Please write the top 5 empires that you think were the most influential in human history, and why. Please try to keep it to the top 5 because there are many many important empires so this parameter helps to narrow the discussion down to just the most important. Here are my picks in no particular order:
The Roman Empire: Much of the cultural, linguistic, and philosophical foundations of Western civilization were spread and consolidated by the Romans. Many argue that the very idea of Europe was created as an echo of the Western Roman Empire. Certainly Rome owes a great debt to many of its predecessors, particularly the Greeks, who actually provided much of the intellectual muscle to the Romans. Still it was Roman administrative skill and military power that spread these ideas.
The Chinese Empire: Throughout most of human history, China's military, economic, and intellectual preeminence was largely unquestioned throughout the globe. China's "century of humiliation" was a very unusual blip that saw China as not being the center of the world. Most Asian nations owe a tremendous cultural debt to China as being the founder and/or chief disseminator of what we now refer to as Eastern culture (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism). Only time will tell if China will once again return to a place at the center of the world order with its neighbors being little more than tributaries to the Middle Kingdom.
The Islamic Empire: Whatever you think of Islam, it is hard to think of a more united and persistent doctrine of thought and culture. The Islamic empire at its height was the center of world trade linking booming Asia with a then backwards Europe. Islamic civilization pioneered many advancements including advancements in banking, optics, mathematics, economics, historiography, and medicine. Islamic civilizations were the first to offer a system of universal healthcare through establishing a network of free hospitals. In philosophy it was the Arabs who translated and resurrected the works of the Ancient Greeks which would later help catapult Dark Ages Europe into the Renaissance. Political fragmentation and intellectual dogma have hollowed out much of this civilization's temporal power. Nevertheless its cultural impact remains with an estimated one sixth of the human race subscribing to some level of a 1400+ year world-view and meta-ethical doctrine.
The British Empire: With English being the main lingua franca of the world economy, it is hard to argue that the British are not one of the world's most influential empires. At its height Britain ruled about one quarter of the world's population and territory, and today even with its temporal power clearly diminished, it still retains tremendous influence through the popularity and impact of its arts and culture (The Beatles, Harry Potter, etc.), and its legal code and customs among its many former colonies.
The American Empire: The American Empire has everything an empire could hope for- Military, cultural, technological, economic, and political dominance on a scale and scope never seen in all of human history. That being said, it also has one great weakness in its claim to a spot on this list, its youth. With the American empire being little more than about 50 years old, it remains to be seen if America can maintain this preeminence or whether it will squander it and risk being relegated to the place of honorable mention on this list (The Soviet Empire) as an empire that was mighty in its heyday, but largely irrelevant after an abrupt collapse.
I do not expect everyone to agree with or to argue with my specific points; I would love to hear other people's lists and reasoning. Thanks.
The Roman Empire: Much of the cultural, linguistic, and philosophical foundations of Western civilization were spread and consolidated by the Romans. Many argue that the very idea of Europe was created as an echo of the Western Roman Empire. Certainly Rome owes a great debt to many of its predecessors, particularly the Greeks, who actually provided much of the intellectual muscle to the Romans. Still it was Roman administrative skill and military power that spread these ideas.
The Chinese Empire: Throughout most of human history, China's military, economic, and intellectual preeminence was largely unquestioned throughout the globe. China's "century of humiliation" was a very unusual blip that saw China as not being the center of the world. Most Asian nations owe a tremendous cultural debt to China as being the founder and/or chief disseminator of what we now refer to as Eastern culture (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism). Only time will tell if China will once again return to a place at the center of the world order with its neighbors being little more than tributaries to the Middle Kingdom.
The Islamic Empire: Whatever you think of Islam, it is hard to think of a more united and persistent doctrine of thought and culture. The Islamic empire at its height was the center of world trade linking booming Asia with a then backwards Europe. Islamic civilization pioneered many advancements including advancements in banking, optics, mathematics, economics, historiography, and medicine. Islamic civilizations were the first to offer a system of universal healthcare through establishing a network of free hospitals. In philosophy it was the Arabs who translated and resurrected the works of the Ancient Greeks which would later help catapult Dark Ages Europe into the Renaissance. Political fragmentation and intellectual dogma have hollowed out much of this civilization's temporal power. Nevertheless its cultural impact remains with an estimated one sixth of the human race subscribing to some level of a 1400+ year world-view and meta-ethical doctrine.
The British Empire: With English being the main lingua franca of the world economy, it is hard to argue that the British are not one of the world's most influential empires. At its height Britain ruled about one quarter of the world's population and territory, and today even with its temporal power clearly diminished, it still retains tremendous influence through the popularity and impact of its arts and culture (The Beatles, Harry Potter, etc.), and its legal code and customs among its many former colonies.
The American Empire: The American Empire has everything an empire could hope for- Military, cultural, technological, economic, and political dominance on a scale and scope never seen in all of human history. That being said, it also has one great weakness in its claim to a spot on this list, its youth. With the American empire being little more than about 50 years old, it remains to be seen if America can maintain this preeminence or whether it will squander it and risk being relegated to the place of honorable mention on this list (The Soviet Empire) as an empire that was mighty in its heyday, but largely irrelevant after an abrupt collapse.
I do not expect everyone to agree with or to argue with my specific points; I would love to hear other people's lists and reasoning. Thanks.