List of largest empires in India
This is a historical list of the largest empires in India with an area covering more than 1 million square kilometres (that is, with its capital in the Indian subcontinent, excluding foreign-ruled empires like the British Raj and the empire of Alexander the Great). An empire involves the extension of a state's sovereignty over external territories. The values given here should generally be interpreted as being only indicative, and not as determining a precise ranking. The calculation of the land area of a particular empire is controversial. In general, the list centres on the side of including any land area that was explored and explicitly claimed, even if the areas were populated very sparsely or not at all.
Empire | Approximate maximum extent (Area in km²) | Size as percentage of area of Republic of India | Approximate date of maximum extent | Ruler during maximum extent | Capital(s) during maximum extent | Estimate by |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mauryan Empire | 5,000,000 | 152% | 250 BC | Ashoka (Chakravartin) | Pataliputra | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Mughal Empire | 4,000,000 | 122% | 1690 | Aurangzeb (Emperor) | Shahjahanabad (Delhi) | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Gupta Empire | 3,500,000 | 106% | 400 | Chandragupta II (Emperor) | Pataliputra | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Republic of India (for comparison) | 3,287,263 | - | - | - | - | Government of India[2] |
Delhi Sultanate (Tughlaq) | 3,200,000 | 97% | 1312 | Muhammad bin Tughluq (Sultan) | Delhi | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Maratha Empire | 2,500,000 | 76% | 1760 | Balaji Baji Rao (Peshwa) | Raigad | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Kushan Empire | 2,000,000 | 61% | 200 | Kanishka (Emperor) | Kapisi Purushapura Takshashila Mathura | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty | 1,800,000 | 55% | 860 | Bhoja I (Maharaja) | Kannauj | [3] |
Rashtrakuta Dynasty | 1,700,000 | 52% | 805 | Govinda III (Emperor) | Manyakheta | [4] |
Nanda Empire | 1,500,000 | 46% | 350 BC | Dhana Nanda (Samrat) | Pataliputra | [5] |
Indo-Scythian (Saka) Kingdom | 1,500,000 | 46% | 100 BC | Maues (King) | Sigal Takshashila Mathura | [6] |
Shunga Empire | 1,200,000 | 37% | 150 BC | Pushyamitra Shunga (Emperor) | Pataliputra | [7] |
Chalukya Dynasty | 1,100,000 | 33% | 636 | Pulakeshin II (Maharaja) | Badami | [8] |
Empire of Harsha | 1,000,000 | 30% | 648 | Harsha (Emperor) | Kannauj | Peter Turchin et al.[1] |
Graphical chart
![](../I/m/daf79e5337d2045d616a2509cef387a0.png)
For other empires of uncertain sizes, see Category:Empires and kingdoms of India.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of world-systems research. 12 (2): 223. ISSN 1076-156X. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
- ↑ "India: Profile". National Portal of India. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
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