The largest empire. Empire - what form of state is it? The greatest empires in the world

The British Empire (English British Empire) - the largest ever existing state in the history of mankind with colonies on all inhabited continents. Largest area the empire reached in the mid-30s of the XX century, then the lands of the United Kingdom stretched 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 Sea of ​​Japan and from Novgorod to South-East Asia(area approx. 38,000,000 square kilometers). Karakorum became the capital of the state.

During its heyday, it included vast territories 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, Ulus Juchi ( Golden Horde), the state of the Hulaguids and the Chagatai ulus. Great khan Khubilai, who took (1271) the title of Emperor Yuan and transferred 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 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, 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 began trip around the world, begun by Fernand Magellan in 1519 and completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522, aimed to achieve 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 North and South America... 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 - 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 Grand Duke Moscow Ivan IV the Terrible was crowned tsar and took the full title: "Great Sovereign, by God's grace the Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia, Vladimir, Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Ryazan, Tver, Yugorsky, Perm, Vyattsky, Bulgarian and others", subsequently, with the expansion of the borders of the Russian state, the title was added to "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 after Mongol invasion as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland) and the restoration of 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).

03.05.2013

A hundred years ago, countries were striving to become the most powerful and developed powers in the world, seizing more and more new territories, spreading their influence. These are the top 10 most great empires the world in history. They are considered the most important and longest in existence, they were powerful and played an important role in history. The Russian Empire and even the great Macedonian empire, created by Alexander the Great, did not make it to the top 10, but it was the first European empire that advanced into Asia and defeated the Persian Empire, and perhaps one of the most powerful in ancient world... But, it is believed that these 10 great empires were more important in history, made a greater contribution.

Mayan empires (c. 2000 BC-1540 AD)

This empire is notable for its longevity, its cycle lasted almost 3500 years! This is double the life of the Roman Empire. So far, scientists know very little about the first 3000 years, as well as about the mysterious pyramid-like structures scattered throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. Is it worth mentioning the famous doomsday calendar?

French empire (1534-1962)

Second largest in history great empire- French colonial empire, occupied 4.9 million square miles and covered almost 1/10 of the total area of ​​the Earth. Her influence made the French language one of the most widespread at the time, brought fashion to French architecture, culture, cuisine, etc. to all corners the globe... However, she gradually lost influence, and two world wars completely deprived her of her last strength.

Spanish Empire (1492-1976)

One of the first large empires that seized territories in Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, creating colonies. For hundreds of years, it has remained one of the most important political and economic forces in the world. The main contribution to history is undeniably the discovery of the New World in 1492 and the spread of Christianity in the Western world.

Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)

The last ruling dynasty of China in its imperial past. It was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro on the territory of modern Manchuria in 1644, rapidly grew and developed, and as a result, by the 18th century, covered all the territories of modern China, Mongolia and even parts of Siberia. The empire covered an area of ​​more than 5,700,000 square miles. The dynasty was overthrown during the Xinhai Revolution.

Umayyad Caliphate (661-750)

One of the fastest growing great empires in history, whose century, however, was just as short. It was founded by one of the four caliphates - the Umayyad Caliphate, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad and served to spread Islam throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Sweeping away everything in its path, Islam seized power in the region and retains it to this day.

Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BC)

Most often it is called the Medo-Persian Empire. Stretching from the Indus Valley of modern Pakistan to Libya and the Balkans, this empire is the largest Asian empire in ancient history. The founder - Cyrus the Great, today is better known as the enemy of the Greek city-states during the Greco-Persian wars, who was killed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. After his death, the empire split into two large parts and several independent territories. The model of state and bureaucracy invented in this empire still works today.

Great Ottoman Empire (1299-1922)

Became one of the largest and longest-lived great empires of the world in history. During its heyday (under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent) in the 16th century, it stretched from the southern borders of the Holy Roman Empire to the Persian Gulf, and from the Caspian Sea to Algeria, effectively wielding control over much of southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. ... At the beginning of the 17th century, the empire included no less than 32 provinces, along with numerous vassal states. Unfortunately, ethnic and religious tensions, competition from other powers led to a gradual disintegration in the 19th century.

Mongol Empire (1206-1368)

Despite the fact that the empire lasted only 162 years, the pace with which it grew is daunting. Under the leadership of Genghis Khan (1163-1227), the entire territory from Eastern Europe to the Sea of ​​Japan was captured. At its peak, it covered an area of ​​9,000,000 square miles. Perhaps the empire would have succeeded in capturing Japan as well, had the ships not been destroyed by the tsunamis of 1274 and 1281. By the middle of the 14th century, the empire during internal conflicts began to gradually disintegrate and eventually divided into several states.

British Empire (1603 to 1997)

Despite a short century of life - only 400 years, the British Empire (in fact, several British Isles) managed to become the largest in history. At its peak in 1922, the empire ruled over almost 500 million people (1/5 of the world's population at that time) and covered more than 13 million square meters. miles (1/4 of the Earth's area)! That empire had colonies on all continents of the world. Alas, it all ends someday. After two world wars, Britain was financially devastated and after the loss of India in 1947, gradually began to lose influence and colonies.

Great Roman Empire (27 BC to 1453)

Founded in 27 BC. It existed for 1500 years by Octavian Augustus! And it was eventually overthrown by the Turks under the leadership of Mehmed II, who destroyed Constantinople in 1453. In 117 A.D. flourished great empire... At this time, she was the most powerful on earth, although not the largest in history. The population was 56.8 million people, the territory under her rule was equal to 2,750,000 km². The influence on modern Western culture, language, literature, science is difficult to assess, because it is incredibly great.

Over the past 3 thousand years, the Old World has seen the rise and fall of powerful empires, and their history, past glory could not but influence the culture of countries and peoples occupying today the spaces where they dominated. The ruins of large cities, magnificent palaces and temples left after the collapse of the great civilizations - Persia and the Mediterranean - eloquently testify to the wealth, splendor and power of great empires. Remnants of fortresses and roads, palaces and canals, carved on rocks and written down on paper codes of laws and praises of the triumphants tell how they achieved military power, with the help of which they subjugated more and more territories and retained control and administration over vast colonies. Ancient empires are significantly distant from each other in terms of time of existence, differ in size and cultural traditions, but they all have some common features.

What is empire

Which of the ancient states can be called empires? Of course, not only the title of the ruler and the official, declared name of the country can serve as the basis for such a division. But still, let's try to look deeper into the essence of things and understand how they differ from other states. And it doesn't matter who is in power: the emperor, the senate, the national assembly or a religious figure. The main thing that distinguishes the empire is its supranational character. A republic, despotism, a kingdom become an empire only when they go beyond the state formation of a single people or tribe and unite many cultures, peoples at different stages of development.

Map of the Old World in the 1st century. BC.

It is no coincidence that their era began in the countries of the Old World at approximately the same time, and it is no coincidence that this time is usually called the era of axial civilizations.

It begins at the turn of the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. NS. and covers the period before the beginning of the Great Migration, which marked the end of the greatest of. Of course, this provision is rather arbitrary. The first empires arose earlier than this designated period of time, and some of them survived its end.

It is enough to give just two examples. Egypt of the era of the New Kingdom, i.e. the second half of the II millennium BC. e., can rightfully open a long list greatest empires antiquities. It was during this period that the country of the pharaohs crossed the boundaries of its national civilization. During this era, Nubia was conquered, the legendary "country of Punt" in the south, the flourishing cities of the palaces of the Levant, the nomadic tribes of the Libyan desert were conquered and pacified. All these areas were not only forced to recognize, but were included in the economic system, the administrative structure of the country of the pharaohs, and experienced cultural influences from its side. Later rulers of Nubia and even Ethiopia traced their lineages back to the godlike rulers of the Nile.

The Byzantine Empire, the direct successor of ancient Rome, continued officially, and the people were called Romans, that is, the Romans, retained the attributes of an empire and a multinational character until its death in the middle of the 15th century. And the Ottoman Empire that took its place, with all its dissimilarity to Rome and Byzantium, inherited and preserved many of their traditions and, first of all, remained faithful to the imperial idea for many centuries.

But still, we will focus on the era when they were just emerging, gaining strength and were at the zenith of their strength.

During this period, i.e. in the 1st millennium BC. NS., powerful empires stretched out in a wide strip along geographic latitude from the Strait of Gibraltar in the west to the shores of the Yellow Sea in the east. The strip along which the power of the empires spread was bounded from the north and south by natural natural barriers: deserts, forests, seas and mountains.

But these barriers were not the only reason for their formation along this axis. It is here of the Old World: Cretan-Mycenaean, Egyptian, Sumerian, Indian, Chinese. They paved the way for future empires: they created a city network, built the first roads and paved the first sea routes that linked cities together. created and improved writing, administrative apparatus, army. They discovered new ways of accumulating wealth and improved old ones. It was in this zone that all the achievements of mankind were concentrated, necessary for the emergence of a full-fledged state, their successful growth and development.

In this series of predecessors and heirs, there are also the Phoenician colonies of the Mediterranean, on the foundations of which the Roman Empire, the powers of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians of the Middle East, the Indo-Aryan Buddhist empires of the Ganges valley and the Kushans, and the empires of China arose.

The New World later, but also went this way from the "classical" urban civilizations of Teotihuacan and to the Aztec empire and from the ancient flourishing cultures of the Andean highlands.

Having rallied around themselves many tribes and peoples, they not only successfully applied all the achievements of the past centuries, but also created a lot of new things, which distinguishes them from early civilizations. Of course, the great empires of antiquity were very different from each other both in traditions and in the forms of expression of their imperial spirit, and in destinies. But there is also something that allows you to put them side by side. It is this "something" that gave us the right to call all of them in one word - empires. What is this?

At first, as already mentioned, all empires are supranational entities. And for the effective management of vast spaces with different cultural traditions, religions and way of life, appropriate institutions and means are needed. With all the variety of approaches to solving the problem of management, they were all based on the same principles: a rigid hierarchy, the inviolability of the central government and, of course, uninterrupted communication between the center and the periphery.

Secondly, it must effectively defend its extended borders from external enemies, and moreover, in order to confirm its exclusive right to rule over many peoples, it must constantly grow. That is why, in all empires, war and military affairs received exceptional development and occupied a significant place in Everyday life and ideology. As it turned out, militarization also became a weak point of almost all empires: the change of rulers, revolts and the fall of provinces rarely took place without the participation of the military, both in Rome, in the far west of the civilized world of the Old World, and in China, in its far east.

And thirdly, neither effective management, nor military power are capable of ensuring the stability of any empire without ideological support. It could be a new religion, a real or legendary historical tradition, or, finally, a certain cultural unification, allowing one to oppose oneself, one's belonging to a civilized empire, to the surrounding barbarians. But the latter soon also became.

Roman Empire Map

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. Distant and in many ways mysterious life people of the past times were excited and awakened by fantasy. 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.

Egypt. Largest size the empire reached in 1450 BC. NS.

Greece. Lands where Greek culture flourished are marked in dark on the map.

Persia. Empire territory in 500 BC NS.

India. The country's territory reached its largest size in 250 BC. NS.

China occupied such a territory in 221 BC. NS.

The Roman Empire at its peak - the beginning of the 2nd century AD.

Byzantium during its heyday - VI century.

Arab Caliphate. It reached its largest size in 632 AD. NS. 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 sedentary 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 final natural form of community, important for a person who by 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 natural state, a person lacks rights, the 17th century English thinkers John Milton and John Locke believed, but their provision, which he finds in a state approved by treaty for this very purpose.

A true son of the Age of Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau saw the meaning of the formation of a state in the observance of the interests of each of its citizens. People need it in order to "find a form of union that would protect and ensure 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" - Rousseau's main position.

Even 8-9 thousand years ago, people began to move to a sedentary lifestyle. Agriculture and the first domestic animals appeared. The so-called Neolithic revolution took place, which brought people to new living conditions. 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 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. A river is not only a waterway, but also a stable harvest, it is no coincidence that in those distant times people began to build canals and dams. But since the scattered tribes could not afford large reclamation buildings, the 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 ancient communities of people a state. The first of them is no less than five thousand people who worship the same gods. Power is equipped with an apparatus of officials, and writing is indispensable, existing in any form. Large buildings - palaces and temples - are also an obligatory attribute of statehood. The population is divided according to specialties, so that everyone can no longer do everything for himself and his family. Thus, along with the priests and the soldiers, there appeared artists, philosophers, builders, blacksmiths, weavers, potters, reapers, merchants, and so on.

The ancient empires that played their role in the history of mankind possessed all of the above 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 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, 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 by the Mediterranean Sea. Pharaoh ruled Egypt (this word means a food warehouse), governors and officials sat in the localities, and in general public life in the country was quite developed (see Science and Life No. 1, 1997 - "It was not over yet stone Age"- and No. 5, 1997 -" Ancient Egypt. The pyramid of power "). Officers, scribes, 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 it is possible to 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, 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 ran 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 Shi-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 then arose on political map 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 policy... 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 Western European and Middle Eastern countries inherited the richest material culture of Byzantium, then Old Russian state proved to be the successor to her 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 individual 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 ruin of the Muslim East of the Mongol horde of many thousands.

Mongol Empire (1206-1368)

Mongol Empire - largest by territory public education in history.

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. The first put an end to them 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.

Russian Empire (1721-1917)

The history of the Russian Empire dates back to October 22, 1721 after Peter I accepted the title of All-Russian Emperor. From that time until 1905, the monarch who became the head of the state was endowed with absolute power.

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.