Han and Rome Comparison

Compare and Contrast the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire

Han and Rome were two great empires that had similarities and differences. Han and Rome at a similar decline because of the lack of a stable economy. The different political systems caused Han and Rome to rise differently.

Both Han and Rome suffered similar economic failures towards the decline of the empires. Both empires suffered from Germanic invasions. Because of the lack of stable leadership, the empires were unable to unite to fight against the Germanic invasions. The leaders began to create higher taxes to pay for military defenses. As a result the economy failed and ultimately caused empires' decline.

Though both empires had similar causes for declines, they had different political systems that caused the empires to rise to power. The Han dynasty was built on Legalism, while the Roman empire was built on a republic government. Legalism consisted of strict obedience of the equally applied law, which kept everyone, no matter political, economic or social status, in check. Because the system of the law ran the state, it created a stable political system even when the ruler was weak. Under legalism, success became based on skill and not contacts, so there were more qualified people in office. In the Roman Republic government, the Assembly (the common man) voted each year to elect two new members of the Senate ( the noble and wealthy man). This created a separation of powers that kept internal conflicts at bay. This allowed for Rome to focus more on expansions.

Even though Han and Rome were hundreds of miles away from each other, they declined similarly because of economic instability, and they had different political systems that caused them to rise differently