Imperial Rome And Han China Essay

The success for both Imperial Rome and Han China is directly related to powerful leadership and a strong military presence. The Republic of Rome was characterized by aristocratic rule in the Roman state, and Imperial Rome could also be considered a military dictatorship.1 The Senate was a group that prioritized the votes of the most privileged individuals and nobility of Imperial Roman society – wealthy males.2 With a dominating leadership there was also a strong military presence, which contributed greatly to the expansion of Rome across Italy and the Mediterranean.3 The structure of the Roman state encouraged war, and the leaders and military forces were greedy and acted aggressively for a larger empire.4 The amount of expansion started slowly and then gained momentum, and was primarily achieved through the use of military forces.
The success in Han China can also be attributed to powerful leadership and military forces. The Han in China can be used as a term to designate a specific ethnicity

within China and also in reference to the dynasty of emperors who ruled from 202 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.5 The First Emperor of China and founder of the Qin dynasty was Shi Huangdi.6 Shi Huangdi was a powerful leader who invoked fear in his subordinates for obedience. This is particularly true when, for example, considering the life-size terracotta clay warriors that his fear-instilled subordinates created for him prior to his death.7 Huangdi is remembered for his ruthless conquests and for his forcible military tactics.8 His use of military forces also allowed for greater expansion. During the Qin dynasty, the Great Wall of China was built, but not as a defensive tactic. Instead, the Great Wall was offensive and ultimately built to keep in newly captured territory and displaced Chinese peasants for them to begin cultivating the land.9 Since it is indicated by Bulliet et al. that both Imperial Rome and Han China had powerful and dominant leadership, and that both Imperial Rome and China extensively used strong military forces, it is likely that these were important factors to the success of each empire. A powerful leader has jurisdiction over many people and holds enough respect by his people in order for his plans to be followed and taken seriously. A strong military presence is also beneficial because a large empire can be obtained through the use of military.
The changes that Imperial Rome and Han China brought to their empires affected socioeconomic class status and mobility because of the social inequalities found within Imperial Rome and Han China.

Both Imperial Rome and China placed a great divide between two groups – the wealthy and the poor. In Rome the poor mans vote did not count as much as the wealthy mans vote did.10 The merchant class or lower class in China was viewed with suspicion and blamed for economic ills.11 They were given harsh punishments under the Legalist method – which saw humans as inherently evil by nature and in need of strict leadership.12 In Rome some citizens fought against this class system, but citizens also had greater chance for social mobility since the expansion of Rome brought in the need for new jobs related to increasing trade routes.13 In China some of the citizens adopted Buddhism, which challenged the social structure and went completely against the dominant Confucian

beliefs.14