Problem
I. Compare and contrast Han China and Imperial Rome in terms of their respective political authority, economic activity, cultural developments and military expansion. How did Han and Roman leaders promote long periods of peace and prosperity in their respective empires? What emphasis did each empire place on ideology, civil bureaucracy and military organization?
II. What are the characteristics of a universal religion? Why did universalizing religions develop in regions of Afro-Eurasia and North Africa, but not in the Americas or sub-Saharan Africa in this time period (300-600 CE)? What characteristics made Christianity and Buddhism universal religions, and why did they have such wide appeal in Afro-Eurasia? Identify the similarities and differences between the development of Christianity in the Roman Empire and the development of Buddhism in China. How did each provide continuity as the two empires collapsed?