Empires: Should There Be An Empire Or Emperor?

Empire or Emperor?
An empire is a state, or political system that exercises coercive power over a population. Those with larger populations are more frequently labeled as empires. They conquer, rule, and extract resources from other states and peoples. Usually, empires encompass a considerable variety of peoples and cultures within a single political system. The negative things that come with an empire cannot be overlooked. Many empires are known by their violence, exploitation, oppression, cruel armies, and unforgiving tax collectors. More often than not, these empires impose their culture onto their subjects, making them assimilate whether they want to or not. In the pursuit of selfish ambition, many kings extract resources from other states
Some empires imposed peace and security upon their subjects. For instance, the Indian emperor Ashoka was a brutal ruler. During the beginning of his reign, he destroyed other nations through military conquests to expand his empire. However, after converting to Buddhism, Ashoka regretted his former ways and became more peaceful and tolerant in his governing. This is shown in the document “The Rock Edicts” (ca. 268-232 B.C.E.), which Ashoka wrote to give advice to future emperors and instructions about ruling with justice and peace. In addition, many empires brought people of diverse traditions and religions together, which stimulated the exchange of ideas, cultures, and values. When peace prevailed, empires promoted economic and artistic development, commercial exchange, and cultural mixing (Strayer 144-145,
It was the largest empire in the world around the year 500 B.C.E., stretching from India to Egypt and governing around 35 million diverse people from varying backgrounds and cultures. Between 522 and 486 B.C.E., Darius was in control of the empire. According to Strayer, Persian kings were “absolute monarchs, more than willing to crush rebellious regions or officials.” For instance, once when a high-ranking nobleman interrupted Darius and his wife, Darius had the nobleman and his whole clan killed. Darius ruled with fear and an iron fist, and the empire imposed strict laws to keep the people in their control. Whenever a king died, the whole country was forced to mourn. The people were expected to shave their hair and cut their horses’ manes short. Any sacred fire in the land was to be extinguished. This type of control truly shows how oppressive the Persian rule was. The Persian Empire focused on building luxurious, grand palaces and buildings, canals and highways, and monuments to show their power. This model provided an example to later empires, for example, Islamic ones. There were 23 providences under their rule, and each one was governed by its own satrap. Lower-level officials also existed in smaller regions within each providence. Most intriguing was their system of imperial spies, called the “eyes and ears of the King” that filled the providences. Overall, the Persian Empire