Question

Which factor contributed to the decline of the Han Empire? Ambitious princes conscripted people to build the Great Wall. Local military rulers amassed more power. Emperors spent too much money on roads and bridges. Tax cuts left the government weak and vulnerable.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

Tax cuts left the government weak and vulnerable.

By the end of the Han Empire, tax revenue decreased piercingly. The scholar-officials would usually exempt themselves from taxes and peasants had developed an alert system to avoid tax collectors.

This limited the empire´s ability to finance the court and to maintain the armies that protected China from external threats, leading to the decline of the empire.