Rome And Han China Comparative Essay

Perhaps the two most important civilizations, Rome and Han China both fell due to major similarities. At the same time, Rome and Han China fell due to distinct differences as well. Furthermore, the collapse of China and Rome had far more similarities rather than differences. During 200 and 600 BCE both classical civilizations suffered from outside invasions; growing from Central Asia. They were not as sweeping as earlier Indo-European growth but tested Rome and China severely. The Huns were encouraged by a realization of the civilizations weakening. Another similarity emerged with taxation issues. In China, the already heavily taxed free peasants were burdened with new taxes and many lost their farms and became day laborers on large estates, making the upper class even wealthier. While in Rome, tax collection became difficult

The Sui and Tang dynasties took over as some of the most glorious periods in Chinese history. Rome was supplementary more disruptive than the collapse of Hna China. Due to Rome being incredibly drastic, the civilization left only the memory of the greatest in Western tradition. Another difference arises from the base of the civilizations collapsing. Rome was “human symptom” based; on the tombstones of Roman citizens were phrases suggesting the spread of downfall and defeat that provided a despondency of the afterlife (contributing to the decay of religion mentioned in the previous paragraph). China on the other hand had more problems in its bureaucracy and civic unrest. For example, some peasants who had lost their farms had to sell their children into service. A third difference is that as previously stated, China had a successful revival while Rome did not. Rome divided and the Western half survived but was diminished by attempts to regulate the economy and decline tax revenue’s. None of which were