Han and Rome

Han China which had flourished from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. and Imperial Rome who thrived from 31 B.C.E. to 476 C.E. Both Empires demonstrate the inability to manage a large territory and defend extensive borders in terms of politics, However, Rome and China also have two very different political systems, based on their governments.

Han China and Imperial Rome practiced different methods of political and social control. In China, Confucianism was the ideology that dictated everything. Loyalty to the emperor and a superior were strong points of Confucianism. Society was viewed as a family unit. This combined with the importance of filial piety created a very centralized, close unit political system. The empire was run by an emperor who ruled as a mandate of heaven. The Han developed a merit based civil service with exhaustible foot soldiers. Rather, China prioritized to maintain its borders and occasionally trade to commodities that they desired.   In Rome, the religion and ideology was much less centralized, although, the paterfamilias did play an important role in society. However, because there was less emphasis as a collective group, the political organization was much less structured than that of Han China.   On the other hand, Rome had a complex, centralized structure. This structure was ran by the Roman Republic, which was the basis for Roman society and everyday life. Also in China, there was less citizenship and freedoms to the people than that of Roman society.   Even with the Republic, political control was mainly in the hands of the wealthy. In fact, only the wealthy were elected to a political position; the patricians and plebeians heavily influenced the importance of wealth. The appointed governors were specifically chosen from family connections as well. Counsels were given only a year in service, and as a result they had strived to achieve glory in one year, often by taking drastic means. By emphasizing conquest, it was a huge drain on Rome’s...