Systems of government have a major influence on the development and success of a civilization and culture. This can be said about Athens during its Golden Age and about China during the Han dynasty. Han China was ruled by an imperial bureaucracy based upon the teachings of Confucius which allowed only a tiny part of its population to participate in government. In contrast, 5th Century Athens was a direct democracy which allowed a greater number of its inhabitants to take part in governing. These civilizations differed greatly in geography, population and size which influenced their development. They also held contrasting beliefs regarding the source of political authority and how it was maintained. However, these civilizations also shared …show more content…
While both the Greeks and Chinese were similar in that they shared the idea that authority to rule depends in certain ways upon the approval of the people, their views were also quite different in fundamental ways. Specifically, the Greeks believed that the power to rule came directly from the “demos” (the people) and the Chinese believed that the the emperor's rule must be accepted by the people. As Mencius, a student of Confucius explained, the emperor rules with the blessing of Heaven; “heaven sees with the eyes of the people.” Heaven hears with the ears of the people.”(doc. 6) This shows that in both societies the will of the people was important. However, the view of these two societies was also very different on this issue in one critical way. The Chinese believed their emperor was chosen by God, through “the mandate of heaven” which was not the case in Athens, as is clear in the words of Pericles, the father of Athenian democracy. In fact, Pericles persuasively explains in his oration during the Peloponnesian Wars why he feels the Athenian point of view is superior when he proclaims that Athenian democracy serves as a model to others. He explains that what makes democracy special is the fact that everyone is equal before the law, that no man is prevented from participating in …show more content…
For example, in Athens “the good life” for upper class citizens was defined by participation in government and obedience to the law. He was expected to be an active participant in politics and discussions on government affairs and to adhere to the laws above all. This expectation is clearly seen in Pericles’ famous funeral oration where he proclaims that the individual must be informed on political matters in order to be a good citizen (doc. 8) and in the “Dialogues of Crito,” where Socrates explains the significance of obeying the law over everything else, even over concerns of life and family (doc. 9). During the “Dialogues of Crito,” Socrates was just convicted for corrupting the youth of Athens and he is explaining to Crito why he shouldn’t run from Athens, because by staying he would be doing what is morally right. Likewise, the role of the individual in Han society (although different from Athens’) was equally well defined and they also expected that citizens adhere to their role and to the law. In Han China the emphasis was placed on the Confucian principle of filial piety and the supremacy of the family. Filial piety meant blind loyalty, respect and obedience to a Chinese citizens’ parents and ancestors and this concept was extended by the Han to include the
Most societies that developed in ancient civilizations were centered around some form of imperial administration and Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.-476 C.E.) and Han China (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) were no different in this sense. Both civilizations had a network of cities and roads, with similar technologies that catalyzed cultural amalgamation and upgraded the standard of living, along with comparable organizational structures. Additionally, both civilizations had problems managing their borders and used similar tactics for defense. However, the Chinese Emperor was interpreted as a God while the Roman Emperor was a lugal, or big man, who had to fight not only to gain power, but to push through his initiatives. The similarities and differences
Classical Athens and Han China had their own kind of government with different regulations that were very much alike. The Athenians had a democratic government that they believed to be original
3. Evidence – (China) These people were elite members of society. To become involved in politics or to be any leader, a person had to take a test of intelligence, based off Confucian teachings and beliefs. (India) In society, Brahmins (priests) were held in the highest regard. Whatever caste a person was born into, that is where the person stayed, and that’s what determined the person’s importance.
To begin with, both Imperial Rome and Han China were ruled under a bureaucracy. In Rome the emperor was the ultimate authority. The
The idea of ruling a powerful government based on the principle of using two conflicting ideologies at the same time appeared foreign to most dynasties of early China. In early Chinese times, after the Period of the Warring States, two ideologies emerged: Legalism and Confucianism. Legalism stressed a strong central government that expressed harsh laws while Confucianism had a decentralized government, placing trust in conscientious and learned individuals to work together to solve political issues. These two schools of thought were in stark contrast to each other and, up until the Han dynasty, had never been combined with each other through government policy. The Qin dynasty, for example implemented a strict Legalist government while the
Numerous land-based empires and regional states had existed before 3rd century BC. However, none of these empires could be compared to the Han Dynasty in China and the Imperial Rome. The cultural identity built during the Han Dynasty such as the family-organized ancestor worship and culture centered on the Classic Confucian teachings had been influential for the development of China for several centuries . On the other hand, the Roman Empire had shown their authority over the Mediterranean Region and introduced the concept of “citizen” which influenced the development of states even after its fall . In general, both of these empires became powerful and influential forces during their times.
From 600 BCE to 600 CE, China experienced changes in its political system in terms of the dissimilar ruling styles of different leaders, the rule under Legalism, and the influence of philosophical thinking like Daoism. These changes, influenced by aspects of the world and its own region, shaped China into its Classical state. In contrast, the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, the civil service system, and the significance of unity through a strong central government remained constant throughout China’s Classical period. These continuities followed through, staying essentially the same as an important part of China’s identity.
The Next piece is an image form Guo Xi who was a master from the Northern
Ancient China and Ancient Greece were two vastly different civilizations with different cultures; they shared a multitude of similar political, economic, and philosophical achievements while also inholding multiple differences. The centralized government of China differed from the independent city-states of Athens. A similarity that both civilizations held in regards to politics would be the role, or lack thereof one, that women played within their respective governments. China’s economy was focused on the internal trade and technological advancements while agriculture, trade, and slavery made the foundation for Greece’s. However, the two shared a link within whom they traded with as well as both
Within the years of 221-206 BCE, the Qin Dynasty rose as a superpower. During this time period, the Warring States Era, Chinese civilization was impacted tremendously in almost every aspect. These hallmarks in history vary from the spreading of Legalism to the birth of the Great Wall of China. Through these countless contributions, the Qin Dynasty was able to revolutionize the Chinese civilization in such a short period of time.
Chinese philosophies, like Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism, were brought in by the Chinese to help implement a strong and fair governing system in order to keep the citizens of China. They would use the different ideologies and find a similarity in all of them in order to keep together the empire. With Daoism, the government would put their trust in the people to self govern themselves and thought that political involvement and education were not needed. Confucianism would revolve around family values and order in the empire. Finally, Legalism would use fear to keep the people in check with harsh laws.
The domination of Portugal over Ming China during the late post-classical through the early modern era in expeditions to the Indian Ocean is a result of both countries motivations and perceptions. Ming China was motivated to seize all expeditions in order to maintain order and control of Chinese citizens before external influences created chances for chaos, while Portugal was able to win the upper hand on expeditions to the Indian Ocean as a result of the motivation for glory and economic gain. Ming China’s royal members spread negative perceptions of expeditions into the country that prompted civilians to fear leaving the country.
Mckissick, Floyd. “CORE Endorses Black Power.” In Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform and Renewal: An African American Anthology, edited by Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.
There are ancient accounts about the history of a small kingdom along the Yellow River that existed from about 2,000 BC to 1,600 BC. The main ancient accounts are in the Records of the Grand Historian (史記) that were written between about 109 BC and 91 BC by Sima Qian and another textthat is called the Bamboo Annals (竹書紀年) that was a text that was said to have been buried with the King of Wei who died in 296 BC and was rediscovered in 281 AD during the Jin Dynasty. The text was written on flat pieces of bamboo, and this is why it is called the Bamboo Annals. Are these accounts accurate? It is said that the Xia Dynasty people didn't keep written records, but that their histories were passed orally. Archeologists
Even though the Qin Dynasty deprived the civilization of education, it created a strong bureaucratic system that limited feudal power and developed a cooperative population. Each Warring state followed a different political system, before it was conquered by Qin. The First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, felt it was necessary to legitimize his power to unify the city states and for a cooperative population. In the Qin Dynasty, “the institution of emperor had a special meaning in China as the repository of imperial legitimacy” (Feng 2013, 249). In other words, the first emperor was given the title of being a “mythical ruler” that had godly powers and is the righteous leader of the empire based on the Mandate of Heaven