Empires in World History : Power and the Politics of Difference

**How empires have used diversity to shape the world order for more than two millennia** Empires--vast states of territories and peoples united by force and ambition--have dominated the political landscape for more than two millennia. __Empires in World History__ departs from conventional European and nation-centered perspectives to take a remarkable look at how empires relied on diversity to shape the global order. Beginning with ancient Rome and China and continuing across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, Jane Burbank and Frederick Cooper examine empires' conquests, rivalries, and strategies of domination--with an emphasis on how empires accommodated, created, and manipulated differences among populations. Burbank and Cooper examine Rome and China from the third century BCE, empires that sustained state power for centuries. They delve into the militant monotheism of Byzantium, the Islamic Caliphates, and the short-lived Carolingians, as well as the pragmatically tolerant rule of the Mongols and Ottomans, who combined religious protection with the politics of loyalty. Burbank and Cooper discuss the influence of empire on capitalism and popular sovereignty, the limitations and instability of Europe's colonial projects, Russia's repertoire of exploitation and differentiation, as well as the "empire of liberty"--devised by American revolutionaries and later extended across a continent and beyond. With its investigation into the relationship between diversity and imperial states, __Empires in World History__ offers a fresh approach to understanding the impact of empires on the past and present.

this Is The Single Best Book About The Relationship Of Empires And Nations That I Can Think Of.--kenneth Pomeranz, Author Of the Great Divergence

a Major Corrective To Much Of The Literature About Empire, This Is Destined To Become A Classic: It Tackles A Huge And Topical Theme, And Moves At A Fast Pace, From Rome And Han Dynasty China, Right Down To The Present. The Coverage Is Sweeping And Balanced. A Stunning Accomplishment.--jeremy Adelman, Princeton University

timely And Important, This Book Stresses The Durability Of Empires From Early Times, Across Diverse Historical Eras, Down To The Present. The Authors Blur The Line Between The Premodern And Modern, And De-europeanize History By Stressing The Importance Of Non-western Imperial Experiences.--robert Tignor, Princeton University

this Superb Book Redefines The Field Of Empire And Colonial Studies. Careful Not To Reduce The Complexity And Variety Of Imperial Experiences To Fit A Rigid Or Narrow Definition, The Authors Find A Fresh Way To Retell The Story Of Empires, Illuminating How They Were Maintained For Such Long Periods, What Made Them, And Why They Collapsed. There Is Nothing Comparable.--ronald Grigor Suny, University Of Michigan

stephen Matchett - The Australian

this Is A Very Big Book On An Enormous Subject. For Anybody Who Assumes Imperial History Is All About Britain, With Some 19th-century European Imitators On The Side, It Will Be Something Of A Shock. For Burbank And Cooper, Imperial History Is World History. The Authors Also Make A Point Popular Among Academics Who Hate The Idea Of Borders Keeping The Underprivileged Out Of Rich Nations, That Empires Can Be Confederations Of Different Peoples United By An All-encompassing Ideal. 'sovereignty Can Be Shared, Layered And Transformed,' They Write. Whether Or Not You Agree With The Implications Of This Argument, The Weeks It Will Take Bedtime History Buffs To Get Through This Book Will Be Time Well Spent.

Empires—vast states of territories and peoples united by force and ambition—have dominated the political landscape for more than two millennia. Empires in World History departs from conventional European and nation-centered perspectives to take a remarkable look at how empires relied on diversity to shape the global order. Beginning with ancient Rome and China and continuing across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, Jane Burbank and Frederick Cooper examine empires' conquests, rivalries, and strategies of domination—with an emphasis on how empires accommodated, created, and manipulated differences among populations.

Burbank and Cooper examine Rome and China from the third century BCE, empires that sustained state power for centuries. They delve into the militant monotheism of Byzantium, the Islamic Caliphates, and the short-lived Carolingians, as well as the pragmatically tolerant rule of the Mongols and Ottomans, who combined religious protection with the politics of loyalty. Burbank and Cooper discuss the influence of empire on capitalism and popular sovereignty, the limitations and instability of Europe's colonial projects, Russia's repertoire of exploitation and differentiation, as well as the "empire of liberty"—devised by American revolutionaries and later extended across a continent and beyond.

With its investigation into the relationship between diversity and imperial states, Empires in World History offers a fresh approach to understanding the impact of empires on the past and present.

Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page vii) Preface (page xi) 1 Imperial Trajectories (page 1) 2 Imperial Rule in Rome and China (page 23) 3 After Rome: Empire, Christianity, and Islam (page 61) 4 Eurasian Connections: The Mongol Empires (page 93) 5 Beyond the Mediterranean: Ottoman and Spanish Empires (page 117) 6 Oceanic Economies and Colonial Societies: Europe, Asia, and the Americas (page 149) 7 Beyond the Steppe: Empire-Building in Russia and China (page 185) 8 Empire, Nation, and Citizenship in a Revolutionary Age (page 219) 9 Empires across Continents: The United States and Russia (page 251) 10 Imperial Repertoires and Myths of Modern Colonialism (page 287) 11 Sovereignty and Empire: Nineteenth-Century Europe and Its Near Abroad (page 331) 12 War and Revolution in a World of Empires: 1914 to 1945 (page 369) 13 End of Empire? (page 413) 14 Empires, States, and Political Imagination (page 443) Suggested Reading and Citations (page 461) Index (page 481) Introduction: Imperial trajectories Imperial rule in Rome and China After Rome : empire, Christianity, and Islam Eurasian connections : the Mongol empires Beyond the Mediterranean : Ottoman and Spanish empires Merchant empires, oceanic economies, and colonial societies : Europe, Asia, and the Americas Beyond the steppe : empire-building in Russia and China Empire, nation, and citizenship in a revolutionary age Empires across continents : the United States and Russia Imperial repertoires and the myth of modern colonialism Sovereignty and empire : 19th-century Europe and its near abroad War and revolution in a world of empires, 1914 to 1945 End of empire? Empires, states, and political imagination. This book "departs from conventional European and nation-centered perspectives to take a remarkable look at how empires relied on diversity to shape the global order. Beginning with ancient Rome and China and continuing across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa," the authors "examine empires' conquests, rivalries, and strategies of domination, emphasizing how empires accommodated, created, and manipulated differences among populations."--Jacket Empires - vast states of territories and people united by force and ambition - have dominated the political landscape for more than two millennia. This title departs from conventional European and nation-centered perspectives to take a look at how empires relied on diversity to shape the global order.