Top 10 Greatest Empires In History
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The
definition of an empire is: when a single entity has supreme rule and power
over a vast area of territory, which consists of peoples of different ethnicity
and nationality. This list is based on the influence, longevity and power of
the various empires, and, as you will see, it contains at least one or two
entries that may strike some as controversial. My one requirement for this list
is that the empire must have been ruled – for at least a majority of the time –
by an emperor or king. This excludes modern so-called empires such as the
United States and Soviet Union. The entries here are listed roughly by
influence and size.
Ottoman Empire
At
the height of its power (16th–17th century), the Ottoman Empire spanned three
continents, controlling much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North
Africa. It contained 29 provinces and numerous vassal states, some of which
were later absorbed into the empire, while others were granted various types of
autonomy during the course of centuries. The empire was at the center of
interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for six centuries. With
Constantinople as its capital city, and vast control of lands around the
eastern Mediterranean during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (ruled 1520
to 1566), the Ottoman Empire was, in many respects, an Islamic successor to the
Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
Umayyad Caliphate
The
Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four Islamic caliphates (systems of
governance), established after the death of Mohammed. It was ruled by the
Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the
great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family
originally came from the city of Mecca, Damascus was the capital of their
Caliphate. Eventually, it would cover more than five million square miles,
making it the largest empire the world had yet seen, and the fifth largest
contiguous empire ever to exist. The Umayyads established the largest
Arab-Muslim state in history. From the time of Mohammed until 1924, successive
and contemporary caliphates were held by various dynasties – the last being the
Ottoman Empire (above).
Persian Empire
or Achaemenid Empire
Babylonian,
Akkadians, Assyrians, Sumerians, Hitites, Bactrians, Scythians, Parthians,
Medes, Elamites, Egyptians, Ethiopians… Before the Romans, there were the
Persians. They basically unified the whole of Central Asia which consisted of a
lot of different cultures, kingdoms, empires and tribes. It was the largest
empire in ancient history. At the height of its power, the empire encompassed
approximately 8 million km2. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and
spanned three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.
Byzantine Empire
The
Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, was the Roman Empire during the
Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by emperors
in direct succession to the ancient Roman emperors. It was called the Roman
Empire, and also Romania. During its existence, of over a thousand years, the
Empire remained one of the most powerful economic, cultural and military forces
in Europe, despite setbacks and territorial losses, especially during the
Roman–Persian and Byzantine–Arab Wars. The Empire received a mortal blow in
1204 by the Fourth Crusade,
when it was dissolved and divided into competing Byzantine Greek and Latin
realms. Despite the eventual recovery of Constantinople and re-establishment of
the Empire in 1261, under the Palaiologan emperors, successive civil wars in
the fourteenth century further sapped the Empire’s strength.
Han Dynasty
During
the Chinese period of warring states, the whole of China was embroiled in a
civil war as the different kingdoms within it battled it out with each other in
the quest for supremacy. In the end, the Qin State won, and gobbled up the
whole of China, with 40 million people under it’s control. The Qin Dynasty
didn’t last long, and soon it went to the Han, which eventually controlled
China for close to 400 years. The period of the Han Dynasty is considered a
golden age in Chinese history in terms of scientific achievement, technological
advance, economic, cultural and political stability. Even to this day, most
Chinese people refer to themselves as the Han people. Today, the “Han people”
is considered the largest single ethnic group in the world.
British Empire
At
it’s greatest extent, the British empire was known as the largest empire in
history, as it covered more than 13,000,000 square miles, which is approximately
a quarter of the Earth’s total land area, and controlled more than 500 million
people – again a quarter of the world’s population. As a result, the legacy it
imprinted on these conquered lands is tremendous in terms of political reform,
cultural exchanges and way of life. The English language, which it spread, is
the second most-widely spoken language in the world today, and many linguistics
agree that English is the defacto standard language of the world. The British
empire is definitely one of the most influential empires ever to have existed
in human history.
Holy Roman Empire
During
the middle ages, they were considered the “superpower” of their time. At it’s
height, the Holy Roman Empire consisted of eastern France, all of Germany,
northern Italy and parts of western Poland. Despite being relatively small in
terms of Empires, its influence on the history of central Europe is still felt
today. Incredibly the Empire lasted from the early middle ages ages to the 19th
century. The Empire was formally dissolved on 6 August 1806 when the last Holy
Roman Emperor, Francis II (later Francis I of Austria), abdicated following a
military defeat by the French under Napoleon. Upon its collapse, the following
nations emerged: Switzerland, Holland, the Austrian Empire, Belgium, the
Prussian Empire, Principality of Liechtenstein, Confederation of the Rhine and
the first French Empire.
The Russian Empire
The
Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution
of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of
the Soviet Union. It was the second largest contiguous empire in world history,
surpassed only by the Mongol Empire, and the third largest empire behind the
British Empire and the Mongol Empire. At one point in 1866, it stretched from
eastern Europe, across Asia, and into North America.
Mongol Empire
It
all started when Temujin (who was later known as Genghis Khan), vowed in his
youth to bring the world to his feet. He almost did. His first act was unifying
the scattered Mongolian tribes. Then he set his sight on China, and the rest is
history. From Vietnam to Hungary, the Mongol Empire is the largest contiguous
empire in the history of mankind. Unfortunately for them, their empire was too
big to be controlled, and there was no unity among the different cultures. The
Mongols were fearless and ruthless fighters, but had little experience in
administration. The image of the mongols as a brutal and savage people is
renowned through history.
Roman Empire
At
first they were ruled by divine kings, then they became a republic (perhaps
their greatest period) before finally becoming an empire. How a group of
farmers, who started off fending wolves to protect their livestock, eventually
became the greatest empire in all history is the stuff of legends. Coupled with
an excellent military and administrative system, the Roman Empire, or rather
ancient Rome, is also one of the longest-lasting. Counting from its founding to
the fall of the Byzantine empire, ancient Rome lasted for a whopping 2,214
years!
Ancient
Rome contributed greatly to the development of law, war, art, literature,
architecture, technology, religion and language in the Western world. In fact
many historians consider the Roman Empire to be a perfect empire – influential,
fair, long-lasting, big, well defended and economically advanced. The influence
of the Roman Empire is felt to this day, if for no other reason than the
influence on the Catholic Church, which took much of its administrative nous
and pageantry from it.
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