Best Empire in History? (Corrected)

[gaelic cowboy]

America because they mainly stay at home

[A Nerd]

I voted for Rome. The conqured large tracks of land and as far as I know, assimilated the conqured well. Then reigned realitivaly peacefully until the Germanics came. Though I am no avid historian.

[Tabuu]

Luckily I am an avid historian and your reason is 99% correct. The 1%, however, was the peaceful reign. Yes, Rome did have it's "Pax Romana" but then Rome fell into civil wars, a seemingly endless struggle over the throne. This also happened before Rome became an empire, but with the struggle over the consul positions. Germanics came afterward. I could be wrong, but hey who isn't wrong? Very good reason for your vote!

[Tabuu]

Oh and that also goes for you, TinCow. Also very good and more elaborate.

[Beskar]

Depends on definition of "Best" and "Empire", but the out those which called themselves a "Empire", the British Empire wins hands down and triumphs all.

[Tabuu]

I have to go with alh_p's definition of "best." I really couldn't come up with anything except "overall."

[seireikhaan]

Well, given the parameters, its probably the British. However....

I'd say, if going for impact, it would be the Mongols. Reminding the east through force that there was, indeed, a west, and the west that there was, indeed, an east. That not only did they exist, but that they were very much in reach. I tend to view the Mongol Empire as the impetus for the creation of the new world, providing the temporary glimpse of stability across a continent that enabled merchant activities to flow unimpeded. When it was predictably shattered by logistics and inevitable decline into incompetence, merchants and the nobility wanted that flow to return. Hence, when technology finally caught up to the demand, we have the new world...

[Skullheadhq]

America because they mainly stay at home

Haha, are you serious?

[Tsar Alexsandr]

Mongols. The size and depth of the Mongol Empire reached many areas of the world, from Japan to Poland, all of Asia and Europe knew of the horde of Genghis Khan. Or more appropriately, Chingis Khan.

[Ibrahim]

Mongols. The size and depth of the Mongol Empire reached many areas of the world, from Japan to Poland, all of Asia and Europe knew of the horde of Genghis Khan. Or more appropriately, Chingis Khan.

leaving behind many heaps of skulls, and a river black with ink

[Tsar Alexsandr]

leaving behind many heaps of skulls, and a river black with ink

There's no doubt a lot of people died. But the Mongols were pretty unique in the aspect their rage was just that... pure rage. XD People weren't killed for ethnicity or religion by Genghis Khan. Just cause he was in a mood for killing people.... XD

He did employ people who were good at a certain skill in that skill. He knew the horde didn't really have many skilled administrators and such. (I doubt many of them were literate back in Genghis day.) So for your old leaders, the Mongols sacking your town is a bad thing. (And for x number of innocent townspeople.) But in the end, you might get a promotion! If you lived to get one that is.... The Mongols also let people join the horde too. Most of the Mongols who came into Europe and the Middle East were Muslim. As well as a few random Christian Mongol warlords.

They certainly won't the most advanced empire in history. But their spread was fast, their strength intense, and they were obviously one of the most diverse. (As much as Rome or Alexander's empire. Or more so.) I hesitated to vote for them due to these considerations, but their size at it's height was gigantic. And the Empires that followed his, like Yuan Dynasty China, the Mughals in India, and Tamerlame (Timur the Lame) all had considerable Empires made of the left overs from Genghis Khan's empire.

[Azathoth]

Or more appropriately, Chingis Khan.

Temujin. He was good at rape.

[Tsar Alexsandr]

Temujin. He was good at rape.

Temujin? His original name before he became Chingis?

Yeah he was. There's a lot of Mongol out there in the world due to him....

At least in Mongolia people might be proud of it lol.

[Reenk Roink]

Temujin. He was good at rape.

He was pretty good at other things to. Statecraft, military strategy and tactics, diplomacy, and propaganda. Plus I bet a lot of chicks banged him willingly.

I never understood the vilification the Mongols received for their conquests, where massacres were commonplace in all these empires, and by popularly known 'heroic' figures like Alexander and Caesar. I guess you could make a case that the Mongols were more brutal than their contemporaries, but let that be tempered with the fact that accounts of massacres are likely exaggerated on both sides, the Mongols for their psychological warfare and propaganda machine, and the losers to vilify their conquerors.

[Martok]

I never understood the vilification the Mongols received for their conquests

While I'm in no way qualified to delve into the details, I have a hunch that said vilification has its roots in medieval Europe's religious aristocracy. The Catholic Church's hierarchy almost certainly viewed the Mongols as a serious threat to Christianity; I have to imagine they'd have done their level-best to propagandize against them.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I would say the vilification of the Mongols runs deep in every civilisation.

The band of civilisations, running from Europe, through the Middle East, to India and into China and Korea, has always feared the Eurasian hordes in their middle, always looked down on them, their different ways. Not until the 19th century were they ever put under control.

The nomad doesn't wage war for conquest and settlement - that would mean the end of his ways. He wars for plunder. But not even that all that much - the nomad can only posses what he can carry. In the end, the nomad wars for glory and status, to relieve population pressure - the plains can't carry a high density of people.


When they do ride out for conquest, they tend to do so with a bang. Many of us are their descendants. If you are Indo-European, whether in India, Iran or Europe, or Hungarian, or Turkish in Asia Minor or central Asia, or Mongol, or any of very many more peoples, then much of your ancestry would've once roamed the central Asian plains, mobile, outside of scared, settled civilisation.

[Veho Nex]

America, 120 years and running, what happens to them happens to all. The power to destroy the world in a blink of an eye. The ability to bring all nations together in one united effort and willing to back it with its own military power. We are reaching an age of corruption though, and if we can find our way through it then we will maintain that power.