Ancient_China_and_Persia

WORLD CIVILIZATIONS 151 D Fall 2013 Semester Paper #1 (15%): Comparing Classical Civilizations: The Achaemenids of Persia and the Qin and Han dynasties in China. This semester paper consists of one question. It should be answered in clear paragraphs, in around 3 to 3 ½ pages in length (but no longer!). Please type, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt font, with a 1 inch margin. Failure to stick to this rubric will lower your grade for the assignment. The assignment should be Haiku-ed or emailed to me by 11:59pm, Thursday, September 19. Read pages 99-109 and 111-14 of Traditions and Encounters: A Brief Global History 2nd edn (from Chapter 6, “The Unification of China,”), and re-read Chapter 5 (“The Empires of Persia,” pp. 83-87 and 90-96) and then answer the following question: Describe and explain the similarities and differences between the civilization of the Persian Achaemenid empire and that of China under the Qin and Han dynasties. In your answer, try to balance factual description with explanations, and divide your response into social, political, religious, economic, and military factors. (You might wish to draw a table in which you can place relevant IDs / fats as you read the text.) Be sure to use the following IDs, alongside others of your own: Persepolis; Royal Road; chariots; qanats; satraps; Zoroastrianism; patriarchal society; Qin Shihuangdi (and his tomb, of course, and the massive defensive wall he had constructed); Han Wudi; Confucius; the Classic of Filial Piety; silk and the silk roads. You will be graded on the following four areas: Focus. (Have you clearly understood the exercise' Do you keep it at the forefront throughout the paper, and do you have a clear introduction and conclusion' Do you make sure to focus on the Achaemenids, and on the Qin and Han dynasties') Coverage and relevance. (Do you introduce a variety of points, IDs, and arguments, and do you show that you can approach the topic from both the similarities and differences between the Persian and Chinese civilizations' Do you keep to the required page length, and avoid wasting space on narrative digressions or unconnected description') Accuracy. (Do you take care to make sure that your information is accurate, that proper names etc. are spelled correctly' Have you kept to the presentation requirements above, and have you edited your essay before handing it in') Clarity of argument. (Does the essay contain clearly organized and logically ordered paragraphs' Do you express yourself clearly' Do you avoid copying out passages from the textbook without fully understanding their meaning') Finally: Do not be tempted to cheat or plagiarize. If found out, you will receive no mark for the assignment, and that is likely to contribute to your failing the course as a whole. It’s just not worth it!