Greatest empires in history that ruled over half the world; Largest ever is…

Democracy and individual nation states is but a recent phenomenon as most of the world’s recorded history has been dominated by vast empires, some of which ruled more than half of the globe. From the gigantic Persian empire, to the expansive British Empire, which dominated most of the world during the middle and the industrial ages, lets take a look at a some of the largest and the greatest empires in history.

The Persian Empire

The Persian empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, was created under ancient Persian emperor Cyrus the Great. In its heyday, the Persian empire stretched from modern-day Iran into Central Asia and Egypt. At its peak, the empire spanned a massive 5.5 million square kilometers (over 2.1 square miles), and stretched to parts of Afghanistan, Turkey, and modern-day Pakistan.

The Persian empire lasted from 559 BC to 331 BC, nearly 200 years.

China’s Han Dynasty

A Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled China from 206 BCE to 220 CE, it was founded by Liu Bang, who became the First Emperor of the Western Han Dynasty after defeating a rebel leader.

The Han dynasty, which ruled for over 400 years, is widely considered a golden period of China’s history during which remarkable scientific, technological, mathematical, astronomical, and literary advances were made. China’s imperial dynasty promoted Confucianism as the state religion, and also opened the famed Silk Road trade route to Europe.

Umayyad Caliphate

The first Islamic Caliphate, established following the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD, the Umayyad dynasty spanned over a massive 4 million square miles, making the empire one of the largest ever in world history.

The Umayyad dynasty expanded the Islamic empire from Spain to Central Asia and India, and were the first Muslim kingdom to establish a centralized government. They were overthrown by the Abbasids in 750 AD, however, an offshoot of the Umayyads continued to rule Córdoba, Spain, until the 11th century.

Mongol Empire

The Mongol empire rose in the 13th century when a group of central Asian nomadic tribes banded together under Genghis Khan in 1206 AD, and went on to conquer large swathes of territory in the Eurasian region.

At its height, the Mongol Empire, one of the largest land empires in history, extended from Central Asia to Central Europe and to the Sea of Japan. The empire last from 13th to the 14th century AD, and gave birth to several offshoots like the Timurid Empire and the Yuan dynasty, which ruled Persia and China, into the 14th and 15th century AD, respectively,

Ottoman Empire

A vast Islamic Caliphate that ruled over large Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa for more than 600 years, the Ottoman Empire was founded by its first ruler, Osman I, a Turkish tribal leader in 1299 AD.  The name of the empire, “Ottoman” comes from Osman’s Italian nickname “Ottomano”.

At the peak of its power between the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire was ruled by Süleyman the Magnificent, and spanned across three continents; Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in the early 20th century,

Spanish Empire

One of the largest empires in history, the Spanish Empire, also known as the Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, spanned over 5.3 million square miles at its height.

The gigantic colonial empire, which existed from 1492 to as recent as 1976 AD, wielded enormous economic and military power at its peak, together with the Portuguese Empire, is credited with ushering in the Age of Discovery in Europe.

Russian Empire

A vast empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its proclamation in November 1721 until its dissolution in March 1917 AD, the Russian empire, at it height in 1895 AD, spanned across 8.9 square miles, making it one of the largest empires in history.

The Russian empire is considered to have been a major bulwark that halted the Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of Europe.

British Empire

“The sun never sets on the British Empire” was an apt description of the expansive kingdom which ruled over nearly a quarter of the world and nearly and equal percentage of the planet’s population, during its peak in the early 20th century. The British Empire, which ruled India for nearly 200 years, exists till the current times, albeit as mere figureheads.

Most of the British Empire’s territories, including India, gained independence after World War II, which significantly weakened the United Kingdom. However, several of the former territories remain part of what is known as the Commonwealth of Nations today, all of whom recognise the ruling British monarch as the titular head of the state.