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 BC2500 BC2000 BC1500 BC1000 BC500 BC50010001500Egypt, Early Dynastic Period — 3000 BC to 2686 BCEgypt, Old Kingdom — 2686 BC to 2181 BCAkkadian Empire — 2334 BC to 2154 BCGojoseon (Old Joseon) — 2332 BC to 106 BCEgypt, First Intermediate Period — 2181 BC to 2055 BCOld Elam: Awan, Shimashki and the Sukkalmahs — 2150 BC to 1750 BCThird Dynasty of Ur — 2112 BC to 2004 BCEgypt, Middle Kingdom — 2055 BC to 1650 BCDynasty of Isin — 2004 BC to 1778 BCKingdom of Larsa — 1910 BC to 1763 BCFirst Dynasty of Babylon — 1894 BC to 1595 BCHittite Empire — 1650 BC to 1180 BCThe Hyksos — 1650 BC to 1550 BCKassite Dynasty of Babylon — 1595 BC to 1140 BCEgypt, New Kingdom — 1550 BC to 1077 BCKizzuwatna — 1550 BC to 1390 BCMitanni — 1550 BC to 1260 BCMiddle Elamite Kingdom — 1400 BC to 1110 BCMiddle Assyrian Kingdom — 1363 BC to 1056 BCEgypt, Third Intermediate Period — 1077 BC to 728 BCNeo-Assyrian Empire — 911 BC to 609 BCUrartu — 860 BC to 590 BCKingdom of Kush — 850 BC to 350Saba' — 800 BC to 275Neo-Elamite Kingdom — 770 BC to 645 BCRoman Kingdom — 753 BC to 509 BCMedian Empire — 678 BC to 549 BCEgypt, Saite Period — 664 BC to 525 BCNeo-Babylonian Empire — 626 BC to 539 BCEtruscan League (Etruria) — 616 BC to 283 BCAchaemenid Empire — 550 BC to 330 BCCarthage — 537 BC to 146 BCRoman Republic — 509 BC to 27 BCEgypt, the Native Restoration — 404 BC to 343 BCNanda Empire — 361 BC to 322 BCMacedonian Empire — 336 BC to 323 BCMedia Atropatene — 323 BC to 226Ptolemaic Kingdom — 323 BC to 30 BCMaurya Empire — 322 BC to 185 BCSeleucid Empire — 312 BC to 63 BCKingdom of Iberia — 302 BC to 588Attalid Kingdom — 282 BC to 133 BCKingdom of Pontus — 281 BC to 63 BCKingdom of Persis — 280 BC to 224Antigonid Macedon — 277 BC to 168 BCSatavahana Empire — 271 BC to 174Greco-Bactrian Kingdom — 256 BC to 125 BCParthian Empire — 247 BC to 224Qin Empire — 221 BC to 206 BCXiongnu Confederation — 209 BC to 91Han Empire — 202 BC to 220Numidia — 202 BC to 46 BCCaucasian Albania — 200 BC to 822Indo-Greek Kingdoms — 200 BC to 10Teotihuacan — 200 BC to 700Kingdom of Greater Armenia — 190 BC to 428Shunga Empire — 185 BC to 72 BCNabataean Kingdom — 168 BC to 106Adiabene — 160 BC to 226Elymais — 147 BC to 224Characene — 141 BC to 222Hasmonean Kingdom — 140 BC to 37 BCMauretania — 111 BC to 40Himyar — 110 BC to 570Kanva Empire — 72 BC to 27 BCSilla — 57 BC to 935Buyeo (Puyŏ) — 50 BC to 17Goguryeo — 37 BC to 668Herodian Kingdom — 37 BC to 92Roman Empire — 27 BC to 395Baekje — 18 BC to 660Kushan Empire — 30 to 375Gaya Confederacy — 41 to 527Kingdom of Aksum — 100 to 940Zhangzhung — 100 to 634Tiwanaku — 180 to 1050Champa — 192 to 1471Pallava Dynasty — 200 to 897Cao Wei — 220 to 265Sasanian Empire — 224 to 651Palmyrene Empire — 260 to 273Jin Empire — 265 to 420Tikal — 292 to 869Moche (Mochica) — 300 to 1000Nasrids of al-Hira — 300 to 602Gupta Empire — 320 to 550Northern Wei — 386 to 535Rouran Khaganate — 394 to 552Byzantine Empire — 395 to 1453Suebic Kingdom of Gallaecia — 411 to 585Burgundian Kingdom — 412 to 534Visigothic Kingdom — 418 to 711Liu Song (Southern) Dynasty — 420 to 479Hujrid Dynasty — 425 to 550Palenque — 431 to 814Vandal Kingdom — 439 to 534Hephthalite Confederation — 440 to 561Southern Qi Dynasty — 479 to 502Merovingian Kingdom — 481 to 751Ostrogothic Kingdom — 493 to 553Jafnid Dynasty — 502 to 636Liang Dynasty — 502 to 557Yamato (Imperial Japan) — 540 to 1192Chalukya Empire (Badami) — 543 to 753First Turkic Khaganate — 552 to 744Chen Dynasty — 557 to 589Northern Zhou — 557 to 581Avar Khaganate — 558 to 805Lombard Kingdom — 568 to 774Kingdom of Alodia — 580 to 1504Sui Empire — 581 to 618Pandya Kingdom — 590 to 1330Wari — 600 to 1000Harsha Empire — 606 to 648Tang Empire — 618 to 907Tibetan Empire — 618 to 842The Community at Medina — 622 to 632Calakmul — 623 to 909Rashidun Caliphate — 632 to 661Khazar Khaganate — 650 to 969Bavand Dynasty — 651 to 1349Kingdom of Makuria — 651 to 1365Umayyad Caliphate — 661 to 750The Sunda Kingdom — 669 to 1579Srivijaya — 671 to 1275Zubayrid Caliphate — 680 to 692First Bulgarian Empire — 681 to 1018Republic of Venice — 697 to 1797Ghana — 700 to 1240Kanem-Bornu — 700 to 1893Toltec Empire — 710 to 1064Balhae — 713 to 926Kingdom of Asturias — 718 to 910Papal States — 728 to 1870Pala Empire — 730 to 1197Medang — 732 to 1016Uyghur Khaganate — 744 to 840Abbasid Caliphate — 750 to 1258Ibadi Imamate of Oman — 750 to 893Rashtrakuta Empire — 753 to 973Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba — 756 to 1031Kingdom of Mercia — 757 to 825Midrarid Emirate of Sijilmasa — 757 to 976Rustamid Imamate — 776 to 909Idrisid Dynasty — 788 to 974Shirvanshahs — 799 to 1538Aghlabid Emirate — 800 to 909Carolingian Empire — 800 to 888The Khmer Empire — 802 to 1431Kingdom of Wessex / England — 802 to 1066Gurjara-Pratihara Empire — 816 to 1090Samanid Empire — 819 to 1005Ziyadid Dynasty — 819 to 1018Tahirid Dynasty — 821 to 873Kingdom of Navarre — 822 to 1512Chandela Dynasty of Jejakabhukti — 831 to 1203Great Moravia — 836 to 907Karakhanid Khanate — 840 to 1212Kingdom of Scotland — 842 to 1707Chola Empire — 850 to 1554Kingdom of Dublin — 852 to 1171Saffarid Dynasty — 861 to 1003The Danelaw / Viking York — 865 to 954Tulunid Emirate — 868 to 905Emirate of Derbend — 869 to 1077Kingdom of Bohemia — 872 to 1620Kingdom of Norway — 872 to 1814Kievan Rus' — 878 to 1240Ghurid Sultanate — 879 to 1215Bagratid Armenia — 884 to 1045Hamdanid Dynasty — 890 to 1004Western Xia — 890 to 1227The Kingdom of Hungary — 895 to 1526Later Baekje — 897 to 936Zaydi Imamate of Yemen — 897 to 1962Qarmatian State of Bahrayn — 899 to 1077Cahokia — 900 to 1400Taebong — 905 to 918The Five Dynasties — 907 to 960Fatimid Caliphate — 909 to 1171Kingdom of León and Castile — 910 to 1492Duchy of Normandy — 911 to 1204Kingdom of Croatia — 914 to 1102Liao Empire — 916 to 1125Goryeo — 918 to 1392Volga Bulgaria — 922 to 1237Kingdom of Guge — 930 to 1630Ziyarid Dynasty — 931 to 1090Buyid Confederation — 934 to 1062Ikhshidid Emirate — 935 to 969Kingdom of Denmark — 940 to 1814Shaddadid Emirate — 951 to 1199Kilwa Sultanate — 957 to 1505Song Empire — 960 to 1279Ghaznavid Empire — 962 to 1186Holy Roman Empire — 962 to 1806The Kingdom of Poland — 964 to 1569Sharifate of Mecca — 967 to 1925Zirid Dynasty — 972 to 1148Marwanid Emirate — 983 to 1085Kingdom of Sweden — 983 to 1815Kingdom of France — 987 to 1792Uqaylid Emirate — 990 to 1096Ma'munid Khwarazmshahs — 995 to 1017Republic of Pisa — 1004 to 1509Kingdom of Georgia — 1008 to 1490Kakuyid Dynasty — 1008 to 1141Hoysala Empire — 1022 to 1342Najahid Dynasty — 1022 to 1158Taifa of Seville — 1023 to 1091Mirdasid Emirate — 1024 to 1080Kingdom of Aragon — 1035 to 1479Great Seljuk Empire — 1037 to 1194Almoravid Empire — 1040 to 1147The Kingdom of Kediri — 1042 to 1222The Kingdom of Pagan — 1044 to 1287Sulayhid Dynasty — 1047 to 1138Sena Dynasty of Bengal — 1050 to 1199Cuman-Kipchak confederation — 1054 to 1331Dai Viet under the Ly and the Tran — 1054 to 1400Kingdom of England (Norman and Plantagenet) — 1066 to 1485Ammarid Emirate of Tripoli — 1070 to 1109Danishmendid Dynasty — 1071 to 1178Khwarazmian Empire — 1077 to 1231Sultanate of Rum — 1077 to 1308Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia — 1080 to 1375Zurayid Dynasty — 1080 to 1173Gahadavala Dynasty of Kanauj — 1090 to 1194Nizari Isma'ili State — 1090 to 1273Principality of Antioch — 1098 to 1268County of Edessa — 1098 to 1150Republic of Genoa — 1099 to 1797Kingdom of Jerusalem — 1099 to 1291Chahamana Dynasty of Ajmer — 1100 to 1192Great Zimbabwe — 1100 to 1450Tepanec Empire — 1100 to 1428Artuqid Dynasty — 1102 to 1409Republic of Florence — 1102 to 1531County of Tripoli — 1102 to 1289Burid Emirate of Damascus — 1104 to 1154Jin Empire — 1115 to 1234Almohad Caliphate — 1121 to 1269Qara Khitai — 1124 to 1218Zangid Dynasty — 1127 to 1250Kingdom of Sicily — 1130 to 1194The Republic of Novgorod — 1136 to 1478Ethiopian Empire — 1137 to 1974Kingdom of Portugal — 1139 to 1580Kakatiya Dynasty — 1150 to 1323Lordship of Ireland — 1152 to 1541Vladimir-Suzdal — 1157 to 1328Serbia — 1166 to 1459Ayyubid Sultanate — 1171 to 1260Kingdom of Bosnia — 1180 to 1481Second Bulgarian Empire — 1185 to 1396Principality of Galicia-Volhynia — 1188 to 1347The Kamakura Shogunate — 1192 to 1333Epirus — 1204 to 1479Latin Empire of Constantinople — 1204 to 1261The Grand Duchy of Lithuania — 1204 to 1569Empire of Nicaea — 1204 to 1261Empire of Trebizond — 1204 to 1461Delhi Sultanate — 1206 to 1526Mongol Empire — 1206 to 1368Singhasari — 1222 to 1292Chagatai Khanate — 1226 to 1347Hafsid Sultanate — 1229 to 1574Rasulid Sultanate — 1229 to 1454Emirate of Granada — 1232 to 1492Mali Empire — 1235 to 1670Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen — 1235 to 1556The Kingdom of Sukhothai — 1238 to 1370Golden Horde — 1242 to 1502Marinid Sultanate — 1244 to 1465Sakya Regime (Sakya-Mongol Government of Tibet) — 1247 to 1354Karamanid Beylik — 1250 to 1487Mamluk Sultanate — 1250 to 1517Principality of Wales — 1255 to 1282Ilkhanate — 1256 to 1335Abbasid Caliphate of Cairo — 1261 to 1517Mayapan — 1263 to 1461The Grand Principality of Moscow — 1263 to 1547Samudera Pasai — 1267 to 1524Principality of Tver — 1270 to 1485Yuan Empire — 1271 to 1368The House of Austria — 1273 to 1499Kingdom of Naples — 1282 to 1816The Kingdom of Pegu (Hanthawaddy) — 1287 to 1539Kediri under Jayakatwang — 1292 to 1293Majapahit — 1293 to 1527Ottoman Empire — 1299 to 1922Chimor — 1300 to 1470Kutai Kartanegara (later Kutai Kartanegara Ing Martadipura) — 1300 to 1747Luwu — 1300 to 1611Aydinid Beylik — 1308 to 1426Muzaffarid Dynasty — 1314 to 1393Aztec Empire — 1325 to 1521Kingdom of Bone — 1326 to 1860Wallachia — 1330 to 1859The Kenmu Restoration — 1333 to 1336Jalayirid Sultanate — 1335 to 1432The Ashikaga Shogunate — 1336 to 1573Nanboku-chō (the Southern Court) — 1336 to 1392Vijayanagara — 1336 to 1793Sarbadars — 1337 to 1381Sultanate of Bengal — 1338 to 1538Sultanate of Kashmir — 1339 to 1586The Kingdom of Gelgel — 1343 to 1686Bahmani Sultanate — 1347 to 1526Moghulistan — 1347 to 1533Pagaruyung Kingdom — 1347 to 1833Kingdom of Kongo — 1350 to 1709The Kingdom of Ayutthaya — 1351 to 1767Lan Xang (Luang Prabang and Vientiane) — 1353 to 1779Moldavia — 1359 to 1859The Sultanate of Brunei — 1368 to 1888Ming Empire — 1368 to 1644Northern Yuan — 1368 to 1635Timurid Empire — 1370 to 1507Kara Koyunlu — 1374 to 1468Ak Koyunlu — 1378 to 1508Sultanate of Khandesh — 1382 to 1601Joseon — 1392 to 1904Sultanate of Malwa — 1392 to 1561Sharqi Sultanate of Jaunpur — 1394 to 1489Sultanate of Gujarat — 1396 to 1572Sultanate of Melaka — 1400 to 1511Duchy of Burgundy — 1419 to 1477Wattasid Dynasty — 1420 to 1554Dai Viet under the Later Le — 1428 to 1788Inca Empire — 1438 to 1571Khanate of Kazan — 1438 to 1552Crimean Khanate — 1441 to 1783Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois League) — 1450 to 1848The Sultanate of Sulu — 1450 to 1915Tahirid Sultanate of Yemen — 1454 to 1517Songhai Empire — 1464 to 1591Kazakh Khanate — 1465 to 1723Khanate of Astrakhan — 1466 to 1556The Sultanate of Kedah — 1474 to 1821The Sultanate of Demak — 1475 to 1554The Sultanate of Magindanao — 1475 to 1837Sultanate of Cirebon — 1479 to 1809Nogai Horde — 1481 to 1672Berar Sultanate — 1485 to 1572Kingdom of Benin — 1486 to 1897Sultanate of Ternate — 1486 to 1683Ahmadnagar Sultanate — 1490 to 1599Bijapur Sultanate — 1490 to 1596Bidar Sultanate — 1492 to 1609Khanate of Sibir — 1493 to 1598Aceh Darussalam — 1496 to 1903Kingdom of Loango — 1500 to 1787Kingdom of Ndongo — 1500 to 1671The Sultanate of Patani — 1500 to 1786Shaybanid Khanate — 1500 to 1599Safavid Empire — 1501 to 1736Mutapa Empire — 1505 to 1902Saadi Sultanate — 1510 to 1659Khanate of Khiva — 1511 to 1873The Sultanate of Gowa — 1511 to 1669Golconda Sultanate — 1512 to 1611Rajahnate of Cebu — 1521 to 1565The Sultanate of Tidore — 1521 to 1805Sultanate of Banjar — 1526 to 1860The Habsburg Monarchy — 1526 to 1804Mughal Empire — 1526 to 1857The Sultanate of Banten — 1527 to 1684The Sultanate of Johor — 1528 to 1699Toungoo Dynasty — 1531 to 1752Tu'i Tonga Empire — 1535 to 1610Kingdom of Ireland — 1541 to 1800The Principality of Transylvania — 1541 to 1691The Tsardom and Empire of Russia — 1547 to 1917The Kingdom of Pajang — 1568 to 1588The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth — 1569 to 1831Tondo and Maynila — 1570 to 1571The Toyotomi Regime — 1582 to 1600The Sultanate of Mataram — 1587 to 1755Sultanate of Malindi — 1589 to 1632Khanate of Bukhara — 1599 to 1873Kuba Kingdom — 1600 to 1962The Tokugawa Shogunate — 1603 to 1868Powhatan Confederacy — 1607 to 1646Sultanate of Jambi — 1615 to 1904Qing Empire — 1616 to 1912Ya'ariba Imamate — 1624 to 1744Dzungar Khanate — 1635 to 1758Ganden Phodrang (Dalai Lama's Government) — 1635 to 1912Palembang Sultanate — 1659 to 1823Lunda Empire — 1680 to 1875Luba Kingdom — 1700 to 1880Asante Empire — 1701 to 1901Hotak Dynasty — 1709 to 1738Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura — 1718 to 1946Natchez — 1723 to 1730Emirate of Diriyah — 1727 to 1818Afsharid Dynasty — 1736 to 1796Al Bu Sa'id Sultanate — 1744 to 1861Mazaru'i Mombasa — 1746 to 1837Sultanate of Pate — 1746 to 1822Khanate of Kokand — 1750 to 1876Zand Dynasty — 1751 to 1794Konbaung Dynasty (Alaungpaya Dynasty) — 1752 to 1824Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti — 1762 to 1801Tay Son — 1774 to 1802Kingdom of Hawaii — 1782 to 1893Qajar Dynasty — 1789 to 1925Kingdom of Tahiti — 1797 to 1880Sokoto Caliphate — 1800 to 1903Zulu Kingdom — 1816 to 1879Basotho Kingdom — 1820 to 1870Ndebele Kingdom — 1823 to 1894Emirate of Nejd — 1824 to 1891Sultanate of Riau-Lingga — 1824 to 1911Caucasian Imamate — 1828 to 1859Bau — 1829 to 1874Emirate of Jabal Shammar — 1836 to 1921Sultanate of Zanzibar — 1861 to 1946
agreed extent contested extent419 polities · one axis · no row scaled to fit
Polities read
419
Chapters
3176
Sourced edges
431
Works cited
678

Six ways in

What is in it so far

419 polities across 3176 chapters, in 57 regions — 43 of which carry threads. Every claim resolves to one of 678 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.