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List of largest empires

Several empires in human history have been contenders for the largest of all time, depending on definition and mode of measurement. Possible ways of measuring size include area, population, economy, and power. Of these, area is the most commonly used because it has a fairly precise definition and can be feasibly measured with some degree of accuracy.[1] Estonian political scientist Rein Taagepera, who published a series of academic articles about the territorial extents of historical empires between 1978 and 1997,[2][3][4][5] defined an empire as "any relatively large sovereign political entity whose components are not sovereign" and its size as the area over which the empire has some undisputed military and taxation prerogatives.[6] The list is not exhaustive owing to a lack of available data for several empires; for this reason and because of the inherent uncertainty in the estimates, no rankings are given.

A map of the British and Mongol empires at their respective greatest extents
The British Empire (red) and Mongol Empire (blue) were the largest and second-largest empires in history, respectively. The precise extent of the Mongol Empire at its greatest territorial expansion is a matter of debate among scholars.

Largest empires by land area

For context, the land area of the Earth, excluding the continent of Antarctica, is 134,740,000 km2 (52,023,000 sq mi).[7]

Empires at their greatest extent

The home and colonial areas of the world's empires in 1908, as given by The Harmsworth Atlas and Gazetteer

Empire size in this list is defined as the dry land area it controlled at the time, which may differ considerably from the area it claimed. For example: in the year 1800, European powers collectively claimed approximately 20% of the Earth's land surface that they did not effectively control.[8] Where estimates vary, entries are sorted by the lowest estimate. Where more than one entry has the same area, they are listed alphabetically.

EmpireMaximum land area
Million km2Million sq mi% of worldYear
British Empire[a]35.5[9]13.7126.35%1920[9]
Mongol Empire[b]24.0[9][10]9.2717.81%1270[10] or 1309[9]
Russian Empire[c]22.8[9][10]8.8016.92%1895[9][10]
Qing dynasty[d]14.7[9][10]5.6810.91%1790[9][10]
Spanish Empire13.7[9]5.2910.17%1810[9]
Second French colonial empire11.5[9]4.448.53%1920[9]
Abbasid Caliphate11.1[9]4.298.24%750[9]
Umayyad Caliphate11.1[9]4.298.24%720[9]
Yuan dynasty11.0[9]4.258.16%1310[9]
Xiongnu Empire9.0[10][11]3.476.68%176 BC[10][11]
Empire of Brazil[e]8.337[12]3.226.19%1889[12]
Empire of Japan7.4[13]–8.512.86–3.285[14]5.49%–6.32%1942[13][14]
Eastern Han dynasty6.5[11]2.514.82%100[11]
Ming dynasty6.5[9][10]2.514.82%1450[9][10]
Rashidun Caliphate6.4[9]2.474.75%655[9]
First Turkic Khaganate6.0[10][11]2.324.45%557[10][11]
Golden Horde Khanate6.0[9][10]2.324.45%1310[9][10]
Western Han dynasty6.0[10][11]2.324.45%50 BC[10][11]
Achaemenid Empire5.5[10][11]2.124.08%500 BC[10][11]
Second Portuguese Empire[e]5.5[9]2.124.08%1820[9]
Tang dynasty5.4[9][10]2.084.01%715[9][10]
Macedonian Empire5.2[10][11]2.013.86%323 BC[10][11]
Ottoman Empire5.2[9][10]2.013.86%1683[9][10]
Northern Yuan dynasty5.0[9]1.933.71%1368[9]
Roman Empire5.0[10][11]1.933.71%117[10][11]
Xin dynasty4.7[11]1.813.49%10[11]
Tibetan Empire4.6[9][10]1.783.41%800[9][10]
Xianbei state4.5[15]1.743.34%200[15]
First Mexican Empire4.429[16]1.713.29%1821[16]
Timurid Empire4.4[9][10]1.703.27%1405[9][10]
Fatimid Caliphate4.1[9][10]1.583.04%969[9][10]
Eastern Turkic Khaganate4.0[11]1.542.97%624[11]
Hunnic Empire4.0[10][11]1.542.97%441[10][11]
Mughal Empire4.0[9][10]1.542.97%1690[9][10]
Great Seljuq Empire3.9[9][10]1.512.89%1080[9][10]
Seleucid Empire3.9[10][11]1.512.89%301 BC[10][11]
Italian Empire3.825[17]1.482.84%1941[17]
Ilkhanate3.75[9][10]1.452.78%1310[9][10]
Dzungar Khanate3.6[15]1.392.67%1650[15]
Chagatai Khanate3.5[9][10]1.352.60%1310[9] or 1350[9][10]
Sasanian Empire3.5[10][11]1.352.60%550[10][11]
Western Turkic Khaganate3.5[11]1.352.60%630[11]
Western Xiongnu3.5[11]1.352.60%20[11]
First French colonial empire3.4[9]1.312.52%1670[9]
Ghaznavid Empire3.4[9][10]1.312.52%1029[9][10]
Maurya Empire3.4[11]–5.0[10]1.31–1.932.52%–3.71%261 BC[11] or 250 BC[10]
Delhi Sultanate3.2[9][10]1.242.37%1312[9][10]
German colonial empire3.1471.215[18]2.34%1911[18]
Northern Song dynasty3.1[9][10]1.202.30%980[9][10]
Uyghur Khaganate3.1[9][10]1.202.30%800[9][10]
Western Jin dynasty3.1[11]1.202.30%280[11]
Danish Empire3.0[19]1.162.23%1700[19]
Sui dynasty3.0[11]1.162.23%589[11]
Safavid empire2.9[15]1.122.15%1630[15]
Samanid Empire2.85[9][10]1.102.12%928[9][10]
Eastern Jin dynasty2.8[11]1.082.08%347[11]
Median Empire[f]2.8[10][11]1.082.08%585 BC[10][11]
Parthian Empire2.8[10][11]1.082.08%1[10][11]
Rouran Khaganate2.8[10][11]1.082.08%405[10][11]
Byzantine Empire2.7[10]–2.8[11]1.04–1.082.00%–2.08%555[10] or 450[11]
Indo-Scythian Kingdom2.6[11]1.001.93%20[11]
Liao dynasty2.6[9][10]1.001.93%947[9][10]
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom2.5[11]0.971.86%184 BC[11]
Later Zhao2.5[11]0.971.86%329[11]
Maratha Confederacy2.5[10]0.971.86%1760[10]
Belgian colonial empire2.366[17]–2.470.91–0.95[21]1.76%–1.83%1941[17] or 1939[21]
Jin dynasty (1115–1234)2.3[9][10]0.891.71%1126[9][10]
Khwarazmian Empire2.3[10]–3.6[9]0.89–1.391.71%–2.67%1210[10] or 1218[9]
Qin dynasty2.3[11]0.891.71%220 BC[11]
Dutch Empire2.1[15]0.811.56%1938[15]
First French Empire2.1[9]0.811.56%1813[9]
Kievan Rus'2.1[9][10]0.811.56%1000[9][10]
Mamluk Sultanate2.1[9][10]0.811.56%1300[9] or 1400[10]
Southern Song dynasty2.1[9]0.811.56%1127[9]
Third Portuguese Empire2.1[9]0.811.56%1900[9]
Almohad Caliphate2.0[10]–2.3[9]0.77–0.891.48%–1.71%1200[10] or 1150[9]
Cao Wei2.0[11]0.771.48%263[11]
Former Qin2.0[11]0.771.48%376[11]
Former Zhao2.0[11]0.771.48%316[11]
Ghurid dynasty2.0[15]0.771.48%1200[15]
Inca Empire2.0[9][10]0.771.48%1527[9][10]
Kushan Empire2.0[10]–2.5[11]0.77–0.971.48%–1.86%200[10][11]
Liu Song dynasty2.0[11]0.771.48%450[11]
Northern Wei2.0[11]0.771.48%450[11]
Western Roman Empire2.0[11]0.771.48%395[11]
Ayyubid dynasty1.7[9]–2.0[10]0.66–0.771.26%–1.48%1200[9] or 1190[10]
Gupta Empire1.7[11]–3.5[10]0.66–1.351.26%–2.60%440[11] or 400[10]
Hephthalite Empire1.7[22]–4.0[11]0.66–1.541.26%–2.97%500[22] or 470[11]
Buyid dynasty1.6[9][10]0.621.19%980[9][10]
Eastern Wu1.5[11]0.581.11%221[11]
Northern Qi1.5[11]0.581.11%557[11]
Northern Xiongnu1.5[11]0.581.11%60[11]
Northern Zhou1.5[11]0.581.11%577[11]
Neo-Assyrian Empire1.4[10][23]0.541.04%670 BC[10][23]
Eastern Maurya Kingdom1.3[11]0.500.96%210 BC[11]
Liang dynasty1.3[10][11]0.500.96%502,[11] 549,[11] or 579[10]
Qajar Empire1.290.50[24]0.96%1873[24]
Kingdom of Aksum1.25[10]0.480.93%350[10]
Shang dynasty1.25[10][23]0.480.93%1122 BC[10][23]
Francia1.2[9][10]0.460.89%814[9][10]
Srivijaya1.2[10]0.460.89%1200[10]
Indo-Greek Kingdom1.1[11]0.420.82%150 BC[11]
Mali Empire1.1[9][10]0.420.82%1380[9][10]
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth1.1[9][10]0.420.82%1480[10] or 1650[9]
Almoravid dynasty1.0[10]0.390.74%1120[10]
Pushyabhuti dynasty1.0[9][10]0.390.74%625[9] or 648[9][10]
Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty1.0[9]0.390.74%860[9]
Holy Roman Empire1.0[9]0.390.74%1050[9]
Khazar Khanate1.0[9]–3.0[10]0.39–1.160.74%–2.23%900[9] or 850[10]
Khmer Empire1.0[9][10]0.390.74%1290[9][10]
New Kingdom of Egypt1.0[10][23]0.390.74%1450 BC[23] or 1300 BC[10]
Ptolemaic Kingdom1.0[11]0.390.74%301 BC[11]
Qara Khitai1.0[9]–1.5[10]0.39–0.580.74%–1.11%1130[9] or 1210[10]
Scythia1.0[22]0.390.74%400 BC[22]
Shu Han1.0[11]0.390.74%221[11]
Tahirid dynasty1.0[9]0.390.74%800[9]
Western Xia1.0[10]0.390.74%1100[10]
Swedish Empire0.99[25]0.380.73%1700[25]
Nazi Germany0.824[17]0.320.61%1941[17]
Akkadian Empire0.8[23]0.310.59%2250 BC[23]
Avar Khaganate0.8[11]0.310.59%600[11]
Chu0.8[11]0.310.59%300 BC[11]
Huns0.8[11]0.310.59%287[11]
Songhai Empire0.8[9]0.310.59%1550[9]
Hyksos0.65[23]0.250.48%1650 BC[23]
Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt0.65[23]0.250.48%550 BC[23]
Rozvi Empire0.624[26]0.240.46%1700[26]
Austro-Hungarian Empire0.620.24[27]0.46%1905[27]
Caliphate of Córdoba0.6[9]0.230.45%1000[9]
First Portuguese Empire0.6[9]0.230.45%1580[9]
Visigothic Kingdom0.6[11]0.230.45%580[11]
Zhou dynasty0.55[28]0.210.41%1100 BC[28]
Sikh Empire0.520.20[29]0.39%1839[29]
Emirate of Córdoba0.5[9]0.190.37%756[9]
Kosala0.5[11]0.190.37%543 BC[11]
Lydia0.5[23]0.190.37%585 BC[23]
Magadha0.5[11]0.190.37%510 BC[11]
Middle Kingdom of Egypt0.5[23]0.190.37%1850 BC[23]
Neo-Babylonian Empire0.5[23]0.190.37%562 BC[23]
Satavahana dynasty0.5[11]0.190.37%150[11]
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt0.5[23]0.190.37%715 BC[23]
Western Satraps0.5[11]0.190.37%100[11]
New Hittite Kingdom0.45[23]0.170.33%1250 BC – 1220 BC[23]
Xia dynasty0.45[23]0.170.33%1800 BC[23]
Bulgarian Empire0.4[30][need quotation to verify]0.150.30%850[30][need quotation to verify]
Kingdom of France (Middle Ages)0.4[9]0.150.30%1250[9]
Middle Assyrian Empire0.4[23]0.150.30%1080 BC[23]
Old Kingdom of Egypt0.4[23]0.150.30%2400 BC[23]
Sokoto Caliphate0.4[31]0.150.30%1804[31]
Latin Empire0.35[11]0.140.26%1204[11]
Ancient Carthage0.3[11]0.120.22%220 BC[11]
Indus Valley civilisation[g]0.3[28]0.120.22%1800 BC[28]
Mitanni0.3[23]0.120.22%1450 BC – 1375 BC[23]
Ashanti Empire0.25[32]0.100.19%1820[32]
First Babylonian Empire0.25[23]0.100.19%1690 BC[23]
Aztec Empire0.22[9]0.080.16%1520[9]
Zulu Empire0.210.08[33]0.16%1822[33]
Elamite Empire0.2[23]0.080.15%1160 BC[23]
Phrygia0.2[23]0.080.15%750 BC[23]
Second Dynasty of Isin0.2[23]0.080.15%1130 BC[23]
Urartu0.2[23]0.080.15%800 BC[23]
Eastern Zhou0.15[23]0.060.11%770 BC[23]
Middle Hittite Kingdom0.15[23]0.060.11%1450 BC[23]
Old Assyrian Empire0.15[23]0.060.11%1730 BC[23]
Old Hittite Empire0.15[23]0.060.11%1530 BC[23]
Oyo Empire0.15[34]0.060.11%1680[34]
Bornu Empire0.130.05[35]0.10%1892[35]
Larsa0.1[23]0.040.07%1750 BC – 1700 BC[23]
Neo-Sumerian Empire0.1[23]0.040.07%2000 BC[23]
Tarascan empire0.075[36]0.030.06%1450[36]
Lagash0.05[28]0.020.04%2400 BC[28]
Sumer0.05[23]0.020.04%2400 BC[23]

Timeline of largest empires to date

The earliest empire which can with certainty be stated to have been larger than all previous empires was that of Upper and Lower Egypt, which covered ten times the area of the previous largest civilisation around the year 3000 BC.[37]

EmpireLand area
(million km2)		Year
Upper and Lower Egypt0.1[23]3000 BC[23]
Old Kingdom of Egypt0.25[23]2850 BC[23]
0.4[23]2400 BC[23]
Akkadian Empire0.65[23]2300 BC[23]
0.8[23]2250 BC[23]
New Kingdom of Egypt1.0[23]1450 BC[23]
Shang dynasty1.25[23]1122 BC[23]
Neo-Assyrian Empire1.4[23]670 BC[23]
Median Empire[a]2.8[11]585 BC[11]
Achaemenid Empire3.6[11]539 BC[11]
5.5[11]500 BC[11]
Xiongnu Empire9.0[11]176 BC[11]
Umayyad Caliphate11.1[9]720[9]
Mongol Empire13.5[9]1227[9]
24.0[9]1309[9]
British Empire24.5[9]1880[9]
35.5[9]1920[9]

Timeline of largest empires at the time

EmpireLand area during time
as largest empire
(million km2)[28]		Approximate period[28]
Upper Egypt0.13000 BC
Old Kingdom of Egypt0.25–0.42800 BC – 2400 BC
Akkadian Empire0.2–0.62300 BC – 2200 BC
Indus Valley Civilisation[a]0.152100 BC
Middle Kingdom of Egypt0.2–0.52000 BC – 1800 BC
Xia dynasty0.41700 BC
Hyksos0.651600 BC
New Kingdom of Egypt0.65–1.01500 BC – 1300 BC
Shang dynasty0.9–1.11250 BC – 1150 BC
New Kingdom of Egypt0.5–0.61100 BC – 1050 BC
Zhou dynasty0.35–0.451000 BC – 900 BC
Neo-Assyrian Empire0.4–1.4850 BC – 650 BC
Median Empire[b]3.0600 BC
Achaemenid Empire2.5–5.5550 BC – 350 BC
Macedonian Empire5.2323 BC
Seleucid Empire4.0300 BC
Maurya Empire3.5250 BC
Han dynasty2.5200 BC
Xiongnu Empire5.7150 BC
Han dynasty4.2–6.5100 BC – 200 AD
Roman Empire4.4250–350
Sasanian Empire3.5400
Hunnic Empire4.0450
Sasanian Empire3.5500
Göktürk Khaganate3.0–5.2550–600
Rashidun Caliphate5.2650
Umayyad Caliphate9.0–11.0700–750
Abbasid Caliphate8.3–11.0750–800
Tibet2.5–4.7850–950
Song dynasty3.01000
Seljuk Empire3.0–4.01050–1100
Tibet2.51150
Jin dynasty (1115–1234)2.31200
Mongol Empire18.0–24.01250–1300
Yuan dynasty11.01350
Timurid Empire4.01400
Ming dynasty4.7–6.51450–1500
Ottoman Empire4.31550
Tsardom of Russia6.0–12.01600–1700
Russian Empire14.0–17.01750–1800
British Empire23.0–34.01850–1925
Soviet Union22.51950–1975

Largest empires by share of world population

The home and colonial populations of the world's empires in 1908, as given by The Harmsworth Atlas and Gazetteer

Because of the trend of increasing world population over time, absolute population figures are for some purposes less relevant for comparison between different empires than their respective shares of the world population at the time.[38] For the majority of the time since roughly 400 BC, the two most populous empires' combined share of the world population has been 30–40%. Most of the time, the most populous empire has been located in China.[39]

EmpireEmpire population
as percentage of
world population[40]		Year[40]
Qing dynasty371800
Northern Song dynasty331100
Western Han dynasty321
Mongol Empire311290
Roman Empire30150
Jin dynasty (266–420)28280
Ming dynasty281600
Qin dynasty24220 BC
Mughal Empire241700
Tang dynasty23900
Delhi Sultanate231350
British Empire231938
Empire of Japan201943
Maurya Empire19250 BC
Former Qin19376
Northern Zhou16580
Macedonian Empire15323 BC
Empire of Harsha15647
Gupta Empire13450
Northern Wei13500
Umayyad Caliphate13750
Achaemenid Empire12450 BC
Former Yan12366
Jin dynasty (1115–1234)121200
Nazi Germany121943

See also

References

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