Rome and Han China
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: How did Roman and Han Dynasty rulers grow and maintain their empire?
Historians often examine the history of Rome by dividing it into three stages: the Roman kingdom, republic, and empire. In truth, Rome had an empire long before it was ruled by an emperor. Still, the transition from the Roman Republic to the rule of empires was significant—for Romans and the rest of the people living around the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. On the other side of Afro-Eurasia, the Han Dynasty built a powerful empire in East Asia. The Han ruled over a long period of relative peace and prosperity, maintaining their power using the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, alongside other innovations. Primary sources help us compare how these two empires held on to power for so long.
- Analyze the formation and characteristics of the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty China.
- Explain the roles of women in classical societies such as Rome.
- Learn about the historical thinking practice of continuity and change over time (CCOT).
- Use the historical thinking practice of sourcing to evaluate historical context and purpose.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What was the Pax Romana?
- How did Rome’s wars of conquest shape Roman society?
- How did the Roman approach to religion help them create an empire?
- What does silk tell us about women in Roman society?
- When did the Roman Empire fall?
Evaluate
- You’ve read some definitions and characteristics of empires. What aspects of the Roman Empire seems characteristic of all empires? What seems unique?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What types of state and communal structure existed prior to the formation of the Han Dynasty in China?
- What types of philosophies did the Han rulers adopt and why was it an advantage to incorporate multiple philosophies instead of just one?
- What innovations in farming and trade developed during Han rule?
- Who were the Xiongnu and how did the Han attempt to deal with this group?
- How are the Wang Interregnum and the Mandate of Heaven interconnected?
- What issues eventually led to the fall of the Han Dynasty?
Evaluate
- How did the Han Dynasty create stability and prosperity in China? How did this new stability affect people inside China? What impacts did it have on people living outside of China, in other communities?
- What type of factors do you think were most important in making the Han period a golden age for China? Were changes in religious and political communities, changes in trade networks, or changes in Chinese production and distribution more important?
2,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius: Crash Course World History #7
A 12-minute introduction to 2,000 years of Chinese history! John Green explores the connections linking Chinese dynasties, Confucianism, and the Mandate of Heaven.
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What evidence illustrates that China was the first modern state?
- What explains the dynastic cycle (rise and fall of different Chinese dynasties)?
- What was the Mandate of Heaven?
- How does the Mandate of Heaven reinforce Confucian philosophy?
- Why were the Qin so important to Chinese history?
- Why might the brutality of the Qin have been exaggerated?
- Who was Confucius and what was his philosophy based upon?
- What are ren and li?
After you watch
- What does it mean that the “Mandate of Heaven is a remarkably flexible explanation of historical causation”?
- This video pays a lot of attention to the sources from which we get our information about two millennia of Chinese dynasties. Who wrote these sources? Does John Green trust these sources? What kinds of information from these sources do you trust? Why?