Best Empire in History? (Corrected)

[Cyclops]

I think stability and cultural contributions have to count positively. Green is great, Black is middling, Red is weak.

Mongols-Enormous area for a short time but weak culture, soon disintegrated, empire based on ponies is a little girly.


Romans-Made the Greeks call themselves Roman. That alone is a monstrous achievement.

Muslims -Like Alexander a rapid yet enduring cultural tidal wave.

Alexander's Empire (Greece) Huge cultural beacon, unstable but the language and cultural footprint doubled the area of Hellenism.

Aztec-Savages unworthy of ruling the marvelous MesoAmerican cultures who couldn't wait to be rid of them.

Inca-Amazing expansion but unstable entity quickly toppled: nothing like the Aztecs but a similar fate.

Maya-Did the hard yards building up a fine civilisation that shared with its neighbours.

China-Most enduring cultural entity ever. Succesful politically, culturally, technologically and sometimes militarily. Its worst is not as bad as most and its best is up there with the best.

Japan-Unable to emulate Chinese, Mongol or European Empires. Small fry in this company.

Russian-Vast entity, stability troubles but seems to be going the distance. Relatively insignificant culturally (imported french culture, then Communism from Germany, failed to re-export Communism).

Mali-Not registering at this scale

American-More Punic than Roman, heart not in conquest, rather make a buck than a slave.

English-Correct appellation, ruled from London. Unstable but enormous entity, may have a lasting cultural effect through India and the USA.

Holy Roman Empire-Voltaire wasn't being fair but by the end it was definitely "neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire".

French-French conquests have been more unstable than the English but they kept a few more colonies and their shining cultural acheivements outshine English to date.

Spanish-Of the "gunpowder empires" (incl Moghuls, Russia and Ottomans) the most successful by far. A massive entity, huge residual influence on three continents, had the best helmets. The bit where they said "hmm, there might be a country over the horizon, lets conquer it" counts for a lot, although Portugal deserves a mention in that context. Why did I put them number 1? Accidently I guess, China probably wins on aggregate points.

Ottoman-Greco/Muslim fusion entity, surprisingly stable but lacking the cultural clout of the first Islamic tide or the durability of Russia (which has retained a far larger slice of its old Imperial pie).

Persian-Very admirable and surprisingly tolerant from the little I know, and a massive blazing cultural torch akin to Chinese Greek or French. but typical of iron age ME empires (assyrian, Babylonian, Median, Macedonian) : short lived, beset with wars and swiftly toppled by a determined aggressor.