Empire
When empires are called empires that included both large parts of each known world and significant impact on the historical development had (political, geographical, technological, social, cultural, religious or linguistic ). Often their respective self-understanding includes the claim, either to rule the whole world, or at least to be the greatest power on earth. In different historical periods appear different terms for such a world empire.
Empire
The terms " empire" and " empire " are often used interchangeably. The Achaemenid Persian Empire is considered the first "real" world empire in history; in previous centuries past there were indeed several empires, the short or medium term the surrounding territories and peoples ruled, however, was its size with that of the Persian Empire not comparable. In this respect, their classification is controversial as a world empire. The largest existing before the Persian Empire empire was now relatively unknown Neo-Assyrian Empire, which extended the time of its greatest extension from the south of Egypt to the Persian Gulf and the present-day Armenia.
In its extent was almost surpassed the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great's empire, that stretched from northern Greece and Egypt to the Indus. The empire of Alexander was indeed extremely short-lived, but led to his successor states, the so-called successor kingdoms, the emergence of a single Hellenistic cultural area in the eastern Mediterranean.
The classic example of an empire is the Roman Empire. It included in its heyday not only large parts of Europe, the Near East and North Africa, but practiced on for a long time dominated territories he also a profound and lasting formative civilizational, cultural and linguistic influence that (even by the later connection with Christianity ) in many areas continues to resonate today. Today's linguistic and governmental structures can be placed directly in many cases with the Roman Empire in conjunction.
Non-European empires
Was a result of the prevailing Euro -centric view of history and is today perceived inadequate that most empires existed until the beginning of the early modern period outside the European continent. By the end of the ancient world there were at least three European empires: the empire of Alexander, the Roman Empire and the (standing in direct successor of the Roman Empire ) to Eastern Roman / Byzantine Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity, not a world empire on the European continent a foothold, only imperial peripheries of other, non-European empires extended over border areas in Europe. Byzantium was formed here as a European empire initially an exception, but was since the Islamic expansion in the 7th century practically also not a world empire. Instead, the member States persons and then the complex system of territorial states were formed in Europe out first. With the beginning of European expansion in the 15th century, these states created in turn non-European empires ( empires ) on other continents.
But for example, both the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan, as well as the Empire of the Caliphs (about 700-900 AD) and the Chinese Empire (200 BC - 1800), to longer -term historical aftermath can not be denied also. Also, they were all for the sustainable development of their region determining historical greats.
Colonial empire
During the period of colonialism and imperialism, some European countries built up empires and influenced the sustainable countries they colonized. So Latin America were formed linguistically and culturally from Spain and Portugal, North America, Africa and Asia by France and Great Britain. The fact that the British Empire was the largest colonial and commercial power in the world, had the global spread of English for the sequence so that English has become the universal world and lingua franca.
Universal monarchy
In particular, the Chinese Empire saw itself as a universal monarchy, that is, the emperor as the "Son of Heaven " the supremacy came to all the other princes of the world. A similar idea was associated in medieval Europe to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, citing the sacred Hieronymus, the text of the Bible Dan 2, 21ff. from the dream of Nebuchadnezzar interpreted as meaning that there would be only four empires: the Babylonian empire, the empire of the Medes and Persians, the empire of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire, which was to last until the end of time. Under this assumption, the Holy Roman Empire could only feel as the successor of the Roman, a continuity that was made aware of Charlemagne ( translatio imperii ). However, combined with this universal claim no corresponding real power. Only after the discovery of America can be under Charles V., in whose kingdom " the sun never set ," speak again of a world empire.
List of known empires
Possible " Postcolonial Empires "
Even in the world order after 1945 could, according to some authors imperial structures determine which have clear parallels with previous empire orders. For example, the Cold War was a conflict between an east - communist and Western capitalist empire. In principle, the rule of the post-colonial empires would not be bound to territories, but manifests itself largely in control of the world economy as well as on a strong and at the same time global influence in politics, technology, migration, language, and most significantly on the culture. Münkler in favor of an American empire, in which the EU is a kind of imperial sub-center. Posen calls for a European Empire and the United States speaks any imperiality from. Bollmann tries to reconcile both positions and identifies a kind of Western Empire, where the EU and U.S. together form the imperial center. The entire globe is therefore more or less dominated indirectly from the "West". This results in a division of the world into different peripheries: This form, for example, NATO and OECD, the transatlantic link between the two imperial core areas. Conversely, it follows that the less a country is integrated in the direction of EU / USA, the more it belongs to the periphery.