The very first empire. Great empires

The British Empire (English British Empire) - the largest ever existing state in the history of mankind with colonies on all inhabited continents. The empire reached its largest area in the mid-30s of the XX century, then the lands of the United Kingdom extended over 34,650,407 km² (including 8 million km² of uninhabited land), which is about 22% of the earth's land mass. The total population of the empire was approximately 480 million people (approximately one fourth of humanity). It is the legacy of Pax Britannica that explains the role of English as the most widely spoken language in the world in the fields of transport and commerce.

2. Mongol Empire (38.0 million km²)
The highest flowering - 1270-1368.

The Mongol Empire (Mongolian Mongolian ezent geren; middle Mong. ᠶᠡᠺᠡ ᠮᠣᠨᠭᠣᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ, Yeke Mongγol ulus - the Great Mongol state, Mongolian Mongol ulus) is a state that emerged in the XIII century as a result of the conquests of Chinggis Khan and his successors and included the very the largest in world history adjacent territory from the Danube to the Sea of ​​Japan and from Novgorod to Southeast Asia (an area of ​​about 38,000,000 square kilometers). Karakorum became the capital of the state.

During 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 the Chingizids. The largest fragments of Great Mongolia were the Yuan Empire, the Jochi Ulus (Golden Horde), the Hulaguid state and the Chagatai ulus. The Great Khan Khubilai, who (1271) accepted the title of Emperor Yuan and moved the capital to Khanbalik, claimed supremacy over all 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 XIV century, the Mongol Empire ceased to exist.

3. Russian Empire (22.8 million km²)
Highest flowering - 1866

The Russian Empire (Russian pre-ref. 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 accepted 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 Mongolian 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 emperor of all Russia, 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.

The geographical position of the Russian Empire: 35 ° 38'17 "- 77 ° 36'40" north latitude and 17 ° 38 "east longitude - 169 ° 44" west longitude. 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 management, supplying the army with provisions and recruits from the localities, 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). State and judicial chambers, other state and social institutions have been created to help the governors. 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 was 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-Frankovsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi regions of Ukraine); eastern and central Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania (excluding the Memel region), several Turkish and Chinese regions. Some of the provinces and regions were united into the general governorship (Kiev, Caucasian, Siberian, Turkestan, East Siberian, Amur, Moscow). The Bukhara and Khiva khanates were official vassals, the Uryankhai region is under a protectorate. For 123 years (from 1744 to 1867), the Russian Empire also owned Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, as well as part of the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada.

According to the general census of 1897, the population was 129.2 million. The distribution of the population by territories was as follows: European Russia - 94,244.1 thousand people, Poland - 9456.1 thousand people, the Caucasus - 9354.8 thousand people, Siberia - 5784.5 thousand people, Average Asia - 7747.1 thousand people, Finland - 2555.5 thousand people.

4. Soviet Union (22.4 million km²)
The highest flowering - 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, part of Central and Eastern Asia. The USSR occupied almost 1/6 of the Earth's inhabited land area; at the time of the collapse, it was the largest country in the world in terms of 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 1977 Constitution, the USSR was proclaimed as a single union 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 uniting the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and the Transcaucasian SFSR into one state association with a uniform government, the capital in Moscow, executive and judicial authorities, legislative and legal systems. In 1941, the USSR entered World War II, 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 government and the newly elected local authorities (Supreme Soviets, presidents of the union republics). In 1989-1990, the "parade of sovereignties" began. On March 17, 1991, an All-Union referendum on the preservation of the USSR was held in 9 out of 15 republics of the USSR, in which more than two-thirds of the citizens who voted spoke in favor of preserving 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, as stated in the Agreement on the establishment 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) - a set 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 era of the great geographical discoveries, 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 a union of Catholic kings: King of Aragon and Queen of Castile. Despite the fact that the monarchs continued to rule each of their 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 carried out the first Spanish exploration expedition westward across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the New World to Europeans and creating the first overseas colonies of Spain there. 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 Sea, and the conquistadors destroyed such states as the empires of the Aztecs and Incas on the mainland, respectively, of the Americas, taking advantage of the contradictions between 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 Islands or the Malvinas Islands. In 1519, the First Round the World Journey began, which began by Fernand Magellan in 1519 and completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522, with the aim of achieving what Columbus had failed, namely the western route to Asia, and as a result included the Far East in Spain's 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 the Americas. In the 17th century, Spain controlled an empire of this magnitude, and its parts were so far removed from each other that no one had been able to achieve before.

In the late 16th - early 17th centuries, expeditions were undertaken in search of 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 Spanish Succession in 1713, but Spain retained its overseas territories. In 1741, an important victory over Great Britain at Cartagena (present-day Colombia) extended Spanish hegemony in America into the 19th century. In the late 18th century, Spanish expeditions in the northwestern Pacific 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 movement for independence in 1810-1825 led to the creation of a number of new independent Spanish-American republics in South and Central America. Remnants of the Spanish, 400-year-old empire, including Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Spanish East Indies, remained under Spanish control until the late 19th century, when most of these territories were annexed by the United States following the Spanish-American War. The remaining Pacific Islands were sold to Germany in 1899.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Spain still 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 Morocco, although technically, by the decision of the UN, this territory remains under control of the Spanish administration. Today, 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 daqing gurun, Chinese trad. 大 清 國, pall .: Da Qing Guo) is a multinational empire created and ruled by the Manchus, which later included China. According to traditional Chinese historiography - the last dynasty of monarchical China. It was founded in 1616 by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro in the territory of Manchuria, now called northeastern China. Less than 30 years later, the whole of China, part of Mongolia and part of Central Asia came under its rule.

Initially, the dynasty was called "Jin" (金 - gold), in traditional Chinese historiography "Hou Jin" (後 金 - Late Jin), after the Jin empire - the former state of the Jurchen, from which the Manchus derived themselves. In 1636 the name was changed to "Qing" (清 - "pure"). In the first half of the 18th century. The Qing government managed to establish effective governance of the country, one of the results of which was that in this century, the fastest growing population was observed in China. The Qing court pursued a policy of self-isolation, which ultimately 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 the Western powers allowed the dynasty to avoid collapse during the Taiping uprising, to carry out relatively successful modernization, etc. existed until the beginning of the 20th century, but it also served as the reason for the 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 people. Empress Dowager Longyu abdicated the throne on behalf of the then-young 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. The name was also official.

In 1547, the sovereign of all Russia and the great prince of Moscow Ivan IV the Terrible was crowned tsar and took the full title: “Great sovereign, by God's grace, the king and grand duke of all Russia, Vladimir, Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Ryazan, Tver, Yugorsky, Perm, Vyattsky, Bulgarian and others ", later, with the expansion of the borders of the Russian state, to the title was added" Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Siberia "," and the sovereign of all 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 in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland after the Mongol invasion) and restoring the Old Russian state was traced throughout the entire existence of the Russian state and was inherited by the Russian Empire.

8. Yuan Dynasty (14.0 million km²)
The highest flowering - 1310

Empire (in the Chinese tradition - dynasty) Yuan (Their Yuan ul.PNG Mong. Their Yuan Uls, Great Yuan State, Dai Ön Yeke Mongghul Ulus.PNG Dai Ön Yeke Mongghul Ulus; Chinese simpl. 元朝, pinyin: Yuáncháo; Vietn. Nhà Nguyên (Nguyên triều), House (Dynasty) Nguyen) is a Mongol state, the main part of which was China (1271-1368). Founded by the grandson of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Khan Kublai, who completed the conquest of China in 1279. The dynasty fell as a result of the Red Armbands revolt in 1351-68. The official Chinese history of this dynasty was recorded during the subsequent Ming dynasty and is called "Yuan shi".

9. Umayyad Caliphate (13.0 million km²)
The highest flowering - 720-750 years.

The Umayyads (Arabic: الأمويون) or Banu Umayyah (Arabic: بنو أمية) were 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 8th 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 the caliph Hisham Abd al-Rahman, who founded the dynasty in Spain (the Kordovsky Caliphate). The ancestor of the dynasty was Omaya ibn Abdshams, the son of Abdshams ibn Abdmanaf and a cousin of Abdulmuttalib. Abdshams and Hashim were twin brothers.

10. Second French colonial empire (13.0 million km²)
Highest flowering - 1938

Evolution of the French Colonial Empire (year indicated in the upper left corner):

The French colonial empire (fr. L'Empire colonial français) - the totality of the colonial possessions of France in the period between 1546-1962. Like the British Empire, France had colonial territories in all regions of the world, but its colonial policy was significantly different from that of Britain. 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 the French-speaking countries (Francophonie).

Empire- when one person (monarch) has power over a huge territory inhabited by numerous peoples of different nationalities. This ranking is based on the influence, longevity and might of various empires. The list is compiled on the assumption that the empire should, most of the time, be under the control of the emperor or king, this excludes the modern so-called empires - 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 Southeast Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. It consisted of 29 provinces and numerous vassal states, some of which were later absorbed by 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 the four Islamic Caliphates (system of government) created after the death of Muhammad. The empire, under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty, covered over five million square kilometers, making it one of the largest in the world, as well as the largest Muslim Arab empire ever created in history.

Persian Empire (Achaemenids)

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 height 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. Constantinople was the permanent capital and civilization center of the Byzantine Empire. During its existence (more than a thousand years), the empire remained one of the most powerful economic, cultural and military forces in Europe despite the setbacks and loss of territories, especially during the Roman-Persian and Byzantine-Arab wars. The empire suffered a fatal blow in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade.

The period of the Han Dynasty is considered the golden age in the history of China in terms of scientific achievements, technological progress, economic, cultural and political stability. Even to this day, most Chinese people refer to themselves as Han people. Today, the Han people are considered the largest ethnic group in the world. The dynasty ruled China for nearly 400 years.

The British Empire covered over 13 million square kilometers, which is roughly about a quarter of our planet's land mass. The population of the empire was equal to approximately 480 million people (approximately one fourth of humanity). The British Empire is by far one of the most influential empires ever to exist 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 parts of western Poland. It was officially dissolved on August 6, 1806, after which Switzerland, Holland, the Austrian Empire, Belgium, the Prussian Empire, the principalities of Liechtenstein, the Rhine Union and the first French empire appeared.

The Russian Empire existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution in 1917. She was the heir to the kingdom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union. The Russian Empire was the third largest state that ever existed, second only to the British and Mongolian empires.

It all started when Temujin (later became known as Genghis Khan, who is considered one of the most brutal rulers in history), vowed in his youth to bring the whole world to its knees. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in human history. The city of Karakorum became the capital of the state. The Mongols were fearless and ruthless warriors, but they had little experience in managing such a vast territory, which caused the Mongol Empire to fall quickly.

Ancient Rome contributed greatly to the development of law, art, literature, architecture, technology, religion and language in the Western world. In fact, many historians regard the Roman Empire as the “ideal empire” because it was powerful, fair, long-lasting, large, well-defended and economically developed. The calculation showed that from its foundation to its fall, a whopping 2,214 years had passed. It follows from this that the Roman Empire is the greatest empire of the ancient world.

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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 people of past times excited and awakened imagination. And, probably, for many it would be interesting to see the 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 occupied on Earth and in the history of mankind.

The ancient empires were characterized by long-term political stability and well-established communications to the most remote outskirts, without which huge territories cannot be governed. All great empires had large armies: the passion for conquest was almost manic. And the rulers of such states at times achieved impressive successes, subjugating vast lands on which giant empires arose. But time passed, and the giant left the historical stage.

First empire

Egypt. 3000-30 BC

This empire lasted three millennia - longer than any other. The state arose over 3000 years BC. e., 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 by the Mediterranean Sea. Pharaoh ruled Egypt, governors and officials sat on the ground. Officers, scribes, land surveyors and local priests were ranked among the elite of society. Pharaoh was considered a living deity, and made all the most important sacrifices himself.

The Egyptians fanatically believed in the afterlife, cultural objects and magnificent buildings - pyramids and temples - were dedicated to it. The walls of the burial chambers interspersed with hieroglyphs told more about the life of the ancient state than other archaeological finds.

The history of Egypt falls into two periods. The first - from the foundation until 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 generals of Alexander the Great. In 30 BC, Egypt was conquered by a younger and more powerful empire - the Roman.

Cradle of Western Culture

Greece. 700-146 BC


People inhabited the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula tens of thousands of years ago. But only from the 7th century BC can we speak of Greece as a large, culturally homogeneous formation, albeit with reservations: the country was a union of city-states united at the time of an external threat, such as, for example, 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. Democracy soon began to rule in Athens, 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 Greek scientists asked themselves 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 developing when the Romans invaded 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, it, led by Cyrus II, and then by his successors, who belonged to the Achaemenid dynasty, continued their conquests. In the west, the empire's lands reached 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 "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 governor of the king 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 everyone

India. 322-185 BC

Traditions about the history of India and its rulers are very fragmentary. Few data refer to the time when the founder of the religious teachings Buddha lived (566-486 BC), the first real person in the history of India.

In the first half of the 1st millennium BC, many small states arose in the northeastern part of India. One of them - Magadha - has risen thanks to the successful wars of conquest. King Ashoka, who belonged to the Maurya dynasty, expanded his possessions so much that they already occupied almost all of today's India, Pakistan and part of Afghanistan. The tsar was obeyed by officials of the administration and a strong army. At first, Ashoka was known as a cruel commander, but after 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 in 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 soldiers. The invasion of the Bactrian Greeks and internal strife in the country led the empire to disintegration.

The beginning of more than two thousand years of history

China. 221-210 BC

During the period called Zhanyu in the history of China, the 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 led 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 built, the same education was introduced for officials, and a single monetary system operated throughout the kingdom. The monarch approved an order in which people were obliged to work where the interests and needs of the state required it. Even such an interesting law was introduced: all carts 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 the separate sections of defensive structures built earlier by the northern kingdoms.

In 210, Qing Shih-huangdi died. But subsequent dynasties left the foundations of empire building, laid by its founder, intact. 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 protects 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 North Africa to the borders with Scotland and along the lower course of the Danube.

For 500 years, Rome was ruled by two annually elected consuls and a senate in charge of state property and finance, foreign policy, military affairs and religion.

In 30 BC, Rome becomes an empire led 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 conquered lands.

The Roman state, unlike many other giants of the past, fully corresponded to the concept of "empire". It also became a model for future contenders for world domination. European countries inherited much from the culture of Rome, as well as the principles of building parliaments and political parties.

The uprisings of peasants, slaves and urban plebs, the ever-increasing pressure of the Germanic and other barbarian tribes from the north forced the 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 on, the isolation of Byzantium began in the bowels of the Roman Empire. The Christian religion, which became the ideological foundation of the empire and the stronghold of Orthodoxy, played an important role in the life of this state.

Byzantium has existed for over a thousand years. It achieved its political and military power during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, in the 6th century AD. It was then, with a strong army, that Byzantium conquered the western and southern lands of the former Roman Empire. But within these limits the empire did not last long. In 1204, under the blows of the crusaders, Constantinople fell, which never rose again, and in 1453 the capital of Byzantium was captured by the Ottoman Turks.

In the name of Allah

Arab Caliphate. 600-1258 AD

The sermons of the Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation for a religious and political movement in Western Arabia. Called "Islam", it contributed to the creation of a centralized state in Arabia. Soon, however, as a result of successful conquests, a vast Muslim empire, the Caliphate, was born. This map shows the largest scale of Arab conquests, who fought under the green banner of Islam. In the East, the western part of India was part of the Caliphate. The Arab world has left indelible traces 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 subordinate to the Arabs, which had their own culture and traditions, did not contribute to unity. In 1258, the Mongols conquered Baghdad and the Caliphate split into several Arab states.

The history of mankind is a continuous struggle for territorial domination. Great empires appeared on the political map of the world, then disappeared from it. Some of them were destined to leave an indelible mark after themselves.

Persian Empire (Achaemenid Empire, 550 - 330 BC)

Cyrus II is considered the creator of the Persian Empire. He began his conquests in 550 BC. NS. from the submission of Media, after which Armenia, Parthia, Cappadocia and the Lydian kingdom were conquered. Did not become an obstacle to the expansion of the empire of Cyrus and Babylon, whose powerful walls fell in 539 BC. NS.

Conquering neighboring territories, the Persians tried not to destroy the conquered cities, but, if possible, to preserve them. Cyrus restored captured Jerusalem, like many Phoenician cities, facilitating the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity.

The Persian Empire under Cyrus spread its possessions from Central Asia to the Aegean Sea. Only Egypt remained unconquered. The land of the pharaohs submitted to the heir of Cyrus Kambiz II. However, the empire reached its heyday under Darius I, who switched from conquests to domestic politics. In particular, the king divided the empire into 20 satrapies, which completely coincided with the territories of the captured states.
In 330 BC. NS. The weakening Persian Empire fell under the onslaught of the troops of Alexander the Great.

Roman Empire (27 BC - 476)

Ancient Rome was the first state in which the ruler received the title of emperor. Beginning with Octavian Augustus, the 500-year history of the Roman Empire had the most direct impact on European civilization, and also left a cultural mark in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.
The uniqueness of Ancient Rome is that it was the only state whose possession included the entire Mediterranean coast.

During the heyday of the Roman Empire, its territories stretched from the British Isles to the Persian Gulf. According to historians, by 117 AD the population of the empire reached 88 million people, which was approximately 25% of the total population of the planet.

Architecture, construction, art, law, economics, military affairs, the principles of the state structure of Ancient Rome - this is what the foundation of the entire European civilization is based on. It was in imperial Rome that Christianity assumed the status of a state religion and began to spread throughout the world.

Byzantine Empire (395 - 1453)

The Byzantine Empire has no equal in the duration of its history. Born at the end of antiquity, it lasted until the end of the European Middle Ages. For more than a thousand years, Byzantium was a kind of connecting link between the civilizations of the East and West, influencing both the states of Europe and Asia Minor.

But if the Western European and Middle Eastern countries inherited the richest material culture of Byzantium, then the Old Russian state turned out to be the successor of its spirituality. Constantinople fell, but the Orthodox world found its new capital in Moscow.

Located at the crossroads of trade routes, wealthy Byzantium was a coveted land for neighboring states. Having reached its maximum borders in the first centuries after the collapse of the Roman Empire, then it was forced to defend its possessions. In 1453, Byzantium could not resist a more powerful enemy - the Ottoman Empire. With the capture of Constantinople, the road to Europe was opened for the Turks.

Arab Caliphate (632-1258)

As a result of Muslim conquests in the 7th-9th centuries, the theocratic Islamic state of the Arab Caliphate arose on the territory of the entire Middle East region, as well as certain regions of the Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa and Spain. The period of the Caliphate went down in history as the "Golden Age of Islam" as the time of the highest flowering of Islamic science and culture.
One of the caliphs of the Arab state, Umar I, purposefully consolidated the character of a militant church for the Caliphate, encouraging religious zeal in his subordinates and forbidding them to own land property in the conquered countries. Umar motivated this by the fact that "the interests of the landowner are more attracting him to peaceful activities than to war."

In 1036, the invasion of the Seljuk Turks turned out to be disastrous for the Caliphate, but the Mongols completed the defeat of the Islamic state.

Caliph An-Nasir, wishing to expand his possessions, turned to Genghis Khan for help, and unknowingly opened the way for the devastation of the Muslim East by the Mongol horde of many thousands.

Mongol Empire (1206-1368)

The Mongol Empire is the largest state entity in history in terms of territory.

During the period of its power - by the end of the XIII century, the empire stretched from the Sea of ​​Japan to the banks of the Danube. The total area of ​​the Mongols' possessions reached 38 million square meters. km.

Given the immense size of the empire, it was almost impossible to rule from the capital - Karakorum. It is no coincidence that after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, the process of gradual division of the conquered territories into separate uluses began, the most significant of which was the Golden Horde.

The economic policy of the Mongols in the occupied lands was primitive: its essence boiled down to imposing tribute on the conquered peoples. All that was collected went to support the needs of a huge army, according to some sources, reaching half a million people. The Mongol cavalry was the most deadly weapon of the Chingizids, before which few armies could resist.
The empire was destroyed by inter-dynastic strife - it was they who stopped the expansion of the Mongols to the West. This was soon followed by the loss of the conquered territories and the seizure by the troops of the Ming dynasty of Karakorum.

Holy Roman Empire (962-1806)

The Holy Roman Empire is an interstate entity that existed in Europe from 962 to 1806. The core of the empire was Germany, which was joined by the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, as well as some regions of France during the period of the highest prosperity of the state.
Almost the entire period of the empire's existence, its structure had the character of a theocratic feudal state, in which the emperors claimed supreme power in the Christian world. However, the struggle with the papal throne and the desire to control Italy significantly weakened the central authority of the empire.
In the 17th century, Austria and Prussia came to the fore in the Holy Roman Empire. But very soon the antagonism of the two influential members of the empire, resulting in a policy of conquest, threatened the integrity of their common home. The end of the empire in 1806 was laid by the growing France led by Napoleon.

Ottoman Empire (1299-1922)

In 1299, a Turkic state was created in the Middle East by Osman I, which was destined to exist for more than 600 years and radically influence the fate of the countries of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 was the date when the Ottoman Empire finally took root in Europe.

The period of the greatest power of the Ottoman Empire falls on the 16th-17th centuries, but the state achieved the greatest conquests under the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

The borders of the empire of Suleiman I stretched from Eritrea in the south to the Commonwealth in the north, from Algeria in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east.

The period from the end of the 16th to the beginning of the 20th century was marked by bloody military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. Territorial disputes between the two states mainly developed around the Crimea and Transcaucasia. They were put to an end by the First World War, as a result of which the Ottoman Empire, divided between the Entente countries, ceased to exist.

British Empire (1497¬-1949)

The British Empire is the largest colonial power in terms of both territory and population.

The empire reached its largest scale by the 30s of the XX century: the land area of ​​the United Kingdom, together with the colonies, totaled 34 million 650 thousand square meters. km., which was approximately 22% of the earth's land. The total population of the empire reached 480 million people - every fourth inhabitant of the Earth was a subject of the British crown.

Many factors contributed to the success of British colonial policy: a strong army and navy, developed industry, and the art of diplomacy. The expansion of the empire had a significant impact on world geopolitics. First of all, this is the spread throughout the world of British technology, trade, language, as well as forms of government.
Decolonization of Britain took place after the end of World War II. Although the country was among the winning states, it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Thanks to an American loan of 3.5 billion dollars alone, Great Britain was able to overcome the crisis, but at the same time it lost its world domination and all its colonies.

In terms of area, the Russian Empire was second only to the Mongol and British empires - 21,799,825 sq. km, and was the second (after the British) in terms of population - about 178 million people.

The constant expansion of the territory is a characteristic feature of the Russian Empire. But if the advance to the east was mostly peaceful, then in the west and south Russia had to prove its territorial claims through numerous wars - with Sweden, the Commonwealth, the Ottoman Empire, Persia, the British Empire.

The growth of the Russian Empire has always been perceived with particular caution by the West. The negative perception of Russia was promoted by the appearance of the so-called "Testament of Peter the Great" - a document fabricated in 1812 by French political circles. "The Russian state must establish power over all of Europe" - this is one of the key phrases of the Testament, which will excite the minds of Europeans for a long time to come.