Empire

==Characteristics==
Empires originated as different types of states, although they commonly began as powerful monarchies. Ideas about empires have changed over time, ranging from public approval to universal distaste. Empires are built out of separate units with some kind of diversity – ethnic, national, cultural, religious – and imply at least some inequality between the rulers and the ruled. Without this inequality, the system would be seen as a [[commonwealth]]. Throughout history, the major powers of the world constantly seek to conquer other parts of the world. [[Imperialism]] is the idea of a major power controlling another nation or land with the intentions to use the native people and resources to help the mother country in any way possible. Many empires were the result of military conquest, incorporating the vanquished states into a political union, but imperial hegemony can be established in other ways. The [[Delian League|Athenian Empire]], the [[Roman Empire]], and the [[British Empire]] developed at least in part under [[Election|elective]] auspices. The [[Empire of Brazil]] declared itself an empire after separating from the [[Portuguese Empire]] in 1822. France has twice transitioned from being called the [[republic|French Republic]] to being called the French Empire while it retained an overseas empire.{{Sfn|Burbank|Cooper|2010}}

Europeans began applying the designation of "empire" to non-European monarchies, such as the [[Qing Empire]] and the [[Mughal Empire]], as well as the [[Maratha Empire]], eventually leading to the looser denotations applicable to any political structure meeting the criteria of "imperium". Some monarchies styled themselves as having greater size, scope, and power than the territorial, politico-military, and economic facts support. As a consequence, some monarchs assumed the title of "emperor" (or its corresponding translation, ''[[tsar]]'', ''empereur'', ''[[kaiser]]'', ''[[shah]]'' etc.) and renamed their states as "The Empire of ...". Empires were seen as an expanding power, administration, ideas and beliefs followed by cultural habits from place to place. Some empires tended to impose their culture on the subject states to strengthen the imperial structure; others opted for [[Multiculturalism|multicultural]] and [[Cosmopolitanism|cosmopolitan]] policies.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~geostein/docs/Steinmetz%202014%20Empires%20imperial%20states%20and%20colonies.pdf | title=U-M Web Hosting }}</ref> Cultures generated by empires could have notable effects that outlasted the empire itself. Most histories of empires have been hostile, especially if the authors were promoting nationalism. Stephen Howe, although himself hostile, listed positive qualities: the guaranteed stability, security, and legal order for their subjects. They tried to minimize ethnic and religious antagonism inside the empire. The aristocracies that ruled them were often more cosmopolitan and broad-minded than their nationalistic successors.{{Sfn|Howe|2002|page=126–127}}

There are two main ways to establish and maintain an imperial [[political structure]]: (i) as a territorial empire of direct conquest and control with force or (ii) as a coercive, [[Hegemony|hegemonic]] empire of indirect conquest and control with power. The former method provides greater tribute and direct political control, yet limits further expansion because it absorbs military forces to fixed garrisons. The latter method provides less tribute and indirect control, but avails military forces for further expansion.<ref>Ross Hassig, ''Mexico and the Spanish Conquest'' (1994), pp. 23–24, {{ISBN|0-582-06829-0}} (pbk)</ref> Territorial empires (e.g. the [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonian Empire]] and [[Byzantine Empire]]) tend to be [[Connected space|contiguous]] areas. The term, on occasion, has been applied to [[maritime republics]] or [[Thalassocracy|thalassocracies]] (e.g. the [[Delian League|Athenian]] and [[British Empire|British empires]]) with looser structures and more scattered territories, often consisting of many islands and other forms of possessions which required the creation and maintenance of a powerful navy. Empires such as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] also came together by electing the emperor with votes from member realms through the [[Imperial election]].