Macedonian Empire. Lead by Alexander The Great, The Macedonian Empire occupied almost 3 and a half percent of the earth’s landmass. They overthrew the Achaeminid Empire and were a serious force circa 323 B.C. Alexander was the first conqueror to expand his empire across Greece and Persia to India and Egypt. Unfortunately, the empire started to fall apart rather quickly after his death, and eventually formed the first Roman province in 146 B.C.

The Ottoman Empire. For over 6 centuries the Ottoman Empire controlled 2.01 million square miles of land pitted between both Eastern and Western worlds. Under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent, the empire reached it’s peak, expanding into the majority of Eastern Europe.

Rashidun Caliphate. Formed during the earliest period of Islam, The Rashidun Caliphate came together in 632 A.D. directly after the death of the prophet Muhammad with the intention of leading the Muslim community. This empire started to branch out and took over not only Egypt and Syria, but the entirety of the Persian Empire. These guys had hold of 2.47 million square miles of the Middle East circa 655 A.D.

Western Han Dynasty. An empire of approximately 57 million, The Western Han Dynasty took control of nearly 2.32 million square miles of land, circa 50 B.C. Zhang Qian helped establish the Silk Road trade network with his contacts in the Roman Empire. On a random side note, the first use of negative numbers in the world was used during the Han Dynasty, long with the discovery of square and cubed roots in China.

The Roman Empire. The empire that arguably had the largest influence on western civilization, The Roman Empire only took over 1.93 million miles of land during it’s peak circa 117 A.D. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t the largest empire in history, in fact , it was the 24th largest. However, what they contributed to what is now western civilization, such as political and social structure, makes them one of the more important empires of history.

Ming Dynasty. This Dynasty controlled a whopping 4.36% of the earth’s landmass, and they did so while establishing the first real Navy. In doing this, they were able to stimulate trade. Unfortunately, Ming Chin was hit with the most devastating earthquake in recorded history in 1556. 830,000 lives were lost.

Tang Dynasty. Occupying over 3 and a half percent of the world, The Tang Dynasty lasted almost three centuries and was an empire that introduced two of China’s most famous poets, Du Fu and Lai Bai. The Dynasty ruled from around 618 – 907 A.D.

The Mongol Empire. Genghis Khan’s empire was one of the most massive empires in all of history occupying 9.27 million square miles of land circa 1270 A.D. These guys quite literally ruled the world. A cool note about the Mongol Empire was that while the men were busy being warriors, it was the women who kept the economy in check.

Maurya Empire. The Maurya Empire took over all of India as well as a lot of the area around it after the death of Alexander The Great. This move was the beginning of India’s largest empire. Their ruler, Ashoka the Great, lead The Maurya Empire to rule over 1.93 million square miles of land circa 250 B.C.

The British Empire. The title of largest empire in history belongs to The British. At a whopping 30% larger than the Mongol Empire, Britain controlled 23% of the world’s population for over a century.