Empire

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Empire has been mentioned in one podcast episode on The Rest Is History (Feb 2026). Used to compare Aztec and Inca political structures, logistics, and governance, and to explain how a small force could topple a vast state.

An empire is a realm controlled by a monarch or other official and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries. The center of the empire has political control over the peripheries. Within an empire, different populations may have different sets of rights and may be governed differently. The word "empire" derives from the Roman concept of Imperium. Narrowly defined, an empire is a sovereign state that exercises control over multiple distinct territories; however, not all states