The Roman Empire and the Chinese Han Dynasty may have stood at opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, but they did experience one thing in common — high levels of income inequality.
A team of researchers has demonstrated how large-scale resource extraction and redistribution across vast territories led to steep levels of income inequality on both counts — particularly in Han China.
Not only does this present its own ethical questions, but the study’s authors argue that higher levels of inequality increase the potential for political instability and, ultimately, the collapse of empires.
