Thesis or not? A practice for the dbq

Prompt Analyze similarities and differences in techniques of imperial administration in TWO of the following empires. • Han China (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) • Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.–550 C.E.) • Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.–476 C.E.)

Thesis 1 There were similarities in the way Han China and the Roman Empire used techniques of imperial administration, but each of these empires used different techniques as well in their quest to control their empires.

Evaluation This thesis does not work. Although it mentions the topic (techniques of imperial administration) it only tells THAT there were similarities and differences, not WHAT those differences were. This is one of the most common mistakes, and one of the top reasons for a failed thesis.

Thesis 2 The Roman Empire and Indian empires both used an official religion at times to regulate their empires, but India ended up decentralizing their government while the Romans kept their rule centralized.

evaluation This thesis is acceptable because it states how the two empires are similar in the administration of their empires, and how they are different. It would receive the basic core point for the thesis. It is minimally acceptable.

Thesis 3 Although Mauryan India and Han China both used highly centralized governments to rule their empire, India had a Hindu culture while the Chinese were mostly influenced by Confucian values.

evaluation This is another failed thesis, and would not get the rubric point. The thesis correctly identifies a similarity in how both governments administrated their empire, but does not give a contrast. Many students make the mistake of changing topics half way through the thesis. It’s true that India had a Hindu culture and that the Chinese were influenced by Confucianism, but this is not relevant to the prompt. A thesis can’t simply mention any comparison or contrast, even if it’s true; only those that answer the prompt will be accepted. If the writer had stated that these different belief systems were somehow used as a technique of imperial administration, this would have counted as the contrast, and the thesis would have worked. As it is, the thesis does not have a legitimate contrast between the techniques of imperial administration of the empires

Thesis 4 The Roman Empire and Han China both ruled their empires with the help of bureaucracies to keep their control centralized. The Chinese, however, used an educational system based on a belief system to regulate their bureaucracy while the Romans did not have any such practice.

Evaluation This is a good thesis. It states the similarity—that both ruled their empires with bureaucracies—and states that the Chinese and Romans had different means to regulate these bureaucracies. Thus, in China education (via the civil service examination system) functioned as a technique of imperial control. Rome did not use education in this way to regulate its bureaucracy. Note that a thesis can be in more than one sentence.

Thesis 5 The Mauryan Empire used fear and intimidation to control their government employees, but the Chinese used an educational system to find government employees for positions across the empire. Despite these differences, both of these empires shared many of the same techniques to control their imperial structures.

Evaluation Note this thesis begins with the contrast rather than the similarity. That is perfectly fine. Moreover, the contrast is very thorough and analytical. But the problem here is with the similarity. This thesis does not state WHAT the similarity is in terms of how each government ruled its empire; it only stated THAT they shared similarities. Despite the good contrast in the first half, this thesis fails because it lacks a comparison with substance.