What is an Empire ?

The concept of empire evokes conflicting connotations. While the word “imperialism” may evoke negativity, New York proudly calls itself the Empire State. So what exactly is an empire? How does it grow and what are its functions? How did mighty empires fall and demise?

The term “empire” usually connotes certain images. The power and luxury, monumental palaces for emperor and the leadership cadre, majestic buildings filled with the finest artworks and luxuries, and the emperor and leadership cadre possessing the immense power and enjoying the most selective cloths, foods, and luxuries. The idea of the empire is rooted from the natural desire of human to exert control over others and their resources. This desire extends politically upon the creation of an empire. A strong military organization and a powerful leader are the cornerstone of creating an empire.

An empire grows as it continues to possess more human and material resources. Finding new resources and taxing new populations were the primary enforcement that an empire would raid and confiscate new lands. Trade and production are other factors of empire’s growth. That is why empires establish vast marketplaces serviced by highways and roads, ports and dockyards.      

In order to function as a single political structure, empires create bureaucratic administrations with sufficient uniformity in language, currency, weight, measures, and legal system. They bring together peoples of different languages, religions, ethnic origins, and cultural and technological levels under their centralized rule. Many foundations of today’s civilization have been laid down by the past empires. Arts and science developed as they were encouraged by empires. Market places, highways, roads, ports, and dockyards were constructed under the command of empires while ordinary men and slaves paid for their price.    

Empires rise and they fall. They may fall through military defeat (Persians defeat from Greeks). Failure of leadership can cause the decline and demise (Greece loss of its eastern territories soon after Alexander passed away). Overextension of the administration can cause the dissolution (Romans devision to the east and the west). Doubts over the ideology may cause the demission (Dissolution of Soviet Union to fifteen post-soviet states). Finally collapse of the economy can decline and destroy an empire (when the costs of a remote territory outrun its benefits).           

     Resource:

Spodek Howard; The World’s History, Volume One: Prehistory to 1500.Prentice Hall .4^th Edition.