Most Powerful Empires in History

They were big, rich and ruled the world.

Most Powerful Empires in History

For quite some time, people have said that America is the next Roman Empire and that, like all empires, it too will fall.

Historically speaking, that assumption would be correct. Empires have risen and crumbled throughout history. But what were the largest and most powerful empires throughout history?

Let's take a look at the world's biggest empires. We ranked them by the landmass they controlled at their height. The biggest empire in the world controlled a quarter of the world's land. Can you guess what it is?

25. First Mexican Empire

First Mexican Empire map — First Mexican Empire at its height

Years: 1821-1823

Maximum land area year: 1821

Millions of square miles occupied: 1.71

Percentage of the world: 3.29

A Curious Empire

The Mexican Empire was a curious empire, as it is both extremely short-lived and a constitutional monarch.

The empire came into being after the Mexican War of Independence concluded in 1821. Agustín de Iturbide, a Mexican military commander who took control of Mexico City from the Spanish and essentially won the war, was the empire's only monarch. He was elected a year after freeing the city by a congress who rushed him into emperorship due to his popularity.

His election was questionable, though, as congress did not have a quorum to establish him emperor. Regardless, they went through with it, but the nation was bankrupt and couldn't even afford to buy Iturbide a crown.

Iturbide clashed with congress, and by 1822, members of congress were already plotting to overthrow him. He abdicated his throne in 1823, ending the Mexican empire.

24. The Tibetan Empire

Map of the Tibetan Empire at its height.

Years: 618-842

Maximum land area year: 800

Millions of square miles occupied: 1.78

Percentage of the world: 3.41 percent

The Beginning of Buddhism in Tibet

Songsten Gampo statue — A statue of Songsten Gampo from the 17th century.

The Tibetan Empire was formed by Songsten Gampo, the 33rd king of Tibet and the man credited with establishing Tibetan script as well as helping usher in Buddhism in Tibet.

The Tibetan Empire was centralized on the Tibetan Plateau, where it proved to be difficult to take. The Tang Dynasty attempted to seize control of the Tibetan capital Lhasa but was forced to retreat due to the hostile environment.

At its height, the Tibetan Empire reached Mongolia and Bengal. It was during the 830s that the empire began to decline, as it was fraught with problems, like the collapse of the neighboring Uyghur Khaganate, and a civil war that lead to the Tibetan Era of Fragmentation.

23. Xin Dynasty

Years: 9-23

Maximum land area year: 10

Millions of square miles occupied: 1.81

Percentage of the world: 3.49 percent

The Xin Dynasty Was Very Short Lived

The Xin Dynasty was an interregnum Chinese dynasty that only lasted for 14 years. It was established by Wang Mang, a Han Dynasty consort and official who usurped the throne from the Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty.

Wang's regime was ill-fated from the get-go, and his early efforts were undermined by natural disasters like floods, famines and locust plagues. That lost him the support of peasants, who turned into rebellious bandits and rose against Wang in 19 A.D.

Wang was killed in the resulting civil war, and the Xin Dynasty gave way to the Eastern Han Dynasty. When the rebels took the palace, he was enjoying himself in his harem with 39 of his wives and ladies.

22. The Roman Empire

Map of the Roman empire — Map of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in 117 A.D.

Years: 27 B.C.-476 A.D.

Maximum land area year: 117

Millions of square miles occupied: 1.93

Percentage of the world: 3.71

The Roman Empire Was The Longest-Running Empire in the World

The Roman Empire was perhaps the greatest empire in all of history, and during its height, all roads did indeed seem to lead to Rome.

Rome was founded in 753 B.C. on April 21, or so it is commonly believed, and when the empire reached its height in 117, roughly 20 percent of the world's population fell under the Roman banner.

Ancient Rome was known for its conquests and the many, many things it contributed to modern society, including advances in warfare, art, literature, engineering and government.

Ancient Rome is an absolutely fascinating subject. We have an in-depth look into what it was like to live in ancient Rome for those who would like to step back in time.

21. Northern Yuan Dynasty

Years: 1368-1635

Maximum land area year: 117

Millions of square miles occupied: 1.93

Percentage of the world: 3.71 percent

Mongols Adopted Buddhism During the Yuan Dynasty

The Northern Yuan Dynasty succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and operated as a rump state — basically a much larger state that shrunk due to various wars and revolutions — following its collapse.

This period saw the reunification of the warring Mongols in the 1400s and fell by the 1630s with the death of Ligdan Khan, with Mongols forming into the four Khanates.

The Northern Yuan Dynasty also saw the adoption — and forced conversions — of Tibetan Buddhism in the 1570s. Pictured is the Erdene Zuu Monastery, the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, which dates back to 1585.

20. Ottoman Empire

Years: 1299-1922

Maximum land area year: 1683

Millions of square miles occupied: 20.1

Percentage of the world: 3.86 percent

One of the Longest Reigning Empires in History

The Ottoman Empire began in the small town of Sögüt in Bilecik Province, Turkey, in 1299. The early Ottomans expanded virtually nonstop and conquered the Balkans in the mid-14th century. By 1453, it had destroyed what remained of the Byzantine Empire.

At its height, the Ottoman Empire stretched from the majority of southeastern Europe to Vienna (pictured: "The Second Siege of Vienna" by Frans Geffels) and Greece, the Middle East and Algeria.

The Empire lasted 623 years until World War I when the Ottoman Empire joined Germany and was subsequently defeated. Its Middle Eastern territories were divvied up between the U.K. and France, and the empire was officially wiped out after the Turkish War of Independence.

19. Macedonian Empire

Macedonian Empire map — Map of the Kingdom of Macedonia during its height.

Years: 808-168 B.C.

Maximum land area year: 323 B.C.

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.01

Percentage of the world: 3.86 percent

Alexander the Great's Empire

Battle of Issus mosaic — A detail of an ancient Roman mosaic depicting Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus.

Macedonia existed for hundreds of years, but it was Alexander the Great who made an empire out of the ancient kingdom, if only for a brief time.

During his reign and until his death in 323 B.C., Macedonia comprised of Greece, Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and modern Pakistan. Advances in philosophy, engineering and science flourished and spread throughout the world.

Alexander's death resulted in a series of wars, marking the gradual decline of the Macedonian Empire.

18. Tang Dynasty

Years: 618-907

Maximum land area year: 715

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.12

Percentage of the world: 4.08 percent

The Tang Dynasty Was a Golden Age of Chinese Culture

The Tang Dynasty was founded by Liu Yuan, who defeated the preceding Sui Dynasty 617.

In 712, Emperor Xuanzong came to power. A lover of the arts and humanities, Xuanzong embraced Buddhists and Taoists in his court and created an academy for poets and musicians. The humanities flourished during this time, and over 48,900 poems were preserved, written by over 2,000 poets. Woodblock printing was developed during the early Tang era as well.

Xuanzong ruled for 44 years and ushered in a golden age of low inflation and progressive idelas (he even abolished the death penalty).

The Tang Dynasty fell due to rebellions and mass political assassinations, including the Sweet Dew incident, where 1,000 government officials were executed. In 907, the Tang Dynasty was gone and the Five Dynasty period began.

17. Achaemenid Empire

Years: 530-330 B.C.

Maximum land area year: 500 B.C.

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.32

Percentage of the world: 4.08 percent

The Achaemenid Empire Conquered Ancient Greece

Also known as the First Persian Empire, the Achaemenid Empire was the largest the world had ever seen during its height in 550 B.C. Founded by Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid Empire stretched from Egypt to Central Asia.

Much of what we know about the Achaemenid Empire comes from the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. One of the most famous battles fought during this time was the Battle of Thermopylae, where a vastly outnumbered army of Spartan and Greek forces led by King Leonidas held off thousands of Persians at the narrow pass of Thermopylae and inflicted heavy casualties.

Xerxes I, then ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, was estimated to have up to 300,000 men, while Leonidas commanded about 7,000. But the Greeks and Spartans were betrayed by a fellow Greek, who showed Xerxes' army another path around the pass. Thousands of Greek forces were crushed or surrendered, leaving only Leonidas and his 300 bodyguards and 1,100 Boeotians to defend the pass, which they did until their death. You probably know this story from the movie "300."

The Achaemenid Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great by 330 B.C.

16. The Golden Horde Khanate

Years: 1242-1502

Maximum land area year: 1310

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.32

Percentage of the world: 4.45 percent

The Rule of the Golden Horde

Batu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, founded the Golden Horde, which conquered and ruled Russia for over 200 years. When they crushed Russia in 1240, the horde marched west, tearing into and over Europe, where it invaded Poland and annihilated the Kingdom of Hungary, slaughtering as much as a quarter of its population. Europeans nicknamed the Mongols the Tartars because they appeared to be demons from Tartarus (aka hell).

The Golden Horde and gradual decline of the Mongol Empire began in the 14th century due to the ravages of the Black Death and civil war. In 1380, the Russians won their first victory over the Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo, marking a turning point of the Mongols' bloody grip over Russia.

Pictured is a painting ofDmitry Ivanovich Donskoy, Prince of Moscow, who led the Russians into victory during the Battle of Kulikovo.

15. Rashidun Caliphate

Years: 632-661

Maximum land area year: 655

Millions of square miles occupied: 6.4

Percentage of the world: 4.75 percent

The First of the Four Caliphates

"Ali With the Dying Abu Bakr." A miniature painting from a 19th-century manuscript of Hamla-i Haydari, a poetical account of the life of Ali by Muhammad Rafi Bazil.

The Rashidun Caliphate was the first of four caliphates (government under a caliph, or spiritual leader of Islam) that were established following the death of the prophet Muhammed, who died in 632.

Abu Bakr became the first Rashidun leader and launched the Ridda Wars, which crushed rebelling Arabians who refused to see Bakr as their ruler after Muhammad died. He took the entire Arabian Peninsula but only ruled for 27 months, dying of illness in 634.

Over the course of 25 years, and subsequent caliphates, Mesopotamia, the Levant, parts of Anatolia and the Sasanian Empire came under the Rashidun Caliphate's rule.

The pictured fresco is of Bakr dying while Ali ibn Abi Talib — who would become the fourth caliphate — looks on.

14. Ming Dynasty

Years: 1368-1644

Maximum land area year: 1450

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.51

Percentage of the world: 4.82 percent

Rise and Fall of the Ming Dynasty

After Honqwu Emperor Taizu, or Zhu Yuanzhang, defeated the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (they're a bit further down this list), Yuanzhang established the Ming dynasty in 1368.

Yuanzhang ruled for 30 years in relative religious tolerance but not without copious amounts of murder. The emperor killed over 70,000 people whom he believed to oppose him, from high-level government officials to peasants. He also established a standing army of over one million troops.

After Yuanzhang's death, there was a civil war, but following that, a great expansion in trade with India and African countries, which grew the Ming dynasty's power. Eventually, constant war in Korea, Japan and against the ceaseless raids of the Mongols sapped the dynasty's power, and it collapsed in 1644.

One of the Ming dynasty's most notable accomplishments was the establishment of the Forbidden City, the largest palace in the world, which stretches over 180 acres.

13. Eastern Han Dynasty

Years: 202 B.C-220 A.D.

Maximum land area year: 100

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.51

Percentage of the world: 4.82 percent

Eastern Han Dynasty Ruled for 120 Years

Late Han Dynasty fresco — Late Han Fresco from the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum in Luoyang, China.

The Eastern Han dynasty (also known as the Later Han dynasty) began after Wang Mang, the last emperor of the Western Han dynasty, was beheaded following an insurrection, and Liu Xiu took the mantle of Emperor Guangwu.

Xiu was an extraordinary strategist who toppled oppositional rebellion warlords throughout China, growing the Eastern Han dynasty as he did. He didn't put their heads on pikes, either, opting instead to spare them.

He united much of China during his reign and established the Eastern Han dynasty, which lasted for roughly 120 years. It ended after the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the empire's splintering by the Warlord Dong Zhuo.

12. Iberian Union

Years: 1580-1640

Maximum land area year: 1640

Millions of square miles occupied: 2.51

Percentage of the world: 4.82 percent

Spain and Portugal Briefly Ruled as One

The Acclamation of the King John IV by Veloso Salgado — "The Acclamation of King John IV" by Veloso Salgado, 1908.

The Iberian Union was a dynastic union — that is, a two-state federation that governs under the same dynasty while still keeping their respective laws and boundaries — between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal under the Spanish Crown.

Long story short, the King of Portugal, Sebastian I, died in 1578, but had no direct heirs, prompting a succession crisis.

Philip II of Spain ultimately gained control of Portugal and united the two countries under the Iberian Union, which lasted 60 years.

11. Empire of Japan

Years: 1868-1947

Maximum land area year: 1942

Millions of square miles occupied: 3.285

Percentage of the world: 6.32 percent

The Japanese Empire Changed Modern History

Japanese military training — Fifty thousand students in and around Tokyo undergo rigorous training for war in November 1936. Some are equipped with bicycles to facilitate quick arrival in Tokyo.

The Japanese Empire, which joined the Axis powers, was a terrifying force. Under the emperor Hirohito, Japan attacked pretty much all of its neighbors and perpetrated numerous war crimes against China during the Second Sin-Japanese War, including the Nanjing Massacre, in which several hundred thousand Chinese civilians and soldiers were brutally murdered.

The empire began to fall after the Battle of Midway, which shifted the tides of war in the Allies' favor during World War II. It all but completely fell on Aug. 15, 1945, after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing roughly 190,000 Japanese men, women and children.

10. Empire of Brazil

Map of Empire of Brazil during its height.

Year: 1822-1889

Maximum land area year: 1889

Millions of square miles occupied: 3.22

Percentage of the world: 6.19 percent

The Empire of Brazil Didn't Last Long

Independence or Death by Pedro Americo — "Independence or Death" by Pedro Américo, 1888.

The Empire of Brazil was a state that encompassed what is modern-day Brazil and Uruguay, and it lasted for 67 years.

The country was founded by Pedro I, who sided with Brazil in the country's rebellion against Portugal in 1822.

The Empire of Brazil was fraught with inner-government turmoil and, after just nine years of being declared emperor, Pedro I abdicated the throne in 1831, leaving it for his 5-year-old son, Pedro II. While there was an initial crisis during this period, Pedro II grew to become a very good king and the Empire of Brazil hit its golden age in 1870.

However, Pedro II grew increasingly cynical and tired of ruling, and his heir, his eldest daughter, Isabel, didn't want to bother with becoming monarch. The monarchy gradually lost its power and in 1889, Pablo II and the monarchy were overthrown in a coup known as the Proclamation of the Republic.

9. Xiongnu Empire

Xiongnu Empire pre-Han-Xiongnu War — Xiongnu Empire before the Han-Xiongnu War.

Years: 209 B.C.-460

Maximum land area year: 176 B.C.

Millions of square miles occupied: 3.47

Percentage of the world: 6.68 percent

The Xiongnu Were the Reason for the Great Wall of China

The Xiongnu were a nomadic group from Central Asia that raided China so badly that the first Qin Dynasty emperor ordered the building of great fortifications to the country's north — the very beginning of the Great Wall of China.

The Xiongnu existed on the ancient eastern Eurasian Steppes from 209 B.C. into the fifth century. The Xiangnu Dynasty fell after the Xiongnu prince Liu Yao was captured in battle and executed in 329.

8. Yuan Dynasty

Years: 1271-1368

Maximum land area year: 1310

Millions of square miles occupied: 4.25

Percentage of the world: 8.16 percent

The Mongol Empire Turned into the Yuan Dynasty

Moko Shurai Ekotoba was a set of two Japanese illustrated handscrolls (emakimono) composed between 1275 and 1293. This version shows the samurai Suenaga under fire from Mongol arrows and bombs.

The Yuan dynasty succeeded the Mongol Empire and was founded by Kublai Khan. It was an extension of the Mongol Empire, which had recently splintered into four powers.

The Yuan dynasty ruled over what is now Mongolia, Korea and most of modern-day China. The dynasty began in 1271 and lasted until 1368, when the empire's lands were beleaguered by natural disasters, short-reigning leaders, a weakened army and ineffective emperors which led to populist uprisings.

7. Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate

Expansion of the Muslim Caliphate — The expansion of the Muslim Caliphate until 750.

Years: Umayyad — 661-750; Abbasid — 750-1258, 1261-1517

Maximum land area year: Umayyad — 720, Abbasid — 750

Millions of square miles occupied: 4.29

Percentage of the world: 8.24 percent

Modern Quran Came from the Third Caliphate

Rock-cut temple in Petra, Jordan — A rock-cut temple in Petra, Jordan.

The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates were the second and third caliphates following the Rashidun Caliphate. We're combining them because they both have the same landmass conquered, although they are two disparate dynasties.

Pictured here is the ancient city of Petra, located in Jordan, which has incredible rock-cut buildings. It shows the Al-Khazneh, a temple carved out of sandstone rock. Under the Umayyad Caliphate, this ancient city began to die. Under the Abbasid Caliphate, whatever remained of it after earthquakes was neglected, and the city almost entirely disappeared from history until the early 1800s.

Uthman ibn Affan, the third Caliphate, put together the standard version of the Quran.

6. Second French Colonial Empire

Map of the second French colonial empire.

Years: 1534-1980

Maximum land area year: 1920

Millions of square miles occupied: 4.44

Percentage of the world: 8.53 percent

The French Conquered Much of Africa

The Second French Colonial Empire began in 1830 with the Invasion of Algiers.

Napoleon III greatly expanded the French empire overseas, and by the 1910s, France controlled nearly half of Africa. By 1931, the French had an imperial population of 64.3 million.

The second colonial empire began to fall during the 1940s. During World War II, decolonization movements and in Algeria were crushed by the French settlers, who slaughtered thousands in Setif and Guelma on the same day that Germany surrendered. This brutal response by the French sowed the seeds for the Algerian War of Independence, which would end the second French colonial empire by the 1960s.

5. Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire at its Height — The Spanish Empire at its height.

Years: 1492-1976

Maximum land area year: 1810

Millions of square miles occupied: 5.29

Percentage of the world: 10.17 percent

The Sun Never Set on the Spanish, Until It Did

"The Charge of the Mamelukes" by Francisco de Goya.

For three centuries, the Spanish Empire spanned so much of the globe that it was known as "the empire on which the sun never sets" due to one of its territories always being in daylight.

But its power began to wane by the end of the 17th century due to a series of lackluster rulers. Its empire was so extensive, though, that it required quick industrialization to keep up with the times. Instead, it languished, while other European powers caught up and surpassed Spain in the early 1880s.

4. Qing Dynasty

Years: 1636-1912

Maximum land area year: 1790

Millions of square miles occupied: 5.68

Percentage of the world: 10.91 percent

The Qing Dynasty Was the Last Imperial Dynasty of China

Painting of Empress Dowager by Hubert Vos, 1905. Dowager ruled the Qing dynasty from 1861 until 1908.

The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 1636 until 1912. It was at its height in the late 18th century, with China's population doubling that of the Ming dynasty and a high level of education throughout the land.

The Qing dynasty flourished in the arts, and the commercialization of high-quality porcelain became a valuable trade asset that bolstered the empire's economy.

The Opium Wars of the mid-19th century weakened the Empire. Britain flooded the country with the drug, causing mass addiction to opium. British took Hong Kong after the Second Opium War. The Taiping Rebellion ended with more than 20 million Chinese dead.

In 1912, the Qing dynasty was overthrown in the Xinhai Revolution, ushering in a new era of Chinese government.

3. Russian Empire

Years: 1721-1917

Maximum land area year: 1895

Millions of square miles occupied: 8.8

Percentage of the world: 16.92 percent

The Russian Empire Ended With a Revolution

Battle of Shipka Pass — "The Defense of the Eagle's Nest," Alexey Popov, 1893.

The Russian Empire had some incredible rulers, like Ivan the Great, Peter the Great, Elizabeth of Russia, Catherine the Great and Alexander I. At its height, during the end of the 19th century, Russia controlled about one-sixth of the world's landmass.

The Russian Empire ended with Nicholas II, who was overthrown in 1917 by a group of Communists led by Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky.

In 1918, the remaining members of the Romanov family, which had ruled Russia for 300 years, were executed.

2. Mongol Empire

Years: 1206-1368

Maximum land area year: 1279

Millions of square miles occupied: 24

Percentage of the world: 17.81 percent

The Mongols Were Fearsome

Monument of Genghis Khan in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.

The Mongol Empire is one of the most famous empires in history.

Genghis Khan united several nomadic tribes, creating the most feared invaders of the 13th century. During Khan's reign, they seemed to have an endless supply of men, who, if an army were defeated, would come back with an even larger force to crush their neighbors.

The Mongol Empire began to fall apart in 1259, after the death of Mongke Khan. His lack of an heir apparent ignited a civil war and led to the fracturing of the Mongol Empire into four different powers, including the Yuan dynasty, which ruled over present-day China.

1. British Empire

Years: 1707-1997

Maximum land area year: 1920

Millions of square miles occupied: 13.71

Percentage of the world: 26.35 percent

The British Empire Didn't Totally End Until 1997

The reach of the British Empire during its extent was remarkable. By the early 1900s, the country had an imperial population of some 412 million people, nearly a quarter of the world's population.

Britain has a long and bloody history of rule and subjugation throughout the world, as would be expected from any empire even a tenth of its size. It lost its grip on many nations after enduring World War II, which left Britain bankrupt and unable to keep control over places like Malay, Palestine and Ghana.

Eddie Izzard has a bit from "Dress to Kill" that sums it up:

"So after the second world war, the whole world was going, 'Come on, Europe, give these countries back. Come on, we had a bloody war, let's give 'em back. Britain?'

'What?'

'What's that behind your back?'

'Oh, it's India and a number of other countries.'

'Give them back.'

'Oh alright...'"

In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China, completely ending what was left of the British Empire.