The largest empire in history. Great and powerful empires of the world
In our world, nothing lasts forever: after birth and blossoming, decline inevitably follows. This rule also applies to states. Over the thousands of years of history, hundreds of states have been created and collapsed. Let's find out which of them existed on Earth the longest, until they disintegrated for one reason or another. Perhaps some of them did not amaze the world with their grandeur and brilliance, but they were strong with their centuries-old history.
Portuguese Colonial Empire
560 years (1415 -1975)
The prerequisites for the creation of the Portuguese Colonial Empire appeared simultaneously with the beginning of the Great Geographical Discoveries. By 1415, Portuguese sailors, of course, had not yet reached the shores of America, but were already actively exploring the African continent, beginning the search for a short sea route to India. Open lands The Portuguese declared it their property, erecting forts and fortresses everywhere.
At its height, the Portuguese Colonial Empire had fortifications in West Africa, East and South Asia, India and the Americas. The Portuguese Empire became the first state in history to unite territories on four continents under its flag. Thanks to the trade in spices and jewelry, the Portuguese treasury was bursting with gold and silver, which allowed the state to exist for such a long time.
The Napoleonic wars, internal contradictions and external enemies nevertheless undermined the power of the state, and by the beginning of the 20th century there was no trace left of the former greatness of the Portuguese Colonial Empire. The empire officially ceased to exist in 1975, when democracy was established in the metropolis.
624 years (1299 AD -1923 AD)
The state, founded by Turkic tribes in 1299, reached its peak in the 17th century. Huge multinational Ottoman Empire extended from the borders of Austria to the Caspian Sea, owning territories in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Wars with the Russian Empire, loss in the First World War, internal contradictions and constant Christian uprisings undermined the strength of the Ottoman Empire. In 1923, the monarchy was abolished, and in its place the Turkish Republic was created.
Khmer Empire
629 years (802 AD -1431 AD)
Not every person has heard of the existence of the Khmer Empire, which is one of the oldest government entities in history. The Khmer Empire was formed as a result of the unification of the Khmer tribes who lived in the 8th century AD. on the territory of Indochina. At the time of its greatest power, the Khmer Empire included the territories of Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. But its rulers did not calculate the gigantic costs of building temples and palaces, which gradually depleted the treasury. The weakened state in the first half of the 15th century was finally finished off by the invasion of Thai tribes.
Kanem
676 years (700 AD -1376 AD)
Despite the fact that individual African tribes do not pose a threat, when united, they can create a strong and warlike state. This is exactly how the Kanem Empire was formed, located for almost 700 years in the territory of modern Libya, Nigeria and Chad.
Kanema Territory | commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kanem-Bornu.svg The cause of the fall of a strong empire was internal strife after the death of the last emperor, who had no heirs. Taking advantage of this, various tribes located on the borders invaded the empire from different sides, hastening its fall. The surviving indigenous people were forced to leave the cities and return to a nomadic lifestyle.
Holy Roman Empire
844 years (962 AD – 1806 AD)
The Holy Roman Empire is not the same Roman Empire, whose iron legions captured almost the entire world known to ancient Europe. The Holy Roman Empire was not even located in Italy, but on the territory of modern Germany, Austria, Holland, the Czech Republic and part of Italy. The unification of the lands took place in 962, and the new Empire was intended to become a continuation of the Western Roman Empire. European order and discipline allowed this state to exist for eight and a half centuries, until complex system public administration, having degraded, weakened the central government, which led to the decline and collapse of the Holy Roman Empire.
Kingdom of Silla
992 years (57 BC – 935 AD)
At the end of the first century BC. On the Korean Peninsula, three kingdoms desperately fought for a place in the sun, one of which - Silla - managed to defeat its enemies, annexed their lands and founded a powerful dynasty that lasted almost a thousand years, which ingloriously disappeared in the fires of the civil war.
994 years (980 AD -1974 AD)
We often think that before the arrival of European colonialists, Africa was a completely wild area inhabited by primitive tribes. But on the African continent there was a place for an empire that existed for almost a thousand years! Founded in 802 by united Ethiopian tribes, the empire did not last 6 years before its millennium, collapsing as a result of a coup d'etat.
1100 years (697 AD - 1797 AD)
The Most Serene Republic of Venice with its capital Venice was founded in 697 thanks to the forced unification of communities against the troops of the Lombards - Germanic tribes that settled in the upper reaches of Italy during the Great Migration. Extremely successful geographical location at the intersection of most trade routes, they immediately made the Republic one of the richest and most influential states in Europe. However, the discovery of America and the sea route to India was the beginning of the end for this state. The volume of goods entering Europe through Venice has decreased - traders began to prefer more convenient and safe sea routes. The Venetian Republic finally ceased to exist in 1797, when Napoleon Bonaparte's troops occupied Venice without resistance.
Papal States
1118 years (752 AD – 1870 AD)
Papal States | Wikipedia After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the influence of Christianity in Europe grew increasingly stronger: influential people adopted Christianity, entire lands were given to churches, and donations were made. The day was not far off when the Catholic Church would gain political power in Europe: this happened in 752, when the Frankish king Pepin the Short gave the pope a large region in the center of the Apennine Peninsula. Since then, the power of popes has fluctuated depending on the place of religion in European society: from absolute power in the Middle Ages, to a gradual loss of influence closer to the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1870, the lands of the Papal States came under the control of Italy, and only the Vatican City, the city-state in Rome, remained for the Catholic Church.
Kingdom of Kush
about 1200 years (9th century BC – 350 AD)
The Kingdom of Kush has always been in the shadow of another state - Egypt, which at all times attracted the attention of historians and chroniclers. Located in the northern part of modern Sudan, the state of Kush posed a serious danger to its neighbors, and during its heyday it controlled almost the entire territory of Egypt. We do not know the detailed history of the kingdom of Kush, but the chronicles note that in 350 Kush was conquered by the kingdom of Aksum.
Roman Empire
1480 years (27 BC – 1453 AD)
Rome is an eternal place on seven hills! At least, that’s what the inhabitants of the Western Roman Empire thought: it seemed that the eternal city would never fall to the onslaught of enemies. But times have changed: 500 years after the civil war and the founding of the empire, Rome was conquered by invading Germanic tribes, marking the fall of the western part of the empire. However, the Eastern Roman Empire, often called Byzantium, continued to exist until 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Turks.
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Empire- when one person (monarch) has power over a vast territory inhabited by numerous peoples of different nationalities. This ranking is based on the influence, longevity and power of various empires. The list is based on the assumption that an empire should, most of the time, be ruled by an emperor or king, this excludes the modern so-called empires of the United States and the Soviet Union. Below is a ranking of the ten greatest empires in the world.
At the peak of its power (XVI–XVII), the Ottoman Empire was located on three continents at once, controlling most of the South- Eastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. It consisted of 29 provinces and numerous vassal states, some of which were later absorbed into the empire. The Ottoman Empire was at the center of interaction between the eastern and western worlds for six centuries. In 1922, the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist.
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of four Islamic caliphates (systems of government) created after the death of Muhammad. The empire, under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty, covered more than five million square kilometers, making it one of the largest in the world, as well as the largest Arab-Muslim empire ever created in history.
Persian Empire (Achaemenid)
The Persian Empire basically united all of Central Asia, which consisted of many different cultures, kingdoms, empires, and tribes. It was the largest empire in ancient history. At the peak of its power, the empire covered about 8 million square kilometers.
The Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire was part of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. Permanent capital and civilizational center Byzantine Empire was Constantinople. During its existence (more than a thousand years), the empire remained one of the most powerful economic, cultural and military forces in Europe despite setbacks and losses of territory, especially during the Roman-Persian and Byzantine-Arab wars. The Empire received its death blow in 1204 with the Fourth Crusade.
The Han Dynasty is considered the golden age in Chinese history in terms of scientific achievements, technological progress, economic, cultural and political stability. Even to this day, most Chinese call themselves Han people. Today, the Han Chinese are considered the largest ethnic group in the world. The dynasty ruled China for almost 400 years.
The British Empire covered more than 13 million square kilometers, roughly equivalent to about a quarter of our planet's land area. The empire's population was approximately 480 million people (approximately one-fourth of humanity). The British Empire is by far one of the most influential empires to ever exist in human history.
During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire was considered the "superpower" of its time. It consisted of eastern France, all of Germany, northern Italy and part of western Poland. It was officially dissolved on August 6, 1806, after which there appeared: Switzerland, Holland, the Austrian Empire, Belgium, the Prussian Empire, the principalities of Liechtenstein, the Confederation of the Rhine and the first French Empire.
Russian Empire existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution in 1917. She was the heir to the kingdom of Russia, and the predecessor Soviet Union. The Russian Empire was the third largest state that ever existed, second only to the British and Mongol empires.
It all started when Temujin (later known as Genghis Khan, considered one of the most brutal rulers in history), vowed in his youth to bring the world to its knees. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in human history. The capital of the state was the city of Karakorum. The Mongols were fearless and ruthless warriors, but they had little experience in ruling such a vast territory and the Mongol Empire quickly fell.
Ancient Rome made major contributions to the development of law, art, literature, architecture, technology, religion and language in the Western world. In fact, many historians consider the Roman Empire to be the "ideal empire" because it was powerful, fair, long-lasting, large, well-defended, and economically advanced. The calculation showed that from its foundation to its fall, a whopping 2214 years passed. From this it follows that the Roman Empire is the greatest empire ancient world.
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It is in history that answers to many modern questions can be found. Do you know about the largest empire that ever existed on the planet? TravelAsk will tell you about two world giants of the past.
Largest empire by area
The British Empire is the largest state that has ever existed in the history of mankind. Of course, here we are talking not only about the continent, but also about colonies on all inhabited continents. Just think: this was even less than a hundred years ago. At different times, the area of Britain was different, but the maximum was 42.75 million square meters. km (of which 8.1 million sq. km are territories in Antarctica). This is two and a half times larger than the current territory of Russia. This is 22% of land. The British Empire reached its peak in 1918.
The total population of Britain at its peak was about 480 million (about one-quarter of humanity). This is why English is so widespread. This is a direct legacy of the British Empire.
How the state was born
The British Empire grew over a long period: approximately 200 years. The twentieth century was the culmination of its growth: at that time the state had different territories on all continents. For this, it is called the empire “on which the sun never sets.”
And it all began in the 18th century quite peacefully: with trade and diplomacy, and occasionally with colonial conquests.
The Empire contributed to the spread of British technology, trade, English language and its form of government throughout the world. Of course, the basis of power was the navy, which was used everywhere. He ensured freedom of navigation, fought against slavery and piracy (slavery was abolished in Britain in early XIX century). This made the world safer. It turns out that rather than seeking power over vast hinterlands for the sake of resources, the empire relied on trade and control over strategically important points. It was this strategy that made the British Empire the most powerful.
The British Empire was very diverse, containing territories on every continent, creating a great diversity of cultures. The state included a very heterogeneous population, thanks to which it was able to govern different regions either directly or through local rulers, these are excellent skills for government. Just think: British power extended to India, Egypt, Canada, New Zealand and many other countries.
When the decolonization of the United Kingdom began, the British tried to introduce parliamentary democracy and the rule of law in the former colonies, but this was not successful everywhere. Great Britain's influence on its former territories noticeable even today: the majority of the colonies decided that the Commonwealth of Nations replaced the Empire for them psychologically. Members of the Commonwealth are all former dominions and colonies of the state. Today it includes 17 countries, including the Bahamas and others. That is, they in fact recognize the monarch of Great Britain as their monarch, but locally his power is represented by the governor general. But it is worth saying that the title of monarch does not imply any political power over the Commonwealth Kingdoms.
Mongol Empire
The second in area (but not in power) is the Mongol Empire. It was formed as a result of the conquests of Genghis Khan. Its area is 38 million square meters. km: it's a little less area Britain (and if you consider that Britain owned 8 million sq. km in Antarctica, the figure looks even more impressive). The territory of the state stretched from the Danube to the Sea of Japan and from Novgorod to Cambodia. This is the largest continental state in the history of mankind.
The state did not last long: from 1206 to 1368. But this empire greatly influenced modern world: It is believed that 8% of the world's population are descendants of Genghis Khan. And this is quite likely: Temujin’s eldest son alone had 40 sons.
At its height, the Mongol Empire included vast areas of Central Asia, Southern Siberia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China and Tibet. It was the world's largest land empire.
Its rise is astonishing: a group of Mongol tribes that numbered no more than a million people managed to conquer empires that were literally hundreds of times larger. How did they achieve this? Thoughtful tactics of action, high mobility, use of technical and other achievements of captured peoples, as well as proper organization rear and supply.
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But here, of course, there could be no talk of any diplomacy. The Mongols completely slaughtered cities that did not want to obey them. More than one city was wiped off the face of the earth. Moreover, Temujin and his descendants destroyed great and ancient states: the state of the Khorezmshahs, the Chinese Empire, the Baghdad Caliphate, the Volga Bulgaria. Modern historians say that up to 50% of the total population died in the occupied territories. Thus, the population of the Chinese dynasties was 120 million people, after the Mongol invasion it decreased to 60 million.
Consequences of the Great Khan's invasions
By 1206, the commander Temujin united all the Mongol tribes and was proclaimed great khan over all tribes, receiving the title “Genghis Khan”. He captured northern China, devastated Central Asia, conquered all of Central Asia and Iran, ruining the entire region.
The descendants of Genghis Khan ruled an empire that captured most of Eurasia, including almost the entire Middle East, parts of Eastern Europe, China and Rus'. Despite all its power, the real threat to the dominance of the Mongol Empire was the enmity between its rulers. The empire split into four khanates. The largest fragments of Great Mongolia were the Yuan Empire, Ulus Jochi ( Golden Horde), the Hulaguid state and the Chagatai ulus. They, in turn, also failed or were conquered. In the last quarter of the 14th century, the Mongol Empire ceased to exist.
However, despite such a short reign, the Mongol Empire influenced the unification of many regions. For example, the eastern and western parts of Russia and the western regions of China remain united to this day, albeit under different forms of government. Rus' also gained strength: during the Tatar-Mongol yoke, Moscow was granted the status of tax collector for the Mongols. That is, Russian residents collected tribute and taxes for the Mongols, while the Mongols themselves visited Russian lands extremely rarely. In the end, the Russian people gained military power, which allowed Ivan III overthrow the Mongols under the leadership of the Moscow Principality.
Seizing power must be the dream of at least half of aspiring supervillains. However, some more benevolent (questionably) people try to do this the old-fashioned way: exploration, colonization, conquest, and sometimes (okay - occasionally) even mutually beneficial policies.
Although no one had yet been able to openly seize power (shadow communities don't count), the age of empires was certainly not boring, and impressive progress was made as recently as the late 1900s.
Let's start all the way from 500 BC and go through it in chronological order until modern times. Here are 25 of the greatest and most powerful empires in human history!
25. Achaemenid Power - around 500 BC.
As the 18th largest empire in history, the Achaemenid Power (also called the first Persian Empire) is already impressive. At the peak of its rise around 550 BC. they occupied an area of 31.6 million km², including the vast majority of the countries of the Middle East and regions of Russia.
Even more impressively, under Cyrus II the Great, the empire had a comprehensive social infrastructure, including roads and a postal service, that other empires would later strive to surpass.
24. Macedonian Empire - around 323 BC
Under Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Empire destroyed the Achaemenid Empire and built the final Hellenistic state, giving rise to ancient Greek civilization, the philosophical contributions of Aristotle, and probably orgies.
At its peak, the Macedonian Empire occupied almost 3.5% of the entire world, making it the 21st largest empire in history (and second largest after the Persian conquest).
23. Mauryan Empire - around 250 BC
After the death of Alexander the Great, all of India and much of the surrounding territory was conquered by the Mauryan Empire, resulting in the first (and largest) Indian Empire.
At its height, under a benevolent and diplomatic ruler known as Ashok the Great, the Mauryan Empire covered an area of almost 5 million km², making it the 23rd largest empire in history.
22. Xiongnu Empire - around 209 BC
During the period IV-III centuries. BC, what eventually became China consisted of several warring states. As a result, the nomadic Xiongnu armies launched raids into the northern territories.
At its height, the Xiongnu Empire occupied more than 6% of the entire world's territory, becoming the 10th largest empire in human history.
They were so irresistible that it took years of negotiations, arranged marriages, and concessions by the Han Dynasty to keep them from being conquered.
21. Western Han Dynasty - around 50 BC
Speaking of the Han dynasties, the Western Han dynasty reached its peak about a century later. Although they never reached the level of development of the Xiongnu Empire, they still managed to occupy an area of 6 million km² with over 57 million people, becoming the 17th largest empire in human history. To achieve this, they successfully pushed the Xiongnu north while aggressively expanding south into what is now Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula.
The Western Han Dynasty included the major diplomatic achievements of Zhang Qian, who established contacts with states as far west as the Roman Empire and established the famous Silk Road trade route.
20. Eastern Han Dynasty - around 100 AD
During its nearly 200-year existence, the Eastern Han dynasty experienced a succession of different rulers, revolts, instability, and economic crisis. Despite these factors, the Eastern Han Dynasty was the 12th largest empire in history. It was larger in area than its pre-Christian counterpart, covering almost 500 km² more - a total of 4.36% of the entire world.
19. Roman Empire - around 117 AD
Due to the huge number of references that the Roman Empire receives, the average person mistakenly considers it the largest in history.
Indeed, at its peak in 117 AD. it was the most extensive and social structure in Western civilization, but even then the Romans occupied a total of only 5 million km² of land, making them the 24th largest empire in history.
In this case, it is not a question of quantity, but of quality, since the influence of the Roman Empire affected almost every aspect of Western civilization.
18. Turkic Khaganate - around 557 AD
The Turkic Khaganate consisted of what is now north-central China. The rulers of the Khaganate were descended from the Ashina clan, another nomadic tribe of unknown origin from the northern part of Inner Asia.
Like the Xiongnu almost six centuries earlier, they expanded to rule vast areas of Central Asia, including the lucrative trade along the Silk Road.
By 557 AD they became the 15th largest empire in history, controlling 4.03% of the entire world's territory (much more than the Roman Empire's 3.36%).
17. Righteous Caliphate - around 655 AD
The Righteous Caliphate was the first Islamic caliphate early period Islam. It was founded immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD to manage the affairs of the Islamic community.
Having subjugated or allied with various Arab tribes, the caliphate embarked on a conquest that led to the dominance of Egypt, Syria, and the entire Persian Empire. At its best period in 655 AD. The Righteous Caliphate was the 14th largest empire, covering 6.4 million km² of territory in the Middle East.
16. Umayyad Caliphate - around 720 AD
Second of four main caliphates after the death of Muhammad, the Umayyad Caliphate arose after the first Muslim Civil War in 661 AD. In addition to dominating the entire Middle East, the Umayyad Caliphate continued to expand towards North Africa and parts of Southern Europe.
Having a comprehensive social structure, consisting of 29% of the world's total population (62 million people) and 7.45% of the world's total land area, the Umayyad Caliphate became the 8th largest empire in modern history and the largest empire in the world that only existed until 720 AD .
15. Abbasid Caliphate - around 750 AD
30 years after the heyday of the Umayyad Caliphate, as a result of the uprising and disobedience of the descendants of Muhammad's youngest uncle to the Umayyads, the Abassid Caliphate came to power.
They claimed that their lineage was closer to the Prophet Muhammad, so they were his true heirs. After successfully seizing power in 750 AD. they began a "golden era" that lasted almost 400 years and included a strong alliance with China.
Although their empire was no larger than the Umayyad Caliphate, it lasted for a long period, successfully controlling 11.1 million km², making them the 7th largest empire in human history until its capture by Genghis Khan in 1206.
14. Tibetan Empire - around 800 AD
The Tibetan Empire occupied more than 3% of the entire world's territory by 800. At the same time, a comparatively gigantic and prosperous Arab Empire flourished from the West. On the other hand, the Tang Dynasty, having become a stable and united force that established diplomatic relations with the Arabs, made the Tibetan Empire one of the first in history to be between two strong states.
Thanks to diplomacy and impressive military power, the Tibetan Empire lasted for more than 200 years. It is ironic that the growing influence of Buddhist teachings ultimately provoked civil war which split the empire.
13. Tang Dynasty - around 820 AD
The Tang Dynasty ushered in what is considered a golden period of multicultural culture in Chinese civilization. This period belonged to the two most famous poets China, Li Bai and Du Fu, and the invention of woodblock printing contributed to the development of artistic culture among the growing population of China and throughout Asia.
While less significant than other Chinese dynasties from a historical perspective, the Tang Dynasty lasted for almost three centuries (618 to 907 AD), inhabiting 3.6% of the total world area and ranking as the 20th largest empire in the world. history of mankind.
12. Mongol Empire - around 1270
Although many people know about it, few people really understand how huge Genghis Khan's empire really was. In their better times The Mongol Empire controlled a whopping 24 million km² of territory.
For comparison, this is more than 4 times larger size Roman Empire and slightly less than 3 times the size of the modern United States, making the Mongol Empire the 2nd largest empire in human history.
11. Golden Horde - around 1310
Genghis Khan was not stupid, and knew that without his leadership the empire was unlikely to be able to maintain its size. Thus, he divided the empire into regions, giving control of each to each of his sons to preserve his legacy.
Due to the sheer size and power of the original empire, even its individual domains were impressively powerful. In the next generation after the Mongol Empire reached its peak, it became an independent entity.
Even on its own, by 1310 it was the 16th largest empire in history and controlled a still impressive 4.03% of the world (about a quarter of the Mongol Empire's land).
10. Yuan Dynasty - around 1310
From the northern Chinese territories, previously controlled by the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan's grandson led his troops to conquer the rest of China and found the Yuan Dynasty.
By 1310, it had become the largest fragment of the previous Mongol Empire and the 9th largest empire in human history, with 11 million km² of land in its possession. Unfortunately, uprisings in the mid-14th century led to the final overthrow of the Yuan in 1368, making the dynasty the shortest-lived in Chinese history.
9. Ming Dynasty (Great Ming Empire) - around 1450
The Ming Dynasty was formed after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty. Unable to expand north due to the presence of the powerful Mongols, the Ming Dynasty still occupied a respectable 4.36% of the world's land area and is the 13th largest empire in history.
It is perhaps best known for building China's first navy, which enabled maritime expeditions and stimulated successful regional maritime trade.
8. Ottoman Empire - circa 1683
When Istanbul was Constantinople, it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire (also called the Turkish Empire). Although historically it was quite small (5.2 million km², making it the 22nd largest empire in existence), it was otherwise successful and long-lived.
Beginning just before 1300, the Ottoman Empire was able to secure its place between the eastern and western worlds for more than six centuries. After defeat in World War I, the empire was destroyed, resulting in the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1922.
7. Qing Dynasty - circa 1790
The Qing Dynasty became the last imperial dynasty of China. This huge empire became the 4th largest empire in the entire history of mankind and occupied almost 10% of all globe, including the territory of Korea and Taiwan, with a population of more than 400 million people.
Almost three centuries passed before local uprisings forced the last emperor to abdicate, forming the Republic of China in 1912.
6. Spanish Empire - circa 1810
Not wanting to be outdone by the last Chinese dynasty, the Spanish Empire was formed in 1492 and became only the second global empire in world history. With an area of 15.3 million km² of land under its control, it was the 5th largest in history.
Through numerous maritime conquests, they controlled a huge percentage of territory in both North and South America, as well as virtually all of the Caribbean, parts of Africa, Europe, the South Pacific, and even some cities along the coast of the Middle East.
5. Portuguese Colonial Empire - circa 1820
Also known as the Portuguese Overseas Territories, the Portuguese Colonial Empire became the first global empire in history.
However, it never achieved the same massive dominance as the Spanish Empire. With 3.69% of the Earth's territory under its control, it is the 19th largest empire in history.
However, it is the longest-lived modern European colonial empire, lasting six centuries and just shy of the new millennium (the Portuguese Empire officially ceased to exist on December 20, 1999).
4. Brazilian Empire - circa 1889
Originally part of the Portuguese Empire, the Brazilian Empire declared its independence in 1822. After several years of instability, a period of calm emerged in 1843, which allowed the Brazilian Empire to gain stability until conflicts arose with Great Britain and Uruguay.
After successfully resolving these conflicts, the Brazilian Empire began its "golden age" and quickly became known throughout the world as a progressive and modern nation.
By the 1880s the empire represented most of South America, covering an area of 8.5 million km², making it the 11th largest empire in human history.
3. Russian Empire - circa 1895
The Russian Empire was a powerful state that existed (officially) from 1721 until its overthrow in 1917 by revolution. The empire expanded from the beginning, transforming Russia from a primarily agricultural state into a more modern one.
At its height in 1895, the population of the Russian Empire grew from 15.5 million to 170 million people living in an area of almost 23.3 million km². With the addition of the Baltic states, Poland, Finland and more significant Asian territories to its territory, the Russian Empire became the 3rd largest in the history of mankind.
2. Second French Colonial Empire - circa 1920
Competing with Spain, Portugal, the United Provinces and (later) Britain, the Second French Colonial Empire began in 1830 with the conquest of Algeria. They colonized a large percentage of Africa and took over the Middle East, Southeast Asia, New Caledonia and a tiny part of South America.
This made the empire at its height the 6th largest in history, as its population accounted for 5% of the entire world population, and it lived on 7.7% of the Earth's territory.
1. British Empire - circa 1920
This may or may not come as a shock to you, but in the competition to conquer the world, no empire has been more dominant than the British. Covering an area of 35.5 million km², the British Empire was easily the largest in human history (30% larger than the Mongol Empire).
For more than a century, Britain was the world's premier superpower and controlled 23% of the world's population. As a result of massive expansion throughout the world, their cultural and linguistic heritage can be found in almost every advanced culture on Earth.
Most consider the official handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 to be the official end of the British Empire. Although if you look at the world stage, the UK still controls the largest part of the world... they just do it very smartly and more progressively. Perhaps this is world domination... just done well.
Over the past 3 thousand years Old World I saw the rise and fall of powerful empires, and their history and past glory could not but influence the culture of the countries and peoples that today occupy the spaces where they dominated. The ruins of large cities, majestic palaces and temples, remaining after the collapse of great civilizations - Persia and the Mediterranean - eloquently testify to the wealth, splendor and power of great empires. The remains of fortresses and roads, palaces and canals, codes of laws carved on rocks and written down on paper, and praises of triumphants tell how they achieved military power, with the help of which they subjugated more and more new territories and maintained control and administration over vast colonies. Ancient empires are significantly distant from each other in terms of their existence, differ in size and cultural traditions, but they all have some common features.
What is an empire
Which ancient states can be called empires? Of course, not only the title of the ruler and the official, declared name of the country can serve as the basis for such a division. But still, let’s try to look deeper into the essence of things and understand how they differ from other states. And it doesn’t matter who is in power: the emperor, the senate, the national assembly or a religious figure. The main thing that distinguishes the empire is its supranational character. A republic, despotism, or kingdom become an empire only when they go beyond the state formation of any one people or tribe and unite many cultures and peoples at different stages of development.
Map of the Old World in the 1st century. BC
It is no coincidence that their era began in the countries of the Old World at approximately the same time, and it is no coincidence that this time is usually called the era of axial civilizations.
It begins at the turn of the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. e. and covers the period before the Great Migration, which put an end to the greatest of. Of course, this provision is quite conditional. The first empires arose before this designated period of time, and some of them survived its end.
It is enough to give just two examples. Egypt of the era of the New Kingdom, i.e. the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. e., can rightfully open a long list greatest empires antiquities. It was during this period that the country of the pharaohs stepped over the boundaries of its national civilization. During this era, Nubia, the legendary “country of Punt” in the south, the flourishing cities and palaces of the Levant were conquered, and the nomadic tribes of the Libyan Desert were conquered and pacified. All these areas were not only forced to recognize, but were included in the economic system, the administrative structure of the country of the pharaohs, and experienced cultural influences from it. Later rulers of Nubia and even Ethiopia traced their ancestry back to the godlike rulers of the Nile.
The Byzantine Empire is a direct successor ancient Rome, which continued officially, and the people were called Romans, that is, Romans, retained the attributes of empire and multinational character until its death in the middle of the 15th century. And the Ottoman Empire that took its place, for all its dissimilarity from Rome and Byzantium, inherited and preserved many of their traditions and, first of all, remained faithful to the imperial idea for many more centuries.
But still, we will dwell on the era when they were just emerging, gaining strength and were at the zenith of their strength.
During this period, i.e. in the 1st millennium BC. e., powerful empires stretched in a wide strip along geographical latitude from the Strait of Gibraltar in the west to the shores Yellow Sea in the east. The strip along which the power of empires spread was limited from the north and south by natural barriers: deserts, forests, seas and mountains.
But not only these barriers caused their formation along this axis. This is where the Old World is: Cretan-Mycenaean, Egyptian, Sumerian, Indus, Chinese. They set the stage for future empires: they created urban networks, built the first roads, and created the first sea routes that linked cities together. created and improved writing, the administrative apparatus, and the army. They discovered new ways of accumulating wealth and improved old ones. It was in this zone that all the achievements of mankind were concentrated, necessary for the emergence of a full-fledged state, their successful growth and development.
In this series of predecessors and heirs stands the Phoenician colonies of the Mediterranean, on the foundation of which arose the Roman Empire, the powers of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians of the Middle East, the Buddhist empires of the Indo-Aryans of the Ganges Valley and the Kushans, the empires of China.
The New World later, but also went this way from the “classical” urban civilizations of Teotihuacan to the Aztec empire and from the ancient prosperous cultures of the Andean highlands.
Having rallied many tribes and peoples around themselves, they not only successfully applied all the achievements of past centuries, but also created many new things, which distinguishes them from earlier civilizations. Of course, the great empires of antiquity were very different from each other in terms of traditions, forms of expression of their imperial spirit, and destinies. But there is also something that allows you to put them side by side. It was this “something” that gave us the right to call them all in one word - empires. What is this?
Firstly, as already said, all empires- These are supranational entities. And for the effective management of vast spaces with different cultural traditions, religions and ways of life, appropriate institutions and means are needed. With all the variety of approaches to solving the problem of management, they were all based on the same principles: a rigid hierarchy, the inviolability of central authority and, of course, uninterrupted communication between the center and the periphery.
Secondly, it must effectively defend its extensive borders from external enemies, and moreover, in order to confirm its exclusive right to rule many peoples, it must constantly grow. That is why in all empires war and military affairs received exceptional development and occupied a significant place in everyday life and ideology. As it turned out, militarization also became a weak point of almost all empires: changes of rulers, rebellions and the fall of provinces rarely took place without the participation of the military, both in Rome, in the extreme west of the civilized world of the Old World, and in China, in its extreme east.
And thirdly, nor effective management, nor military power are capable of ensuring the stability of any empire without ideological support. It could be a new religion, a real or legendary historical tradition, or, finally, a certain unification of culture, allowing one to contrast oneself, one’s belonging to a civilized empire, with the surrounding barbarians. But the latter soon became the same.
Map of the Roman Empire
