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What about the Spanish Empire, the Portuguese Empire, the French Empire,
Umayyad (Arab) Empire, the Russian Empire (in 1917 the second largest contiguous empire to have ever existed on Earth. The Russian Federation is currently the largest state on the planet.) ? (Didn't check before posting, oops)An imperial political structure is established and maintained two ways: - as a territorial empire of direct conquest and control with force (direct, physical action to compel the emperor?s goals), - as a coercive, hegemonic empire of indirect conquest and control with power (the perception that the emperor can physically enforce his desired goals). The former provides greater tribute and direct political control, yet limits further expansion because it absorbs military forces to fixed garrisons. The latter provides less tribute and indirect control, but avails military forces for further expansion.Territorial empires (e.g. the Mongol Empire, the Median Empire) tended to be contiguous areas. The term on occasion has been applied to maritime empires or thalassocracies, (e.g. the Athenian and British Empires) with looser structures and more scattered territories.That's a good point. I would put the French Empire high, but perhaps it wouldn't crack the top ten. I might put the Spanish Empire in the top ten, though; I believe in terms of geography, that may have been the largest ever. Actually, I suppose that would fall under the Holy Roman Empire.
I always thought the British had achieved the Empire with the largest territorial size. If I remember right around, 1900 England controlled something like 20% of the land surface of the earth and had pretty much complete domination of the world's oceans.
I always thought the British had achieved the Empire with the largest territorial size. If I remember right around, 1900 England controlled something like 20% of the land surface of the earth and had pretty much complete domination of the world's oceans.
Well that's interesting, and now I'm wondering if it's Great Britain or Spain. Anyone know?
“Before she set out on her Diamond Jubilee procession, on the morning of 22 June 1897, Queen Victoria of England went to the telegraph-room at Buckingham Palace…. It was a few minutes after eleven o'clock. She pressed an electric button, an impulse was transmitted to the Central Telegraph Office in St. Martin's le Grand; in a matter of seconds, her Jubilee message was on its way to every corner of her Empire. It was the largest Empire in the history of the world, comprising nearly a quarter of the land mass of the earth, and a quarter of its population. Victoria herself was a Queen-Empress of such aged majesty that some of her simpler subjects considered her divine, and slaughtered propitiatory goats before her image.''--James Morris, in Pax Britannica (London: The Folio Society: 1992)
In terms of greatest extent:1. British Empire - 33.7 million km2 (1923)2. Mongol Empire - 33.0 million km2 (1270 or 1309)3. Russian Empire - 23.7 million km2 (1866)4. Spanish Empire - 20.0 million km2 (ca. 1740-1790)5. Qing Empire, China - 14.7 million km2 (1790)6. Yuan Dynasty - 14.0 million km2 (1310)7. Umayyad Caliphate - 13.0 million km2 (720 or 750)8. Second French Colonial Empire - 12.3 million km2 (1938)9. Abbasid Caliphate - 11.1 million km2 (750)10. Portuguese Empire - 10.4 million km2 (1815)
"The sun never sets on the British Empire." So it was said in those days before WWI.
"Also sprach Charles V", in the 16th century ... ;D
Then there is the US with a total land area of 9.8 million km2; that would put us at # 11?
What about #12. Vatican City ? - 0.2 square miles -with a population of 770, none of whom are permanent residents but with an estimated Church membership in 2007 of 1.147 billion people, increasing from the 1950 figure of 437 million and the 1970 figure of 654 million. On 31 December 2008, membership was 1.166 billion, an increase of 11.54% over the same date in 2000, only slightly greater than the rate of increase of the world population (10.77%) In total 17.4 percent of the global population :-
The church is growing fairly well despite the scandals in Europe and the states. Missions in Africa are particularly successful.
But then again if we want to count Catholicism as an Empire, shouldn't we also then count every other religion as an empire or at least potential empire? I think we are better off sticking to Empires that fit the traditional nation-state model and in that case, the Papal States don't come anywhere close to making even the top 100. They were never very big to begin with.
But then again if we want to count Catholicism as an Empire, shouldn't we also then count every other religion ads an empire or at least potential empire? I think we are better off sticking to Empires that fit the traditional nation-state model and in that case, the Papal States don't come anywhere close to making even the top 100. They were never very big to begin with.
Agreed
