Territorial Control in the Achaemenid Empire and Han Dynasty

INTRO: The methods used by these two societies to control their territories contribute to their accomplishments. While the Achaemenid Empire employed different strategies to handle foreign issues compared to the Han Dynasty, both empires utilized similar systems to manage their territories, such as dividing their empires into districts and developing a road system.

Ru

• From the Pacific Islands
• A peace-loving man but ambitious to become a leader
• Made a plan to build a large seaworthy canoe and sail it to a new land
• Showed what a strong leader would do and persuaded relatives and friends to be a part of his mission
• Faced a weakness, which was not knowing what they were up against; in this case, the strong winds and fierce ocean
• With a strong voice to foster teamwork and be seen as a leader, he was able to accomplish his task and reach a new land after days of battling the ocean
• Divided the land with his team evenly, and from this new land, they now wait for it to be populated

Han Wudi

• 7th emperor of the Han Dynasty
• Emperor Han aimed for a controlled, maintained empire and split it into 30 provinces (like states)
• Followed Confucianism for a simple way of life and governance
• Started a school to teach future administrators the Confucian classics
• Sent his officers to other provinces to implement his policies and maintain order
• Levied taxes on agriculture, goods, and trade by creating the Silk Road
• Oversaw the biggest expansion in Chinese history

DIFF: CYRUS- Han Wudi, an emperor of China, pursued a policy of expansion and had a great desire to extend his territories further. He ruled these lands through a Chinese-styled government, a centralized government that relied on Legalist principles while imposing Confucian values. Even though the Han Dynasty enforced their own values on the people they ruled, the outcome was that their territories remained under their control.

Cyrus the Great

• Inheriting the empire of the Medes, Cyrus first had to consolidate his power over Iranian tribes on the Iranian plateau before expanding to the west.
• Proved to be a tough, wily leader due to his outstanding military strategy.
• Created the first Persian Empire (Achaemenid Empire).
• By 548 B.C., he controlled all of Iran under his power.
• Established a strong economy.
• Raised a rebellion against his Median overlord and defeated him over a period of 3 years.
• Expanded from India to the borders of Egypt.
• Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered.
• Consciously implemented a policy of toleration in administering his vast multicultural empire.

DIFF: HAN- In the Achaemenid Empire, the rulers respected the values and traditions of the people they governed. Cyrus and Darius, past rulers of the Achaemenid Empire, followed a policy of toleration to ensure that the people of the empire would not rebel against them and create internal problems.