Amelia+M


 * System of Government in Han China and Imperial Rome**

Buford T. Justice is a small town sheriff keenly interested in the system of government in Han Dynasty China and Imperial Rome. Mr. Justice is an active member of the National Rifle Association and captain of his Neighborhood Watch group. His election to office last year was largely the result of his popular campaign slogans, "**Just** put 'em on **ice**" and "Democracy Breeds Bureaucracy." To help him decide which dynasty to visit, you will need to research answers to the following key questions:

= **Key Questions:** =
 * 1) What types of governments existed in the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty?
 * 2) Why and how did Rome move from a republican form of government to an empire that ruled the entire Mediterranean world?
 * 3) What types of rights and freedoms did people have in both governments?
 * 4) How much influence did the military have in the Roman and Chinese governments?
 * 5) Which empire should Mr. Justice, a southern, small town sheriff, visit? Why?

=Resources= Your research will be confined to the following web resources and library databases. If you wish to use a resource not on this list you must seek approval from your teacher.

**Rome**
 * [|http://www.c][|lassicsunveiled.com/]
 * []
 * []
 * __[]__
 * __[]__


 * China **
 * []
 * __[]__
 * __[]__
 * __[]__
 * __[|http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/FORMHAN.HTM]__
 * __[]__


 * Library Databases **
 * @http://www.micdslibrary.com/databases.html

Scroll down to the History/Social Studies menu; the ABCCLIO Ancient World History database is particularly helpful.

=Research and Citations= Use the space below to record your research for each question. Remember that you will need to cite your sources using the format found on the MICDS Library resource page.

What types of governments existed in the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty?
Han China: The government in the Han Dynasty was an empire. The Han Dynasty was governed by an emperor. He was a supreme ruler. The emperor had the ability to override the commandant's decisions. They also had the ability to draft new laws or repeal old ones. The people of the Han Dynasty who served in the government had a privileged position in Han Society. The lowest paid government employees made 100 bushels of crops annually. The Han Dynasty was centralized under the control of a powerful bureaucracy. Promotions in rank were decided by the emperor. The Han Dynasty, the longest dynasty in Chinese history, believed that the government should be in the hands of moral people, therefore the government was in the hands of the emperor.

Imperial Rome: Roman state was described as the republic, and its consuls continued to be appointed even after the establishment of one-man rule under the empire. In the Roman state's pure form, it lasted only until the beginning of the first century B.C.E. Brothers, paternal cousins, brother's sons (nephews,) and emperor's sons were made kings and emperors. In the traditional form, the Roman Senate and people acting together, the Roman state survived for centuries. The people of Rome took many of their ideas of government from the Ancient Greeks. The Ancient Romans did not want one person to create all of the laws so they created three different branches of government, Judicial, executive, and legislative.

Why and how did Rome move from a republican form of government to an empire that ruled the entire Mediterranean world?
Han China:

Imperial Rome: In the first century B.C.E, Rome was a republic. All the power was in the hands of the senate and consuls. Julius Caesar, a Roman Senator and general, was convinced that something needed to change. After 2 years, he was murdered. Augustus Caesar, Julius Caesar's nephew and heir, inherited the power. Augustus and his ally, Marc Antony, fought and killed Caesar's old enemies. They divided the conquered land, Augustus took Rome and Antony got Egypt. Antony was quickly seduced by Egypt's queen, Cleopatra. The Battle of Actium, between two Roman armies, one led by Augustus, the other led by Marc Antony, was a huge victory. Augustus' army won the battle. Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide before they could have been captured by Augustus. In Rome, Augustus Caesar was a hero. In 31 B.C.E., he became Rome's first emperor. The transformation from a republic to an empire was complete.

What types of rights and freedoms did people have in both governments?
Han China: Shihauangdi extended rights in the Han Dynasty. Shihaungdi was the first emperor of the Han Dynasty. He standardized Chinese script, weights and measures, and laws. Shihaungdi spread the right of people to buy and sell land, which increased his revenues from taxation. People in China lacked freedom of Speech, but they still had a pretty large amount of freedom. People in the Han Dynasty had the right to believe in religion. Nobles would not be punished for a crime unless the emperor granted permission. However, when an official was arrested, they were imprisoned and restrained with chains. Wealthy nobles, officials, and merchants could own land but were not allowed to raise or grow crops themselves. Instead, they had poor farmers and peasants work their land for them. Artisans and craftsmen were treated better than lowly merchants. There is no law stating that artisans could not become officials.

Imperial Rome:

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Rome did not regard women as equal to men. Women got a basic education, if any at all. The freedom women had depended on their wealth and social status. They had freedom to manage their own business and financial affairs. Slavery was common in women. Roman law was inconsistent on slavery. Slaves were considered property, because they had no rights. Roman women had hardly any rights. In Rome, people could not participate openly and contribute to the government unless they were educated citizens. The two social classes in Rome were the Patricians and Plebians. The Patricians were the upper-class, rich people. The Plebians were the poor, lower-class people. The Patricians had far more rights than the Plebians.======

How much influence did the military have in the Roman and Chinese governments?
Han China:

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After the Civil War, China was reunited under the rule of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty came from a short civil war after the fall of Qin Dynasty -- the first dynasty with an emperor and central government that united China. The Han Dynasty, after which the members of the ethnic majority in China are named, was notable for its military skill and expertise. The wars that the Han Dynasty participated in expanded their empire. The expansion also led to trade with the people of inner Asia. Millions of people died during wars, leaving behind land for peasants and often freedom from debt as leaders passed away.======

Imperial Rome: Julius Caesar, who ended the republic and started the empire, was a military general.The Roman Empire started through violence and depended on force. If an army grew dissatisfied, emperor was in trouble. If dissatisfaction continued, the emperor was finished with his reign. The Roman military gave Rome a consistent motivation. As Rome extended its influence over more countries, it was able to make more demands on its forces. To take part in the military in Rome, you had to be a patrician. The military expanded the empire when they fought in wars, leading to systems of trade and roads. The Punic Wars were a main war in the expanding of Rome. They were fought between Carthage and Rome. Rome defeated Carthage.

Similarities and Differences
Before deciding which dynasty your client should visit, you may wish to create a simple Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two empires. You may use [|this template] or create one online at Read-Write-Think.

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Mr. Justice should visit the Han Dynasty. Both Imperial Rome and the Han Dynasty held large land masses, commanded impressive and efficient armies, built institutions to support their armies, and controlled many different groups of people within their borders, but Imperial Rome and the Han Dynasty were very different. Rome had many slaves, while China had already abolished slavery in a previous Dynasty. In the Han Dynasty, they had more freedom than in Rome. Mr. Justice is from a small town, and the Roman Empire is more massive than the Han Dynasty. Also, Mr. Justice's quote says "Democracy breeds Bureaucracy." The Han Dynasty was centralized under the control of a powerful bureaucracy. Since Mr. Justice is a small town sheriff, I think he would like to visit a smaller empire. Also, he is from a southern town, so he may want to visit a northern area.======

= **Travel Poster Components:** =

You will create a travel poster for each of the two empires. Each poster should be attractive, persuasive, and highlight the major features related to your topic. You will create the posters using Glogster.edu (instructions will be provided in class) and they should contain the following components:

__**Travel Poster Compon**____**ents**__
 * 1) One Glogster.edu poster for each dynasty
 * 2) At least three "must see" tourist features with detailed text and relevant images for each dynasty
 * 3) At least one audio recording on each poster

The **[|Poster Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before handing in your final product. When you have completed the poster, embed it below the "Travel Poster" heading below:

Posters
//embed your posters here by copying the embed code from Glogster and adding an HTML widget//

= **Oral Presentation Guidelines** = The oral presentation is your opportunity to share your posters, explain whether your client should visit Han China or the Roman Empire, and should follow these guidelines:
 * 1) Less than three minutes in length
 * 2) Should addre ss/explain the "must see" features of each dynasty
 * 3) Should explain which destination the client should visit and why

This presentation is about speaking skills and the use of your posters. You will be permitted to use notecards but are NOT to simply read your notes to the audience. The **[|Presentation Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before giving your final presentation.