What is an empire and how is it ruled?
An empire is a very large realm. One ruler, such as an emperor or a king of kings, governs many lands and many peoples.
To rule so much land, an empire needs four tools:
- Army: to win land and keep order.
- Officers: governors who run each province (a part of the empire).
- Tax: a share of crops or coins that goes to the capital.
- Roads and messages: so orders and soldiers travel fast.
Empires also spread things: languages, religions, coins and ideas. But they often used force and took tax from people who did not choose to join.
Persia and Alexander: West Asia and the Greek world
Persia (Achaemenid empire) began with Cyrus the Great about 550 BCE. Under Darius I it stretched from Egypt to the Indus. It was split into provinces ruled by satraps. The Royal Road, about 2,500 km long, had rest posts with fresh horses. Persian kings let people keep their own gods and customs, which kept the peace. Persians followed the teachings of Zoroaster.
Greece was a land of city-states such as Athens, where citizens voted. After the Persian wars, Alexander of Macedon (king 336 to 323 BCE) beat Persia and reached the Indus in 326 BCE. He died young, and his generals split the land. Greek language and art mixed with local ones: the Hellenistic age.
Rome: from a city to an empire
Rome started as a city in Italy. It first became a republic (about 509 BCE), ruled by a Senate and elected officers. By conquering lands around the Mediterranean Sea it grew very large. In 27 BCE Augustus became the first emperor.
- Roads: stone roads joined the provinces.
- Law: one set of laws, later written down, still studied today.
- Army: legions guarded the borders.
- Citizenship: it was slowly given to more and more people.
Rome was rich and strong for about two hundred years (the "Roman peace"). The western half fell in 476 CE; the eastern half lived on for almost 1,000 more years.
Ancient India and China: Maurya, Qin and Han
India
Chandragupta Maurya began the Maurya empire about 322 BCE, with its capital at Pataliputra. His grandson Ashoka (about 268 to 232 BCE) was shaken by the suffering after the Kalinga war. He turned to dhamma, a way of kindness and fairness, and had messages cut on rocks and pillars. The Gupta dynasty (about 320 to 550 CE) came much later.
China
Before 221 BCE, China was split into warring states. The ruler of Qin joined them and gave one writing, one money and one set of weights. The Han empire (206 BCE to 220 CE) chose officers by exams, used paper, and ran the Silk Road. Teachings of Confucius were used to train officers.
Belief systems
Ideas travelled with the empires: Zoroastrianism in Persia, Greek philosophy, Buddhism and Hinduism in India, and Confucianism in China.
Try it: build your own empire in 3 minutes
Try it at home. You need paper and a pencil.
- Draw a dot for your capital and 5 dots around it for provinces.
- Draw roads from the capital to each province. Which province is farthest?
- Ask: how long would a message take if a rider goes 50 km a day and the farthest province is 500 km away? (500 ÷ 50 = 10 days.)
- Now add rest posts every 50 km with fresh horses. Why did Persia build these?
In the 3D, drag the slider and predict first: which empire will be alive in 300 BCE? Then check.
Key formulas and definitions
- Empire = one ruler + many lands + many peoples
- Persia: satraps (governors) + Royal Road
- Alexander: reached the Indus in 326 BCE; died 323 BCE
- Rome: republic about 509 BCE; first emperor Augustus 27 BCE
- Maurya: Chandragupta about 322 BCE; Ashoka about 268 to 232 BCE
- China: Qin joins states 221 BCE; Han 206 BCE to 220 CE
- BCE years go DOWN as time moves forward
Worked examples
1. Why did Persia build a Royal Road?
A huge empire needs fast news. Rest posts with fresh horses let messengers cover the road in days instead of weeks, so the king could give orders and collect tax in faraway provinces.
2. How long was Ashoka on the throne if he ruled from about 268 BCE to 232 BCE?
BCE years go down, so subtract: 268 − 232 = 36 years.
3. Name one thing Rome and Han China had in common.
Both were huge empires with strong armies, roads, officers and law. Both traded with each other indirectly through the Silk Road.
Common mistakes
- Thinking every empire was the same. Persia used governors, Rome used law and legions, Maurya used dhamma, Han used exams.
- Reading BCE dates like CE dates. 322 BCE is EARLIER than 221 BCE.
- Believing Alexander conquered India. He reached the Indus region and turned back in 326 BCE.
- Mixing up Ashoka and Chandragupta. Chandragupta started the empire; Ashoka was his grandson.