Empire(from Latin imperium - power) - a form of organization of the largest state. The fundamental difference between an empire and a national state lies in the multinational nature of the empire or in the presence of an equally significant attribute - ideology - a system of ideas that reveals the supranational, universal essence of this form of state.
An empire is not necessarily a multinational state; Thus, China and Germany for centuries were mainly single-national states, but their rulers bore the title of emperor and both states had a developed system of ideas positioning their universal character, exalting them above all other peoples and countries.
Geopolitical forms of empires
The classics of geopolitics Carl Schmitt and Halford Mackinder in their works distinguished two types of empires based on the form of expansion. Dividing all states according to their geopolitics into tellurocratic and thalassocratic, these thinkers also identified imperial forms characteristic of them.
Tellurocracy: Continental empires, when annexing neighboring lands and including them within their borders, for security purposes, were forced to immediately turn them into their provinces, guarantee the operation of imperial laws and the circulation of imperial currency. This led to a relatively painless inclusion of elites and societies in empire-building. The most important thing for such empires was the popularization of local heroes, literature, translation of works into the imperial language, often the development of a written language graphics for the included people (and very often on a graphics different from the graphics of the titular ethnic group of the empire). Genocide of the local population was completely uncharacteristic of such empires. There are a huge number of examples of the voluntary inclusion of peoples within the borders of the empire:
Our two peoples (Dungans and Russians) are now becoming one family, and we only wish to unite (with you) as one. All our hearts and thoughts, all our best qualities are aimed at ensuring that with our combined forces, having destroyed the rebels, we will live forever in peace and friendship, forever rely on each other, which will be a great happiness not for one person, but truly for the entire Universe."
- The Dungans of Xinjiang appeal to Poltoratsky, an official of the Russian Empire
Thalassocracy: Another type of empire is colonial, maritime. Separated from their colonies by oceans and seas, they did not seek to export development, law and progressive forms of economic structure to the colonies. Their main goal is to maximize the extraction of natural resources and use the strategic location of the land colony. In such empires there were frequent cases of genocide, mass migrations, and cruel treatment of the autochthonous population. Punitive operations were a daily practice (Lord Protector Cromwell destroyed 4/5 of the population of Ireland, 95% of the Indians were slaughtered during the development of North America by white colonists).
When the economic viability of colonies declined, colonial empires abandoned their colonies. Naturally, by the beginning of the 21st century, almost all colonial and maritime empires had collapsed.
History of the concept of "empire"
Ancient empires
In the ancient period, there was the concept of empires, that is, the fullness of power. “For the Roman empires, the highest state power belonged to one people, who manifested it in legislation, the supreme court, and in resolving the issue of war and peace; temporarily, as the highest authority, was transferred to elected dignitaries. Since the time of Julius Caesar and Augustus, emperors have become its owners. Later, the Empire began to designate the territory over which the supreme power of the ruler extended. With the inclusion of the entire “civilized” world of antiquity into the Roman Empire, the concept of empire underwent transformation and began to be understood as a state uniting numerous countries and peoples.
Medieval empires
The model of the “universal” Roman Empire, supplemented by the Christian concept of a single church, formed the basis of the medieval concept of empire - the unification of the entire Christian world under the rule of a single monarch, whose main duty was to protect the church. In a feudal society, the concept of empire did not and could not assume centralization and a bureaucratic system. The empires of medieval Europe - Frankish and Holy Roman - remained decentralized entities, whose unity was supported by the sacredness of imperial power.
Empires in New Times
The emergence of centralized nation states in the modern era, combined with the aggravation of interstate relations and the need to build up military potential, as well as the beginning of colonial expansion, led to the emergence of a new type of empire: Spanish, Portuguese, French, British and others. Colonial empires lasted until the 1970s. XX century
Empires in the modern world
Despite the popularity of nation-state concepts, empires continue to exist in one form or another. As a rule, these are continental states that have no experience of colonialism. Among them we can distinguish such states as Russia (in the formal national form - the nation of Russians), Indonesia, Iran (with numerous reservations), India.
Empires that strive to build a nation-state almost always collapse into an ethnically compact state.
China was also an empire for a long time, but the CCP’s policy of assimilation led to the disappearance of all alternative forms of socio-economic, ethnic and cultural structure to the Han, and led to the assimilation of the Mongols, Russians, Dungans, partly Tibetans and Uyghurs. Currently, China is striving to build an ethnocratic nation-state.
The European Union and the United States, in a figurative sense, are also considered empires in accordance with the criteria of the section “Signs of an empire.” However, from the point of view of the theory of the nation-state, the first is a community of nations with a special form of supranationality, and the second is a classic nation-state, where ethnic differences are pushed out of the political plane, which is completely unusual for empires.
Signs of an empire
Currently, a figurative interpretation of the word “empire” is also widely used. In this case, it means a state that is large in territory and population and has the following characteristics:
The presence of a strong army and police;
great foreign policy influence;
powerful national idea (religion, ideology);
tough, usually one-man, power;
high loyalty of the population;
active foreign policy aimed at expansion, the desire for regional or world domination.
A state that meets these criteria will be an empire. At the same time, monarchy as a type of government is not necessary.
Many states, developing along the path “upward and expansive,” sooner or later become empires. There have been many empires throughout human history. The most famous: Byzantine Empire, Roman Empire, Russian Empire, British Empire, Spanish Empire, France under Napoleon, Third Reich, Ottoman Empire.
Some states went through the empire stage several times (France, Germany, Russia).
Most famous empires
Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918)
Arab Caliphate (VII century)
Assyrian Empire (X-VI centuries BC)
British Empire (c. 1583-1960s)
Byzantine Empire (395-1453)
German Empire (1871-1918)
German Colonial Empire (1884-1918)
Third Reich (1933-1945)
Habsburg Empire (Austrian Empire) (1804-1867)
Chinese Empire (221 BC - 1912)
Macedonian Empire (c. 338 BC - 309 BC)
Mongol Empire (1206-1368)
Mughal Empire (1526-1857)
Ottoman Empire (1281-1923)
Persian Empire (c. 550-330 BC)
Roman Empire (27 BC - 476)
Russian Empire (1721-1917)
Holy Roman Empire (843-1806)
French Empire
First French Empire (1804-1815)
Second French Empire (1853-1871)
French colonial empire (c. 1605-1960s)
Empire of Japan (1867-1945)
Empire
EMPIRE
(empire); sovereignty: Derived from Latin emperor, which meant the highest military and later political leader; later this word came to mean a territory in which the exclusive right of power belonged to a single sovereign. Thus, the preamble to the English Act of Appeal (1533) recognized the right of the king's subjects to appeal in courts outside England on the (albeit dubious) basis "that this territory of England is an empire, is considered such throughout the world and is governed by one supreme head and king." The term soon began to be used to refer to less strictly governed and homogeneous territories, like the vast multinational dominions of Charles V (of the Habsburg dynasty), even when his power was under threat, and in many places, and especially in the so-called Holy Roman Empire, which gave him the title of emperor, generally limited, which was the result of the permanent privileges of the church, the powers of rulers of lower rank, cities, guilds, electors and estates. Likewise, Victoria assumed the title of Queen Empress in 1877 at a time when the annexation of India and new African lands made her dominions more like the crumbling constitutional entities of her Austrian and Russian cousins than the old English ideal of a single country with a homogeneous population. After this, the word "empire" came to mean a group of states that arose as a result of colonization or conquest and was subordinate to a metropolis or imperial state, even if it turned into a republic (as in the case of France and the USSR). In this latter meaning, established at the beginning of the 20th century, the word "empire" became directly associated with the word imperialism.
Policy. Dictionary. - M.: "INFRA-M", Publishing House "Ves Mir". D. Underhill, S. Barrett, P. Burnell, P. Burnham, etc. General editor: Doctor of Economics. Osadchaya I.M.. 2001 .
Empire
(from Latin Imperium - having power, powerful) - originally the highest political power in ancient Rome; a state headed by a monarch who has the title of emperor. Over time, the concept of "empire" has changed somewhat. An empire denotes a large state entity that unites several countries and peoples around a single political center under the auspices of a universal idea of a civilizational, religious, ideological, and sometimes economic nature. Empire is one of the first forms of state organization of society, which has not lost its relevance in the modern world.
When classifying empires, we can distinguish ancient empires - Egyptian, Persian, Roman, etc., which were under the absolute, often theocratic power of one sovereign - the monarch. In addition, there were the colonial empires of the “New Age” - British, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, which were the result of the military-economic expansion of European countries in various regions of the planet. These empires were built around a state center - the metropolis, and, as a rule, had strictly centralized control. “Traditional” empires: Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian, Japanese, Ottoman, etc., were multi-level state complexes, held together by an ideological center, unified armed forces and economic space. In addition, according to the structure of the main communications, “consolidated” (continental) and “unconsolidated” (maritime) empires should be determined. The former have land communications from the center with all components of the state, the latter have only sea communications. It should be noted that almost all empires (primarily “traditional”) were distinguished by cultural diversity. A “nation state”, which has a monocultural and monoethnic character, held together only by administrative and legal unity, rarely acquires the status of an empire. Culturally and ethnically, an empire is always a coalition and a community, representing a monolith in a political context.
By the mid-60s of the 20th century, almost all “traditional” and colonial empires ceased to exist or fundamentally changed their character. At the end of the 20th century, in conditions of a certain globalization of political processes, the term “empire” again somewhat changed its meaning. Currently, it is advisable to consider an empire to be a great power and its “sphere of influence” - political, ideological, economic, military and cultural. That is, one can observe a change in the forms of dominance while maintaining the principle - the center and its periphery (sphere of influence). “Influence” (predominance) in various spheres of public life supplanted (although did not replace) military pressure directly. In this context, states such as the USA and China should be defined as typical empires of the “post-industrial era”.
Mudrichenko D.V.
Political science. Dictionary. - M: RSU. V.N. Konovalov. 2010.
Empire
(from lat. imperium power)
1) monarchical state headed by an emperor. Typically, an empire is a large power that includes the territories of many peoples and countries. The Russian Empire existed from 1721 to 1917. After the Age of Discovery, states with extensive colonial possessions began to be called empires. Colonial empires consisted of a mother country and its colonies. The British Empire included, along with Great Britain, its dominions and colonies. The last of the colonial empires ceased to exist in 1950-1970. A feature of the empire is the different status of the entities included in it. The colonies retain some signs of statehood; the status of a border area or a special ethnopolitical territorial entity is established for the provinces;
2) originally the highest political authority in ancient Rome; a state headed by a monarch who has the title of emperor. Over time, the concept has changed somewhat. An empire denotes a large state entity that unites several countries and peoples around a single political center under the auspices of a universal idea of a civilizational, religious, ideological, and sometimes economic nature. Empire is one of the first forms of state organization of society, which has not lost its relevance in the modern world.
Political Science: Dictionary-Reference Book. comp. Prof. Science Sanzharevsky I.I.. 2010 .
Political science. Dictionary. - RSU. V.N. Konovalov. 2010.
Synonyms:Antonyms:
See what "Empire" is in other dictionaries:
- (Latin imperium, from imperare to command). A large state ruled by an emperor. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. EMPIRE state, the supreme ruler of which. awarded the title of Emperor... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Cm … Synonym dictionary
EMPIRE (from Latin Imperium empire) a complex state formation (superstate), a unitary association of heterogeneous parts with an imperial center, a metropolitan country that creates an empire and governs it and its component parts,... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia
EMPIRE, empires, women. (Latin imperium, lit. supreme power). A monarchical state whose head bears the title of emperor. Fall of the Roman Empire. || the period of imperial power in some state (historical). Roman literature of the era... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
empire- A territory that includes several countries or peoples, governed from one center, for example, the British Empire, the Russian Empire, etc... Dictionary of Geography
- (from Latin imperium power, state) 1) the name of monarchical states, the head of which is the emperor. India is most often a vast state, including the territories of other peoples and states. Russia was called I. in 1721-1917; 2)… … Legal Dictionary
- (from the Latin imperium power), 1) a monarchical state, the head of which, as a rule, bore the title of emperor. 2) Empire was also called states that had colonial possessions (for example, the British Empire) ... Modern encyclopedia
- (from Latin imperium power) 1) a monarchical state, the head of which, as a rule, bore the title of emperor2)] States that had colonial possessions were also called empires (for example, the British Empire) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (in Latin power) a monarchical state, the head of which, as a rule, bore the title of emperor. States that had colonial possessions (for example, the British Empire) were also called empires... Historical Dictionary
What is an empire? Disputes periodically flare up in historical circles regarding the exact definition of this concept. One way or another, the imperial form of government had a significant impact on the development of civilization.
Many modes of social interaction emerged precisely because of empires. In fact, in the twenty-first century there are no more empires, and the first one appeared more than three thousand years ago.
Determination criteria
There are several criteria by which you can understand what an empire is. One of the most accurate is the area of the state. The classic definition implies a state that unites many lands with a population of different nationalities. All power is concentrated in the hands of one institution (most often the monarch). At the same time, the same rights and obligations apply to the territory of all controlled lands. The classic states of this type are the Ottoman and Russian empires. Such states arose as a result of the absorption of other entities that rallied around the center.
Titled leader at the head
A more obvious, but less correct criterion, the form of government, will also help to understand what an empire is. If the person who is at the head of the state bears the title of emperor, then such a state can be considered an empire. History proves that almost all monarchs who have given themselves such a title have led imperial powers. But there are also exceptions. Some extravagant dictators in Africa often assumed the title of emperor. At the same time, leading a small country and having no geopolitical weight. This “fashion” appeared in the second half of the twentieth century.
Continental view of the empire
One type of empire is continental. Such states emerge as a result of an aggressive foreign policy. Military expansion leads to the annexation of new lands. Therefore, a powerful power must have a strong regular army. Based on this, it follows that in such a state the army occupies an important place in social and political life.
And the military influences all government decisions. The empire acts in the interests of a narrow circle of people. Any politician must have the support of senior military officials. Therefore, the imperial system is very often identified with the dictatorial one.
Political structure
The continental empire has the same political system throughout its territory. Representatives of different nationalities live in the state. Imperial nationality is identified either as civil (a resident of the Ottoman Empire is an Ottoman, but at the same time could be ethnically Arab, Ethiopian, and so on) or as supranational (for example, in the Macedonian Empire, all residents were considered Hellenes by nationality, regardless of ethnicity). When incorporating new territories into the state, the government has to introduce a single currency, language, and so on. This was necessary to unify the population and prevent the emergence of separatist sentiments.
Colonial Empire
And for its own interests, it conquers territories with which it does not border. The conquered lands come under the authority or protectorate of the center (metropolis), but at the same time have rights and obligations different from it. The colony (or protectorate) is obliged to give a significant part of the resources to the mother country. Most often, native armies are used during war, but this is not necessary. For example, in the Russian Empire, representatives of a non-titular nation (non-Russian) were rarely used during wars. But residents of the colonies were drafted into the royal troops of the British Empire.
The colonial empire has several institutions of power. In the colonies, the state is represented by governors. At the same time, there are local government bodies that are accountable to them. It is necessary to keep other lands under the control of the mother country through despotism. The American aborigines experienced firsthand what an empire was like when they were almost completely destroyed.
In history
The first powerful power to become an empire was Akkad. It did not last long and was based solely on military dictatorship. After this, several entities existed with a strong monarch at their head. Babylon became a unifying center for many lands. Under King Hammurabi, the population was unified. At the same time, primitive logistics appeared. The most important cities of the state were connected by roads. And for communication they used mail with messengers. In the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged.
This is one of the most powerful states in the entire history of mankind. It had a significant impact on the development of civilization. After the collapse of the empire, for many centuries people were not able to achieve such cultural and technological progress.
Rise to Power
The Roman Empire emerged as a result of the seizure of power by Julius Caesar. He managed to create a powerful centralized state. Vast territories were controlled from Rome. At the same time, there were local government bodies that had broad powers. The political system helped control the entire Mediterranean coast, part of Asia and Africa. All territories had equal rights. Therefore, local elites quickly cooperated with the state. A civil nation, the Roman one, was also formed. But the growth of national consciousness and conflicts between local elites ultimately led to the collapse of the state.
Ancient Rome is considered a classic example of imperial statehood. At the same time, he combined different types of empires - continental and colonial. In many ways, future empires copied the Roman experience. But no one managed to achieve such power for a long period.
Empire: definition
So, based on the above, we can clearly define the criteria for an imperial state:
- Centralized power.
- It is headed by a monarch who bears the title of emperor.
- A vast territory that includes lands inhabited by different national groups.
- Presence of colonies or protectorates.
Some historians and political scientists also classify countries that pursue an aggressive foreign policy as empires. Most often, in leftist government circles, geopolitically strong countries are called imperialist. This means armed expansion or any other methods of aggressive pressure on the governments of sovereign states. During the Soviet period, similar views on definition were in textbooks on history and political science.
The most famous empires: Russian, Ottoman, German (Reich), Austro-Hungarian, French, British, Roman.
They all had different political structures and their own characteristics. Only Great Britain has survived virtually unchanged to this day. National revolutions and the growing popularity of leftist ideas in Europe led to the gradual disintegration of empires and the independence of their former colonies.
expansion beyond long-term stable boundaries caused by the outgrowth of an established, historically formed organism (Georgy Fedotov). After its formation, each empire experiences a period of prosperity, due to the possibility of concentrating significant resources and establishing relatively lasting peace over a large territory. This is perceived by the population as a great benefit. The liberated significant resources and a unified communication network contribute to the creation of a closed, self-sufficient state. The empires of the Middle Ages and modern times differed little from each other in their internal policies. Centralized management and a costly economy, wasteful expenditure of labor and natural resources, implementation of expensive projects of the “century”, huge expenses for maintaining the army, repression of entire nations.
In history, monarchical states headed by an emperor stand out. Many European empires of the past pursued active colonial policies. Some empires had numerous overseas colonies, others did not. Empires came to an end in different ways. In Britain, France and Spain, the boundaries of the empire were gradually reduced to the size of the metropolitan state, which largely avoided social upheaval and a decline in living standards. The British colonial empire was the largest in the world, with a colonial population of 450 million by 1945. The empire gradually transformed into a community of states that retained close economic and cultural ties. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian and Soviet empires was rapid and unexpected and ended with a change in their political system. Austria-Hungary survived the Napoleonic era and withstood the iron onslaught of Bismarck, but in 1918 it collapsed overnight into separate, including multinational states (Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia).
When classifying empires, we can distinguish ancient empires - Egyptian, Persian, Roman, etc., which were under the absolute, often theocratic power of one sovereign - the monarch. In addition, there were the colonial empires of the “New Age” - British, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, which were the result of the military-economic expansion of European countries in various regions of the planet. These empires were built around a state center - the metropolis, and, as a rule, had strictly centralized control. “Traditional” empires: Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian, Japanese, Ottoman, etc., were multi-level state complexes, held together by an ideological center, unified armed forces and economic space. In addition, according to the structure of the main communications, one should define “consolidated” (continental) and “unconsolidated” (maritime) empires. The former have land communications from the center with all components of the state, the latter have only sea communications. It should be noted that almost all empires (primarily “traditional”) were distinguished by cultural diversity. A “nation-state” that has a monocultural and monoethnic character, held together only by administrative and legal unity, rarely acquires the status of an empire. Culturally and ethnically, an empire is always a coalition and a community, representing a monolith in a political context.
Excellent definition
Incomplete definition ↓
What is an empire? Disputes periodically flare up in historical circles regarding the exact definition of this concept. One way or another, the imperial form of government had a significant impact on the development of civilization.
Many modes of social interaction emerged precisely because of empires. In fact, in the twenty-first century there are no more empires, and the first one appeared more than three thousand years ago.
Determination criteria
There are several criteria by which you can understand what an empire is. One of the most accurate is the area of the state. The classic definition implies a state that unites many lands with a population of different nationalities. All power is concentrated in the hands of one institution (most often the monarch). At the same time, the same rights and obligations apply to the territory of all controlled lands. The classic states of this type are the Ottoman and Russian empires. Such states arose as a result of the absorption of other entities that rallied around the center.
Titled leader at the head
A more obvious, but less correct criterion, the form of government, will also help to understand what an empire is. If the person who is at the head of the state bears the title of emperor, then such a state can be considered an empire. History proves that almost all monarchs who have given themselves such a title have led imperial powers. But there are also exceptions. Some extravagant dictators in Africa often assumed the title of emperor. At the same time, leading a small country and having no geopolitical weight. This “fashion” appeared in the second half of the twentieth century.
Continental view of the empire
One type of empire is continental. Such states emerge as a result of an aggressive foreign policy. Military expansion leads to the annexation of new lands. Therefore, a powerful power must have a strong regular army. Based on this, it follows that in such a state the army occupies an important place in social and political life.
And the military influences all government decisions. The empire acts in the interests of a narrow circle of people. Any politician must have the support of senior military officials. Therefore, the imperial system is very often identified with the dictatorial one.
Political structure
The continental empire has the same political system throughout its territory. Representatives of different nationalities live in the state. Imperial nationality is identified either as civil (a resident of the Ottoman Empire is an Ottoman, but at the same time could be ethnically Arab, Ethiopian, and so on) or as supranational (for example, in the Macedonian Empire, all residents were considered Hellenes by nationality, regardless of ethnicity). When incorporating new territories into the state, the government has to introduce a single currency, language, and so on. This was necessary to unify the population and prevent the emergence of separatist sentiments.
Colonial Empire
And for its own interests, it conquers territories with which it does not border. The conquered lands come under the authority or protectorate of the center (metropolis), but at the same time have rights and obligations different from it. The colony (or protectorate) is obliged to give a significant part of the resources to the mother country. Most often, native armies are used during war, but this is not necessary. For example, in the Russian Empire, representatives of a non-titular nation (non-Russian) were rarely used during wars. But residents of the colonies were drafted into the royal troops of the British Empire.
The colonial empire has several institutions of power. In the colonies, the state is represented by governors. At the same time, there are local government bodies that are accountable to them. It is necessary to keep other lands under the control of the mother country through despotism. The American aborigines experienced firsthand what an empire was like when they were almost completely destroyed.
In history
The first powerful power to become an empire was Akkad. It did not last long and was based solely on military dictatorship. After this, several entities existed with a strong monarch at their head. Babylon became a unifying center for many lands. Under King Hammurabi, the population was unified. At the same time, primitive logistics appeared. The most important cities of the state were connected by roads. And for communication they used mail with messengers. In the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged.
This is one of the most powerful states in the entire history of mankind. It had a significant impact on the development of civilization. After the collapse of the empire, for many centuries people were not able to achieve such cultural and technological progress.
Rise to Power
The Roman Empire emerged as a result of the seizure of power by Julius Caesar. He managed to create a powerful centralized state. Vast territories were controlled from Rome. At the same time, there were local government bodies that had broad powers. The political system helped control the entire Mediterranean coast, part of Asia and Africa. All territories had equal rights. Therefore, local elites quickly cooperated with the state. A civil nation, the Roman one, was also formed. But the growth of national consciousness and conflicts between local elites ultimately led to the collapse of the state.
Ancient Rome is considered a classic example of imperial statehood. At the same time, he combined different types of empires - continental and colonial. In many ways, future empires copied the Roman experience. But no one managed to achieve such power for a long period.
Empire: definition
So, based on the above, we can clearly define the criteria for an imperial state:
- Centralized power.
- It is headed by a monarch who bears the title of emperor.
- A vast territory that includes lands inhabited by different national groups.
- Presence of colonies or protectorates.
Some historians and political scientists also classify countries that pursue an aggressive foreign policy as empires. Most often, in leftist government circles, geopolitically strong countries are called imperialist. This means armed expansion or any other methods of aggressive pressure on the governments of sovereign states. During the Soviet period, similar views on definition were in textbooks on history and political science.
The most famous empires: Russian, Ottoman, German (Reich), Austro-Hungarian, French, British, Roman.
They all had different political structures and their own characteristics. Only Great Britain has survived virtually unchanged to this day. National revolutions and the growing popularity of leftist ideas in Europe led to the gradual disintegration of empires and the independence of their former colonies.