The Han and Qin Dynasty have a lot in common with the Roman Empire of Augustus. In history, these two empires were the most powerful entities of their half of the earth (Judge & Langdon). Both these empires were in power for centuries and they had immense prosperity during their time in the sun. These two empires also fell in chaos and had similarities in their decline. The Roman Empire of Augustus and the Chinese Empires of Qin and Han can be closely compared.
The very first emperor of the Roman Empire was Augustus. During this time, Rome had conquered lands surrounding their borders and even went as far as the land known as present day Iraq. This ruling marked the end of the Roman civil war when Augustus claimed his power. The people of the land enjoyed peace under Augustus and welcomed him as a dictator who brought them much prosperity (Judge & Langdon). Trade and commerce during this time was rampant, that is why people were doing well. The Roman Empire also had well designed roads where traders and merchants could travel across. The idea of trade was welcomed and encouraged during this time. The rulind of Augustus ended after a civil war and a handful of coups. He was succeeded by a different line of emperors. The Roman Empire thrived and grew its largest during the ruling of Vespasian. The Roman Empire eventually fell during the year 1453 to the Ottomans during the fall of Constantinople (Judge & Langdon).
Even before the Roman Empire was ruled by a single leader, the eastern Empire of China was a thriving place under the Han Dynasty (Judge & Langdon). Their ruler was a policeman that succeeded the Qin Dynasty, which had the first Emperor who united China and conquered nearby lands. This was a period known as anarchic. Even though China flourished during the Qin Dynasty, the people were not happy. The distribution of classes was seen to be unfair and the peasants were mistreated. Eventually, Lin Bang who grew up as a peasant that was oppressed and overworked took over the thrown (Judge & Langdon). He was popular among the masses since he lowered their taxes and demanded less labor. This was all done because of his humble origins. He appointed people in power that he knew would help him keep the thrown. Eventually, the Chinese Han Dynasty came to a halt in the year 220 AD.
The Roman Empire of Augustus and the Chinese Dynasties of Han and Qin have similarities and differences(Judge & Langdon). They both ruled for a long time – the Roman Empire lasted a good five hundred years while the Chinese Empire stood for four hundred. Both Empires were powerful and are still great influences in history. Both Empires practiced hedonism which led to much violence. Even though both empires were influential in their love of trade and their many merchants, there were a lot of negative aspects to be compared(Judge & Langdon). The Romans had their bath houses and drunken parties while the Chinese practiced concubinage. Corruption of the Empire was seen in both cases where common people were lead to bitterness (Judge & Langdon). Disunity was caused by greed, selfishness and greed. Both empires were seen to fall because of the common people and corruption within the government.
Works Cited
Edward H. Judge and John W. Langdon. “Connections: A World History”. New York:
Pearson, 2011. Print.
