What was History's Greatest Empire?

[Franluxin]

The Sikh Raj

[Celesburg]

Mongol or Arab.

[Trevor Philips Industries]

[Alexandreon]

—Steven Runciman, The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign: A Study of Tenth-Century Byzantium, 1988

They flourished culturally and scientifically during the medieval era while the rest of Europe was in the dark ages, enough to rival the islamic golden age.

And what's also important, it was the Byzantine Empire that preserved the heritage of Roman law in Codex Iustinianus, Digesta seu Pandecta, Institutiones and Novellae...

Not to mention preservation of philosophical heritage...

[Ifaltannia]

British Empire
-GMT (time system)
-Widespread Industrialization
-Spread parliamentary forms of government to its colonies
-English Language (even if americans taint it, yes i'm joking)
-even more...

[Utceforp]

The Sikh Raj

Interesting choice. I'd genuinely be interested in hearing why you chose it.

Mongol or Arab.

The thing is, there never was an "Arab" empire. You have your various Caliphates, from Rashidun to the Abbasids. It's like saying the Persian Empire was the best empire. You have to specify whether you are referring to the Achaemenids, the Sassanids, the Parthians, the Saffarids, etc.

[Arglorand]

The only good empire is a dead empire.

[KAS SRD]

The only good empire is a dead empire.

Really? Empires have to be bad?

[Ifaltannia]

I hope your enjoying communicating in English.
All hail Britannia!

[Ifaltannia]

The only good empire is a dead empire.

What Language is that? English? Your welcome

[Utceforp]

The only good empire is a dead empire.

Really? Empires have to be bad?

Well, by definition they're culturally and militarily dominating other groups...

[Arglorand]

The only good empire is a dead empire.

What Language is that? English? Your welcome

You're assuming I'm grateful.

If you people with your invading of random African countries weren't there, there'd be someone else. And someone else would have tossed their language on the world. Don't think you're all that unique.

Not to mention that you weren't in any way responsible for me learning English, so I'm honestly unsure why I should feel grateful at all.

[Utceforp]

I hope your enjoying communicating in English.
All hail Britannia!

I wish I spoke another language rather than English. English is a stupid, arbitrary mix of random French and Anglo-Saxon words. Couldn't the dominant language have been a logical language?

[Rephesus]

Why are Japan and The Ottomans the only non-European empires? And why only 20th Century empires? I mean, what about Rome, the Mongols, The Aztec, the Qin, the Mughals, Persians, Songhai, etc

And seriously? The German Empire? Might as well put Belgium on there

[Aydean]

Ottoman and the Byzantine

[Arvenia]

The British Empire!

[Arglorand]

I hope your enjoying communicating in English.
All hail Britannia!

I wish I spoke another language rather than English. English is a stupid, arbitrary mix of random French and Anglo-Saxon words. Couldn't the dominant language have been a logical language?

Because there are no logical languages.

Except Esperanto, but that's an example of good Eastern European linguistic engineering in a dude's free time.

[Utceforp]

Why are Japan and The Ottomans the only non-European empires? And why only 20th Century empires? I mean, what about Rome, the Mongols, The Aztec, the Qin, the Mughals, Persians, Songhai, etc

And seriously? The German Empire? Might as well put Belgium on there

I'd change Qin to all of the Chinese dynasties, minus the Yuan and the Qing, obviously.

[Allmann]

I resent that the Swedish empire is not on the list for that was indeed the greatest Empire.
In some more serious terms why is there no Roman/Byzantine and Mongol choice?

[Rephesus]

If the OP is trying to say Colonial Empire, you might want to just go full Eurocentric and put the Dutch and Portuguese on there. Plus I'd switch Germany with Belgium.

[Roski]

What about the American Empire? Founded 1776, still standing today.

Its the single most powerful political entity in the entirety of history.

[Arglorand]

If the OP is trying to say Colonial Empire, you might want to just go full Eurocentric and put the Dutch and Portuguese on there. Plus I'd switch Germany with Belgium.

Putting Belgium on there prompts trolls to go, "LEOPOLD WAS TOTALLY RIGHT IN KILLING THOSE BLACKIES", so we really can't do that.

[Utceforp]

I resent that the Swedish empire is not on the list for that was indeed the greatest Empire.
In some more serious terms why is there no Roman/Byzantine and Mongol choice?

Along with the Persian/Macedonian choice, the Chinese choice, the Phoenician/Carthaginian choice, the Carolingian choice, etc, etc. But of course, none of these options are more worthy of being on the list than the great and might Austro-Hungarian Empire!

[Dajing (Ancient)]

Achaemenids/Chinese

[Ifaltannia]

What about the American Empire? Founded 1776, still standing today.

Its the single most powerful political entity in the entirety of history.

EMPIRE. Get A Dictionary kid, Far more things are more influenctual then the U.S The entire of history. 1776-2014 ALL OF HISTORY!!