Empires: Roman and Han WHAP/Napp

“When Liu Bang (r. 206 – 195 B.C.E.) prevailed in the warfare that ended the Qin dynasty, the empire remained intact. One ruling family fell and another took its place. But the empire itself continued united under a single emperor. The principal Legalist ministers who had guided the Qin were replaced, but the administrated bureaucracy continued to function. Change came in the leadership style of the new dynasty. Liu Bang was himself a commoner and a soldier, perhaps illiterate but as his ministers he chose educated men with Confucian principles. Slowly, a new social and political hierarchy emerged, with scholars at the top, followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants.

The influence of Confucianism appeared in four areas. First, history became more important than ever. The appointment of Sima Tan and then of his son Sima Qian as court historians, established the tradition of imperial record keeping. The Confucian notion of the importance of tradition and continuity prevailed over the Legalist idea of discounting the past. Second, in 124 B.C.E., the most powerful and longest lived of the Han rulers, Wudi or Emperor Wu (r. 141 – 87 B.C.E.), the Martial Emperor, established an elite imperial academy to teach specially selected scholar-bureaucrats the wisdom of Confucius and its applicability to problems of governance. The emperor also declared that knowledge of the Confucian classics would be a basis for promotion in the imperial civil service. In Han times, the landed aristocracy still gained most of the places in the bureaucracy, but the principle of appointment and promotion based not on birth but on success in an examination in the Confucian classics was finally established during the Tang dynasty.

Third, an imperial conference of Confucian legal scholars was convened in the imperial palace in 51 B.C.E. to codify and establish the principles for applying case law. Finally, Confucian scholars, both male and female, began to establish principles for the conduct for women. Confucius had spoken of the importance of five relationships in human society: ruler-subject; father-son; husband-wife; older brother-younger brother; and friend-friend. The first four were hierarchical relationships of superior-inferior. Little, however, had been written about the role of women. During the Han dynasty, several Confucian scholars addressed the issue. They urged women to be self-sacrificing, serving others, especially the males in their lives: father, brother(s), husband, and son(s).” ~ The World’s History

Continuity – Qin to Han [What stayed the same]

Change – Qin to Han

The Four Influences of Confucianism on the Han Dynasty:

Confucian Beliefs: Key Words/ I. Roman and Han Questions A. Flourished at roughly same time (200 BCE-200CE) but no direct contact II. Rome A. Began as a small city-state in Italian peninsula in 8th century BCE B. Originally ruled by king but aristocrats overthrew around 509 BCE C. Established a republic: patricians, wealthy landowners, dominated 1. Two consuls: Advised by patrician assembly or Senate 2. Conflict between patricians and plebeians (commoners) led to changes a) Twelve Tables, Roman written laws, offered plebeians’ protections b) Established tribune (Plebeian representative) with veto power D. Launched empire-building enterprise - took more than 500 years 1. Between 264 -146 BCE, Punic Wars with Carthage 2. Wealth of the empire enriched a few with large estates and slaves 3. A small group of military leaders depended on the poor a) Brought civil war to Rome during the first century BCE b) After civil war, an emperor, Caesar Augustus (r. 27 BCE – 14 CE) E. First two centuries CE, security and prosperity - Pax Romana III. Han Dynasty A. Did not create something new but restored something old B. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties had existed before 1. But by 500 BCE, unity vanished in the era of warring states C. During Qin Dynasty, Shihuangdi (r. 221-210 BCE) adopted Legalism 1. A philosophy based on harsh punishments to ensure obedience 2. Dissident scholars executed – Books burned 3. Called himself “first emperor” 4. Laid the foundations for a unified Chinese state a) Imposed a uniform system of weights, measures, and currency b) Standardized the written form of the Chinese language 5. Began construction on Great Wall of China a) To keep invaders out – keep “barbarians” out 6. Erected a mausoleum with some 7,500 life-size ceramic soldiers D. The Han dynasty followed (206 BCE – 220 CE) 1. Retained centralized features of Shihuangdi’s creation 2. Consolidated state: established patterns that lasted until 20th century 3. Established Confucianism as the dominant philosophy IV. Similarities: Roman and Han A. Invested in public works (roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, etc.) B. Invoked supernatural sanctions to support rule 1. Romans viewed deceased emperors as gods 2. Chinese emperor was the Son of Heaven with Mandate of Heaven C. Both absorbed a foreign religion (Christianity and Buddhism) IV. Collapse of Empires: Invaders and Internal Problems too A. The Western part of the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 CE B. A Chinese peasant revolt: Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 CE D. But China would be unified again while Europe had fragmentation Reflection: 1. Which of the following best describe 5. The principal agent(s) for the spread of BOTH the Roman and Han empires? Buddhism over the silk roads was/were (A) Neither empire was linked to the Silk (A) The Buddha himself. Roads. (B) Merchants. (B) Both empires used the family as the (C) Indian monks. model for state organization. (D) Missionaries of the emperor Ashoka. (C) Mounting costs associated with (E) Mariners. defending imperial frontiers led to economic and political crises. 6. The invading Huns contributed to the fall (D) New religions were easily assimilated of the western Roman empire by into existing imperial religious ideologies. (A) Deposing the last emperor of the western Roman empire. 2. The Mandate of Heaven governed the (B) Sacking the city of Rome in 410 C.E. relationship between the ruler and the ruled (C) Pressing the Germanic peoples into the in western Roman empire. (A) China (D) Completely disrupting trade along the (B) Japan silk roads. (C) France (E) Attacking Constantinople. (D) Ghana 7. The emperor who allowed Christians to 3. Which of the following most often practice their faith openly for the first time characterizes a meritocracy? in the Roman empire was (A) A well-defined tribute system with a (A) Constantine. method of recordkeeping (B) Theodosius. (B) Increasing use of civil service exams to (C) St. Augustine. fill government positions (D) Diocletian. (C) Clear rules of succession for leadership (E) None of these answers is correct. transitions (D) Establishment and publication of a 8. What happened to the silk roads after the uniform system of law decline of the Han and Roman empires? (A) They no longer carried epidemic 4. When Rome conquered a foreign land, it diseases. usually: (B) Activity actually increased along the (A) Visibly executed local leaders to set an silk roads. example of who was in charge (C) There was less activity, but trade (B) Outlawed any preexisting native revived along the routes in the sixth century religions and persecuted anyone who C.E. refused to convert to the Roman religion (D) The routes were changed to cross easier (C) Allowed considerable autonomy to local terrain. leaders and customs as long as the area (E) None of these answers is correct. cooperated with Roman rule (D) Opened libraries and universities to study and collect local art, technology, and ideas The Comparative Essay Prompt from the 2010 World History AP examination:

Analyze similarities and differences in methods of political control in TWO of the following empires in the Classical period.

Han China (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.); Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.–550 C.E.); Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.–476 C.E.)

Similarities Differences

Valid Thesis: One specific similarity and one specific difference identified ______

Working with a Document:

Source: Huan Guan, Han government official, Discourses on Salt and Iron, first century B.C.E.

In earlier times workers were allowed to do both foundry work and salt-boiling as long as they reported the work and paid a tax. Tools manufactured by individual families to do this work were well-made. Today the iron tools that workers are required to use are produced by the state using convict labor; these tools are often crude and not very functional. In previous times the tools manufactured by workers for their own use and for sale were of excellent quality. Now that the state has monopolized the salt and iron trades, most of the tools provided to the workers are hard and brittle and the responsible government officials are often not available to take complaints. Good implements are hard to come by. Salt and iron are now sold at very high prices by the state and many common people cannot afford to buy either. Some of the poorest peasants now have no choice but to till the soil with wooden plows and cannot afford salt to season their food.

Point of view analysis: ______Main idea and more importantly, how a state monopoly has affected iron tool production: ______