Learn about the largest, most powerful, and most influential empires in world history, from the Akkadian Empire to the Mughal Empire. Compare their land areas, strongest eras, and cultural impacts.
The Maurya Empire (322 – 185 BC) The Maurya Empire was the first large empire in India, and under the rule of Ashoka, it became one of the most powerful empires of its time. Ashoka’s reign saw the spread of Buddhism across Asia, along with a commitment to social welfare and non-violence. Key Achievements: Unifying most of the Indian ...
German Empire. One of the strongest empires in the world before World War I. It was technologically ahead and had one of the biggest armies in the world. ... The Dutch Empire is one of the most underrated empires in history. Its territories included Indonesia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Brazil, parts of India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa ...
A subjective ranking of the largest and most influential empires in world history, from the ancient to the modern era. Learn about their achievements, legacies, and fall in this comprehensive list of the '10 greatest empires in history'.
The most powerful empires in history united warring factions, controlled great swaths of land, and had vast colonial resources at their control. From the first global empire, likely the Akkadian Empire founded by Sargon in 2300 BCE, to the great dynasties of antiquity, all the way through the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires of the 1900s ...
Explore the traits, achievements, and legacies of six empires that shaped the ancient and medieval world: Akkadian, Roman, Persian, Mongol, Ottoman, and British. Learn how they rose, expanded, and fell, and how they influenced culture, politics, and religion.
Most Powerful Empires in History. Also see: Most beautiful states in the United States of America. 7. Spanish Empire: More than any other empire at the time, the Spanish Empire proved to be an adept in colonization in the 16th century. Their colonies provided them about 7.5 million square miles of territory, or around 13% of the Earth’s surface.
3) The British Empire held power from 1583 until 1997. During its height, the British Empire held more territory than any other empire in history and administered over 25% of Earth’s landmass with its people. The British Empire reached every continent on Earth which made people call it “the empire that never experiences sunlight.”
These are the most powerful empires in history and all they accomplished… The Macedonian Empire Was The Strongest Under Alexander The Great Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. An ancient kingdom, Macedonia dominated Hellenistic Greece, but before the 4th century BC was nothing more than a small city-state. ...
This British Empire is considered to be the largest empire in history. It covered almost a quarter of the total area of the earth, and had controlled about 500 million people. The empire was spreading English language. As a result, the language is the second most used language across the world today.
The Empire of Japan was one of the largest maritime empires in history, spanning 2.86 million square miles at its peak in 1942 before surrendering to the Allies on September 2, 1945. Photo: Wikimedia The Achaemenid Empire, also known as the First Persian Empire, spanned 3.08 million square miles at its peak in 480 B.C. before falling to ...
With an estimated 13 million square miles (33.7 million km²) at its zenith, the British Empire was the largest empire in history. It emerged during the Age of Discovery and quickly expanded through both colonial conquest and commercial dominance. The empire encompassed territories on every inhabited continent, including significant holdings in:
The Achaemenid Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 B.C.E., who went by the title of King of Kings (Shahanshah). Although the Persian Empire came to an inglorious end at the ...
The Roman Empire was one of the largest empires in history, and its powerful legacy has been felt for millennia. It began in 753 BC when Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome. In its early years, Rome was an Italic kingdom that gradually expanded throughout the Italian peninsula until it became a republic in 509 BC.
The Spanish Empire of 1492 was one of the most powerful empires in history. It emerged through the union between Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, which led to their kingdom’s unification to form Spain. The empire attained great military conquests under the reigns of Charles V, who ruled from 1519-1546, and Philip II, from ...
The Mongol Empire was an empire from the 13th and 14th centuries that spanned all of Eastern Europe and into Asia. This is the largest empire in the history of the world. It emerged from the union of Mongols and Turkic tribes in Mongolia, and grew by leaps and bounds after Genghis Khan was proclaimed ruler of all Mongols in 1206.
It took a lot of money to transform a former swamp into the most famous garden in the world. Designer André Le Nôtre (1613–1700) harnessed nature to meet the king’s demands. Versailles ...
