LogFAQs > #943869668

Zikten posted...

Rome though spread it's culture more than the Han did, didn't they? Rome has influenced the entire world more than Han Empire did down through the ages to modern day

roman culture was highly derivative, in particular deriving its state religion and philosophy from hellenistic civilization, and absorbing christianity from the judean diaspora

its most significant contributions to the modern world were introducing the groundwork for modern western law, its engineering capabilities, and facilitating the spread of christianity in its later years, which in the long-term provided europe with a higher degree of cross-cultural cohesion than it otherwise may have had.

han china's legacy included a number of major scientific innovations, some of which facilitated europe's rise to prominence when they came into use on the other side of eurasia.

its territories, protectorates, and a lot of its sphere of influence remain the original basis of what the chinese consider to be "unified china," which they've sought to preserve, often a source of tension in the western and southwestern territories of the country to this day.

the dynasty's legacy is so significant with respect to the civilization that the modern chinese still call themselves "han." the sense of unity among the han provides for a rather stable sense of national/cultural identity, even when leadership has lost its legitimacy over the centuries, keeping the core of the country largely intact for over two thousand years. without this factor, it is doubtful that it would be the heavyweight it is today, as especially large countries tend to fracture over time.

its legacy may not be as significant in the west as the collective product of the cultures within / descendant states of rome, but china's achivements - and historical contributions to paving the way to the modern world - and long-term potential, enabled in part by the legacy of the han, is not to be underestimated.

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