Many great empires, even being among the most powerful in the history of mankind and reigning for several centuries, ended up falling for one reason or another. Even so, his imprint has been reflected not only in the relics that are preserved today ; but some of the following civilizations have played a key role in the development of our current society.
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The 10 most powerful empires that one day ruled the world
The following empires were the masters of the world during their reign, although they all ended up falling apart. 10. Mayan Empire
The largest of the Mesoamerican civilizations was born around a thousand before Christ , having its maximum splendor around the year 600 of the Christian era ; and it would last until it disappeared in 1500, due to the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese.
Without a doubt, it is one of the most powerful empires in history, due to the vast territory in which they settled (Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and even Belize); as well as one of those that has had the greatest impact on our society: the Mayans bequeathed us their imposing pyramids, mathematics, the calendar(used in most of the West), without forgetting his innumerable prophecies about the End of the World. 9. Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty (pronounced “chin”), ruled by the Manchu tribe, ruled a large area of China and Russia. Throughout the years, peace and prosperity prevailed during the hegemony of this great empire , thanks also to the strength of its army.
However, the constant clashes with western enemies, plus the Opium War and, finally, the Shinhai Revolution; marked the end of four thousand years of Monarchy in China and the establishment of the Republic. 8. Byzantine Empire
After the separation of the Roman empire into western and eastern halves, due to barbarian invasions, the western part finally fell to the sieges of these northern peoples; but the eastern lasted to become one of the main economic powers of Europe. With one of the best prepared armies and with great cultural impact , the Byzantine Empire has been one of the great Christian states.
The thousand years that this civilization lasted, make it one of the most powerful empires in the history of mankind. However, it would end up falling into the hands of the Ottoman invaders, who took the capital Constantinople in 1453.
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7. Persian Empire Also known as the “Achaemenid Empire” , the Persian civilization was founded in the 6th century BC by Cyrus II the Great.
We are facing one of the empires that, until then, had taken control of a larger area of the continent (from the west to the central part of Asia), which meant that almost half of the world’s population lived under the yoke of the brave and feared Persian warriors. 6. Egyptian Empire
The Egyptian culture is one of the best known and admired today. For seven centuries, the pharaohs ruled in Egypt, considered kings and gods in equal measure. Its beautiful pyramids, the highest symbol of its architecture, the hieroglyphs, mummies or papyri; They are an example of what this civilization has left us. Likewise, we cannot forget that it was the Egyptians who devised boats, the crop irrigation system and even beer. 5. Ottoman Empire
This empire, undoubtedly one of the most powerful in history , had its period of hegemony from 1299 to the First World War (1914), with the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent as the period of greatest splendor (mid-16th century ).
With its domains extending from southeastern Europe, part of North Africa and western Asia, the Ottoman Empire was the greatest exponent of the Islamic world of the time, having all the commercial activities carried out under its power.
Even so,the constant tensions between the different ethnic groups , as well as the religious conflicts, cracked this superpower from within; while the enemy nations were in charge of finishing sinking it from outside its borders. 4. Macedonian Empire
Alexander the Great led the Macedonian Empire to be one of the most powerful in the world, taking over the lands that had been taken by the Persians and Egyptians.
Although he barely lived to be 33 years old , Alexander the Great found no enemies that could stop him from advancing around the globe . Unfortunately, after his death, his heirs fought among themselves to see who would take power, causing the debacle of the Macedonian Empire. 3. Mongol Empire
The bronze as one of the most powerful empires in our history, goes to the Mongols, one of the most fierce and combative peoples thanks to the figure of their leader, Ghengis Khan, who exercised control over his people and the Turks.
Over the course of a century, the Mongols’ fighting skill gained them more than 19 million square kilometers of land. As usually happens in other cases, once the Khan died, the unity of his people was lost , dispersing them and dissolving everything they had built. 2. British Empire
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Because in its day, the one they called “The empire where the sun never sets” (nickname taken from the Spanish empire, like so many other things that the English stole from them), became a world power that encompassed up to a fifth of the total population of the planet .
For three centuries (from the 17th to the 20th), the British practically dominated the world, but two World Wars ended up consuming the resources of what was one of the most powerful empires of recent times. 1. Roman Empire
Founded in the first century after Christ by Augustus, it was Julius Caesar who converted what until then was a prosperous Republic into what would be the most powerful Empire in History. However,its immense size would soon prove its greatest weakness in the face of constant siege by barbarian troops from the north.
After the separation in 476, the Western Roman Empire ended up falling; while the Eastern one prospered and became the Byzantine empire that we have seen in the eighth position of this list, until the year 1453.
On the other hand, the Roman empire has left behind many of the comforts that we enjoy today . As Monty Python said in Life of Brian: “Well, apart from sewage, health, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads and public toilets, what have the people done? Romans for us
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