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This is a list of the largest empires in world history, not a definitive one since the selection of political entities to be considered "empires" is difficult and fraught with controversy.
An empire involves the extension of a state's sovereignty over external territories inhabited by different ethnic groups. The term "empire" in this context (not necessarily a state ruled by an emperor) does not have a precise definition, but is generally applied to political entities that have, by the standards of their time, a very large territory, usually acquired by conquest. Rein Taagepera has defined an empire as "any relatively large sovereign political entity whose components are not sovereign" and its size as the area over which the empire has some undisputed military and taxation prerogatives.[1]
There is no clear consensus among historians on how to estimate territorial extension and population of an empire, if only because information on boundaries, and therefore population, is often ambiguous, when not lacking entirely. Thus, the present values, and the ensuing ranking, are approximate estimates, and ought to be taken only as a guidance.
This list is limited to empires whose greatest extent exceeded 2% of the total land area of the Earth (148,940,000 km2 (57,500,000 sq mi)).[2].
Empires at their greatest extent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Max. land area (millions) |
% of world land area |
Apex (year) |
Span (years) |
British Empire | 35.5 km2 (13.71 sq mi)[3] | 23.84% | 1920[3] | 420[4] |
Mongol Empire | 24.0 km2 (9.27 sq mi)[5] | 16.11% | 1270[6] 1309[3] |
162[7] |
Russian Empire | 22.8 km2 (8.80 sq mi)[5] | 15.31% | 1895[5] | 196[8] |
Qing Empire | 14.7 km2 (5.68 sq mi)[5] | 9.87% | 1790[5] | 268[9] |
Spanish Empire | 13.7 km2 (5.29 sq mi)[3] | 9.2% | 1810[3] | 483[10] |
2nd French colonial Empire | 11.5 km2 (4.44 sq mi)[3] | 7.72% | 1920[3] | 150[11] |
Abbasid Caliphate | 11.1 km2 (4.29 sq mi)[5] | 7.45% | 750[5] | 508[12] |
Umayyad Caliphate | 11.1 km2 (4.29 sq mi)[3] | 7.45% | 720[3] | 89[13] |
Yuan dynasty | 11.0 km2 (4.25 sq mi)[3] | 7.39% | 1310[3] | 97[14] |
Portuguese Empire | 10.4 km2 (4.02 sq mi)[15] | 6.98% | 1815[15] | 499[16] |
Xiongnu Empire | 9.0 km2 (3.47 sq mi)[17] | 6.04% | 176 BC[17] | 309[18] |
Empire of Brazil | 8.34 km2 (3.22 sq mi)[19] | 5.6% | 1889[19] | 67[20] |
Eastern Han Dynasty | 6.5 km2 (2.51 sq mi)[21] | 4.36% | 100[21] | 195[22] |
Empire of the Great Ming | 6.5 km2 (2.51 sq mi)[5] | 4.36% | 1450[5] | 276[23] |
Rashidun Caliphate | 6.4 km2 (2.47 sq mi)[3] | 4.3% | 655[3] | 29[24] |
Göktürk Khaganate | 6.0 km2 (2.32 sq mi)[17] | 4.03% | 557[17] | 169[25] |
Golden Horde Khanate | 6.0 km2 (2.32 sq mi)[5] | 4.03% | 1310[5] | 156[26] |
Western Han Dynasty | 6.0 km2 (2.32 sq mi)[17] | 4.03% | 50 BC[17] | 215[27] |
Achaemenid Empire | 5.5 km2 (2.12 sq mi)[17] | 3.69% | 500 BC[17] | 220[28] |
Tang dynasty | 5.4 km2 (2.08 sq mi)[5] | 3.63% | 715[5] | 274[29] |
Macedonian Empire | 5.2 km2 (2.01 sq mi)[17] | 3.49% | 323 BC[17] | 170[30] |
Ottoman Empire | 5.2 km2 (2.01 sq mi)[5] | 3.49% | 1683[5] | 509[31] |
Maurya Empire | 5.0 km2 (1.93 sq mi)[6] | 3.36% | 250 BC[6] | 139[32] |
Roman Empire | 5.0 km2 (1.93 sq mi)[17] | 3.36% | 117[17] | 503[33] 1480[34] |
Tibetan Empire | 4.6 km2 (1.78 sq mi)[5] | 3.09% | 800[5] | 224[35] |
Timurid Empire | 4.4 km2 (1.70 sq mi)[5] | 2.95% | 1405[5] | 137[36] |
Fatimid Caliphate | 4.1 km2 (1.58 sq mi)[5] | 2.75% | 969[5] | 262[37] |
Eastern Turkic Khaganate | 4.0 km2 (1.54 sq mi)[21] | 2.69% | 624[21] | 49[38] |
Hephthalite Empire | 4.0 km2 (1.54 sq mi)[21] | 2.69% | 470[21] | 262[39] |
Hunnic Empire | 4.0 km2 (1.54 sq mi)[17] | 2.69% | 441[17] | 99[40] |
Mughal Empire | 4.0 km2 (1.54 sq mi)[5] | 2.69% | 1690[5] | 316[41] |
Great Seljuq Empire | 3.9 km2 (1.51 sq mi)[5] | 2.62% | 1080[5] | 157[42] |
Seleucid Empire | 3.9 km2 (1.51 sq mi)[17] | 2.62% | 301 BC[17] | 249[43] |
Italian Empire | 3.8 km2 (1.47 sq mi)[44] | 2.55% | 1938[44] | 65[45] |
Ilkhanate | 3.75 km2 (1.45 sq mi)[5] | 2.52% | 1310[5] | 79[46] |
Khwarazmian Empire | 3.6 km2 (1.39 sq mi)[3] | 2.42% | 1218[3] | 37[47] |
Chagatai Khanate | 3.5 km2 (1.35 sq mi)[5] | 2.35% | 1310[3] 1350[5] |
81[48] |
Gupta Empire | 3.5 km2 (1.35 sq mi)[6] | 2.35% | 400[6] | 230[49] |
Sasanian Empire | 3.5 km2 (1.35 sq mi)[17] | 2.35% | 550[17] | 427[50] |
Western Turkic Khaganate | 3.5 km2 (1.35 sq mi)[21] | 2.35% | 630[21] | 78[51] |
1st French colonial Empire | 3.4 km2 (1.31 sq mi)[3] | 2.28% | 1670[3] | 280[52] |
Ghaznavid Empire | 3.4 km2 (1.31 sq mi)[5] | 2.28% | 1029[5] | 209[53] |
Delhi Sultanate | 3.2 km2 (1.24 sq mi)[5] | 2.15% | 1312[5] | 320[54] |
German colonial Empire | 3.2 km2 (1.24 sq mi)[55][56] | 2.15% | 1912[56] | 34[57] |
Song dynasty | 3.1 km2 (1.20 sq mi)[5] | 2.08% | 980[5] | 319[58] |
Uyghur Khaganate | 3.1 km2 (1.20 sq mi)[5] | 2.08% | 800[5] | 100[59] |
Western Jin dynasty | 3.1 km2 (1.20 sq mi)[21] | 2.08% | 280[21] | 51[60] |
Khazar Khanate | 3.0 km2 (1.16 sq mi)[6] | 2.01% | 850[6] | 319[61] |
Sui Dynasty | 3.0 km2 (1.16 sq mi)[21] | 2.01% | 589[21] | 37[62] |
See also
General:
- List of empires
- List of former transcontinental countries
- List of former sovereign states
- Colonial empire
- The empire on which the sun never sets
By era:
- List of Copper Age states
- List of Bronze Age states
- List of Iron Age states
- List of Classical Age states
- List of states during Late Antiquity
- List of states during the Middle Ages
- List of medieval great powers
By region:
- American empire
- Former European empires
- African empires
- List of largest empires that existed in India
By area:
Note
- ^ Taagepera 1979, p. 117.
- ^ "The World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Taagepera 1997, pp. 492–502.
- ^ From 1577 when Martin Frobisher took possession of Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island to Hong Kong handover in 1997 (Piers Brendon (2007). The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997. Random House. ISBN 978-030726829-7.).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Taagepera 1997, pp. 492–502; Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006, pp. 222–3.
- ^ a b c d e f g Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006, pp. 222–3.
- ^ 1206-1368
- ^ 1721-1917
- ^ 1644-1912
- ^ 1492-1975
- ^ 1830-1980
- ^ 750-1258
- ^ 661-750
- ^ 1271-1368
- ^ a b Brzezinski, Zbigniew (2013). Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power. New York City: Basic Books. p. 10. ISBN 9780465061815.
- ^ 1500-1999
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Taagepera 1979, pp. 121–2, 124–5, 127–9, 132–3; Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006, pp. 222–3.
- ^ 209-53 BCE
- ^ a b "Área Territorial Brasileira - Histórico". Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 October 2016.
A primeira estimativa oficial para a extensão superficial do território brasileiro data de 1889. O valor de 8.337.218 km2 foi obtido a partir de medições e cálculos efetuados sobre as folhas básicas da Carta do Império do Brasil, publicada em 1883. [The first official estimate of the surface area of the Brazilian territory dates from 1889. A value of 8,337,218 km2 (3,219,018 sq mi) was obtained from measurements and calculations made on drafts of the Map of the Empire of Brazil, published in 1883.]
- ^ 1822-1889
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Taagepera 1979, pp. 121–2, 124–5, 127–9, 132–3.
- ^ 25-220 CE
- ^ 1368-1644
- ^ 632-661
- ^ 552-569, 682-744
- ^ 1240-1396
- ^ 206 BCE-9 CE
- ^ 550-330 BCE
- ^ 618-907, less 690-705
- ^ 338-168 BCE
- ^ 1413-1922
- ^ 326-187 BCE
- ^ 27 BCE-476 CE
- ^ 27 BCE-1453 CE (end of the Eastern Roman Empire)
- ^ 618-842
- ^ 1370-1507
- ^ 909-1171
- ^ 581-630
- ^ 408-670
- ^ 370-469
- ^ 1526-1540, 1555-1857
- ^ 1037-1194
- ^ 312–63 BCE
- ^ a b Harrison, Mark (2000). The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison. Cambridge University Press. p. 3. ISBN 9780521785037. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- ^ 1882-1947
- ^ 1256-1335
- ^ 1194-1231
- ^ 1259-1340
- ^ 320-550
- ^ 224-651
- ^ 581-659
- ^ 1534-1814
- ^ 977-1186
- ^ 1206-1526
- ^ "Germany from 1871 to 1918". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
At its birth Germany occupied an area of 208,825 square miles (540,854 square km) and had a population of more than 41 million, which was to grow to 67 million by 1914.
- ^ a b Arnulf Scriba (2014). "Statistische Angaben zu den deutschen Kolonien". LeMO-Lebendiges Museum Online (in German). Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
[Figures relate to year 1912
- German South-West Africa: 835,100 km2 (322,400 sq mi)
- Kamerun: 495,000 km2 (191,000 sq mi)
- Togoland: 87,200 km2 (33,700 sq mi)
- German East Africa: 995,000 km2 (384,000 sq mi)
- German New Guinea: 240,000 km2 (93,000 sq mi)
- Marshall Islands: 400 km2 (150 sq mi)
- Kiautschou: 515 km2 (199 sq mi)
- Caroline Islands, Palau, and Mariana Islands: 2,376 km2 (917 sq mi)
- German Samoa: 2,570 km2 (990 sq mi) ]
- ^ 1884-1918
- ^ 960-1279
- ^ 740-840
- ^ 265-316
- ^ 650-969
- ^ 581-618
References
- Taagepera, Rein (1979). "Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D". Social Science History. 3 (3/4): 115–138. doi:10.2307/1170959. JSTOR 1170959.
- Taagepera, Rein (1997). "Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia". International Studies Quarterly. 41 (3): 475–504. doi:10.1111/0020-8833.00053. JSTOR 2600793.</ref>
- Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D. (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of World-systems Research. 12 (2): 222–223. ISSN 1076-156X. Retrieved 25 August 2016.</ref>