Compare And Contrast Han China And Rome

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Rome and Han China are two notable empires, the largest that the world had ever seen in that time. Rome unified Italy and the lands around the Mediterranean, and became the most memorable empire today. Han China promoted cultural unity and made various positive changes that are the reason that the Chinese still refer to themselves as “Han” today. Han China and Rome never influenced one another, yet their histories can be compared and contrasted through their government, their economics, and finally, how they evolved the way that they did. The political methods of the Roman and the Han Empires were somewhat varied. The two empires had separate views on the government, and who should be allowed to take part in it. The Romans had a Senate, who passed laws and debated, but only patricians could be elected to a seat. There were Tribunes as well, but they were only elected from a pool of plebeians. The Roman citizens had some measure of control, and their laws applied to all equally (in principle), but it was really the emperor who made all of the important decisions. In Han China, however, the family was the primary model for the …show more content…
The new emperor during the Han Dynasty was Gaozu, and he and his successors had to keep costs down to reduce taxes and improve agriculture, as well as storing surplus grain for the future. The Roman economy, on the other hand, seemed to be flourishing. Commerce and trade was facilitated by miles of road networks, which were built to coordinate with sea trade. This and many maps caused an increase in the production of agricultural, mined, and manufactured goods. The Chinese also used a system of roads to enhance trade. Called the Silk Road, it carried silk and other valued trade goods to Central, southern, and western Asia. These roads, as well as many other factors, explain how these two empires evolved the way they