Comparison and Contrast: Roman Empire and Han Dynasty

The Roman Empire (31 B.C.E.-476 C.E.) and the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) were prominent empires that existed simultaneously at opposite ends of Eurasia. An empire can be described as consisting of a set of regions locally ruled by governors, viceroys or kings in the name of the emperor. Rome and Han had these characteristics of an empire and also shared many similarities including government, slavery, and their downfall with a few differences.
Within the first 3 months after the death of Shin Huang, emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-202 B.C.E.), civil war basically took place in China. By 202 B.C.E., the Han Dynasty was established. Liu Bang (peasant who became Han emperor) had defeated all of the other competitors in this revolt including Xiangyu, creating a renowned autocratic empire. Since the ruler was considered the basis of the state, autocracy (government in which one person has unlimited power) was the most powerful form of government during this time. …