Here’s the grim thought for today that we all need to learn to live with: the history of the world has not always been peaceful. Hundreds of major wars have taken place only since the end of World War I about a century ago. While in a previous article, we spoke about nations that didn’t try to invade other countries throughout their existence, it’s time for a totally different topic this time.
If you’ve also been wondering which are the largest empires that have existed in the history of the world, you’ve made it to the right place. However, we’re not suggesting that the empires mentioned here have necessarily expanded their territories through brute force and bloodshed. Behold:
Roman Empire (27 BCE – 476 CE):
The Roman Empire is considered one of the greatest empires in history and for good reasons. It spanned three continents (Europe, Asia, and Northern parts of Africa) and had a long-lasting influence in fields such as governance, architecture, and law, while it also played an important role in the spread of Christianity.
Some of the most important leaders of the Roman Empire were Julius Caesar ( (100–44 BCE), Augustus (Octavian) Caesar (63 BCE–14 CE), Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE), Cicero (106–43 BCE), Nero (37–68 CE), and Trajan (53–117 CE).
British Empire (17th century – mid-20th century)
The British Empire was the largest empire if we take into account only the land area, as it has spanned territories across every continent. This empire occupied today’s regions of Canada, Australia, India, large parts of Africa, and more. The British Empire covered about a quarter of the land area of the world.
Among the most important leaders of the British Empire, we can mention names such as Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902), or Winston Churchill (1874–1965).
Mongol Empire (1206-1368):
The Mongol Empire was easily one of the largest empires in the history of the world, as it expanded under ruthless leaders such as Genghis Khan and his successors. This empire stretched from East Europe to East Asia, covering territories that today belong to Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Iran, Turkey, and more.
Genghis Khan (c. 1162–1227), Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Ögedei Khan (c. 1186–1241), Jochi Khan (c. 1182–1227), Hulagu Khan (c. 1217–1265), Möngke Khan (1209–1259), Batu Khan (c. 1205–1255), and Subutai (c. 1176–1248).
Russian Empire (1721–1917):
The Russian Empire was also very imposing, as it covered vast territories across Eastern Europe and Asia. Today’s Russia has most of the Russian Empire. The empire expanded significantly during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the territorial gains included the annexation of the Caucasus region, parts of Central Asia, as well as extensive territories in Siberia.
The most important historical figures of the Russian Empire are Peter the Great (1672–1725), Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Alexander I (1777–1825), Nicholas I (1796–1855), Alexander II (1818–1881), Alexander III (1845–1894), and Nicholas II (1868–1918),
Ottoman Empire (1299–1922):
The Ottoman Empire controlled significant portions of Western Asia, Southeast Europe, and North Africa, although it was nowhere near as imposing as the last three empires mentioned so far in this article.
Some of the most important political leaders of the Ottoman Empire were Osman I (1258–1326), Mehmed II (1432–1481), Suleiman the Magnificent (1494–1566), Selim I (1470–1520), Murad IV (1612–1640), Mehmed IV (1642–1693), and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938).
Spanish Empire (16th-19th centuries):
The Spanish Empire spanned across vast portions of Latin America and even North America. The empire occupied territories that today belong to Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and even the USA. The Spanish Empire even had relatively small territories in Asia and North Africa. We’re also talking about one of the first global empires in the world, while it’s also worth-mentioning that it was also the largest empire when it comes to overseas colonies during the Age of Exploration.
Some of the most important political leaders of the Spanish Empire were Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452–1516) and Isabella I of Castile (1451–1504), Charles V (1500–1558), Philip II (1527–1598), Philip III (1578–1621), Philip IV (1605–1665), Charles II (1661–1700), and Queen Isabella II (1830–1904).
Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)
The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, as it controlled a vast territory in Asia, including China proper, Tibet, Mongolia, as well as parts of Central Asia.
The Qing Dynasty was founded by the ethnic Manchu people, who managed to conquer China and establish the last imperial dynasty. Some of the most important political leaders of the Qing Dynasty were Shunzhi Emperor (1638–1661), Kangxi Emperor (1654–1722), Yongzheng Emperor (1678–1735), Qianlong Emperor (1711–1799), Daoguang Emperor (1782–1850), Xianfeng Emperor (1831–1861), Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908), and Guangxu Emperor (1871–1908).
There are currently no empires in the world today, and such a situation can be attributed to several political, historical, and socio-economic factors.
