Empires in World History

Empires in World History examines the vast states of territories and peoples united by force and ambition, which have dominated the political landscape for more than two millennia. This book departs from conventional European and nation-centred perspectives to offer a remarkable look at how empires relied on diversity to shape the global order.

Beginning with ancient Rome and China, and continuing across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, authors Jane Burbank and Frederick Cooper explore the conquests, rivalries, and strategies of domination employed by empires. They emphasise how these empires accommodated, created, and manipulated differences among populations.

Burbank and Cooper examine Rome and China from the third century BCE, highlighting empires that sustained state power for centuries. They delve into the militant monotheism of Byzantium, the Islamic Caliphates, and the short-lived Carolingians, as well as the pragmatically tolerant rule of the Mongols and Ottomans, who combined religious protection with the politics of loyalty.

The authors also discuss the influence of empire on capitalism and popular sovereignty, the limitations and instability of Europe's colonial projects, and Russia's repertoire of exploitation and differentiation. Furthermore, they consider the "empire of liberty," devised by American revolutionaries and later extended across a continent and beyond.

With its investigation into the relationship between diversity and imperial states, Empires in World History offers a fresh approach to understanding the impact of empires on the past and present.