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World domination (also called global domination, world conquest, global conquest, or cosmocracy) is a hypothetical
power structure In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force ( coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thr ...
, either achieved or aspired to, in which a single political authority holds power over all or virtually all the inhabitants of
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
. Historically, world domination has been thought of in terms of a
nation A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...
expanding its power to the point that all other nations are subservient to it. This may be achieved by direct military force or by establishing a
hegemony Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states, either regional or global. In Ancient Greece (ca. 8th BC – AD 6th c.), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of ...
. The latter is an indirect form of rule by the ''hegemon'' (leading state) over subordinate states. The hegemon's implied power includes the threat of force, protection, or bestowal of economic benefits. Forces resisting attempted or existing hegemony strive to preserve or restore a multipolar balance of power. Various rulers or regimes have tried to achieve this goal in history. Global conquest was never attained. However, the matter is more complex with indirect or
informal Formal, formality, informal or informality imply the complying with, or not complying with, some set of requirements ( forms, in Ancient Greek). They may refer to: Dress code and events * Formal wear, attire for formal events * Semi-formal att ...
domination. Many historians political scientists and policy-makers argue that the United States attained global hegemony since 1945 or 1991, or even the British Empire in the 19th century. The theme of world domination has often been used in works of
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
, particularly in
political fiction Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fant ...
, as well as in
conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...
(which may posit that some person or group has already secretly achieved this goal), particularly those fearing the development of a " New World Order" involving a
world government World government is the concept of a single political authority governing all of Earth and humanity. It is conceived in a variety of forms, from tyrannical to democratic, which reflects its wide array of proponents and detractors. There has ...
of a
totalitarian Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sph ...
nature.


History

While various empires and hegemonies over the course of history have been able to expand and dominate large parts of the world, none have come close to conquering all the territory on Earth. However, these powers have had a global impact in cultural and economic terms that is still felt today. Some of the largest and more prominent empires include: * The
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
was established by the late- Republican state of ancient Rome. The republican government turned into imperial following
Octavian Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...
's assumption of sole rule under the
Principate The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...
in 31 BC. Since Octavian, the Empire was ruled by
emperors The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...
. It included territory in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The fall of the
Western Roman Empire In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...
in 476 conventionally marks the end of
classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...
and the beginning of the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. * The
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...
, which in the 13th century under
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
came to control the largest continuous land empire in the world, spanning from
East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
to the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
and
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
. It eventually fractured and ended with the fall of the
Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
, which was established by
Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...
. It reached its greatest extent in 1309, when it controlled the region through which the
Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...
trade route ran. * The
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
under the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
and
Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...
, which controlled vast areas of
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
,
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and some parts of
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
. The empire collapsed in a process that started in the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
and the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
. It was the first global empire in human history, being the first referred to as the empire on which the sun never sets and having pretensions (especially during the
Spanish Habsburg Habsburg Spain refers to Spain and the Hispanic Monarchy, also known as the Catholic Monarchy, in the period from 1516 to 1700 when it was ruled by kings from the House of Habsburg. In this period the Spanish Empire was at the zenith of its in ...
era) to being the secular leaders of worldwide
Christendom The terms Christendom or Christian world commonly refer to the global Christian community, Christian states, Christian-majority countries or countries in which Christianity is dominant or prevails.SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christen ...
and the sword of the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
against their opponents, the Protestant Reformers of
Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...
, the
Regalism Regalism is the idea that the monarch has supremacy over the Church as an institution, often specifically referring to the Spanish monarchy and the Catholic Church in the Spanish Empire. Regalists sought reforms that "were intended to redefine the ...
of the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
, the
Islamic world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...
,
pagans Pagans may refer to: * Paganism, a group of pre-Christian religions practiced in the Roman Empire * Modern Paganism, a group of contemporary religious practices * Pagan's Motorcycle Club, a motorcycle club * The Pagans The Pagans were an Am ...
from the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
and
East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...
, and all the enemies of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in their
Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort to carry on evangelism, in the name of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries. Sometimes individuals are sent and a ...
to
evangelise Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...
the world. * The
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, which controlled vast areas of Eurasia stretching from the
Baltic region The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...
to
Outer Manchuria Outer Manchuria, sometimes called Russian Manchuria, refers to a region in Northeast Asia that is now part of the Russian Far East but historically formed part of Manchuria (until the mid-19th century). While Manchuria now more normatively refer ...
, reaching its largest extent in 1895. The empire collapsed during the
February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...
in 1917, which saw
Tsar Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...
abdicate. The cultural and economic unity of the Russian Empire allowed the rise of its successor state, the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, a
superpower Superpower describes a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to Sphere of influence, exert influence and Power projection, project power on a global scale. This is done through the comb ...
whose military strength and
ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...
were major forces in global politics during the 20th century. * The
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
, originating under
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
, was the largest empire in history. By 1921, the British Empire reached its height and dominated a quarter of the globe, controlling territory on each
continent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...
. The empire went through a long period of decline and
decolonization Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...
following the end of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, which had brought it close to
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
, until it ceased to be a dominant force in world affairs.
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
is still the official language in many countries, most of which were former British colonies, and is widely spoken as a
second language A second language (L2) is a language spoken in addition to one's first language (L1). A second language may be a neighbouring language, another language of the speaker's home country, or a foreign language. A speaker's dominant language, which ...
around the world. The
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
that took place in the United Kingdom from the 18th century was spread to the rest of the globe through the expansion of the British Empire, enabling the development of an industrialized global economy. * The American Empire is a disputed concept referring to the
sphere A sphere (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ) is a surface (mathematics), surface analogous to the circle, a curve. In solid geometry, a sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...
of informal and indirect domination by the United States. According to proponents of the concept, the history of the American Empire begins in the Latin America following the
Monroe Doctrine The Monroe Doctrine is a foreign policy of the United States, United States foreign policy position that opposes European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign ...
in 1823, extends to the non-Soviet sphere of the Old World since 1945 and to the post-Soviet space in Europe since 1991. In size, the US Empire exceeds the British Empire and some scholars claim that the US Empire is global in scope. By the early 21st century, wars of territorial conquest were uncommon and the world's nations could attempt to resolve their differences through
multilateral Multilateral may refer to: * Multilateralism * Multilateration * Flea flicker (American football) In American football, the flea flicker is an unorthodox or "trick play" designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run ins ...
diplomacy under the auspices of global organizations like the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
,
World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...
, or, with equal perspectives, the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. A more secure strategy was allying with the United States, as did almost all developed states and many others. The United States, however, undermined its credibility in 2025 when it recognized all Russian conquests in Ukraine. Except Russia, the world's superpowers and
potential superpower A potential superpower is a sovereign state or other polity that is speculated to be or have the potential to become a superpower; a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to exert inf ...
s rarely attempt to exert global influence through the types of territorial empire-building seen in history, but the world's leading superpower permanently exerts global influence through the type of non-territorial empire-building also seen in history: Domination, according to
Michael W. Doyle Michael W. Doyle (born 1948) is an American international relations scholar who is a theorist of the liberal " democratic peace" and author of ''Liberalism and World Politics''. He has also written on the comparative history of empires and the ...
, is possible without territorial conquest. Some international relations display all features of territorial conquest except a conqueror’s flag. The influence of historical territorial empires is still important and the non-territorial world domination is practiced.


Ideologies

The aspiration to rule 'the four corners of the universe' has been the hallmark of imperial ideologies worldwide since the beginning of history.


Egypt

The Egyptian King was believed to rule 'all under the sun.' On ''Abydos Stelae'',
Thutmose I Thutmose I (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis I, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; meaning "Thoth is born") was the third pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, 18th Dynasty of History of Ancient Egypt, Egypt. He re ...
claimed: "I made the boundaries of Egypt as far as the sun encircles." ''The Story of Sinuke'' tells that the King has "subdued all that the sun encircles." ''The Hymn of Victory'' of
Thutmose III Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, (1479–1425 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. He is regarded as one of the greatest warriors, military commanders, and milita ...
and the ''Stelae of
Amenophis II Amenhotep II (sometimes called Amenophis II and meaning "Amun is Satisfied") was the seventh pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few military campaigns i ...
'' proclaimed that no one makes a boundary with the King and there is "no boundary for him towards all lands united, towards all lands together." Thutmose III was also acknowledged: "None presents himself before thy majesty. The circuit of the Great Circle
cean Cean or variants can refer to: * Cean, a village in Săuca Commune, Satu Mare County, Romania * Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez (1749 – 1829), a Spanish writer * CEAN, or the Comprehensive Erlang Archive Network * Centro Experimental de Animaci� ...
is included in thy grasp."


Mesopotamia

The prestigious title of
King of the Universe King of the Universe is a royal title that claims complete cosmological domination. As a historical title, King of the Universe was used intermittently by powerful monarchs in ancient Mesopotamia as a title of great prestige. Equivalent titles ...
appeared in
Ancient Mesopotamia The Civilization of Mesopotamia ranges from the earliest human occupation in the Paleolithic period up to Late antiquity. This history is pieced together from evidence retrieved from archaeological excavations and, after the introduction of writ ...
, being used by powerful monarchs claiming world domination, starting with the Akkadian king
Sargon Sargon may refer to: Mesopotamian kings * Sargon of Akkad ( 2334–2279 BC), founder of the Akkadian Empire * Sargon I ( 1920–1881 BC), king of the Old Assyrian city-state * Sargon II ( BC), king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire Modern people Giv ...
(2334–2284 BC). It was used in a succession of later empires claiming symbolical descent from Sargon's
Akkadian Empire The Akkadian Empire () was the first known empire, succeeding the long-lived city-states of Sumer. Centered on the city of Akkad (city), Akkad ( or ) and its surrounding region, the empire united Akkadian language, Akkadian and Sumerian languag ...
.Stevens, Kahtryn (2014).
The Antiochus Cylinder, Babylonian Scholarship and Seleucid Imperial Ideology
(PDF). ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies''. 134: 66–88. . .
During the early dynastic period in Mesopotamia (c. 2900–2350 BC), the rulers of the region's city-states (such as Ur,
Uruk Uruk, the archeological site known today as Warka, was an ancient city in the Near East, located east of the current bed of the Euphrates River, on an ancient, now-dried channel of the river in Muthanna Governorate, Iraq. The site lies 93 kilo ...
,
Lagash Lagash (; cuneiform: LAGAŠKI; Sumerian language, Sumerian: ''Lagaš'') was an ancient city-state located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and east of Uruk, about east of the modern town of Al-Shatrah, Iraq. Lagash ( ...
,
Umma Umma () in modern Dhi Qar Province in Iraq, was an ancient city in Sumer. There is some scholarly debate about the Sumerian and Akkadian names for this site. Traditionally, Umma was identified with Tell Jokha. More recently it has been sugges ...
, and
Kish Kish may refer to: Businesses and organisations * KISH, a radio station in Guam * Kish Air, an Iranian airline * Korean International School in Hanoi, Vietnam People * Kish (surname), including a list of people with the name * Kish, a former ...
) would often launch invasions into regions and cities far from their own, generally with negligible consequences for themselves, in order to establish temporary and small empires to either gain or keep a superior position relative to the other city-states. Eventually this quest to be more prestigious and powerful than the other
city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...
s resulted in a general ambition for universal rule. Since
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
was equated to correspond to the entire world and
Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization, located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. ...
ian cities had been built far and wide (cities the like of
Susa Susa ( ) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh River, Karkheh and Dez River, Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital o ...
, Mari and
Assur Aššur (; AN.ŠAR2KI, Assyrian cuneiform: ''Aš-šurKI'', "City of God Aššur"; ''Āšūr''; ''Aθur'', ''Āšūr''; ', ), also known as Ashur and Qal'at Sherqat, was the capital of the Old Assyrian city-state (2025–1364 BC), the Midd ...
were located near the perceived corners of the world) it seemed possible to reach the edges of the world (at this time thought to be the lower sea, the
Persian gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
, and the upper sea, the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
). The title ''šar kiššatim'' was perhaps most prominently used by the kings of the
Neo-Assyrian Empire The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the fourth and penultimate stage of ancient Assyrian history. Beginning with the accession of Adad-nirari II in 911 BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire grew to dominate the ancient Near East and parts of South Caucasus, Nort ...
, more than a thousand years after the fall of the Akkadian Empire.


Persia

After taking
Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...
and defeating the
Neo-Babylonian Empire The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire, historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last polity ruled by monarchs native to ancient Mesopotamia. Beginning with the coronation of Nabopolassar as the King of Babylon in 626 BC a ...
,
Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia ( ; 530 BC), commonly known as Cyrus the Great, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Achaemenid dynasty (i. The clan and dynasty) Hailing from Persis, he brought the Achaemenid dynasty to power by defeating the Media ...
proclaimed himself "
King of Babylon The king of Babylon ( Akkadian: , later also ) was the ruler of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon and its kingdom, Babylonia, which existed as an independent realm from the 19th century BC to its fall in the 6th century BC. For the majority ...
,
King of Sumer and Akkad King of Sumer and Akkad ( Sumerian: '' lugal-ki-en-gi-ki-uri'', Akkadian: ''šar māt Šumeri u Akkadi'') was a royal title in Ancient Mesopotamia combining the titles of " King of Akkad", the ruling title held by the monarchs of the Akkadia ...
,
King of the Four Corners of the World King of the Four Corners of the World ( Sumerian: '' lugal-an-ub-da-limmu-ba'', Akkadian: ''šarru kibrat arbaim'', ''šar kibrāti arbaʾi'', or ''šar kibrāt erbetti''), alternatively translated as King of the Four Quarters of the World, Kin ...
" in the famous
Cyrus Cylinder The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay cylinder, now broken into several pieces, on which is written an Achaemenid royal inscription in Akkadian cuneiform script in the name of the Persian king Cyrus the Great. Kuhrt (2007), p. 70, 72 It dates fr ...
, an inscription deposited in the foundations of the
Esagila The Ésagila or Esangil ( , ''"temple whose top is lofty"'') was a temple dedicated to Marduk, the protector god of Babylon. It lay south of the ziggurat Etemenanki. Description In this temple was the statue of Marduk, surrounded by cult ima ...
temple dedicated to the chief Babylonian god,
Marduk Marduk (; cuneiform: Dingir, ᵈAMAR.UTU; Sumerian language, Sumerian: "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In B ...
. Cyrus the Great's dominions composed the largest empire the world had seen to that point, spanning from the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
and
Hellespont The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey t ...
in the west to the
Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...
in the east.
Iranian philosophy Iranian philosophy ( Persian: فلسفه ایرانی) or Persian philosophy can be traced back as far as to Old Iranian philosophical traditions and thoughts which originated in ancient Indo-Iranian roots and were considerably influenced by Za ...
,
literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
and
religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...
played dominant roles in world events for the next millennium, with the Cyrus Cylinder considered the oldest-known declaration of
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
. Before Cyrus and his army crossed the river Araxes to fight the Armenians, he installed his son,
Cambyses II Cambyses II () was the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning 530 to 522 BCE. He was the son of and successor to Cyrus the Great (); his mother was Cassandane. His relatively brief reign was marked by his conquests in North Afric ...
, as king in case he should not return from battle. However, once Cyrus had crossed the river, he had a vision in which
Darius Darius may refer to: Persian royalty ;Kings of the Achaemenid Empire * Darius I (the Great, 550 to 487 BC) * Darius II (423 to 404 BC) * Darius III (Codomannus, 380 to 330 BC) ;Crown princes * Darius (son of Xerxes I), crown prince of Persia, ma ...
had wings atop his shoulders and stood upon the confines of Europe and Asia (the known world). When Cyrus awoke from the dream, he interpreted it as signaling a great danger to the future security of the empire, as it meant that Darius would one day rule the whole world. However, his son Cambyses was the heir to the throne, not Darius, causing Cyrus to wonder if Darius was forming treasonable and ambitious designs. This led Cyrus to order Hystaspes to go back to
Persis Persis (, ''Persís;'' Old Persian: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿, ''Parsa''), also called Persia proper, is a historic region in southwestern Iran, roughly corresponding with Fars province. The Persian ethnic group are thought to have initially migrated ...
and watch over his son strictly, until Cyrus himself returned. In many
cuneiform Cuneiform is a Logogram, logo-Syllabary, syllabic writing system that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Near East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. Cuneiform script ...
inscriptions, like the
Behistun Inscription The Behistun Inscription (also Bisotun, Bisitun or Bisutun; , Old Persian: Bagastana, meaning "the place of god") is a multilingual Achaemenid royal inscriptions, Achaemenid royal inscription and large rock relief on a cliff at Mount Behistun i ...
, Darius the Great presents himself as a devout believer of
Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...
, perhaps even convinced that he had a divine right to rule over the world, believing that because he lived righteously by
Asha ''Asha'' () or ''arta'' (; ) is a Zoroastrian concept with a complex and highly nuanced range of meaning. It is commonly summarized in accord with its contextual implications of 'truth' and 'right' (or 'righteousness'), 'order' and 'right wor ...
, Ahura Mazda supported him as a
virtuous A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is valued as an end purpose of life or a foundational pri ...
monarch and appointed him to rule the
Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...
and their global projection, while believing through his
dualist Dualism most commonly refers to: * Mind–body dualism, a philosophical view which holds that mental phenomena are, at least in certain respects, not physical phenomena, or that the mind and the body are distinct and separable from one another * P ...
beliefs that each rebellion in his empire was the work of
Druj ''Asha'' () or ''arta'' (; ) is a Zoroastrian concept with a complex and highly nuanced range of meaning. It is commonly summarized in accord with its contextual implications of 'truth' and 'right' (or 'righteousness'), 'order' and 'right work ...
, the enemy of
Asha ''Asha'' () or ''arta'' (; ) is a Zoroastrian concept with a complex and highly nuanced range of meaning. It is commonly summarized in accord with its contextual implications of 'truth' and 'right' (or 'righteousness'), 'order' and 'right wor ...
.


Alexander the Great

In the 4th century BCE,
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
notably expressed a desire to conquer the world, and a legend persists that after he completed his military conquest of the known
ancient world Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...
, he "wept because he had no more worlds to conquer", as he was unaware of China farther to the east and had no way to know about civilizations in the Americas. Derivative characters of Alexander the Great, such as Sa'b Dhu Marathid in the south Arabian tradition, were also presented as world conquerors. After the collapse of the Macedonian Empire, the Seleucid Empire appeared with claims to world rule in their imperial ideology, as Antiochus I Soter claimed the ancient Mesopotamian title
King of the Universe King of the Universe is a royal title that claims complete cosmological domination. As a historical title, King of the Universe was used intermittently by powerful monarchs in ancient Mesopotamia as a title of great prestige. Equivalent titles ...
. However, it didn't reflect realistic Seleucid imperial ambitions at this point after the peace treaty of Seleucus I Nicator with the Mauryans had set a limit to eastern expansion, and Antiochus ceding the lands west of Thrace to the Antigonid dynasty, Antigonids.


India

In Indian mythology, Bharata Chakravartin was the first ''chakravartin'' (universal emperor, ruler of rulers or possessor of ''chakra'') of Avasarpini (the present half time cycle as per Jain cosmology). In a Jainism, Jain legend, Yasasvati Devi, the most senior queen of Rishabhanatha (the first Jain ''tirthankara''), saw four auspicious dreams one night. She saw the sun and the moon, Mount Meru, the lake with swans, the Earth and the ocean. Rishabhanatha explained to her that these dreams meant that a ''chakravartin'' ruler will be born to them who will conquer the whole world.Champat Rai Jain, Jain, Champat Rai (1929), ''iarchive:RisabhaDeva-TheFounderOfJainism, Risabha Deva - The Founder of Jainism'', Allahabad: The Indian Press Limited,  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain''.'' Then, Bharata, a ''Kshatriya'' from the Ikshvaku dynasty, was born to them on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of ''Chaitra.'' He is said to have conquered all the six parts of the world, during his ''Digvijaya (conquest), digvijaya'' (winning six divisions of earth in all directions), and fought his brother, Bahubali, to conquer the last remaining city. The ancient name of India was named "Bhāratavarsha" or "Bhārata" or "Bharata-bhumi" after him. The Hindu text Skanda Purana (chapter 37) has it that "Rishabhanatha was the son of Nabhiraja, and Rishabha had a son named Bharata, and after the name of this Bharata, this country is known as Bharata-varsha." After completing his world-conquest, he is said to have proceeded to his capital Ayodhyapuri with a huge army and the divine ''chakra-ratna'' (a spinning, disk-like super weapon with serrated edges). According to legend, King Vikramaditya's Empire spread across the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
and
East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
(even reaching modern Indonesia), with Vikramaditya a great Hindus, Hindu world emperor (or Chakravarti (Sanskrit term), Chakravarti). This probably inspired the imperial pretensions of Chandragupta II and Skandagupta, as the term ''Vikramaditya'' is also used as a title by several List of Indian monarchs, Hindu monarchs. According to P. N. Oak and Stephen Knapp, king Vikrama’s empire extended up to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and the whole of Jambudvip (Indian subcontinent). But, according to most historical texts, his empire was located in present-day northern India and Pakistan, implying that the historic Vikramaditya only ruled Bharata Khanda, Bharat as far as the Indus River, River Indus, as per Bhavishya Purana. There is no epigraphic evidence to suggest that his rule extended to Europe, Arabian Peninsula, Arabia, Central Asia or Southeast Asia. (Sources of contemporaneous empires, like the Parthians, Kushan Empire, Kushans, Chinese empire, Chinese, Roman Empire, Romans and Sasanian Empire, Sassanids, don't mention an empire ruling from Arabia to Indonesia.) That part of his rule is considered to be legend, as Indian religions, Indic religious conceptions of the Indian subcontinent as being 'the world' (with the term Jambudvīpa used broadly in the same way), and how that translates into folk memories. The ''Mahabharata'' or Somadeva's ''Kathasaritsagara'' has pretensions of world domination, as performing some Mysticism, mystic ritual and Punya (Hinduism), virtues would be a signal of becoming emperor of the whole world, just as Dharma has Universal law, universal jurisdiction over all the cosmos. In this epic there was a time when Emperor Yudhishthira ruled over 'the world': as from Śuciratha will come the son named Vṛṣṭimān, and his son, Suṣeṇa, will be the emperor of the entire world. There are signs in Bāṇabhaṭṭa that an emperor named Harsha shall arise, who will rule over all the continents like Harishchandra, who will conquer the world like Mandhatri. But 'the world', in the time of Ramayana in the 12th century BCE and Mahabharata in the 5th century BCE, was only India. Some pan-Indian empires, like the Maurya Empire, were seeking domination first of the ancient world known to Indians in the Akhand Bharat, and then through Seleucid–Mauryan war, conflict with the Seleucid Empire. Ashoka, Ashoka the great was a devout Buddhism, Buddhist and wanted to establish it as a world religion. Also, the first references to a ''Chakravala Chakravartin'' (an emperor who rules over all four of the continents) appears in monuments from the time of the early Maurya Empire, in the 4th to 3rd century BCE, in reference to Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Ashoka.


China

In the Sinosphere, one of the consequences of the Mandate of Heaven in Imperial China was the claim of the Emperor of China as Son of Heaven who ruled ''tianxia'' (meaning 'all under heaven', closely associated with civilization and order in classical Chinese philosophy), which in English can be translated as 'ruler of the whole world', being equivalent to the concept of a Universal monarchy, universal monarch. The title was interpreted literally only in China and Japan, whose monarchs were referred to as demigods, Deity, deities, or 'living gods', chosen by Chinese folk religion, the gods and goddesses of heaven. The theory behind this derives from Confucianism, Confucian bureaucracy: the Chinese emperor acted as the Autocracy, autocrat of ''tianxia'' and held a mandate to rule over everyone else in the world, as long as he served the people well. If the quality of rule became questionable because of repeated natural disasters such as flood or famine, or for other reasons, then rebellion was justified. This important concept legitimized the dynastic cycle, or change of dynasties. The center of this world-view was not exclusionary in nature, and outer groups, such as Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minorities and foreigners who accepted the mandate of the Chinese Emperor (through annexation or living in Tributary system of China, tributary states), were themselves received and included into ''tianxia''. The concept's 'inclusion of all' and implied acceptance of the world's diversity, emphasizing harmonious reciprocal dependence and rule by virtue as a means to lasting peace. Although in practice there would be areas of the known world which were not under the control of the Chinese monarch ('Barbarian#China, barbarians'), in Chinese political theory the rulers of those areas derived their power from the Chinese monarch (Sinocentrism). This principle was exemplified with the Qin Shi Huang's war of unification, goal of Qin Shi Huang to "unify all under Heaven", which was, in fact, representative of his desire to control and expand Chinese territory to act as an actual geographic entity. At this time there existed many feudal states that had shared cultural and economic interests, so the concept of a great nation centered on the Yellow River Plain (the known world) gradually expanded and the equivalence of ''tianxia'' with the Chinese nation evolved due to the feudal practice of Feoffment, conferring land. For the emperors of the central kingdom of China, the world can be roughly divided into two broad and simple categories: civilization and non-civilization, which means the people who have accepted the emperor's supremacy, the Heavenly virtue and its principle, and the people who have not accepted it. The emperors recognized their country as the only true civilization in all respects, starting with their geography and including all the known world in a Celestial Empire. China's neighbors were obliged to pay their respects to the 'excellent' Chinese emperors within these boundaries on a regular basis. It is argued that this was the most important element of the East Asian order, which was implicit in the term 'Celestial Empire' in the past. In the 7th century, during the Tang dynasty, some northern tribes of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin, having been made vassal (as a consequence of the Tang campaign against the Eastern Turks), referred to Emperor Taizong of Tang as the 'Khan of Heaven'. The Chinese emperor exercised power over the surrounding dynasty in the name of a Celestial Empire. Ancient Korean kings were subjects of the Chinese emperor. The idea of the absolute authority of the Chinese emperor and the extension of ''tianxia'' by the assimilation of vassal states began to fade with the Opium Wars, as China was made to refer to Great Britain as a 'sovereign nation', equal to itself, and to establish Zongli Yamen, a foreign affairs bureau and accommodate the concept of Westphalian sovereignty in its international affairs in the period of New Imperialism.


Sasanian Empire

In the Sasanian Empire, the use of the mythological Kayanian dynasty, Kayanian title of ''Kay (title), kay'', first used by Yazdegerd II and reaching its zenith under Peroz I, stemmed from a shift in the political perspective of the Sasanian Empire. Originally disposed towards the west against their rivals from the Byzantine Empire, this now changed to the east against the Hephthalites. The war against the Huns, Hunnic tribes (Iranian Huns) may have awakened the mythical rivalry existing between the Iranian Kayanian rulers (Persian mythology, mythical kings of the legendary Avestan dynasty) and their Turya (Avesta), Turanian enemies, which is demonstrated in the Younger Avesta.Shayegan, M. Rahim (2013).
Sasanian Political Ideology
. In Potts, Daniel T. (ed.). ''The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran''. Oxford University Press. . .
The Sasanian Shahanshah of Persia, Shahanshah may have believed themselves the heirs of the Fereydun and Iraj (reinforced because they were
Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...
's worshippers), and so possibly considered both the Byzantine domains in the west and the eastern domains of the Hephthalites as belonging to Iran, and therefore have been symbolically asserting their rights over these lands of both hemispheres of Earth by assuming the title ''kay''. This is based on the legend of the Iranian hero-king Fereydun (Frēdōn in Middle Persian), who divided his kingdom between his three sons: his eldest son Salm (Shahnameh), Salm received the empire of the west, 'Rûm' (more generally meaning the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
, the Greco-Roman world, or just 'the West'); the second eldest Tur (Shahnameh), Tur received the empire of the east, being Turan, Turān (all the lands north and east of the Amu Darya, as far as Imperial China, China); and the youngest, Iraj, received the heartland of the empire, Greater Iran, Iran.


Medieval Europe


Caliphate

The theme of world domination is absent in the earliest Islamic sources, Quran or the hadith. Most warlike passages in Quran appear in defensive context. The motif of world domination appears almost a century after Muhammad during the early Muslim conquests. Then Islamic thought divided the world into Divisions of the world in Islam#Dar_al-Islam, Dar al-Islam coterminous with the Caliphate and the rest of the world called Dar al-Harb (lit. region of war). The latter world has not yet been subjugated and its inhabitants have remained outside the Islamic frontier. Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb were considered in a state of war because the ultimate objective of the Caliphate was world conquest. Imperial and expansionist, the Caliphate strived to subjugate other peoples by the means of jihad. This became the chief preoccupation of the contemporary Islamic jurists, such as Al-Shaybani. The jurists elaborated jihad for the conquest of Dar al-Harb. Originally Quranic defensive war, jihad evolved into offensive holy war to be waged until the Caliphate attains world domination and converts all mankind into Islam. In theory, jihad was a temporary means to attain these ends. With worldwide Dar al-Islam, jihad would lose its raison d'être and pass out of existence. But Dar al-Harb proved to be more permanent and vaster than envisaged by the jurists. The wave of Islamic expansion stopped short of world domination and the Caliphate had to accommodate itself with other nations on grounds other than jihad.


Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
believed that it was his destiny to conquer the world for his god, Tengri, in a mission to bring the rest of the world under one sword. This was based on his Shamanism, shamanic Tengrism, beliefs of the Great Blue Sky that spans the world, deriving his mandate for a world empire from this universal divinity. He came close to bringing the entirety of Eurasia under the
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...
and the shamanic umbrella. Born Temujin, he adopted the name 'Genghis Khan', which means 'universal ruler'. This led to his sons and grandsons taking up the challenge of world conquest.


Ottomans

The Ottoman Empire had claims of world domination through the Ottoman Caliphate. Süleyman the Magnificent's Venetian Helmet was an elaborate headpiece designed to project the sultan's power in the context of Ottoman–Habsburg wars, Ottoman–Habsburg rivalry. The four floors of the Crown also represent Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman's goal of world conquest by reigning in the north, south, east and west, as well pipping the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
's famous Papal tiara, triple crown. Suleiman's rival, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII, who wore the triple crown.


Modern theory

In the early 17th century, Sir Walter Raleigh proposed that world domination could be achieved through control of the oceans, writing that "whosoever commands the sea commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself." In 1919, Halford Mackinder offered another influential theory for a route to world domination, writing: While Mackinder's 'Heartland Theory' initially received little attention outside geography, it later exercised some influence on the foreign policy, foreign policies of world powers seeking to obtain the control suggested by the theory. Impressed with the swift opening of World War II, Derwent Whittlesey wrote in 1942: Yet before the entry of the United States into this War and with Isolationism still intact, U.S. strategist Hanson W. Baldwin had projected that "tomorrow air bases may be the highroad to power and domination… Obviously it is only by air bases … that power exercised in the sovereign skies above a nation can be stretched far beyond its shores… Perhaps … future acquisitions of air bases … can carry the voice of America through the skies to the ends of the earth. Writing in 1948, Hans Morgenthau stressed that the mechanical development of weapons, transportation, and communication makes "the conquest of the world technically possible, and they make it technically possible to keep the world in that conquered state." He argues that a lack of such infrastructure explains why great ancient empires, though vast, failed to complete the universal conquest of their world and perpetuate the conquest. "Today no technological obstacle stands in the way of a world-wide empire [as] modern technology makes it possible to extend the control of mind and action to every corner of the globe regardless of geography and season." Morgenthau continued on technological progress: However, it has been said that with the full size and scope of the world known, "world domination is an impossible goal", and specifically that "no single nation however big and powerful can dominate a world" of well over a hundred interdependent nations and billions of people. The above assumption is challenged by scholars of the Cliometrics, metric approach to history. Cesare Marchetti and Jesse H. Ausubel argued that the size of empires corresponds to two weeks of travel from the capital to the rim using the fastest transportation system available. The airplane permits global empire because any place can be reached within less than two weeks, though for political reasons we may have to wait a couple more generations (from 2013) to see a global empire. Max Ostrovsky stressed that the implication is even more drastic in the progress of communication. The speed of communication in the Inca Empire, for example, was 20 km per hour (running man). Today, information moves at the speed of light. By most cautious extrapolations, he concluded, modern technology allows for an empire exceeding the size or population of Earth multiple times. As US Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, estimated, “if we were a true empire, we would currently preside over a much greater piece of the earth’s surface than we do.” Some ideologues actively pursue the goal of establishing a form of government consistent with their political beliefs, or assert that the world is moving 'naturally' towards the adoption of a particular form of government (or self), authoritarian or anti-authoritarian. These proposals are not concerned with a particular nation achieving world domination, but with all nations conforming to a particular social or economic model. A goal of world domination can be to establish a
world government World government is the concept of a single political authority governing all of Earth and humanity. It is conceived in a variety of forms, from tyrannical to democratic, which reflects its wide array of proponents and detractors. There has ...
, a single common political authority for all of humanity. The Cold War, in particular, is considered a period of intense ideological polarization, given the existence of two rival blocs — the capitalist Western Bloc, West and the communist Eastern Bloc, East — that each expressed the hope of seeing the triumph of their ideology over that of the enemy. The result of such a triumph would be that one ideology or the other would become the sole governing ideology in the world. In certain religions, some adherents may also seek the Religious conversion, conversion (peaceful or Forced conversion, forced) of as many people as possible to their own religion, without restrictions of national or ethnic origin. This type of spiritual domination is usually seen as distinct from the temporal dominion, although there have been instances of efforts begun as holy wars descending into the pursuit of wealth, resources, and territory. Some Christian sect, Christian sects teach that a false religion, led by false prophets who achieve world domination by inducing nearly universal worship of a False god, false deity, is a prerequisite to the Eschatology, end times described in the Book of Revelation. As one author put it, "if world domination is to be obtained, the masses of little people must be brought on board with religion." In some instances, speakers have accused nations or ideological groups of seeking world domination, even where those entities have denied that this was their goal. For example, J. G. Ballard quoted Aldous Huxley as having said of the United States entering the First World War, "I dread the inevitable acceleration of American world domination which will be the result of it all… Europe will no longer be Europe." In 2012, a politician and critic of Islam, Geert Wilders, characterized Islam as "an ideology aiming for world domination rather than a religion," and in 2008 characterized the Gaza War (2008–2009), Israel–Gaza conflict as a proxy action by Islam against the West, contending that "the end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only … the start of the final battle for world domination".Geert Wilders]
Speech at the Four Seasons, New York (25 September 2008)
.


See also

* World revolution * American imperialism * Russian imperialism * Chinese expansionism * Global governance, the political interaction of transnational actors. * New Order (Nazism) * List of largest empires by maximum extent of land area occupied. * Singleton (global governance), a hypothetical world order in which there is a single decision-making agency (potentially an Artificial superintelligence, advanced artificial intelligence) at the highest level, capable of exerting effective control over its domain. * Superpower, a state with a leading position in the international system and the ability to influence events in its own interest by global projection of power. *
King of the Universe King of the Universe is a royal title that claims complete cosmological domination. As a historical title, King of the Universe was used intermittently by powerful monarchs in ancient Mesopotamia as a title of great prestige. Equivalent titles ...
* Universal monarchy


References


External links

{{Wikiquote Politics World government, Domination Empires