Han And Roman Empire Compare And Contrast - APWH - Document Based Question

The Han and Roman were both powerful civilizations during the first century CE who contributed many things to technology
and the bettering of the world. The Roman empire was in the Mediterranean from 27 BCE- 476
CE while in China the Han dynasty existed from 202 BCE- 218 CE. They both were involved in
trade along the Silk Roads and during their stable times were able to create many things (Rome:
Pax Romana). Both these powerful empires had different views and attitudes on technology. The
Romans did not appreciate their people when creating these technologies while the Han dynasty
took into consideration how these technologies would affect their people.
The Han dynasty cared and were compassionate toward their people. In Document 1, a Han government official requested the local officials to have qualified people take care of the technology, he also wanted regular inspections to make sure their technologies were working. The Han dynasty created these technologies, so they can solve their everyday problems and the problems of their people. The government was also concerned with their people, and the technologies they were working with, one of these examples is in Document 2, Huan Guan (government official) writes about how the absence of technology is hurting the people. He talks to his fellow government officials and says that their convict labor hurts the people, and the tools are “crude and not very functional.” He wants the government officials to create a plan in which they can make the current technology better and longer lasting. Huan Tan (upper-class Han philosopher) said that Fuxi, a mythological wise emperor, created the pestle and the mortar (Document 3). It was designed in such a way that the entire body weight of a man could be used (which makes it much easier for men), then instead of men using it, animals, such as donkeys and mules can use it, and then after than they created a way for the pestle and mortar to be run by water. Another invention that eased the minds of the Han people was the water powered blowing-engine. Tu Shih created it because he loved the common people and did not want them to do much labor (Document...