Structured Lists Directory

Overview

Historical Empires

Historical empires are political systems that governed vast territories and diverse peoples from ancient times to the modern era. Evaluated from various perspectives including territorial size, population, duration, and cultural influence, these empires left unique characteristics and legacies: the Roman Empire's legal system, the Mongol Empire's military prowess, the British Empire's global dominance, and more. This comprehensive list covers the most significant empires in world history, explaining their historical contexts, territories, and distinctive features.

world history empires civilization ancient history modern history territory population political systems
code slug name description capital keyFigures peakYear period population_peak population_percentOfWorld territory_areaKm2 territory_percentOfWorld
01 british-empire British Empire The empire with the largest territorial area in history, ruling approximately one-quarter of the world's land at its peak. London ["ヴィクトリア女王","ウィンストン・チャーチル"] 1920 1707-1981 412000000 23 35500000 26.35
02 mongol-empire Mongol Empire The largest contiguous land empire in history, founded by Genghis Khan and rapidly expanded within 70 years. Karakorum ["チンギス・ハーン","クビライ・ハーン","モンケ・ハーン"] 1290 1206-1368 110000000 31 24000000 16
03 russian-empire Russian Empire A vast empire from the 18th to 20th centuries, dominating most of the Eurasian continent. Saint Petersburg ["ピョートル大帝","エカチェリーナ2世","アレクサンドル1世"] 1895 1721-1917 176000000 9 22800000 15
04 qing-dynasty Qing Dynasty The last imperial dynasty of China, founded by the Manchu people, ruling vast territories including Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang. Beijing ["康熙帝","乾隆帝","慈禧太后"] 1790 1644-1912 432000000 36 14700000 10
05 spanish-empire Spanish Empire The first 'empire on which the sun never sets,' dominating most of the Americas and holding European hegemony. Madrid ["フェルナンド2世","イサベル1世","カール5世","フェリペ2世"] 1790 1492-1976 68500000 12 13700000 9
06 umayyad-caliphate Umayyad Caliphate The 8th-century Islamic empire, one of the largest in history stretching from Spain to India. Damascus ["ムアーウィヤ1世","アブド・アルマリク","ワリード1世"] 720 661-750 62000000 30 11100000 7
07 achaemenid-empire Achaemenid Empire The first world empire of the ancient Orient, founded by Cyrus the Great, ruling diverse peoples through tolerant policies. Persepolis, Susa ["キュロス2世","ダレイオス1世","クセルクセス1世"] -480 550 BCE - 330 BCE 50000000 44 5500000 5
08 han-dynasty Han Dynasty China's first long-term unified dynasty, opening the Silk Road and establishing the foundation of Han Chinese identity. Chang'an, Luoyang ["劉邦（高祖）","武帝","光武帝"] -2 206 BCE - 220 CE 59600000 30 6000000 4
09 roman-empire Roman Empire The most influential empire that unified the ancient Mediterranean world, whose legal and political systems deeply influenced Western civilization. Rome ["アウグストゥス","トラヤヌス帝","マルクス・アウレリウス","コンスタンティヌス1世"] 150 27 BCE - 476 CE 70000000 30 5000000 4
10 ottoman-empire Ottoman Empire An Islamic empire lasting over 600 years, spanning Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa as a multi-ethnic empire. Istanbul (Constantinople) ["オスマン1世","メフメト2世","スレイマン1世","アブデュルハミト2世"] 1683 1299-1922 35000000 7 5200000 4

A list of major empires that ruled vast territories and populations throughout human history.