Empires & Civilizations

Discover the remarkable history of the British Empire… The British Empire comprised a bewildering collection of colonies, dominions, protectorates, and mandated possessions that spanned the planet. This was the largest empire in world history, at its peak ruling over more than 400 million people and covering almost one-quarter of the total land mass of the […]

Discover the remarkable history of the the Cherokee… For many generations, the Aniyunwiya (meaning the “real people” or “principal people”) lived in harmony with the land they inhabited. They worshipped their ancestors and believed that every living thing—people, animals, trees, and plants—had a spirit and an important place in the world. Then, strangers arrived from

Discover the remarkable history of the Spanish Empire… The Spanish Empire was the first truly global empire and the first to be described as one on which “the sun never sets.” It rapidly grew to become one of the largest and most powerful empires in the history of the world and brought us goods such

Discover the remarkable history of the Kingdom of Dahomey… Imagine a fervently militaristic state with a feared professional army that included some of the only all-female military units ever seen. Imagine that same state with its own unique and sophisticated culture, religion, language, art, and society. Such a state did exist—not in the ancient past

Discover the remarkable history of the Russian Empire… What would become the Russian Empire began as territory acquired by Scandinavian settlers, the Rus, in the ninth century. In 1682, a new tsar took over the throne of the nation that had by then become known as Russia. Peter I, remembered as Peter the Great, transformed

Discover the remarkable history of the Mongol Empire… The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan and continued by his heirs, was one of the largest and most powerful the world has ever seen. Modern China was created from the remnants of the Mongol Empire, and at its peak, this empire controlled one-sixth of the total

Discover the remarkable history of the Mitanni Empire… The Mitanni Empire came to prominence at a time when the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the Assyrians were all angling for supremacy after the fall of Babylon in the sixteenth century BCE. Mitanni made alliances and conquered other lands, excelled at the military art of charioteering, suffered

Discover the remarkable history of the Phoenician Civilization… As the tee-shirt slogans say, “If you can read this, thank the Phoenicians.” The Phoenician achievements include creating the world’s first alphabet, which consisted of 22 consonant letters. If you’re sipping wine as you read, that’s another reason to thank the Phoenicians. From their travels, they learned

Discover the remarkable history of the Minoan Civilization… The Minoan Civilization has, since its rediscovery in the early twentieth century by archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, been a source of fascination for the modern world. Some have claimed it represents evidence of a matriarchal society given its progressive treatment of women; others believe it to be

Discover the remarkable history of the Eastern Han Dynasty… If the history of the Eastern Han dynasty were limited to the accomplishments of its scholars, scientists, and inventors, it would be a glorious saga of the innovation and creativity of the human mind. Anesthesia was first used during surgical procedures in the years of the