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Similarities Between Han China And Rome

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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.

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