The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Han Dynasty (202 BC to 220 AD) in the east and the Roman Empire (27 BC to 5th century AD ) in the west were two of the most powerful empires that ruled over vast sections of the world population in the ancient times. The author points out that, although the two civilizations were a considerable distance from each other and had little interaction, there were many similarities in their culture. The paper describes the hierarchical stratification, the differing treatment of slaves, the gender roles and the modern legacy of each society.

From the Paper:

"The Chinese women of the Han period also played a secondary role in the political, social and cultural lives as compared to men. However, in the Chinese society of the period the importance of the role of the women in a family especially that of a mother and a mother-in-law was duly recognized. For example, the head of the family, who wielded unquestioned power over the family, could be a woman if she was the oldest living member."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ch'u, T'Ung-Tsu. Han Social Structure. Ed. Jack L. Dull. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1972.
• "History: Han Dynasty." National Geographic Society. 2007. July 14, 2007. <http://java.nationalgeographic.com/studentatlas/clickup/han.html>
• Mellor, Ronald J. "Roman Empire." Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2007. <http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=1741502785

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