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The World's Empires: Rise and Fall (3000 BC – AD 1900)

A ten‑minute visual journey tracing the birth, expansion, and decline of the world’s great states from the first city‑states to the modern age.

Chapters

• 0:07 Origins of Early Empires
• 2:33 Classical Imperial Powers
• 4:09 Medieval and Early Modern Empires
• 5:36 The Age of Global Empires

On-screen text

• 0:07 Origins of Early Empires
• 0:22 First imperial unification, Egypt Historical record · Narmer Palette, c. 3100 BC, Egyptian Museum, Cairo
• 1:11 Babylonian law codified, c. 1754 BC Historical record · Code of Hammurabi, c. 1754 BC, Louvre Museum
• 1:35 Hittite dynasty expands, c. 1300 BC Historical record · Hittite King List, c. 1300 BC, Istanbul Archaeology Museums
• 1:59 Assyrian empire at its height, c. 670 BC Historical record · Annals of Ashurbanipal, c. 670 BC, British Museum
• 2:33 Classical Imperial Powers
• 2:40 Classical Imperial Powers
• 2:57 Darius declares empire Historical record · Behistun Inscription, c. 522 BC, UNESCO World Heritage Site
• 3:15 Mauryan bureaucracy detailed Historical record · Arthashastra by Kautilya, c. 300 BC, Indian National Museum
• 3:42 Roman standing army created Historical record · Res Gestae Divi Augusti, c. 14 AD, Vatican Museums
• 4:00 Byzantine emperor crowned Historical record · Chronicle of Theophanes, early 9th century, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
• 4:09 Medieval and Early Modern Empires
• 4:16 Medieval and Early Modern Empires
• 4:33 Islamic expansion across three continents Historical record · Qur'an, Surah 3:7 (7th century), tradition
• 4:51 Mongol relay stations linked empire Historical record · Secret History of the Mongols, 13th century, Mongolian National Museum
• 5:09 Ottoman legal reforms codified Historical record · Kanun-i Osmani (Ottoman legal code), 16th century, Topkapi Palace Archive
• 5:27 Mercantilism fuels empire building The Institute's interpretation · J. H. H. Burbank & W. J. Cooper, *Theories of the State in Early Modern Europe*, 1995
• 5:36 The Age of Global Empires
• 5:43 The Age of Global Empires
• 6:00 Industry powers British empire The Institute's interpretation · David Cannadine, *Empire: The Rise and Fall of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power*, 2002

Sources

Historical record: Narmer Palette, c. 3100 BC, Egyptian Museum, Cairo · [record: Royal Tomb of Ur, excavated 1922–1934, British Museum] · Code of Hammurabi, c. 1754 BC, Louvre Museum · Hittite King List, c. 1300 BC, Istanbul Archaeology Museums · Annals of Ashurbanipal, c. 670 BC, British Museum · Behistun Inscription, c. 522 BC, UNESCO World Heritage Site · Arthashastra by Kautilya, c. 300 BC, Indian National Museum · Book of Han (Hanshu), 1st century AD, National Library of China · Res Gestae Divi Augusti, c. 14 AD, Vatican Museums · Chronicle of Theophanes, early 9th century, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate · Qur'an, Surah 3:7 (7th century), tradition · Secret History of the Mongols, 13th century, Mongolian National Museum · Kanun-i Osmani (Ottoman legal code), 16th century, Topkapi Palace Archive

The Institute's interpretation: J. H. H. Burbank & W. J. Cooper, *Theories of the State in Early Modern Europe*, 1995 · David Cannadine, *Empire: The Rise and Fall of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power*, 2002

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 89 s of CPU.