Although Han China and the Mauryan empire both maintained political control by cultivating their respective religions, they branched off in the way that Han China believed in equality and Mauryans believed in a more democratic solution.
Legalism in Han China greatly influenced society with the belief of harsh punishments and the nature of men to be bad. The founder of Legalism, Shihuangdi, was a prominent military leader and advocated the importance of military control in Han China. Although Legalism held an important value for a while, another religion called Buddhism also appeared in China, and blossomed the most over Empress Wu. She unified China through policies of religion and militaristic campaigns, like Emperor Shihuangdi. The Mauryan empire based its political dominance over law enforcement and courts.
Ashoka the Great unified the empire under Buddhism, which was he was one of the most influencial disciples of.
