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Han China Vs Imperial Rome Essay

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Both Rome and Han China rose from a smaller state. They achieved success through trade, discipline, and a strong military force. Agriculture was a main economic backbone, which supplied their government with tax funds and wealth. Overall, both empires encompassed a large amount of culture derived from the peoples derived and annexed into it. Imperial Rome and Han China’s similarities in social class, governing style, and technology helped aide its governmental power, but their differences in labor, job success, and ruling style caused for slight changes in societal standing. First of all, the similarities in Imperial Rome and Han China are most prevalent in the Roman Equites and Chinese Gentry. Wealthy, land owning or scholarly families constitute …show more content…

Primarily, the style of governments was principally different. Han China favored a Legalist and Confucian mix, due to Emperor Gaozu abolishing only some of the previous Legalist ways, and introducing strategic measures to keep the people happy, such as cutting costs to reduce taxes and storing grain in times of shortage. Imperial Rome, however, implied a principate and military dictatorial form of government. Augustus still maintained the the offices, senate, and many functions of the old republic, while using the military to secure his control. Although he never called himself an emperor, he chose to be “princeps.” Just as well, both governments inforced different types of labor. Han China was popular for it’s forced labor, like for the Great Wall construction, while Rome relied on slave labor for the fieldwork in farming and doing the lower, more laborious jobs. Relating to the class system, the government in Han China also suppressed the merchants while Rome was dependent on them. Han Chinese gentry members and advisers blamed merchants for many of the economic problems, and prohibited them and their children from holding government positions. However, in Rome, the empire experienced a “pax romana” where its merchants are traders were particularly successful in providing wealth to the Roman government, which in return deployed military members along trade routes to ensure the safety of

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