10 Biggest Empires In History

10. Rashidun Caliphate (632 to 661) Capital:

Madina  Land mass at peak 3.5 million miles square Impact: Established a welfare system

9. Portuguese Empire (1415 to 1999) Capital:

Lisbon Land Mass at peak : 4.0 million miles square Impact: Laid foundations for global trade

8. Abbasid Caliphate (750 to 1258) Capital:

Baghdad Land Mass at Peak: 4.3 million miles square Impact: Major advance in art, philosophy and science

7. French Empire (1534 to 1980) Capital:

Paris Land Mass at peak: 5.0 million miles square Impact :Creation of modern infrastructure in former colonies.

6. Umayyad Caliphate (661 to 750) Capital:

Damascus Land Mass at Peak: 5.0 million miles square Impact: Signicant Islamic expansion into Asia Minor and norh Africa.

5. Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911/12) Capital :

Beijing Land Mass at peak: 5.7 million miles square Impact: Expansion of Chinese power to areas such as Mongolia and Tibet.

4. Spanish Empire (1469 to 1975) Capital : 

Madrid Land Mass at peak: 77 million mile square Impact :Spread of Roman Catholicism to America and East Asia.

3. Russian Empire (1721 to 1917) Capital:

St.petersburg  Land Mass at peak: 9.2 million miles square Impact : Russian becomes major European power.

2. Mongol Epire (1206 to 1368) Capital:

Karakorum Land Mass at peak: 12.7 million miles square Impact : Formation of expansive trade system.

1. British Empire (1497/1583 to 1997) Capital:

 London Land Mass at peak: 13.0 million miles square Impact: English second most widely spoken language in the world today.