A reading site about polities
What empires were, and what can actually be said about them How far each one reached, how long it lasted, how many people it held, what it left behind — and, where a source says so, how one became the next.
The constraint the whole site is built around: nothing here is estimated. Every figure carries the work it came from, and where no figure exists the gap is drawn rather than filled. An empty bar next to three full ones is the honest picture, and it is meant to look intentional.
3000 BC 2500 BC 2000 BC 1500 BC 1000 BC 500 BC 500 1000 1500 Egypt, Early Dynastic Period — 3000 BC to 2686 BC Egypt, Old Kingdom — 2686 BC to 2181 BC Akkadian Empire — 2334 BC to 2154 BC Gojoseon (Old Joseon) — 2332 BC to 106 BC Third Dynasty of Ur — 2112 BC to 2004 BC Egypt, Middle Kingdom — 2055 BC to 1650 BC First Dynasty of Babylon — 1894 BC to 1595 BC Hittite Empire — 1650 BC to 1180 BC The Hyksos — 1650 BC to 1550 BC Egypt, New Kingdom — 1550 BC to 1077 BC Mitanni — 1550 BC to 1260 BC Middle Elamite Kingdom — 1400 BC to 1110 BC Middle Assyrian Kingdom — 1363 BC to 1056 BC Egypt, Third Intermediate Period — 1077 BC to 728 BC Neo-Assyrian Empire — 911 BC to 609 BC Urartu — 860 BC to 590 BC Kingdom of Kush — 850 BC to 350 Saba' — 800 BC to 275 Neo-Elamite Kingdom — 770 BC to 645 BC Median Empire — 678 BC to 549 BC Egypt, Saite Period — 664 BC to 525 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire — 626 BC to 539 BC Achaemenid Empire — 550 BC to 330 BC Egypt, the Native Restoration — 404 BC to 343 BC Nanda Empire — 361 BC to 322 BC Macedonian Empire — 336 BC to 323 BC Media Atropatene — 323 BC to 226 Ptolemaic Kingdom — 323 BC to 30 BC Maurya Empire — 322 BC to 185 BC Seleucid Empire — 312 BC to 63 BC Kingdom of Iberia — 302 BC to 588 Attalid Kingdom — 282 BC to 133 BC Kingdom of Pontus — 281 BC to 63 BC Kingdom of Persis — 280 BC to 224 Antigonid Macedon — 277 BC to 168 BC Greco-Bactrian Kingdom — 256 BC to 125 BC Parthian Empire — 247 BC to 224 Qin Empire — 221 BC to 206 BC Xiongnu Confederation — 209 BC to 91 Han Empire — 202 BC to 220 Caucasian Albania — 200 BC to 822 Indo-Greek Kingdoms — 200 BC to 10 Kingdom of Greater Armenia — 190 BC to 428 Shunga Empire — 185 BC to 72 BC Nabataean Kingdom — 168 BC to 106 Adiabene — 160 BC to 226 Elymais — 147 BC to 224 Characene — 141 BC to 222 Hasmonean Kingdom — 140 BC to 37 BC Himyar — 110 BC to 570 Kanva Empire — 72 BC to 27 BC Silla — 57 BC to 935 Buyeo (Puyŏ) — 50 BC to 17 Goguryeo — 37 BC to 668 Herodian Kingdom — 37 BC to 92 Roman Empire — 27 BC to 395 Baekje — 18 BC to 660 Kushan Empire — 30 to 375 Gaya Confederacy — 41 to 527 Kingdom of Aksum — 100 to 940 Champa — 192 to 1471 Cao Wei — 220 to 265 Sasanian Empire — 224 to 651 Palmyrene Empire — 260 to 273 Jin Empire — 265 to 420 Nasrids of al-Hira — 300 to 602 Gupta Empire — 320 to 550 Northern Wei — 386 to 535 Byzantine Empire — 395 to 1453 Visigothic Kingdom — 418 to 711 Hujrid Dynasty — 425 to 550 Vandal Kingdom — 439 to 534 Hephthalite Confederation — 440 to 561 Ostrogothic Kingdom — 493 to 553 Jafnid Dynasty — 502 to 636 Yamato (Imperial Japan) — 540 to 1192 First Turkic Khaganate — 552 to 603 Northern Zhou — 557 to 581 Lombard Kingdom — 568 to 774 Kingdom of Alodia — 580 to 1504 Sui Empire — 581 to 618 Harsha Empire — 606 to 648 Tang Empire — 618 to 907 Tibetan Empire — 618 to 842 The Community at Medina — 622 to 632 Rashidun Caliphate — 632 to 661 Khazar Khaganate — 650 to 969 Bavand Dynasty — 651 to 1349 Kingdom of Makuria — 651 to 1365 Umayyad Caliphate — 661 to 750 The Sunda Kingdom — 669 to 1579 Srivijaya — 671 to 1275 Zubayrid Caliphate — 680 to 692 First Bulgarian Empire — 681 to 1018 Republic of Venice — 697 to 1797 Ghana — 700 to 1240 Kanem-Bornu — 700 to 1893 Balhae — 713 to 926 Medang — 732 to 1016 Uyghur Khaganate — 744 to 840 Abbasid Caliphate — 750 to 1258 Ibadi Imamate of Oman — 750 to 893 Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba — 756 to 1031 Midrarid Emirate of Sijilmasa — 757 to 976 Rustamid Imamate — 776 to 909 Idrisid Dynasty — 788 to 974 Shirvanshahs — 799 to 1538 Aghlabid Emirate — 800 to 909 Carolingian Empire — 800 to 888 The Khmer Empire — 802 to 1431 Samanid Empire — 819 to 1005 Ziyadid Dynasty — 819 to 1018 Tahirid Dynasty — 821 to 873 Karakhanid Khanate — 840 to 1212 Saffarid Dynasty — 861 to 1003 Tulunid Emirate — 868 to 905 Emirate of Derbend — 869 to 1077 Kievan Rus' — 878 to 1240 Ghurid Sultanate — 879 to 1215 Bagratid Armenia — 884 to 1045 Hamdanid Dynasty — 890 to 1004 Western Xia — 890 to 1227 The Kingdom of Hungary — 895 to 1526 Zaydi Imamate of Yemen — 897 to 1962 Qarmatian State of Bahrayn — 899 to 1077 The Five Dynasties — 907 to 960 Fatimid Caliphate — 909 to 1171 Liao Empire — 916 to 1125 Ziyarid Dynasty — 931 to 1090 Buyid Confederation — 934 to 1062 Ikhshidid Emirate — 935 to 969 Shaddadid Emirate — 951 to 1199 Kilwa Sultanate — 957 to 1505 Song Empire — 960 to 1279 Ghaznavid Empire — 962 to 1186 Holy Roman Empire — 962 to 1806 The Kingdom of Poland — 964 to 1569 Sharifate of Mecca — 967 to 1925 Zirid Dynasty — 972 to 1148 Marwanid Emirate — 983 to 1085 Uqaylid Emirate — 990 to 1096 Ma'munid Khwarazmshahs — 995 to 1017 Kingdom of Georgia — 1008 to 1490 Kakuyid Dynasty — 1008 to 1141 Najahid Dynasty — 1022 to 1158 Taifa of Seville — 1023 to 1091 Mirdasid Emirate — 1024 to 1080 Great Seljuk Empire — 1037 to 1194 Almoravid Empire — 1040 to 1147 The Kingdom of Kediri — 1042 to 1222 The Kingdom of Pagan — 1044 to 1287 Sulayhid Dynasty — 1047 to 1138 Dai Viet under the Ly and the Tran — 1054 to 1400 Ammarid Emirate of Tripoli — 1070 to 1109 Danishmendid Dynasty — 1071 to 1178 Khwarazmian Empire — 1077 to 1231 Sultanate of Rum — 1077 to 1308 Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia — 1080 to 1375 Zurayid Dynasty — 1080 to 1173 Nizari Isma'ili State — 1090 to 1273 Principality of Antioch — 1098 to 1268 County of Edessa — 1098 to 1150 Republic of Genoa — 1099 to 1797 Kingdom of Jerusalem — 1099 to 1291 Great Zimbabwe — 1100 to 1450 Artuqid Dynasty — 1102 to 1409 County of Tripoli — 1102 to 1289 Burid Emirate of Damascus — 1104 to 1154 Jin Empire — 1115 to 1234 Almohad Caliphate — 1121 to 1269 Qara Khitai — 1124 to 1218 Zangid Dynasty — 1127 to 1250 Kingdom of Sicily — 1130 to 1194 The Republic of Novgorod — 1136 to 1471 Ethiopian Empire — 1137 to 1974 Serbia — 1166 to 1459 Ayyubid Sultanate — 1171 to 1260 Second Bulgarian Empire — 1185 to 1396 The Kamakura Shogunate — 1192 to 1333 Latin Empire of Constantinople — 1204 to 1261 The Grand Duchy of Lithuania — 1204 to 1569 Empire of Nicaea — 1204 to 1261 Empire of Trebizond — 1204 to 1461 Delhi Sultanate — 1206 to 1526 Mongol Empire — 1206 to 1368 Singhasari — 1222 to 1292 Chagatai Khanate — 1226 to 1347 Hafsid Sultanate — 1229 to 1574 Rasulid Sultanate — 1229 to 1454 Emirate of Granada — 1232 to 1492 Mali Empire — 1235 to 1670 Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen — 1235 to 1556 Golden Horde — 1242 to 1502 Marinid Sultanate — 1244 to 1465 Karamanid Beylik — 1250 to 1487 Mamluk Sultanate — 1250 to 1517 Ilkhanate — 1256 to 1335 Abbasid Caliphate of Cairo — 1261 to 1517 The Grand Principality of Moscow — 1263 to 1547 Samudera Pasai — 1267 to 1524 Yuan Empire — 1271 to 1368 Kediri under Jayakatwang — 1292 to 1293 Majapahit — 1293 to 1527 Ottoman Empire — 1299 to 1922 Aydinid Beylik — 1308 to 1426 Muzaffarid Dynasty — 1314 to 1393 The Kenmu Restoration — 1333 to 1336 Jalayirid Sultanate — 1335 to 1432 The Ashikaga Shogunate — 1336 to 1573 Nanboku-chō (the Southern Court) — 1336 to 1392 Sarbadars — 1337 to 1381 Sultanate of Bengal — 1338 to 1538 Sultanate of Kashmir — 1339 to 1586 The Kingdom of Gelgel — 1343 to 1686 Moghulistan — 1347 to 1533 The Kingdom of Ayutthaya — 1351 to 1767 The Sultanate of Brunei — 1368 to 1888 Ming Empire — 1368 to 1644 Northern Yuan — 1368 to 1635 Timurid Empire — 1370 to 1507 Kara Koyunlu — 1374 to 1468 Ak Koyunlu — 1378 to 1508 Sultanate of Khandesh — 1382 to 1601 Sultanate of Malwa — 1392 to 1561 Sharqi Sultanate of Jaunpur — 1394 to 1489 Sultanate of Gujarat — 1396 to 1572 Sultanate of Melaka — 1400 to 1511 Wattasid Dynasty — 1420 to 1554 Khanate of Kazan — 1438 to 1552 Crimean Khanate — 1441 to 1783 The Sultanate of Sulu — 1450 to 1915 Tahirid Sultanate of Yemen — 1454 to 1517 Songhai Empire — 1464 to 1591 Kazakh Khanate — 1465 to 1723 Khanate of Astrakhan — 1466 to 1556 The Sultanate of Demak — 1475 to 1554 Nogai Horde — 1481 to 1672 Sultanate of Ternate — 1486 to 1683 Khanate of Sibir — 1493 to 1598 Aceh Darussalam — 1496 to 1903 The Sultanate of Patani — 1500 to 1786 Shaybanid Khanate — 1500 to 1599 Safavid Empire — 1501 to 1736 Saadi Sultanate — 1510 to 1659 Khanate of Khiva — 1511 to 1873 The Sultanate of Gowa — 1511 to 1669 The Sultanate of Tidore — 1521 to 1805 Mughal Empire — 1526 to 1857 The Sultanate of Banten — 1527 to 1684 The Sultanate of Johor — 1528 to 1699 The Principality of Transylvania — 1541 to 1691 The Tsardom and Empire of Russia — 1547 to 1917 The Kingdom of Pajang — 1568 to 1588 The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth — 1569 to 1795 The Toyotomi Regime — 1582 to 1600 The Sultanate of Mataram — 1587 to 1755 Khanate of Bukhara — 1599 to 1873 The Tokugawa Shogunate — 1603 to 1868 Qing Empire — 1616 to 1912 Ya'ariba Imamate — 1624 to 1744 Dzungar Khanate — 1635 to 1758 Asante Empire — 1701 to 1901 Hotak Dynasty — 1709 to 1738 Emirate of Diriyah — 1727 to 1818 Afsharid Dynasty — 1736 to 1796 Al Bu Sa'id Sultanate — 1744 to 1861 Khanate of Kokand — 1750 to 1876 Zand Dynasty — 1751 to 1794 Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti — 1762 to 1801 Qajar Dynasty — 1789 to 1925 Emirate of Nejd — 1824 to 1891 Caucasian Imamate — 1828 to 1859 Emirate of Jabal Shammar — 1836 to 1921
273 polities · one axis · no row scaled to fit
Polities read 273
Chapters 2034
Sourced edges 322
Works cited 439 Six ways in
Polities 01 273 with chapters
Chapters, facts, a peak-extent map and a rating panel. Drafted one at a time against a named source, which is printed above the prose rather than filed in a footnote.
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Rankings 02 50 in the backdrop
Reach, longevity, population and influence, measured against the largest states in world history so a percentile is a true statement. Weighted by sliders you set, never by the site.
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Continuity 03 322 sourced edges
How one polity became the next, typed and dated and cited — the thing that lives between encyclopaedia articles rather than inside them. Not every polity has one, and that is ordinary.
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Timeline 04 3000 BC – 1974
Every span drawn on one axis, so concurrency and overlap are visible rather than asserted. Soft bar ends where the sources disagree about when something started or stopped.
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Endings 05 Six types, closed
How polities stopped, typed from a vocabulary fixed before most of this corpus existed so the tally was not shaped to fit the answer. Half were ended by an outside power.
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Sources 06 439 works
Every work cited, what rests on it, and which polities lean on a single book. The build proves the citations resolve; this page shows how they are distributed.
Open → What is in it so far 273 polities across 2034 chapters, in 39 regions — 28 of which carry threads. Every claim resolves to one of 439 listed works, and the build refuses to ship a citation that does not.
What it does not claim Coverage follows one person’s curiosity and makes no attempt at completeness, the regions are browsing groups rather than civilisations, and no ordering here is published as this site’s own verdict. The About page says all of that plainly, along with how the chapters were drafted and what that costs.