ABSTRACT
From a South Asian perspective the patterns of Chinese history and the achievements of Chinese culture and civilization almost inevitably invite comparison. Legalism, the harsh and morally pessimistic philosophy of laws, deterrence and order, and Confucianism, the relatively benign and morally optimistic philosophy of hierarchy, ethics and education, served as the basis for the Chinese imperial ideology. The Qin state turned itself into a Chinese Sparta and by focusing on agricultural and infrastructural works was able to shift the balance of power in its favor. Mao was a radical despot who used all means at his disposal to create a new modern China. Under Mao's leadership the Communist Party embarked upon the Great Leap Forward. The relationship between the civil and military arms of the government was one of the most interesting aspects of governance by the civil service elite. At the end of the day the Chinese government during the imperial era was an autocracy.
