Han Dynasty Vs. Roman Empire

The Han Dynasty and Roman Empire are two very complex civilizations that thrived around the same time. Each had similarities in political structures such as they were both ruled by emperors, but they did still have differences. They also shared similarities in economic structures such as how they were both apart of the Silk Road. Lastly they shared some similarities in social structures such as how women were treated.

A similarity in the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty was that they were both ruled by emperors. Han was ruled by Gaozo and Rome was ruled by Octavian. Along with each being ruled by emperors their emperor’s shared a similar tactic in getting people to follow them. This tactic was to use some type of religious connection. Octavian used the fact that previous emperor’s were thought of as god’s to boost loyalty, and gaozo used religious pageantry to boost his power.

There were still differences in these civilizations political structures though. Rome was not only ruled by an emperor, but a senate also. Han however was only ruled by an emperor. This is a minor difference, but all laws were made by the Han emperor while most in Rome were made by the Roman Senate.

Next there was a similar trait in their economic structures. This was the fact that both Han China and the Roman Empire were connected by the Silk Road and were big into trading. Rome loved silk which China manufactured and china loved other goods from Rome. This was not only a similarity, but a huge connection between two great civilizations.

The Han Dynasty and Roman Empire had a difference in their economic structures. This was how Han thrived on agriculture for their economy more than trade. This was different for Rome. The early Roman culture thrived on agriculture, but then the later Empire thrived more on trade.

Women socially in both the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire were treated like a
child in the eyes of the law. This was a huge similarity between these cultures. Women of both civilizations could not own property or vote. They also had to do as men told them, and keep the home, raise the children especially boys. If a women didn’t have a boy or couldn’t have children she was blamed and generally killed.

Lastly a difference in their social structures was that the Han Dynasty didn’t have a patron/client relationship bounding together individuals of different class like Rome. This may not be a huge difference, but Han had nothing to bound together different classes. Rome used the patron/client relationship to turn men into equals, because inequality of men in Rome was turned into a system of mutual benefits and obligations.

Each of these cultures Han and Rome had their political, economic, and social similarities. They were both ruled by emperor’s, they shared the Silk Road and Women were treated like children. Each of the civilizations also had their differences. These things made these civilizations grow and learn and sometimes fail, but they have set some of the basic rules for some civilizations today.