Empire’s have ruled since the dawn of civilization and with empire comes power, and with power comes responsibility. Unfortunately, sometimes the power taken by an empire or dynasty wasn’t used responsibly and many people suffered tremendously. Colonial empires were built on conquering foreign lands and peoples, which can be overwhelmingly violent and culturally disruptive. Throughout the course of history different empires have reigned supreme, and it seems as though it was a constant battle to keep the top position. Some may say the structure of an empire is innately human, as almost every civilization established one, while others just can’t seem to wrap their heads around the violence.
What must be remembered is that an empire is essentially a large business operation that will do anything in its power to become wealthier and larger—and I mean at anything. Millions of people have lost their lives and cultures due to the violent grasp of some of the world’s most aggressive empires. The only way an empire is to gain power is by taking it by physical force or intimidation tactics, both of which don’t give the structure of an empire the best reputation.
If there is anything certain about empires it’s that they leave racial and cultural problems in their wake for thousands of years. Life as we know it today is a direct result of thousands of years of empires dominating the world; everything from the spices on the food we eat, to the religion’s we see spread across the world, to the languages that survived. Some empires on this list have conquered unfathomable amounts of land, while others are actually known for their peace and economic prosperity—take a quick look back at how it all began.