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 fact that an empire should, most of the time, be ruled by an emperor or king, this excludes the modern so-called empires - the United States and Soviet Union. Below is a ranking of the ten greatest empires in the world.
At the height of its power (XVI-XVII), the Ottoman Empire was located on three continents at once, controlling most of Southeast 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 has been 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 the four Islamic Caliphates (system of government) established 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 established in history.
Persian Empire (Achaemenid)
The Persian Empire basically unified all of Central Asia, which consisted of many different cultures, kingdoms, empires and tribes. It was the most big empire v 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 loss of territory, especially during the Roman-Persian and Byzantine-Arab wars. The empire received a mortal blow in 1204 on the fourth Crusade.
The Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history in terms of scientific advancement, technological progress, economic, cultural and political stability. Even to this day, most Chinese call themselves the Han people. Today, the Han people 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, which is about a quarter of the earth's landmass of our planet. The population of the empire was approximately 480 million people (approximately one-fourth of humanity). The British Empire is by far one of the most powerful empires that has ever existed in human history.
In 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.
The Russian Empire existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution in 1917. She was the heir to the kingdom of Russia, and the forerunner of the Soviet Union. The Russian Empire was the third largest of the ever-existing states, second only to the British and Mongolian 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 adjacent 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 managing such a vast territory, which caused the Mongol Empire to quickly fall.
Ancient Rome made a great contribution 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-lived, large, well-defended, and economically advanced. The calculation showed that from its foundation to the fall, a whopping 2214 years passed. It follows from this that the Roman Empire is the greatest empire ancient world.
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In our world, nothing lasts forever: after birth and flourishing, sunset inevitably follows. This rule also applies to states. Hundreds of states have been created and collapsed over thousands of years of historical epoch. We will find out which of them existed on Earth for the longest time, until they fell apart 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, have not yet reached the shores of America, but have already actively explored the African continent, starting the search for a short sea route to India. The Portuguese declared open lands their property, erecting forts and fortresses everywhere.
By its heyday, 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.
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. Officially, the empire 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. The huge multinational Ottoman Empire stretched from the borders of Austria to the Caspian Sea, owning territories in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Wars with the Russian Empire, the loss in the First World War, internal contradictions and constant Christian uprisings undermined the strength Ottoman Empire. In 1923, the monarchy was abolished and the Republic of Turkey established in its place.
Khmer Empire
629 years (802 AD -1431 AD)
Not everyone has heard of the existence of the Khmer Empire, which is one of the oldest state entities in history. The Khmer Empire was formed as a result of the unification of the Khmer tribes living in the 8th century AD. in Indochina. During its highest 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 devastated the treasury. The weakened state in the first half of the 15th century finally finished off the invasion of the Thai tribes that had begun.
Kanem
676 years (700 AD -1376 AD)
Despite the fact that individually African tribes do not pose a danger, united, they can create a strong and warlike state. This is how the Kanem Empire was formed, located for almost 700 years on the territory of modern Libya, Nigeria and Chad.
Territory of Kanem | commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kanem-Bornu.svg The reason for 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 way of life.
Holy Roman Empire
844 (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 be a continuation of the Western Roman Empire. The European order and discipline allowed this state to exist for eight and a half centuries, until a complex system government controlled, degraded, weakened the central government, which led to the decline and collapse of the Holy Roman Empire.
Kingdom of Silla
992 (57 BC - 935 AD)
At the end of the first century BC. on the Korean Peninsula, three kingdoms fought desperately for a place under 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 into the fires civil war.
994 (980 AD -1974 AD)
We often think that before the arrival of European colonizers, 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 the united Ethiopian tribes, the empire did not “hold out” 6 years before its millennium, disintegrating as a result of a coup d'état.
1100 years (697 AD - 1797 AD)
The Most Serene Republic of Venice with the capital Venice was founded in 697 due to the forced unification of communities against the troops of the Lombards - Germanic tribes who settled in the upper reaches of Italy during the Great Migration of Nations. Extremely successful geographical position at the intersection of most trade routes 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 decreased - merchants began to prefer more convenient and safe sea routes. The Republic of Venice finally ceased to exist in 1797, when the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte 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 increased more and more: influential people adopted Christianity, whole lands were given to churches, donations were made. The day was not far off when the Catholic Church would have gained political power in Europe: this happened in 752, when the Frankish king Pepin the Short gave the pope a large area in the center of the Apennine Peninsula. Since then, the power of the 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, a 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 has 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 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 Aksumite kingdom.
The 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 before the onslaught of enemies. But times have changed: after the civil war and the founding of the empire, 500 years have passed, and Rome was conquered by the invading Germanic tribes, marking the fall of the western part of the empire. However, the Eastern Roman Empire, often referred to as Byzantium, continued to exist until 1453, when Constantinople fell under the pressure of the Turks.
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1. British Empire (42.75 million km²)Highest heyday - 1918
The British Empire is the largest ever existing state in the history of mankind with colonies on all inhabited continents. largest area empire reached in the mid-30s of the 20th century, then the lands of the United Kingdom extended to 34,650,407 km² (including 8 million km² of uninhabited land), which is about 22% of the earth's land. Total population The population of the empire was approximately 480 million people (about one-fourth of humanity). It is the legacy of Pax Britannica that explains the role of English as the most common language in the world in the fields of transport and trade.
2. Mongol Empire (38.0 million km²)
The highest flourishing - 1270-1368.
The Mongol Empire (Mong. Mongol ezent guren; Middle Mong. ᠶᠡᠺᠡ ᠮᠣᠨᠭᠣᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ, Yeke Mongγol ulus - the Great Mongol State, Mong. the largest contiguous territory in world history from the Danube to the Sea of Japan and from Novgorod to the South East Asia(area approx. 38,000,000 square kilometers). Karakorum became the capital of the state.
In its heyday it included vast territories of Central Asia, Southern Siberia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China and Tibet. In the second half of the 13th century, the empire began to disintegrate into uluses, headed by Genghisides. The largest fragments of Great Mongolia were the Yuan Empire, Ulus Jochi ( Golden Horde), the state of the Khulaguids and the Chagatai ulus. Great Khan Khubilai, who accepted (1271) the title of Emperor Yuan and moved the capital to Khanbalik, claimed supremacy over all the uluses. By the beginning of the XIV century, the formal unity of the empire was restored in the form of a federation of virtually independent states.
In the last quarter of the 14th century, the Mongol Empire ceased to exist.
3. Russian Empire (22.8 million km²)
Highest heyday - 1866
The Russian Empire (Russian doref. Russian Empire; also the All-Russian Empire, the Russian State or Russia) is a state that existed from October 22 (2) November 1721 until the February Revolution and the proclamation of the republic in 1917 by the Provisional Government.
The empire was proclaimed on October 22 (2) November 1721 following the results of the Northern War, when, at the request of the senators, the Russian Tsar Peter I the Great assumed the titles of Emperor of All Russia and Father of the Fatherland.
The capital of the Russian Empire from 1721 to 1728 and from 1730 to 1917 was St. Petersburg, and in 1728-1730 Moscow.
The Russian Empire was the third largest state that ever existed (after the British and Mongol empires) - it stretched to the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Black Sea in the south, to the Baltic Sea in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east. The head of the empire, the All-Russian Emperor, had unlimited, absolute power until 1905.
On September 1 (14), 1917, Alexander Kerensky proclaimed the country a republic (although this issue was within the competence of the Constituent Assembly; on January 5 (18), 1918, the Constituent Assembly also declared Russia a republic). However, the legislative body of the empire - the State Duma - was dissolved only on October 6 (19), 1917.
Geographical position of the Russian Empire: 35°38’17" - 77°36'40" northern latitude and 17°38'E - 169°44'W. The territory of the Russian Empire by the end of the 19th century - 21.8 million km² (that is, 1/6 of the land) - it ranked second (and third ever) in the world, after the British Empire. The article does not take into account the territory of Alaska, which was part of it from 1744 to 1867 and occupied an area of 1,717,854 km².
The regional reform of Peter I for the first time divides Russia into provinces, streamlining administration, supplying the army with food and recruits from the field, and improving tax collection. Initially, the country is divided into 8 provinces, headed by governors, endowed with judicial and administrative powers.
The provincial reform of Catherine II divides the empire into 50 provinces, divided into counties (about 500 in total). To help the governors, state and judicial chambers, other state and social institutions have been created. The governors were subordinate to the senate. At the head of the county is a police captain (elected by the county noble assembly).
By 1914, the empire is divided into 78 provinces, 21 regions and 2 independent districts, where 931 cities are located. Russia includes the following territories of modern states: all CIS countries (excluding the Kaliningrad region and the southern part of the Sakhalin region of the Russian Federation; Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi regions of Ukraine); eastern and central Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania (without the Memel region), several Turkish and Chinese regions. Part of the provinces and regions was united into a general government (Kiev, Caucasian, Siberian, Turkestan, East Siberian, Amur, Moscow). The Bukhara and Khiva khanates were official vassals, the Uryankhai region is a protectorate. For 123 years (from 1744 to 1867), Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, as well as part of the Pacific coast of the USA and Canada, also belonged to the Russian Empire.
According to the 1897 general census, the population was 129.2 million people. The distribution of the population by territories was as follows: European Russia - 94,244.1 thousand people, Poland - 9456.1 thousand people, Caucasus - 9354.8 thousand people, Siberia - 5784.5 thousand people, Middle Asia - 7747.1 thousand people, Finland - 2555.5 thousand people.
4. Soviet Union (22.4 million km²)
Highest heyday - 1945-1990
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also the USSR, the Soviet Union is a state that existed from 1922 to 1991 on the territory of Eastern Europe, Northern, parts of Central and East Asia. The USSR occupied almost 1/6 of the inhabited land of the Earth; At the time of its collapse, it was the largest country in the world by area. It was formed on the territory that by 1917 was occupied by the Russian Empire without Finland, part of the Polish kingdom and some other territories.
According to the Constitution of 1977, the USSR was proclaimed a single allied multinational socialist state.
After World War II, the USSR had land borders with Afghanistan, Hungary, Iran, China, North Korea (since September 9, 1948), Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Finland, Czechoslovakia and sea borders with the USA, Sweden and Japan.
The USSR was created on December 30, 1922 by merging the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and the Transcaucasian SFSR into one state association with a uniform government, capital in Moscow, executive and judicial authorities, legislative and legal systems. In 1941, the USSR entered the Second world war, and after it, along with the United States, was a superpower. The Soviet Union dominated the world socialist system and was also a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The collapse of the USSR was characterized by a sharp confrontation between representatives of the central union authorities and the newly elected local authorities (Supreme Councils, presidents of the union republics). In 1989-1990, a "parade of sovereignties" began. On March 17, 1991, an All-Union referendum on the preservation of the USSR was held in 9 of the 15 republics of the USSR, in which more than two-thirds of the citizens who voted voted for the preservation of the renewed union. But after the August Putsch and the events that followed it, the preservation of the USSR as a state entity became virtually impossible, which was stated in the Agreement on the Creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, signed on December 8, 1991. The USSR officially ceased to exist on December 26, 1991. At the end of 1991 the Russian Federation was recognized as the successor state of the USSR in international legal relations and took its place in the UN Security Council.
5. Spanish Empire (20.0 million km²)
The highest flowering - 1790
The Spanish Empire (Spanish: Imperio Español) is the totality of territories and colonies that were under the direct control of Spain in Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Spanish Empire, at the height of its power, was one of the largest empires in world history. Its creation is associated with the beginning of the Age of Discovery, during which it became one of the first colonial empires. The Spanish Empire existed from the 15th century until (in the case of African possessions) the end of the 20th century. The Spanish territories united in the late 1480s with the union of the Catholic kings: the King of Aragon and the Queen of Castile. Despite the fact that the monarchs continued to rule their own lands, their foreign policy was common. In 1492 they captured Granada and completed the Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula against the Moors. The entry of Granada into the Kingdom of Castile completed the unification of the Spanish lands, despite the fact that Spain was still divided into two kingdoms. In the same year, Christopher Columbus made the first Spanish exploratory expedition to the west across the Atlantic Ocean, opening up to Europeans New World and created there the first overseas colonies of Spain. From that moment on, the Western Hemisphere became the main target of Spanish exploration and colonization.
In the 16th century, the Spaniards created settlements on the islands of the Caribbean, and the conquistadors destroyed such state formations as the Aztec and Inca empires on the mainland, respectively, of North and South America, taking advantage of the contradictions between the local peoples and applying higher military technologies. Subsequent expeditions expanded the empire from present-day Canada to the southern tip of South America, including the Falkland or Malvinas Islands. In 1519 the First trip around the world, begun by Ferdinand Magellan in 1519 and completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522, aimed to achieve what Columbus had failed to achieve, namely the western route to Asia, and as a result included the Far East in the Spanish sphere of influence. Colonies were established in Guam, the Philippines, and nearby islands. During its Siglo de Oro, the Spanish Empire included the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, a significant part of Italy, lands in Germany and France, colonies in Africa, Asia and Oceania, as well as large territories in Northern and South America. In the 17th century, Spain controlled an empire of such magnitude, and its parts were so far removed from each other, which no one could achieve before.
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, expeditions were undertaken to search for Terra Australis, during which a number of archipelagos and islands in the South Pacific were discovered, including the Pitcairn Islands, the Marquesas Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, which were declared the property of the Spanish crown, but were not successfully colonized by it. Many of Spain's European possessions were lost after the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, but Spain retained its overseas territories. In 1741, an important victory over Britain at Cartagena (modern Colombia) extended Spanish hegemony in the Americas into the 19th century. In the late 18th century, Spanish expeditions in the Pacific Northwest reached the coasts of Canada and Alaska, establishing a settlement on Vancouver Island and discovering several archipelagos and glaciers.
The French occupation of Spain by the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808 led to the fact that the colonies of Spain became cut off from the metropolis, and the subsequent independence movement in 1810-1825 led to the creation of a number of new independent Spanish-American republics in South and Central America. The remnants of the Spanish four-hundred-year-old empire, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Spanish East Indies, continued to be under Spanish control until the end of the 19th century, when most of these territories were annexed by the United States after the Spanish-American War. The remaining Pacific islands were sold to Germany in 1899.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Spain continued to hold only territories in Africa, Spanish Guinea, Spanish Sahara and Spanish Morocco. Spain left Morocco in 1956 and granted independence to Equatorial Guinea in 1968. When Spain left the Spanish Sahara in 1976, this colony was immediately annexed by Morocco and Mauritania, and then in 1980 completely by Morocco, although technically by UN decision this territory remains under control of the Spanish administration. To date, Spain has only the Canary Islands and two enclaves on the North African coast, Ceuta and Melilla, which are administratively parts of Spain.
6. Qing Dynasty (14.7 million km²)
The highest flowering - 1790
The Great Qing State (Daicing gurun.svg daiqing gurun, traditional Chinese 大清國, pall.: Da Qing guo) was a multinational empire created and ruled by the Manchus, which later included China. According to traditional Chinese historiography - last dynasty monarchical China. It was founded in 1616 by the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan in Manchuria, now called northeast China. In less than 30 years, all of China, part of Mongolia and part of Central Asia came under her rule.
Initially, the dynasty was called "Jin" (金 - gold), in traditional Chinese historiography "Hou Jin" (後金 - Later Jin), after the Jin Empire - the former state of the Jurchens, from whom the Manchus derived themselves. In 1636, the name was changed to "Qing" (清 - "pure"). In the first half of the XVIII century. The Qing government managed to establish an effective administration of the country, one of the results of which was that in this century the fastest population growth rates were observed in China. The Qing court pursued a policy of self-isolation, which eventually led to the fact that in the 19th century. China, which was part of the Qing Empire, was forcibly opened by the Western powers.
Subsequent cooperation with Western powers allowed the dynasty to avoid collapse during the Taiping Rebellion, to carry out relatively successful modernization, and so on. to exist until the beginning of the 20th century, but it also caused growing nationalist (anti-Manchurian) sentiments.
As a result of the Xinhai Revolution, which began in 1911, the Qing Empire was destroyed, the Republic of China was proclaimed - the national state of the Han. Empress Dowager Longyu abdicated on behalf of the then infant last emperor, Pu Yi, on February 12, 1912.
7. Russian kingdom(14.5 million km²)
The highest flowering - 1721
The Russian kingdom or in the Byzantine version the Russian kingdom is a Russian state that existed between 1547 and 1721. The name "Russian kingdom" was the official name of Russia in this historical period. Also official was the name рꙋсїѧ
In 1547 the sovereign of all Russia and Grand Duke Ivan IV the Terrible of Moscow was crowned tsar and assumed the full title: “Great Sovereign, by God’s Grace Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia, Vladimir, Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Ryazan, Tver, Yugra, Perm, Vyattsky, Bulgarian and others”, subsequently, with the expansion of the borders of the Russian state, the title was added "Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Siberia", "and the ruler of all the Northern countries."
By title, the Russian kingdom was preceded by the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and the Russian Empire became its successor. In historiography, there is also a tradition of periodization of Russian history, according to which it is customary to talk about the emergence of a single and independent centralized Russian state during the reign of Ivan III the Great. The idea of uniting Russian lands (including those that ended up after Mongol invasion as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland) and the restoration Old Russian state traced throughout the existence of the Russian state and was inherited by the Russian Empire.
8. Yuan Dynasty (14.0 million km²)
The highest flourishing - 1310
Empire (in Chinese tradition - dynasty) Yuan (Ih Yuan Uls.PNG Mong. Ih Yuan Uls, Great Yuan State, Dai Ön Yeke Mongghul Ulus.PNG Dai Ön Yeke Mongghul Ulus; Chinese 元朝, pinyin: Yuáncháo; Vietnam. Nhà Nguyên (Nguyên triều), House (Dynasty) Nguyen) is a Mongolian state, the main part of whose territory was China (1271-1368). Founded by the grandson of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Khan Kublai Khan, who completed the conquest of China in 1279. The dynasty fell as a result of the Red Turban Rebellion of 1351-68. The official Chinese history of this dynasty is recorded during the subsequent Ming Dynasty and is called "Yuan shi".
9. Umayyad Caliphate (13.0 million km²)
The highest flourishing - 720-750.
The Umayyads (Arabic الأمويون) or Banu Umayya (Arabic بنو أمية) is a dynasty of caliphs founded by Muawiyah in 661. The Umayyads of the Sufyanid and Marwanid branches ruled in the Damascus Caliphate until the middle of the VIII century. In 750, as a result of the uprising of Abu Muslim, their dynasty was overthrown by the Abbasids, and all the Umayyads were destroyed, except for the grandson of Caliph Hisham Abd al-Rahman, who founded the dynasty in Spain (Caliphate of Cordoba). The ancestor of the dynasty was Omayya ibn Abdshams son of Abdshams ibn Abdmanaf and cousin Abdulmuttalib. Abdshams and Hashim were twin brothers.
10. Second French colonial empire (13.0 million km²)
Highest heyday - 1938
Evolution of the French colonial empire(the year is indicated in the upper left corner):
The French colonial empire (fr. L'Empire colonial français) is the totality of France's colonial possessions between 1546-1962. Like the British Empire, France had colonial territories in all regions of the world, but its colonial policy differed significantly from that of the British. The remnants of the once vast colonial empire are the modern overseas departments of France (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, etc.) and a special sui generis territory (the island of New Caledonia). The modern legacy of the French colonial era is also the union of Francophone countries (La Francophonie).
The word "empire" Lately everyone has heard it, it has even become fashionable. On it lies a reflection of former grandeur and luxury. What is an empire?
Is it promising?
Dictionaries and encyclopedias offer the basic meaning of the word "empire" (from the Latin word "imperium" - power), the meaning of which, if you do not go into boring details and do not resort to dry scientific vocabulary, is as follows. Firstly, an empire is a monarchy headed by an emperor or empress (Roman However, in order for a state to become an empire, it is not enough for its ruler to simply call himself an emperor. The existence of an empire presupposes the existence of sufficiently vast controlled territories and peoples, a strong centralized power or totalitarian) And if tomorrow Prince Hans-Adam II calls himself emperor, this will not change the essence of state structure Liechtenstein (whose population is less than forty thousand people), and it will not be possible to say that this small principality is an empire (as a form of state).
Not less important
Secondly, countries that have impressive colonial possessions are often called empires. In this case, the presence of the emperor is not necessary at all. For example, the English kings were never called emperors, but for almost five centuries they headed the British Empire, which included not only Great Britain, but also big number colonies and dominions. The great empires of the world forever imprinted their names in the tablets of history, but where did they end up?
Roman Empire (27 BC - 476)
Formally, the first emperor in the history of civilization is Gaius Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC), who had previously been a consul, and then declared a dictator for life. Realizing the need for serious reforms, Caesar passed laws that changed political system ancient rome. The role of the National Assembly was lost, the Senate was replenished with supporters of Caesar, which granted Caesar the title of emperor with the right to transfer to his descendants. Caesar began to mint gold coins with his own image. His desire for unlimited power led to a conspiracy of senators (44 BC), organized by Mark Brutus and Gaius Cassius. In fact, the first emperor was Caesar's nephew - Octavian Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD). The title of emperor in those days denoted the supreme military leader who won significant victories. Formally, it still existed, and Augustus himself was called princeps (“first among equals”), but it was under Octavian that the republic acquired the features of a monarchy similar to eastern despotic states. In 284, Emperor Diocletian (245 - 313) initiated reforms that finally turned the former Roman Republic into an empire. From that time on, the emperor began to be called dominus - master. In 395, the state was divided into two parts - Eastern (capital - Constantinople) and Western (capital - Rome) - each of which was headed by its own emperor. Such was the will of Emperor Theodosius, who on the eve of his death divided the state between his sons. In the last period of its existence, the Western Empire was subjected to constant barbarian invasions, and in 476, the once powerful state will be finally defeated by the barbarian commander Odoacer (circa 431 - 496), who will rule only Italy, renouncing both the title of emperor and others. dominions of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome, great empires will rise one after another.
Byzantine Empire (IV - XV centuries)
It originates from the Eastern Roman Empire. When Odoacer overthrew the latter, he took from him the dignity of power and sent them to Constantinople. There is only one Sun on earth, and the emperor must also be alone - approximately the same importance was attached to this act. The Byzantine Empire was located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, its borders stretched from the Euphrates to the Danube. Christianity, which in 381 became the state religion of the entire Roman Empire, played a major role in the strengthening of Byzantium. The Fathers of the Church asserted that thanks to faith, not only a person is saved, but society itself. Consequently, Byzantium is under the protection of the Lord and is obliged to lead other peoples to salvation. Secular and spiritual power must be united in the name of a common goal. The Byzantine Empire is the state in which the idea of imperial power found its most mature form. God is the ruler of the entire Universe, and the emperor dominates the kingdom of the Earth. Therefore, the power of the emperor is protected by God and is sacred. The Byzantine emperor had practically unlimited power, he determined domestic and foreign policy, was the commander-in-chief of the army, the supreme judge and at the same time the legislator. The emperor of Byzantium is not only the head of state, but also the head of the Church, so he had to be an example of exemplary Christian piety. It is curious that the power of the emperor here was not hereditary from a legal point of view. The history of Byzantium knows examples when a person became its emperor not because of a crowned birth, but as a result of his real merits.
Ottoman (Ottoman) Empire (1299 - 1922)
Historians usually count its existence from 1299, when the Ottoman state arose in the north-west of Anatolia, founded by its first sultan Osman, the founder of a new dynasty. Soon, Osman will conquer the entire west of Asia Minor, which will become a powerful platform for the further expansion of the Turkic tribes. We can say that the Ottoman Empire is Turkey during the period of the Sultanate. But strictly speaking, the empire was formed here only in the XV - XVI centuries, when the Turkish conquests in Europe, Asia and Africa became very significant. Its heyday coincided with the collapse of the Byzantine Empire. This, of course, is not accidental: if it has decreased somewhere, then it will certainly increase elsewhere, as the law of conservation of energy and power on the Eurasian continent says. In the spring of 1453, as a result of a long siege and bloody battles, the troops of the Ottoman Turks, led by Sultan Mehmed II, occupied Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium. This victory will lead to the fact that the Turks will secure a dominant position in the eastern Mediterranean on long years. Constantinople (Istanbul) will become the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire reached its highest point of influence and prosperity in the 16th century, during the reign of Suleiman I the Magnificent. By the beginning of the 17th century, the Ottoman state would become one of the most powerful in the world. The empire controlled almost all of Southeastern Europe, North Africa and Western Asia, it consisted of 32 provinces and many subordinate states. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire will occur as a result of the First World War. As allies of Germany, the Turks would be defeated, the sultanate would be abolished in 1922, and Turkey would become a republic in 1923.
British Empire (1497 - 1949)
The British Empire is the largest colonial state in the entire history of civilization. In the 30s of the twentieth century, the territory of the United Kingdom accounted for almost a quarter of the earth's land, and its population - a fourth of those living on the planet (it is no coincidence that English language became the most authoritative language in the world). The European conquests of England began with the invasion of Ireland, and the intercontinental ones began with the capture of Newfoundland (1583), which became a springboard for expansion in North America. The success of British colonization was facilitated by the successful imperialist war that England waged with Spain, France, and Holland. At the very beginning of the 17th century, the penetration of Britain into India will begin, later England will take up Australia and New Zealand, North, Tropical and South Africa.
Britain and the colonies
After the First World War, the League of Nations will give the United Kingdom a mandate to govern certain former colonies Ottoman and (including - Iran and Palestine). However, the results of the Second World War significantly shifted the emphasis on the colonial issue. Britain, although it was among the winners, had to take a huge loan from the United States to avoid bankruptcy. The USSR and the USA - the largest players in the political arena - were opponents of colonization. In the meantime, liberation sentiments intensified in the colonies. In this situation, it was too difficult and expensive to maintain their colonial domination. Unlike Portugal and France, England did not do this and transferred power to local governments. To date, the UK continues to maintain dominance over 14 territories.
Russian Empire (1721 - 1917)
After the end of the Northern War, when new lands and access to the Baltic were secured, Tsar Peter I took the title of Emperor of All Russia at the request of the Senate - supreme body state authority established ten years earlier. In terms of its area, the Russian Empire became the third (after the British and Mongolian empires) of the ever existing state formations. Before the advent State Duma in 1905, the power of the Russian emperor was not limited by anything, except for Orthodox norms. Peter I, who strengthened in the country, divided Russia into eight provinces. During the time of Catherine II, there were 50 of them, and by 1917, as a result of territorial expansion, their number increased to 78. Russia is an empire, which included a number of modern sovereign states (Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, Transcaucasia and Central Asia). As a result of the February Revolution of 1917, the rule of the Romanov dynasty of Russian emperors ceased, and in September of the same year, Russia was proclaimed a republic.
Centrifugal tendencies are to blame
As you can see, all the great empires collapsed. The centripetal forces that create them sooner or later are replaced by centrifugal tendencies that lead these states, if not to complete collapse, then to disintegration.
The abstracts were prepared based on the materials of the German magazine "Illustrierte Wissenschaft".
From the school history course, we know about the emergence of the first states on earth with their peculiar way of life, culture and art. The distant and in many ways mysterious life of the people of past times excited and awakened the imagination. And, probably, for many it would be interesting to see maps of the greatest empires of antiquity, placed side by side. Such a comparison makes it possible to feel the size of the once gigantic state formations and the place they occupy on Earth and in the history of mankind.
Egypt. Largest sizes empire reached in 1450 BC. e.
Greece. Dark on the map marked the land where the Greek culture flourished.
Persia. The territory of the empire in 500 BC. e.
India. The territory of the country reached its largest size in 250 BC. e.
China occupied such territory in 221 BC. e.
The Roman Empire at its peak - the beginning of the 2nd century AD.
Byzantium in its heyday - VI century.
Arab Caliphate. It reached its largest size in 632 AD. e. A118 years later, the area of the Caliphate was significantly reduced (dark shading).
The state is an ancient social formation and means the territory occupied by a settled population, subject to the same authority. Ancient thinkers already thought about the essence of the state structure. For example, the Greek philosopher Aristotle saw in the state the ultimate natural form of community life, important for a person who by his nature is a "political being". Moreover, he considered the state "the environment of a completely happy life."
In the Middle Ages and at a later time, contractual principles between a person and the supreme power began to be invested in the concept of "state". In the state of nature, a person lacks not rights, according to the 17th century English thinkers John Milton and John Locke, but their provision, which he finds in a state approved by contract for this very purpose.
A true son of the Age of Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau saw the meaning of the formation of the state in observing the interests of each of its citizens. It is necessary for people to "find a form of union that would protect and secure the personality and property of each member of society, so that each, uniting with others, would obey only himself and remain as free as before." "Freedom is not alienable" - the main position of Rousseau.
Even 8-9 thousand years ago, people began to move to a settled way of life. Agriculture and the first domestic animals appeared. The so-called Neolithic revolution took place, which brought people to new conditions of life. Agriculture could already provide a person with sufficient food, so hunting and gathering receded into the background. There was a division of labor between members of the same group, led by the leaders who ruled over the communities of people. Over time, there was a need for public buildings, and the construction of palaces, temples, fortresses began. Writing and the beginnings of arithmetic, astronomy and medicine arose.
Rivers played a huge role in the formation of early civilizations. The river is not only a waterway, but also a stable crop, it is no coincidence that it was in those distant times that people began to build canals and dams. But since the scattered tribes could not afford large reclamation buildings, groups of farmers united. The first state formations arose in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and the Euphrates, where a flourishing culture developed.
Modern archaeologists and historians identify several conditions that give the right to call the ancient communities of people a state. The first of them is at least five thousand people worshiping the same gods. The government is equipped with an apparatus of officials, and writing is indispensable, existing in any form. Large buildings - palaces and temples - are also a mandatory attribute of statehood. The population is divided according to specialties so that everyone can no longer do everything for himself and his family. So, along with priests and soldiers, artists, philosophers, builders, blacksmiths, weavers, potters, reapers, merchants, and so on appeared.
The ancient empires that played their part in the history of mankind had all of these conditions. But in addition, they were characterized by long-term political stability and well-established communications to the most remote outskirts, without which it is impossible to manage vast territories. All great empires had large armies: the passion for conquest was almost manic. And the rulers of such states sometimes achieved impressive success, subjugating vast lands on which gigantic empires arose. But time passed, and the giant left the stage of history.
First empire
Egypt. 3000-30 BC
This empire lasted three millennia - longer than any other. The state arose, according to the latest data, more than 3000 years BC, and when the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt (2686-2181) took place, the so-called Old Kingdom was formed. The whole life of the country was connected with the Nile River, with its fertile valley and delta near the Mediterranean Sea. The pharaoh ruled Egypt (the word means a food warehouse), governors and officials sat on the ground, and in general public life in the country was quite developed (see "Science and Life" No. 1, 1997 - "The Stone Age has not yet ended" - and No. 5, 1997 - "Ancient Egypt. Pyramid of power"). The elite of society included officers, scribes, land surveyors and local priests. The pharaoh was considered a living deity, and he performed all the most important sacrifices himself.
The Egyptians fanatically believed in the afterlife, cultural objects and majestic buildings - pyramids and temples - were dedicated to it. The walls of the burial chambers, covered with hieroglyphs, told more about the life of the ancient state than other archaeological finds.
The history of Egypt is divided into two periods. The first - from its foundation to 332 BC, when Alexander the Great conquered the country. And the second period - the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty - the descendants of one of the commanders of Alexander the Great. In 30 BC, Egypt was conquered by a younger and more powerful empire - the Roman Empire.
Cradle of Western culture
Greece. 700-146 BC
The southern part of the Balkan Peninsula was inhabited by people tens of thousands of years ago. But only from the 7th century BC, one can speak of Greece as a large, culturally homogeneous entity, albeit with reservations: the country was an alliance of city-states that united at the time of an external threat, such as to repel Persian aggression.
Culture, religion and, above all, language were the framework within which the history of this country proceeded. In 510 BC, most of the cities were freed from the autocracy of the kings. Athens soon became a democracy, but only male citizens had the right to vote.
The state structure, culture and science of Greece became a model and an inexhaustible source of wisdom for almost all the later states of Europe. Already the Greek scientists were wondering about life and the universe. It was in Greece that the foundations of such sciences as medicine, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy were laid. Greek culture stopped its development when the Romans took over the country. The decisive battle took place in 146 BC near the city of Corinth, when the troops of the Greek Achaean Union were defeated.
Dominion of the "King of Kings"
Persia. 600-331 BC
In the 7th century BC, the nomadic tribes of the Iranian Highlands revolted against Assyrian rule. The victors founded the state of Media, which later, together with Babylonia and other neighboring countries, turned into a world power. By the end of the 6th century BC, she, led by Cyrus II, and then his successors, who belonged to the Achaemenid dynasty, continued to conquer. In the west, the lands of the empire went to the Aegean Sea, in the east its border passed along the Indus River, in the south, in Africa, the possessions reached the first rapids of the Nile. (Most of Greece was occupied during the Greco-Persian War by the troops of the Persian king Xerxes in 480 BC.)
The monarch was called the "King of Kings", he stood at the head of the army and was the supreme judge. The possessions were divided into 20 satrapies, where the king's viceroy ruled in his name. The subjects spoke four languages: Old Persian, Babylonian, Elamite and Aramaic.
In 331 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the hordes of Darius II, the last of the Achaemenid dynasty. Thus ended the history of this great empire.
Peace and love - for all
India. 322-185 BC
Traditions devoted to the history of India and its rulers are very fragmentary. Few information refers to the time when the founder of the religious doctrine of Buddha (566-486 BC), the first real person in the history of India, lived.
In the first half of the 1st millennium BC, many small states arose in the northeastern part of India. One of them - Magadha - rose thanks to successful wars of conquest. King Ashoka, who belonged to the Maurya dynasty, expanded his possessions so much that they already occupied almost all of present-day India, Pakistan and part of Afghanistan. The officials of the administration and a strong army obeyed the king. At first, Ashoka was known as a cruel commander, but, becoming a follower of the Buddha, he preached peace, love and tolerance and received the nickname "Converted". This king built hospitals, fought against deforestation, and pursued a soft policy towards his people. His decrees that have come down to us, carved on rocks, columns, are the oldest, accurately dated epigraphic monuments of India, telling about government, social relations, religion and culture.
Even before his rise, Ashoka divided the population into four castes. The first two were privileged - priests and warriors. The invasion of the Bactrian Greeks and internal strife in the country led the empire to collapse.
The beginning of more than two thousand years of history
China. 221-210 BC
During the period called in the history of China Zhanyu, many years of struggle waged by many small kingdoms brought victory to the Qin kingdom. It united the conquered lands and in 221 BC formed the first Chinese empire headed by Qin Shi Huangdi. The emperor carried out reforms that strengthened the young state. The country was divided into districts, military garrisons were established to maintain order and tranquility, a network of roads and canals was being built, the same education was introduced for officials, and a single monetary system operated throughout the kingdom. The monarch approved the order in which people were obliged to work where the interests and needs of the state required it. Even such a curious law was introduced: all wagons must have an equal distance between the wheels so that they move along the same tracks. In the same reign, the Great Wall of China was created: it connected separate sections of defensive structures built earlier by the northern kingdoms.
In 210, Qing Shi Huangdi died. But subsequent dynasties left intact the foundations of empire building laid by its founder. In any case, the last dynasty of emperors of China ceased to exist at the beginning of our century, and the borders of the state remain practically unchanged to this day.
An army that maintains order
Rome. 509 BC - 330 AD
In 509 BC, the Romans expelled the Etruscan king Tarquinius the Proud from Rome. Rome became a republic. By 264 BC, her troops captured the entire Apennine Peninsula. After that, expansion began in all directions of the world, and by 117 AD, the state stretched its borders from west to east - from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea, and from south to north - from the rapids of the Nile and the coast of all of North Africa to the borders with Scotland and along the lower Danube.
For 500 years, Rome was ruled by two annually elected consuls and a senate in charge of state property and finances, foreign policy, military affairs and religion.
In 30 BC, Rome becomes an empire headed by Caesar, and in essence - a monarch. The first Caesar was Augustus. A large and well-trained army participated in the construction of a huge network of roads, their total length is more than 80,000 kilometers. Excellent roads made the army very mobile and made it possible to quickly reach the most remote corners of the empire. The proconsuls appointed by Rome in the provinces - governors and officials loyal to Caesar - also helped to keep the country from disintegration. This was facilitated by the settlements of soldiers who served in the service, located in the conquered lands.
The Roman state, unlike many other giants of the past, fully met the concept of "empire". It also became a model for future contenders for world domination. European countries have inherited a lot from the culture of Rome, as well as the principles of building parliaments and political parties.
The uprisings of peasants, slaves and the urban plebs, the ever-increasing pressure of the Germanic and other barbarian tribes from the north forced Emperor Constantine I to move the capital of the state to the city of Byzantium, later called Constantinople. This happened in 330 AD. After Constantine, the Roman Empire was actually divided into two - Western and Eastern, which were ruled by two emperors.
Christianity - the stronghold of the empire
Byzantium. 330-1453 AD
Byzantium arose from the eastern remnants of the Roman Empire. The capital was Constantinople, founded by Emperor Constantine I in 324-330 on the site of the colony of Byzantium (hence the name of the state). From that moment began the isolation of Byzantium in the depths of the Roman Empire. An important role in the life of this state was played by the Christian religion, which became the ideological foundation of the empire and the stronghold of Orthodoxy.
Byzantium existed for over a thousand years. It reached its political and military power during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, in the 6th century AD. It was then that, having a strong army, Byzantium conquered the western and southern lands of the former Roman Empire. But within these limits, the empire did not last long. In 1204, Constantinople fell under the blows of the Crusaders, which never rose again, and in 1453 the Ottoman Turks captured the capital of Byzantium.
in the name of Allah
Arab Caliphate. 600-1258 AD
The sermons of the Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation for the religious and political movement in Western Arabia. Called "Islam", it contributed to the creation of a centralized state in Arabia. However, soon as a result of successful conquests, a vast Muslim empire, the Caliphate, was born. The presented map shows the greatest extent of the conquests of the Arabs, who fought under the green banner of Islam. In the East, the Caliphate included the western part of India. The Arab world has left indelible marks in the history of mankind, in literature, mathematics and astronomy.
From the beginning of the 9th century, the Caliphate gradually began to fall apart - the weakness of economic ties, the vastness of the territories subordinated to the Arabs, which had their own culture and traditions, did not contribute to unity. In 1258, the Mongols conquered Baghdad, and the Caliphate broke up into several Arab states.