Rome Wasn't The Only One That Fell

In the annals of history, powerful empires like Rome and the Mongols loom large, taking up well-deserved space in history test books. However, for every influential superpower that we remember, countless others go forgotten, despite rising to incredible heights, reminding us of the complex, cyclical nature of power. Here are 20 great empires that have faded into the mists of time.

1. The Kingdom of Kush

The Kingdom of Kush was an ancient civilization on the Nile River, just south of Egypt. It thrived for over a thousand years from 1070 BC to roughly 350 AD before falling to the Kingdom of Axum.

2. The Khmer Empire

The Khmer Empire controlled much of what is now Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam from 802 to 1431 AD. The Khmer people were responsible for erecting much of the ornate architecture in the region, like the temples of Angkor. They were eventually taken over by neighboring Tai kingdoms.

3. The Mali Empire

The Mali Empire was the largest power in West Africa from the 13th to the 16th century. It was known for its wealth, particularly from gold, but was eventually weakened from internal conflicts, fragmented into smaller factions, and swallowed by neighboring rivals.

4. The Sasanian Empire

Seen as the last great pre-Islamic Persian empire, the Sasanians were a main rival to the Roman Empire for centuries. Their territory engulfed present-day Iran, Iraq, parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. They were eventually defeated by the Arab Rashidun Caliphate during the 7th century as part of the Arab conquest of Persia.

5. The Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire flourished in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Northern India from the 1st to 3rd centuries. It was founded by a group of nomadic peoples who are credited with spreading Buddhism in the region. They were weakened by the Sasanian Empire and split into smaller kingdoms.

6. The Xiongnu Empire

The Xiongnu Empire, established around the 3rd century BC by a nomadic tribe, grew to control a huge swathe of land from Manchuria to the Aral Sea. It began to decline and split into smaller kingdoms by the 1st century AD due to pressure from the Han Dynasty.

7. The Songhai Empire

The Songhai Empire was the largest West African state and one of the largest empires in African history during the 15th and 16th centuries. Internal conflict eventually weakened the empire, making it vulnerable to invasion by the Moroccan army, which defeated the Songhai forces in 1591.

8. The Tarascan State

The Tarascan State was a pre-Columbian empire located in what is now Mexico. The Tarascans were a major rival of the Aztecs, known for their military prowess. It was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century.

9. The Hittite Empire

The Hittite Empire controlled modern-day Turkey from the 17th century BC to the 12th century BC. They were known for their advanced technology and military might. Their decline was likely due to a combination of prolonged drought, internal conflict, and invasions by neighboring rivals.

10. The Tiwanaku Empire

One of the most significant Andean civilizations, the Tiwanaku Empire thrived in present-day Bolivia, Peru, and Chile from 600 to 1000 AD. The empire's decline was likely due to drought, climate change, and internal conflict.

11. The Aksumite Empire

The Aksumite Empire was a powerful kingdom that controlled what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea from the 1st to the 7th century. It declined due to the rise of Islamic powers, which disrupted their trade routes.

12. The Mitanni Empire

The Mitanni Empire flourished in northern Mesopotamia and Syria from the 16th century BC to the 13th century BC. They were pressured by the Hittite and Assyrian empires and eventually lost power and fragmented.

13. The Srivijaya Empire

The Srivijaya Empire dominated the maritime region of Southeast Asia from the 7th to the 13th century, controlling vital trade routes in the region. Changing trade routes, climate change, and invasions from rivals led to its eventual downfall.

14. The Akkadian Empire

The first empire in Mesopotamia, the Akkadian Empire, was established in 2334 BC. It collapsed in approximately 2154 BC, likely due to internal rebellions, invasions, and persistent drought.

15. The Maurya Empire

The Maurya Empire was a major power in South Asia from 322 BC to 185 BC. It was created after ruler Ashoka defeated the Nanda Empire and expanded westward. After his death, the empire began to decline and eventually dissolved after the assassination of his successor, Emperor Brihadratha.

16. The Western Xia Dynasty

The Western Xia Dynasty was an empire that existed in northwestern China from 1038 to 1227. It controlled a territory of about 800,000 kilometers at its peak, but it was eventually conquered by the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan.

17. The Scythian Empire

The Scythian Empire was a massive empire stretching from Mongolia to northern Iran and south to the Arabian Sea. It flourished from the 8th century BC to the 2nd century AD until a nomadic group, the Sarmatians, invaded.

18. The First Bulgarian Empire

The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval state in Southeastern Europe that existed from the 7th to the 11th century. The empire reached its peak under Tsar Simeon I, but when he died, it weakened and eventually fell to the Byzantine Empire.

19. The Almoravid Dynasty

The Almoravid Dynasty was a Muslim empire originating in the 11th century in present-day Morocco. It eventually weakened due to internal strife and the pressure from the Almohad dynasty, which eventually replaced it as the major power in the area.

20. The Achaemenid Empire

The Achaemenid Empire, also known as the First Persian Empire, was a vast power that existed from around 550 to 330 BC, encompassing modern-day Iran, Egypt, Turkey, parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia at its peak. It was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great.