Han & Rome Technology DBQ Essay

Inventions help shape the way our culture grows and works. Inventions such as writing,
paper, agriculture, and schools are pivotal in todays society. We value these and many more
today for their creativity and usefulness. During the Han and Roman time, inventions were also
valued greatly for their ingenuity and helpfulness. The attitude of the Han and Roman empire
towards inventions was that of great value. They believed they were a necessity to their society.
The Han government found great value in inventions and invested their time and
resources on them. In the early second century B.C.E, a Han government official was writing to
the local officials concerning flood control and prevention. He stated that there should be one
Han official and one deputy for this project (Document 1). A high official such as him is invested
in inventions and tools, which illustrated the governments ideas of the importance of inventions
in their society. An additional document that could be added would be expense reports and how
much money all of this would cost. This would show how much the government was invested in
the inventions in a quantifiable way. The government is using their own people to govern and
control this project. The government believes that this invention is their job to handle. Tu Shih, a
governor of Nanyang, invented a water-powered blowing-engine (Document 4). Tu Shihs
inventions of the water-powered blowing engine was considered a gift to his people because it
gave them the benefit of little labor. When an important governor of Nanyang offers an invention
as a gift, it is a pretty good indication of how invested the government is in inventions. The
government played a key role in the world of inventions and helped the inventions to be spread
throughout the world.
Not only did the government get involved in making inventions, they thought the
inventions were super beneficial to their civilization. Inventions lightened the workload of

people. Tu Shih invented the water blower so his workers could enjoy the benefit of little labor
(Document 4). Fuxi, a mythological wise emperor, invented many things. When he applied the
invention of water power to the pestle and mortar he invented, the benefit was increased by one
hundred (Document 3). Something from Fuxi saying why and how he invented it for his people
would be a helpful additional document. The government places stones on the side of the road
so it would be easier for horses to mount without requiring the help of a groom (Document 6).
An additional document that could help would be something explaining what type of technology
would need to build a road like that and the steps taken to build that road. Inventions lessen the
workload and the amount of energy required to perform a certain task. Frontinus, a Roman
general, wrote about the aqueducts. He said that the abundance of water that is supplied via the
aqueducts was sufficient for public and private uses (Document 8). A document explaining the
inventions of the pyramids and how they resemble the aqueducts would be helpful.
People were able to build off of the inventions of other people and make more inventions.
Fuxi invented the mortar and pestle. Later, we improved it to use the weight of the body. Then he
added the power of animals, which increased the benefit. When he applied water power, it
increased by 100. Other people in other cultures invented the things like water power or the use
of animals. he simply used that invention to build off of his own. People were constantly
improving the tools and inventions to make them work better for their specific circumstances. Tu
Shihs invention of mortar and pestle was improved over and over again until they could use it to
their advantage. His invention was widely adopted and used (Document 4). Other gifts from Tu
Shih would be helpful to benefit and provide more information. Inventions were necessary to
advance in society and create more inventions.

The views on inventions were positive, but the outcomes were sometimes negative.
Cicero, an upper-class Roman soldier, thought that all craftsmen spend their time in vulgar
occupations. He thought that crafting was a degrading practice. (Document 5). A document that
could help would be how there people use their hands and if the inventions are important to the
peasants as well as the upper-class people. He still believed that the inventions were important,
but inventing was simply not a job for a proper gentlemen. Huan Guan, a Han government
official, said that the state had a monopoly on the salt and iron trades. Because of this monopoly,
the tools that used to be functional had now become hard and brittle and government officials
weren't available to take complaints (Document 2). A helpful additional document would be
something from a peasant saying how crucial the inventions and tools are to their life. He is
actually complimenting the tools when he writes this, because he realizes how much harder it is
to complete the same task without the necessary tools and inventions. He states that the salt and
iron is important and the tools are beneficial to having the ingredients. Even if they thought that
the tools themselves were important, it was the outcome of the tools that upset both the Roman
and Han civilizations. Another outcome is the poor view of the craftsmen. Seneca, an upper-class
Roman philosopher never disgraced the inventions themselves, but thought that the tools were
not invented by wise men. These generals are all wanting the inventions but a leader like
Frontinus does not want to become involved with the inventors. (Document 7). An additional
document that would be helpful would be more from Seneca describing how he used the
inventions and why he thinks that crafts were not from wise men.
The Han and Roman civilizations both treasured inventions and the way it affected the
people and their work. It created an easier way to work and build and also created a channel for
more inventions to be made. The government was involved and thought it was important to keep

the ideas of inventions going. The Han and Roman civilizations both had a positive attitude
toward inventions.