Compare and Contrast Han China and Rome Essay

Words: 1014
Pages: 5

Empires on their outside may seem very different and unique. However, when you get down to their fundamentals, you begin to truly realize how similar they are. Just as the imposing pine tree and humble tomato plant may seem vastly different, their start from a lowly seed and craving for water and sunlight to survive unifies them. Such is also true with the Han and Roman empires. While key differences may be present, their social structures, influencing religions, and causes of collapse unify them. Society cannot exist without a unified social doctrine, as is true with both the Han and Roman empires. While there may be vast differences between them, at their roots is the same thing, a structure built on family. In this family …show more content…
Religion always plays a key role in societies, so it is no wonder that these societies had similar religions to begin with, but influences from different religions separated them from each other. The Earth has seen the rise and fall of many empires, and Han China and Rome are no exceptions. As gravity clearly shows, what goes up, must come down. At the root of the whole problem was the need for more military might. The empires were expanding, causes the need for more soldiers, which drained their coffers. This lead to economic collapse due to the need of higher taxes causing less economic growth. This economic collapse was the onset of many civil wars and disputes which further weakened these empires. Commerce was hindered and many people moved from the city back into the country, causing an economic regression. However, these civil wars and economic collapses had different effects on these two empires. In Han China, the empire totally collapsed. The han dynasty was terminated by General Cao Cao and the former empire moved into a state of political fragmentation that would last for 400 years. The empire in Rome however, did not fully collapse. Instead it was reformed and split in two. The western half collapsed when it was overrun by Germanic nomads. The eastern half however continued to flourish, but it was never quite as powerful as the former empire. Many see this split as the fall of the Roman empire, even though