The Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E, - 220 C.E.) and the Roman Empire (31 B.C.E – 476 C.E.) were both very powerful and influential forces during their time. These two empires have numerous similarities and differences between their political and military structure. For starters, these empires differed in how to rule; the Han Dynasty had a single emperor who made all the decisions, whereas the Romans had a democratic government who gave power to the people. (Ch. 8, Ch. 11) Both of these empires lasted approximately 400 years and had enormous populations. (China: Ch. 8 pg. 159, Rome: Ch.11 pg. 229) The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire had completely different origins. The Han dynasty rose directly from earlier dynasties in China, by replacing a period of disorder under the Zhou dynasty, which replaced the Qin dynasty and dealt with the Warring States with a …show more content…
The Han Dynasty strived to further Confucianism as a means of teaching certain values in the elite, and if possible, other social classes. (Ch. 8 pg. 160) The emperors stressed a tradition of emphasizing their divine royal power through a Mandate of Heaven. Mandate of Heaven stated that a dynasty could only rule if approved by the God. They used this mandate to prove to the people they were the favorites and could do no wrong, and if failed he would be overthrown. Dynasties after that would rule by saying the previous dynasty lost their mandate. (Ch. 5 pg. 93) Finally, the Han Dynasty introduced the first bureaucracy system, in which the central government appointed representatives in the district. (Ch. 8 pg. 159) Rome had its own methods of accomplishing political integration. Many Roman writers were yearning to chant the admirations of the rulers and the imperial system. Rome developed a more basic bureaucracy than the Chinese, but the Romans placed more value on the legal system and the rule of law across the empire. (Ch. 11 pg.
The Han Dynasty of China from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. and the Imperial Roman Empire from 21 B.C.E. to 476 C.E. were large empires that dominated during their time periods.
The falls of the Western Rome and the Han had both been on a gradual downfall after their peaks; however, the final fall of Rome can be directed at one major military mistake whereas the final fall of the Han Dynasty was a combination of pre-existing problems that led to a divided land. Previous to Rome’s fall, their republic style of government was successful and they quickly resolved most of the problems that arose. The Han Dynasty fell twice throughout the time of their dynasty, but after the first fall, regained peace and order for a period of time. Although both empires were fairly similar in the ways that they both declined, Rome fell due to one event, whereas the Han separated into 3 kingdoms after small but constant doses of chaos.
When comparing Han China and Classical Rome, many political, geographical, and religious similarities can be found, though many differences are also prevalent. Though Roman and Han political structures both emphasized bureaucracies, they came to them quite differently. Through copious amounts of expansion, both societies spread culture and earned money, though expansion was eventually their downfalls. Their religions differed immensely, with Rome emphasizing polytheism and Han China focusing on Confucianism. The differences and similarities between these two civilizations are to be discussed in this essay.
Two of the earliest empires in Chinese history were the Qin Dynasty (221- 206 BCE) and the Han Dynasty (202 BCE- 220 CE). They both successfully unified the vast nation of China. Both Empires allowed government to not only influence politics, but also economy, philosophy, and social life. The empires ruled China distinctively differently. The Qin was a very fierce and brutal dynasty, while the Han dynasty tried to reduce the repression of the people brought by the Qin Dynasty. They also both used two distinctive government styles, the Qin used Legalism, a style based on based on effective institutional structures, and the Han used Huang-Lao which combined legalism with Daoist and Confucian ideals. While both empires and schools of thought had their strengths and weaknesses, both subsequently fell.
It is evident that the two main largest classical empires were the Roman Empire and the Chinese Empire under the rule of the Han kings. These two empires had many social, political, and economic features in common, but likewise many of those features different from one another. A political feature that both classical empires shared was that both had powerful executive emperors who held absolute power. A second political feature that both empires had in common is that both empires had a central governmental body which maintained order, organized funds, collected taxes, and made executive decisions. Socially, the two empires also had features in common. The first similarity between the Roman social organization and the Han social organization
Although the foundation of both empires was built upon political integration, their organization of government differed. The Han Dynasty’s centralized power and administration was based on a bureaucratic system while the Roman Empire’s imperial power was based on a one-man sovereign. In order to improve Chinese society, which was under tyrannical rule under the Qin Dynasty, the Han Empire centralized their government with the synthesis between an imperial family and the new scholar-gentry class under a bureaucratic system. By securing power to overthrow the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang provided lands to those military supporters who helped with the task. From the land grants given, the royal families and supporters were entitled
There are many differences and similarities between the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty like their technological achievements, social classes, and political leaders. In the Han Dynasty a leader’s actions were backed up by the Mandate of Heaven and if they lost the Mandate a new leader would come to power. However in early Rome there was a struggle between the elites and the plebeians; the majority of the population. Romans expanded on the concept of arches, created concrete, and aqueducts while Han used many canals. Both the Han and Romans broaden the use and creation of roads. The Han society was
To begin with, both Imperial Rome and Han China were ruled under a bureaucracy. In Rome the emperor was the ultimate authority. The
The Han and Roman Empires were extremely important empires during the time of their existence. The Han Empire began around 206 BCE and ended at around 220 CE. The Roman Empire began at around 27 BCE and broke apart into two halves, the West falling in 476 and the East collapsing in 1453. The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire have different outlooks on technology, the Han Dynasty view technology as a practical application used to ease the workload of people, while the Roman Empire views certain technology as needed, despite the creator.
Numerous land-based empires and regional states had existed before 3rd century BC. However, none of these empires could be compared to the Han Dynasty in China and the Imperial Rome. The cultural identity built during the Han Dynasty such as the family-organized ancestor worship and culture centered on the Classic Confucian teachings had been influential for the development of China for several centuries . On the other hand, the Roman Empire had shown their authority over the Mediterranean Region and introduced the concept of “citizen” which influenced the development of states even after its fall . In general, both of these empires became powerful and influential forces during their times.
The Roman Empire is still known today as one of history’s most powerful period. Rome government had stick rules and policies. The Roman government at this point was known as the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was controlled by the roar Rome. Bureaucracy was ran throughout the region, but Rome did not want this nor could they afford it. However, they did allow small cities to run a lower level of government. The exercise of indirect rule thus became a basic principle of imperial government. The business of local administration and jurisdiction was delegated to the existing communities of city or tribe. This type of structure was deemed to be a weakness to some historians because of the consequences. Consequences that allow a third level government to enforce the emperor’s rules. Because of the expansion of the territory, this was the only reasonable way for it to function normally. The empire was a "commonwealth of cities" which acted as economic and cultural of the Roman world and were integrated into the administrative system as local foci of government. This imperial ruling was first implemented by Rome. It came about because of social trends and not the Roman strategic policies that was often changed by Romanized upper class citizens. These upper classman brought about firmness throughout the land with their strategic and educated planning.
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty right after the Qin Dynasty, so there are major similarities between the two. One of those is the social structure of the country. The system consists of three tiers. Bureaucrats and government officials are on top, skilled laborers such as farmers and blacksmiths were the middle class, and servants and merchants were the bottom class. The country was ran by the Emperor and his/her royal family. Importantly the social class did not impact the wealth or power of each individual or family, it only indicated their status. This is how order was established throughout this civilization.
The transition from the Qin Dynasty to the Han Dynasty brought about many changes in ideology. The Han Dynasty’s rise to power brought with it the rise of Confucianism, and this gave the people of China more rights and freedom compared to their life under the Qin Dynasty. Confucian principles emphasized loyalty, respect for superiority, education, and the welfare of a group over the individual. Comparing Han China to Qin China, Lu Jia said, “When the people only feared the laws, they could not know rites and rightness.” The emphasis of Confucianism in Han China led to the construction of schools to offer more widespread education. This embedded a philosophy within the Chinese people that revolved around Ren and Yi, ideas
The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty in China are two kingdoms that, despite the geographical difference between them, managed to achieve great success and failure in equal measure. Both were characterized by imperial dynasties that were headed by the emperors and they held large territories. Both of these kingdoms faced various challenges after their formation that became a major stabling block, but due to good leadership, they both managed to overcome and achieve success. Nevertheless, due to different reasons, both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty declined and fell. This paper
The Roman and Han Empires were among the greatest empires in history. The Han prospered in 202 BCE - 220 C.E and the Roman Empire in 27 BCE- 476 C.E. By the early second century CE, Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean coastline and had to use military force to set up borders against their adversaries, the Huns. During the Han, colonies were established in Korea and military campaigns were mounted in order to control their neighbors, the Xiongnu. Both of these empires had similar rises by using strong military power and expansion, which helped them both strive in economic trade. Although there are many similarities in the reasons that contributed to the rise of these empires, there are also several contrasting reasons for their decline. These two empires differ because Rome allowed plague to end their empire while the Han kept ruling.