) and became the chief architect of Charles’s pro-French foreign policy. He converted to Roman Catholicism to maintain his influence in James’s reign. After William became king, Sunderland renounced his Catholicism and became the principal interme¬ diary between the king and Parliament. He was appointed lord chamber- lain in 1697, but Whig opposition soon forced him from office.
sundew Any of about 100 species of annual and perennial flowering carnivorous plants in four genera, notably Drosera, that make up the fam¬ ily Droseraceae (sundew family). Sundews are found throughout tropical and temperate regions. Their leaves are usually in a basal rosette. Both leaf surfaces are generally covered with sticky, gland-tipped hairs and sensitive tentacles that trap insects. After the trapped prey has been digested by enzymes secreted by the tentacles, the leaf reopens, resetting the trap. The best-known sundew is the Venus's-flytrap. See also pitcher PLANT.
Sundiata \sun-‘ja-t9\ (d. 1255) Monarch of the ancient Mali empire in West Africa. After organizing a private army and consolidating his posi¬ tion among his own Malinke people, Sundiata launched attacks against neighbouring states in the 1230s. In 1240 he seized and razed Kumbi, the last capital of the ancient Ghana empire. During his reign over Mali he established its territorial base and laid the foundations for its future pros¬ perity and political unity.