Greatest Empire Ever

[Blackleaf]

She put an end to slavery in the Empire and through other actions of hers helped to at least moderate some of the attrocities typically committed by imperial governments.

It wasn't Queen Victoria herself who put an end to slavery. It was the actions of British MPs in the early 19th Century, most notably William Wilberforce, who helped put an end to slavery.

Thanks to people such as Wilberforce, Britain became the first country in the world to abolish slavery in 1807, thirty years before 18-year-old Victoria came to the Throne, and twelve years before she was born.

Wilberforce was from Hull, then in Yorkshire, now in East Yorkshire (county borders were changed in 1974, including the creation of new counties). He was the independent MP for Yorkshire between 1784 and 1812.

William Wilberforce

In 1787, he met a group of anti-slavery activists, including Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Charles Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to lead the cause of abolition in Parliament. His campaigning led to the Slave Trade Act 1807. This act abolished the slave trade in the British Empire, but not slavery itself. That remained legal until the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. A messenger rushed to Wilberforce's house. They told him that slavery in British colonies would finally be abolished. Just three days later, on 29th July 1833, William Wilberforce died.

The United States had to have a civil war in the 1860s to ban slavery.

The English Slave Trade (it didn't become the British Slave Trade until 1707) began in 1562 during the reign of Elizabeth I, when the sailor John Hawkins led the first slaving expedition.

 

[Blackleaf]

It's also threatened indigenous cultures throughout, and continues to profit from that legacy through the brain drain from these regions. As to the question in the OP, I'd change it from 'best' to 'least worst'. Yes I chose the British Empire, but not as the best, but as the least worst, empire.I've also read enough books to know that it wasn't all rosy in the British Empire either. Just read 'Decolonizing the Mind' by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Strongly recommended.

I think you'll find that the British looked after the indigenous peoples of places such as North America. It's YOU lot who didn't.

When what is now the US was under British rule, the native Indians had their own territories to live in peacefully, and the British had theirs.

When the US gained independence, that was no more. The Americans encroached and took over native Indian territory as they moved westwards. It was one of the tragedies of American independence.

Native Americans generally preferred British rule to rule by the USA or by the settlers in British North America. Throughout the 19th century there was a steady stream of native Americans out of the USA and into British North America. The Native Americans even fought on the British side against the settlers in Canada (your ancestors) when they rebelled against British rule in 1837.

It is YOU who are to blame for the maltreatment of the native Indians, not the British.

 

[lone wolf]

Are you trying to tell us the Brits wouldn't have expanded west? C'mon ... the call of money? The lure of open space to fill ... and the Brits could ignore?

And the far-mer takes another load away-yy

 

[Cliffy]

We were mostly British at the time.

 

[AnnaG]

Gopher has a point: the greatest empire ever is a relatively peaceful place and fun .... Empire Stadium. I don't care what kind of empire you have, if it has a history of violence, it isn't that great.

 

[Machjo]

I think you'll find that the British looked after the indigenous peoples of places such as North America. It's YOU lot who didn't.

When what is now the US was under British rule, the native Indians had their own territories to live in peacefully, and the British had theirs.

When the US gained independence, that was no more. The Americans encroached and took over native Indian territory as they moved westwards. It was one of the tragedies of American independence.

Native Americans generally preferred British rule to rule by the USA or by the settlers in British North America. Throughout the 19th century there was a steady stream of native Americans out of the USA and into British North America. The Native Americans even fought on the British side against the settlers in Canada (your ancestors) when they rebelled against British rule in 1837.

It is YOU who are to blame for the maltreatment of the native Indians, not the British.

1. I'm not American.

2. Canada intervened in Africa only to help the British in the Boer Wars, and the British (and, granted, Canada, the US, etc.) today continue to benefit from the brain drain from Africa to our countries owing to cultural imperialism. Robert Phillipson explores the economic impact of cultural dependence in Africa today in considerable depth.

3. In spite of all this, I can't deny that Canada hasn't been so angelic either. Little known to many is that South African Apartheid was just a more extreme form of the Canadian reservation system. In fact, it was inspired by the Canadian system. And of course we've caused enough damage to our own local cultures.

 

[ironsides]

So you do not like security.

Airports' snagged swag stash
What do a live baby alligator, a gassed-up chain saw and a 6-foot-long African spear have in common?

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/airports_arsenal_of_snagged_swag_4xqaQ2TvIco38pHj2uKe3O

 

[Machjo]

Actually, the Roman Empire wasn't as bad as some Empires, and ditto the Muslim Empire. Though to be fair, the Muslim 'Empire' was more of a federation than an empire. So though it could possibly beat the others hands down in terms of its respect for its citizens, it's not really in teh same category as other empires owing to its federal nature at the time.

And I guess, taking the contemporary culture into account, the Roman Empire wasn't much worse than the British Sure they had gladiator fights, but again, I did say taking the historical context into account to be fair. Looking at it that way, the Roman Empire could have been worse too.

The Persian Empire also helped maintain law and order and justice too, though again it was temporary as that empire, like the Roman, eventually got corrupt.

 

[ShaunHimself]

Gopher has a point: the greatest empire ever is a relatively peaceful place and fun .... Empire Stadium. I don't care what kind of empire you have, if it has a history of violence, it isn't that great.

Are you saying you've never watched a movie you thought was great that contained violence? History, nature, video games, science - it's all violence.

This is who we are and it will never change.

 

[AnnaG]

Are you saying you've never watched a movie you thought was great that contained violence? History, nature, video games, science - it's all violence.

This is who we are and it will never change.

Nope. That's not what I am saying at all. Movies are not real life. I can tell, you can't fool me. Neither are video games. Nature isn't built upon violence and only contains violence as 1 characteristic, but it is not the definition of it. Empires in the usual sense of the word, are built upon violence. Humans can be peaceful but some choose not to be. They need/want to intrude upon other people's lives.That isn't a tough concept to grasp. But, I see your point that humans are violent by nature. I disagree, though. I think only SOME people are violent by nature. There's something dysfunctional about that.

Besides that, there are degrees of violence. My husband plays rugby and I play football (the real one). Both are violent but not as violent as conquering lands that other people use. Or conquering the people themselves. THAT kind of violence is barbaric, archaic, wasteful, and stupid.

 

[Blackleaf]

1. I'm not American.

2. Canada intervened in Africa only to help the British in the Boer Wars, and the British (and, granted, Canada, the US, etc.) today continue to benefit from the brain drain from Africa to our countries owing to cultural imperialism. Robert Phillipson explores the economic impact of cultural dependence in Africa today in considerable depth.

The Boer War was Canada's first major overseas campaign. Canada was split on the Boer War - British Canadians thought Canada should send troops to take part, and French Canadians opposed it.

The French PM opposed sending troops to the war, but he was pressured by British Canadians into sending troops. That way, Canada could show how important it is to the Empire and also share its military responsibilities. It's a bit like NATO nowadays. You want every NATO force in Afghanistan to pull its weight and do its bit.

All in all, the British Empire was a force for good in Africa. Just as the Romans brought straight roads, central heating, concrete, aqueducts, the alphabet, and the census to Britain, the British brought railways, medical care, education etc to Africa.

Though if it wasn't for the Empire we wouldn't have 3 million Muslims from the Indian sub-continent living in Britain.

 

[YukonJack]

Let me put a twist on the premise of this thread:

How about the Greatest Empire that failed in the most spectacular fashion?

The legacy of the second greatest mass murderers in history, Lenin and Stalin, the Soviet Union.

 

[Blackleaf]

Are you trying to tell us the Brits wouldn't have expanded west? C'mon ... the call of money? The lure of open space to fill ... and the Brits could ignore?

And the far-mer takes another load away-yy

In that great worldwide tussle for territory between the British and French, the world's two greatest powers, during the Seven Years' War (which actually lasted nine years, 1754-1763, and could be regarded as the First World War) Britain stole a huge amount of territory from the French in what is now Canada, such as when General Wolfe captured Quebec in 1759.

At the end of that war, all of France's possessions in North America were ceded to the British, thereby ensuring Britain is the undisputed number one superpower on the globe.

If the British had won the War of Independence, or King George III decided to address the American colonists' grievances and so prevent war, a few years later, virtually the entire eastern seaboard of North America would have been in British hands. And the native Americans would have continued to be treated well.

Canada (and it would be Canada as the US wouldn't exist) would probably stretch from the Arctic Circle to the tip of Florida, and include virtually the whole of the Eastern Seaboard of North America and parts of the midwest.

Areas such as New Mexico, Arizona and California, I believe, would nowadays be a part of Mexico, as they once were. I don't believe the British would have moved westwards.

For a start, I can't imagine the French selling Louisiana to the British.

 

[EagleSmack]

DOn't you know the Brits always respected indigineous cultures and people. Just ask the Zulus and the poeple of India. :roll:

 

[TenPenny]

DOn't you know the Brits always respected indigineous cultures and people. Just ask the Zulus and the poeple of India. :roll:

Or the Beothuks of Newfoundland.

 

[ironsides]

"Despite his fame, Jeffrey Amherst's name became tarnished by stories of smallpox-infected blankets used as germ warfare against American Indians. These stories are reported, for example, in Carl Waldman's Atlas of the North American Indian [NY: Facts on File, 1985]. Waldman writes, in reference to a siege of Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) by Chief Pontiac's forces during the summer of 1763"

 

[Kareem_Saeed]

-World's Greatest Empire as one single land under one authority and at one time, was the Mongol empire (25,000,000 square meters)
-World's greatest empire as one single land divided into authorities is the : Russian Empire.
-World's greatest empire as number of population is the Persian empire.
-World's greatest empire as one land but over time is the British empire
-And world's biggest ancient empire is the Arab/Muslim empire

 

[Johnnny]

Now who do you think were the greatest empires ever in the history of the world. And I must admit that there have been some pretty good ones over time.

I say first off

1. Viking Empire; it was big, and it the Vikings were the dominant people for many hundreds of years. They were the ones that destroyed the Romans weren't they?

2. British Empire

3. Roman Empire

4. Ottoman Empire

5. American Empire

Someone has been playing too much Civilization i see.....:lol:

The Vikings should not be on a top 5 list. Im not sure you can have a top 5 list, but ill take a stab at it.... If your going to say the Ottoman Empire, i will have to say the Byzantine Empire was far greater...

In no Particular order...

Mongols - Greatest land army in the world, and greatest general of all time subotai...

British Empire - First world empire to actually conqour and hold a monolpoly on the world at least. They were better at it than, the french, dutch, spanish, and whoever else were colonial powers...

Achaemenid Empire - It was the first Super Power of the Known world at the time and stretched from Afghanistan roughly to Egypt to Ionian Coast...

Roman Empire - Well everyone knows why i would choose them

Egyptians - Dont hate they were the first

 

[Avro]

Greatest empire...oxymoron.

Invariably they all fail....what's so great about any of them?

 

[AnnaG]

Greatest empire...oxymoron.

Invariably they all fail....what's so great about any of them?

I think any empire that is peaceful, promotes high standards in education, research, development, responsibility towards our world, etc. would be cool. Most of the human empire does that sometimes, I think.