The empire is a system or political organization of the state ruled by an emperor; that is to say, that it is a state that implants its dominion by force over other nations or territories, which have different kinds of independence, and these are governed by a particular individual, who is the figure of the emperor. But another meaning that is attributed to the word is the time, stage or period that the government of said emperor lasts.
What is empire
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It is a heterogeneous state that was formed through occupation of territories, which can be extended to the extent that there are no economic, political or military crises that prevent it. On the other hand, it is that state that is formed or governed by the figure of an emperor, which is a figure that is even above kings, whom it may have as vassals.
This imperial government will have power over other cultures, as they are the result of invasions in a violent and tax way. However, this type of system collapses when external pressures destabilize its power, as well as internal conflicts that weaken its authority, when its extension is very vast, among other reasons.
In ancient times an empire was exposed as the political organization that possessed extensive territories that were controlled, subdued and oppressed by a central area or region, as the main figure was the emperor, head of the army or supreme authority.
Its etymology comes from the Latin imperĭum, which in turn comes from the verb imperare, composed of the prefix im which means "penetration", plus the verb parare, which means "to order" or "to prepare".
Currently, the term is used to refer to a state with great economic and military capacity, and for this reason, it is that many experts in the field such as sociologists and political scientists, expose the United States as an empire. In the same way, it is used for less tangible concepts such as an organization or idea, as in the case of Empire Alpha, which is a virtual movement that spreads sexual images without the consent of those involved. The title of "emperor" is no longer used today, except for the head of state of Japan.
Characteristics of empires
- Its main figure is that of an emperor, who stands above kings, and has military forces.
- Its implementation is by force, through the occupation of territories, which is why it is taxable. In the most peaceful scenario, the imperialists give the conquered the opportunity to lay down their arms, renounce their freedoms and admit the central power imposed on them, without using force, as long as it is done voluntarily.
- There is no equality and it is arbitrary.
- High taxes are charged, creating a loyalty relationship for convenience on the part of the people.
- A stratification is defined, preventing the lower classes from emerging.
- In the first manifestations of this system, these did not include territories beyond seas, as for example, Asians.
- The power of an imperial government will be directly proportional to its geographical extension.
- His government is concentrated in the capital, which will be a reflection of his power and wealth.
- Despite the above, power must be brought to every corner of the territory and they will do so through representatives under the service of the emperor locally.
Examples of empires in the world
Holy Roman German Empire
In force from 800 to 1806, it concentrated its center of power in the Germanic states, having, in addition to Germany, possession over northern Italy, western and central Europe. This originated in the kingdom of Germania, one of the three portions in which the Carolingian was divided and replaced the old Western Roman Empire, after conflicts, the Carolingian became extinct until Otto I emerged.
The rest of the neighboring towns were equally divided into multiple duchies and counties with considerable autonomy. During this time the monarchs had little royal power and were only recognized a certain primacy over the rest of noble society.
Otto I (reigning from 962 to 973) was succeeded by Otto II and Otto III. When the latter died, the position was vacant, as Henry II was crowned King of Germany, but had opposition to run as Otto III's successor. Later he succeeded in 1014, succeeding them 29 more emperors, the last being Francisco II until he himself dissolved the position and the empire in 1806 so that Napoleon Bonaparte could not appropriate it.
Empire of Alexander the Great
It began with the death of Philip II, his father, in 336 BC, imposing himself on the towns governed by Macedonia that, once his father died, wanted to rebel. Cities like Athens, Thebes and Thessaly ended up recognizing their hegemony. In addition to Greece, it conquered Asia Minor, Central Asia, Persia, Syria, Palestine, India and Egypt, and its military power was based on the phalanx (a strategy made up of infantry and cavalry), which dominated walled cities.
Several of the cities that were occupied offered resistance, such as Thebes, which was left in ruins, those who opposed it were killed and the survivors were at their service. This had its culmination when after his death, in 323 BC, his generals disputed the position, which brought the fall of this power.
Inca empire
Established in South America, its domain was the most extensive in pre-Columbian history, with approximately 2 million km2 conquered from southwestern Colombia, southern Ecuador, northern Chile and much of Argentina, and having as its capital Cuzco, in Peru.
It is believed that it began in 1200 AD and there are data about the monarchs until 1438, that the existence of Pachacútec was known thanks to various excavations, and it was also known that by 1471 Túpac Yupanqui occupied the throne, who expanded it to the south and established its border on the Maule river. Later, in 1493, Huayna Cápac ascended to the throne, to whom subjugated peoples were insurrected, and when an Inca died, revolts occurred, as they saw it propitious because the empire was weakened.
It is believed that this faded due to general discontent, and that this caused them to collaborate with the occupation of Spain in the territory.
Neo-Babylonian Empire
It was founded by Nabopolassar in 626 BC. C., its first president, highlighting Nebuchadnezzar (his son) in command of the militias, who, after obtaining the victory in Karkemish, returned to Babylon where he was named king after the death of his father in 604, expanding from Euphrates to Egypt. In 612 a. C., the Chaldeans (Babylonian Semitic people) rose up with the Medes and rebuilt Babylon, previously destroyed by the Assyrians, separating both peoples.
This people was warrior and conqueror, just like their predecessors; though not as cruel as the Assyrians. They deported those who inhabited the conquered territories to avoid rebellions, but the exiles could stay together, preserving their cultural identity. Nebuchadnezzar II gave Babylon an unimaginable importance.
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, in the year 562 a. C., began a series of internal struggles. By 549 BC, the Persians increased their power with Cyrus the Great at the helm, gaining territory and conquering Babylon, marking their downfall.
Assyrian empire
It was one of the main nations in Mesopotamian history whose origin dates back to 2,025 BC and lasted until 1,378 BC. This territory included what is now known as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey; and its nucleus was centered in Nineveh. In this territory, which was divided into two areas, it was made up of the Assyrian triangle, between the upper Zab and the Tigris and by Assur. The Assyrian triangle was an open region, widely populated, with great agricultural potential and had significant urban planning.
Its first emperor was Puzur-Assur I, who ruled for fifty years and the last regent Ashur-nadin-anhe II, who reigned until the birth of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which lasted until the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC due to harassment. they were subdued by the Medes and Nabopolassar of Babylon.
Aztec empire
It includes towns of Nahuatl culture of Mesoamerica, which lasted about two hundred years, from 1325 to 1521. The formation of this empire was based mainly on the union of three large cities, which were: Texcoco, Tlacopan and Tenochtitlan, the latter being its capital, which is where Mexico City is currently located. Its territory extended over a large part of the Mesoamerican areas.
This civilization was characterized by being ingenious, since they were skillful builders to enhance the agricultural capacity of the capital by building platforms on the marshy lands, which allowed them to develop as great merchants; in the same way, they produced luxurious and showy handicrafts. Their beliefs led them to keep track of time through calendars to carry out their activities. It came to an end at the hands of the Spanish conquerors, led by Hernán Cortés, who colonized the territory.
Persian empire
Persia was a people of the Middle East (present day Iran), which constituted a large number of dynasties in Europe. After being a small town established in northern Iran, the Persians gradually expanded their territories, under the leadership of the newly crowned King Cyrus II, who made them independent from the Medes. They conquered Lydia and Ionia; later Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine, liberating the Israelites into captivity, and later, Egypt in union with the Greeks. Their society was demarcated in their social classes and the peasants, who were at the bottom, were exploited, since the maintenance of the economy fell on the work of their hands.
Its duration extends from 550 BC. with the Achaemenid dynasty, starting at the head Cyrus the Great and until 329 BC. It had its fall when Alexander came to the reign of Macedonia, who imposed power in Mesopotamia, Palestine and Egypt, where they were received as heroes. Later, they would dominate Iran and Central Asia, marking the end of the Empire.
Mexican empires
- First Mexican Empire: the Iturbide empire was implemented due to the independence movement of New Spain, through the act of independence of the Mexican Empire, and its period extends from 1821 to 1823, being Mexico the only country in Latin America that implemented a monarchy after independence from Spain. Its area exceeded four million square kilometers, including Central America, the central and southern United States, the Antilles and the Philippines.
- Second Mexican Empire: the empire of Maximiliano de Habsburgo, who was at the head of this government, was in force from 1863 to 1867. Its territories were made up of 50 departments, with Mexico City being its capital.
At that time, the settlers did not have a defined identity and a distinction of classes and races was evidenced over the Mexican identity. The flag of the empire that defined this era was the tricolor of the first Mexican government. At the head of this government was Agustín Iturbide and his fall was caused by economic crises in this period, the independence of the United States, as well as political differences, which included the intentions of the other provinces to separate, among other reasons.
The lifestyle was colonial, the more privileged groups began their routine late, as they fell asleep after midnight, while the less privileged classes engaged in various activities. This imperial government came to an end due to the great opposition that Maximiliano had, when the republican party, having Benito Juárez at the head, managed to dissolve the empire with the execution of the emperor in Cerro de las Campanas on June 19, 1967.
Mongolian empire
This was considered the most extensive in history, with some 33 million square kilometers in area, and its origin dates back to the year 1206, culminating in 1368. In this period, it had three main capitals, which were Avarga, Karakorum and Beijing. The title of the leader of this regime was called the great khan, the first being Genghis Khan, who was in charge for 21 years, and the last was Toghan Temur Khan.
It occupied Mongolia; China; Kazakhstan; Uzbekistan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan; the two Koreas; Afghanistan; southern Russia; Iran; Turkmenistan; part of Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, among others. In this period there was a lot of tolerance with religious diversity; They also had a lot of respect for the nomads, who organized themselves into tribes and when they could no longer take advantage of the resources, they left for another territory. This came to an end due to several factors, among which the nomads who conquered the territories adopted their culture; for the discontinuation of the military model; and the inclusion of gunpowder in battles, making cavalry antiquated, Mongolian fighting strategies.
Byzantine Empire
It originated in AD 395, as a result of the division of the Roman Empire. This was the East, led by Theodosius, and managed to survive the Germans, lasting more than a thousand years, until 1453, when the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, which was the capital of this government. Its territorial extension was made up of Italy, Austria, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, southern Spain, North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt) and other Eastern European countries.
Its main rulers were Arcadius, who ruled for 13 years, and Constantine XI, who was the last emperor. During this period, there was a fusion between the Greeks and the Romans, in which cultural aspects of both peoples were preserved.
Spanish Empire
This began towards the end of the 15th century, with the union of Castile and Aragon through the marriage of Queen Isabel I and King Fernando II. It is considered that it began in 1492, the year in which the explorer Christopher Columbus found the American continent, and from that moment on, the conquest of America is a fact. Its colonized territory was made up of part of the United States, Mexico, Central America and almost all of South America. The flag of the Spanish empire was called the Burgundy cross, it consisted of a white background with a red cross.
In this period, the mestizaciones between Spaniards, blacks and indigenous people arose. Its fall had to do with several factors, among which the epidemics and economic, social and territorial conflicts stood out. The arrival of the Napoleonic troops in Spain also did the same, until in 1824 it was dissolved.
