Early Empires

By kyousefpour
  • 1539 BCE

    Egyptian Empire (1539 - 30 BCE)

    • Narmer was the first pharoah and united Upper and Lower Egypt.
    • 300 more pharoahs came after him during 34 dynasties.
    • Egypt spanned from Sudan to the Euphrates River during its height (1539-1070 BCE)
    • The empire had many lasting contributions that are still useful to today's society, such as the 365-day calendar, farming techniques (such as irrigation), and their architecture (such as the pyramids).
  • 336 BCE

    Alexander the Great (336 - 323 BCE)

    • Alexander became king of Macedonia at 20 years of age and went on to establish a massive empire.
    • He kept adding to his empire until his journey abruptly ended with his death in Babylon in 323 BCE, at the young age of 33.
    • Within just 12 years, Alexander established a mighty empire across three continents, starting by uniting the Greek city-states.
    • Hellenistic civilisation began with Alexander spreading Greek culture and resulted in the birth of a new culture which remains to present day.
  • 321 BCE

    Mauryan Empire (321 - 185 BCE)

    • Chandragupta Maurya was the first Mauryan emperor after taking over the Indus River Valley.
    • Ashoka (an emperor) reigned from 274-232 BCE, when the caste system had been well established and was in effect.
    • Ashoka adopted Buddhism around 260 BCE, starting its spread and popularisation.
    • The most lasting contribution from the Mauryan empire is the widespread introduction of Buddhism, a widely practiced religion during present day, adopted by Ashoka around 14 years into his reign.
  • 221 BCE

    Qin Empire (221 - 206 BCE)

    • The first 11 years of the dynasty established and reformed much of China, as well as modernising it.
    • After the death of the first emperor, the public attempted to overthrow the dynasty due to harsh laws and hefty taxes.
    • The fighting continued for 4 years until a new dynasty arose.
    • The Qin dynasty modernised China and left many a legacy, with the most notable being the Great Wall to keep out northern invaders, along with other reforms (such as standardising writing) to improve the state.
  • 320

    Gupta Empire (320 - 550 CE)

    • The period of Gupta rule is considered the Golden Age of India, where the nation was thriving.
    • During the height of this dynasty (around 400 CE), the people were happy, prosperous, and benevolent due to wealth from the Silk Road.
    • During this time, many scientific breakthroughs were made, advancing not only the nation, but the world.
    • This prosperous time left multiple lasting legacies, including not only art and technological innovations, but academic as well (such as the use of zero).