List of largest empires in human history

There have been many empires in the world. Most of the monarchies however now are over with democracies taking over. Take a look at the most prominent empires in the human history below.

List of Largest Empires in Human History

Persian Empire:

It is also known as Achaemenian empire. This kingdom was created under Cyrus the Great. It stretched from Iran to Central Asia and Egypt as well. 

The Rashidun Caliphate:

This rule was on more than 3 million square miles of land which made almost 6% of the Earth's land. The empire's founding stone was laid when Mohammad had died in 632 AD. his family was preparing for his funeral while his followers had gathered around to acquire his empire. It was a caliphate that is a religiously governed empire. The ones who were captured were given good treatment there. 

The people who were captured were allowed to practice their own religion even then. 

Abbasid Caliphate:

The Abbasid Caliphate had covered 4.29 million square miles of the Earth. This was more than 7% of the landmass. This empire had an unknown population number in 750 AD with Baghdad as its capital. The empire lasted from 750 to 1258 AD and was taken over by the Turks as they rose to power. 

Umayyad Caliphate:

The Umayyad Caliphate covered 5.02 million square miles of the land. This was more than 8% of the landmass on Earth. 

The empire had a population of 62 million people between 720-750 AD. The population was almost 30% the world's population. 

The 2nd Islamic Caliphate was founded in Arabia after the Prophet Muhammad's death and while the Umayyad family originated in Mecca but chose Damascus as its capital.  

The Umayyad Caliphate is named after the great- grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph who ruled between 661 and 750 AD. 

Yuan Dynasty:

This was an even bigger dynasty which covered more than 9% of the Earth's landmass. The total area it covered was 5.41 million square miles of land. 

This empire had 60 million people in the year 1291.It was 17% of the world's population. The Yuan Dynasty, was founded by the grandson of Genghis Khan. It was initiated in 1271. 

After founding the dynasty, Kublai Khan captured the capital of rival Southern Song Dynasty. He unified all of China after 5 years of founding this dynasty. The dynasty enjoyed a great life and also encouraged trade with foreign countries. 

Qing Dynasty:

This dynasty covered 5.68 million square miles of land, nearly 10% of the Earth's landmass. This empire had more than 432 million population in 1851 which is more than 35% of world's population. 

It was founded when the Chinese defeated the Mongols. The Qing Dynasty ruled China from the 17th to 20th century. The kingdom reached its height in the 1800s. 

Spanish Empire: 

This dynasty had 13% of the landmass. It covered 7.72 million square miles of land. 

The empire also had 68.2 million people between 1740 and 1790. 

The empire started with Columbus and lasted in African lands till the 20th century. This is why Spanish is the second most spoken language on Earth.  

Russian Empire:

This empire covered more than 9 million square miles of land that is 15% of the Earth's landmass. It had 176.4 million people in 1913. The empire lasted for more than 200 years. The Russian Empire ended with the bloody Russian Revolution of 1917.

Mongol Empire:

The Mongol empire covered almost 9.15 million square miles of the land. This made more than 16% of the landmass of the Earth. The empire had more than 110 million people between 1270 to 1309. This was more than 25% of the world's population. Mongol Empire emerged from the unification of Mongol and Turkish tribes under Genghis Khan. It began deteriorating when Black Death began in 1331. 

British Empire:

They ruled you as well. The British were the most spread empire ever covering more than 22% of the world's landmass. It covered 13.01 million square miles of land and had 458 million subjects in 1938. This made the total to more than 20% of the world's population. They began with colonizing places and trading posts in the end resulting in a dominion status. World War I caused the deterioration of the empire. 

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