Han Dynasty Technological Advancements

During the age of classical civilizations, both the Han dynasty and the Roman civilizations made remarkable advancements in the world of technology. The Han dynasty lasted for over four centuries with very few interruptions,, and was deemed as China’s golden age. There were several significant technological uses during the Han dynasty, including pulleys and wheelbarrows, water-powered trip-hammers, and Cai Lun’s innovation of paper. Rome was a republic for roughly 450 years, and it then became an empire under the rise of Julius Caesar. The empire was thought to be in it’s golden age under the rule of Augustus, but had a dramatic decline in the fifth century A.D. Rome had many technological innovations inclusive of: concrete, newspapers, roads

It was common for government officials to embrace technology, but also to want technology to be improved so it could have the most benefits for the society. This was illustrated when a Han government official composed a request to local government officials to establish water conservation offices in each district for flood prevention. The Han official was utilizing technology to ensure the safety of his people. When people have a motive to work is promotes a productive society. The Han citizens would follow through with this request because they know the work they were doing is providing protection for themselves and their community. The document containing this request does not present a strong bias

Han philosopher, Huan Tan, describes the evolution of the pestle and mortar, marking its inventor as Fuxi, a mythical emperor. The author of the document believes that technology is an offering from enlightened emperors, which is a reflection of Confucian ideals. Thus anyone who invents something would have a gift from a higher power, and would most likely be seen as someone of importance. The source is an opinion piece and was published in twenty C.E so it lacks credibility. The History of the Early Han Dynasty shares the same belief as Tan, technology is a donation from advanced leadership. The author of this articles explains how Tu Shih, a peaceful leader who appreciated the common people, introduced the water-powered blowing engine which saved people from strenuous labor thus facilitating cast-iron agricultural instruments. The articles is bias because it was government sponsored which means the claims are going to favor the Han administration in order to assure it comes across as superior. In contrast to Tan’s philosophy and the the History of the Early Han Dynasty article, Cicero, a Roman political leader, states that those who work with their hands are indecent commoners, and that no gentleman would ever do such a thing. Cicero believes that the jobs of craftsmen and hired laborers are not jobs that