thumbnail

Famous Empires in History

Can you name these famous historical empires based on a description?
Quiz idea: CtG526
Quiz by Quizmaster
Rate:
Last updated: November 4, 2020
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedJanuary 12, 2013
Times taken90,807
Average score75.0%
Rating4.81
4:00
Enter answer here:
0
 / 20 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Description
Empire
The sun never set on this naval empire
British
Italian empire that, at one point, controlled the entire Mediterranean
Roman
Empire, based in Constantinople, which continued the above
Byzantine
Turkish empire that conquered the above
Ottoman
Mexican empire conquered by Cortés
Aztec
Andean empire conquered by Pizarro
Inca
Empire that took over the territory of the previous two
Spanish
Short-lived empire of Hitler
Nazi
Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great, that controlled all of modern-day
Iran, Iraq, and Turkey
Achaemenid (Persian)
Short-lived empire of Alexander that conquered the above
Macedonian
Huge land empire started by Genghis Khan
Mongol
Empire ruled by the tsars
Russian
Loosely-knit Germanic empire ruled at times by the Habsburgs
Holy Roman
Empire, based in Vienna, that succeeded the above
Austrian
Mesopotamian empire that carried away the Jews
Neo-Babylonian
Empire that dominated the Middle East until being succeeded by the above
Neo-Assyrian
Empire ruled by the pharaohs
Egyptian
Empire that controlled Brazil, Macau, etc ...
Portuguese
Empire led by Akbar with its capital in Agra, India
Mughal
Empire, based in Timbuktu, known for its wealth in gold
Mali
+12
Level 59
Jan 9, 2013
Only 77% got "The sun never set on this naval empire"???? I thought the largest empire in history would be a tad more well-known that that
+7
Level ∞
Jan 12, 2013
Added Britain, since I accept other ones like "Spain".
+18
Level 67
Jul 17, 2015
Maybe because that definition was first used for another empire...
+4
Level 79
Apr 14, 2020
That doesn't matter, because it is most commonly known to refer to the British Empire (especially in the English language).
+3
Level 55
Nov 4, 2020
I wonder whether it still could be? Going east from the UK you'd have the sovereign bases in Cyprus, then the BIOT, then I guess Pitcairn, then the bits and bobs in the Caribbean and over to Bermuda, Ascension Island and then back to the UK.
+13
Level 49
Dec 15, 2020
i once read an article about it. yup, it still never sets. the territory that holds it together are the pitcairn islands. if one day there shall be a total solar eclipse there between 1 am and 2 am UK time, then the sun shall set on the empire. however, an eclipse like that isnt expected in the next thousand years, so its more likely that the crown will lose the islands before that.
+2
Level 79
Dec 15, 2020
However, a solar eclipse does not count as a 'sunset' 😏
+4
Level 46
Jan 24, 2020
I thought it was said about the spanish empire, but it seems it was used for england too...
+1
Level 79
Apr 14, 2020
Britain*. That and England are different things.
+8
Level 55
Aug 3, 2020
I tried Japanese for that until Britain clicked
+1
Level 67
Oct 5, 2022
me too
+10
Level 71
Dec 15, 2020
In response to this, Irish people were often know to say, "That's because God doesn't trust the British in the dark." (might not be the exact saying but something along the lines of that)
+1
Level 57
Dec 17, 2020
Could the UK be accepted for British?
+1
Level 44
Jan 9, 2013
Awesome quiz. Too bad I sucked it up at 73%. Though the Holy Roman threw me off a bit since I already had Roman. Should have guessed it anyway.
+13
Level 67
Jan 9, 2013
As Voltaire said, when its best days had already passed, it was "neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire."
+1
Level 79
Apr 14, 2020
Really?
+2
Level 27
Dec 15, 2020
Yeah, Baltimorean is right. I just checked it up myself:

https://www.quotes.net/quote/35195

+1
Level 44
Jan 9, 2013
Could you possibly accept 'English' for 'British'?
+15
Level 67
Jan 9, 2013
'twas British though.
+6
Level 21
Nov 15, 2018
no it was British
+2
Level 82
Jan 10, 2022
Absolutely not. The Scots in particular were enthusiastic colonisers - the empire was very much a British endeavour, not an English one.
+1
Level 57
Jan 9, 2013
Isn't the Persian Empire also known as Mesopotamia?
+11
Level 39
Dec 18, 2013
Mesopotamia is the geographic area around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. There have been several empires in that area since the Bronze age, including Persian, Babylonian, and Assyrian.
+9
Level 82
Nov 15, 2018
never
+5
Level 15
Aug 16, 2019
mesopotamia is more iraq
+3
Level 82
Aug 13, 2021
further, it was always the name of a region, never an empire.
+1
Level 20
Jan 9, 2013
Could Macedon also be accepted for Macedonian?
+1
Level ∞
Jan 12, 2013
Okay
+5
Level 37
Jan 9, 2013
where is french?? soviet? and can you make a quiz about slightly more obscure empires please :) athens, sparta, kwarizmian, mughal, maratha, seljuk, mali, zulu, timurid... for example
+4
Level 3
Jan 20, 2013
Agree with that. Besides Spain, the Britts and portugal, the French and Dutch Empires should be on the list as well. They were larger and of more worldwide influence than the Holy Roman Empire and Austria-Hungary(for example) ever were.
+7
Level 82
Nov 15, 2018
The title of the quiz is not "Every Famous Empire." and some of the more obscure empires you list are not really empires, though a few show up on my longest lasting empires quiz.
+1
Level 15
Aug 16, 2019
1) some of these were rather obscure 2) who said it has to include all the famous empires 3) the soviet union wasn't exactly an empire
+2
Level 60
Jul 27, 2020
Athens and Sparta were city-states and the Mughal and Mali Empires were on here.
+1
Level 23
Dec 5, 2020
Zulu Empire ahaha
+1
Level 62
Dec 20, 2022
You could always make your own quiz on that.

'Obscure Empires of History' or the like...

+1
Level 27
Jan 11, 2013
Please accept Habsburg Empire and Austria-Hungary for Austrian Empire (can't remember hearing that term).
+1
Level 69
Apr 14, 2020
I second this for Habsburg.
+3
Level 60
May 1, 2020
Austria-Hungary was a country that existed between 1867 and 1918. Between 1804 and 1867(which is the period the quiz is referring to), this area was controlled by the Austrian Empire. Those are two of the various forms taken by the Habsburg Empire throughout history.
+1
Level 16
Jan 17, 2013
Great quiz. Maybe a harder part two...?
+1
Level ∞
Mar 12, 2015
I added a couple hard ones just now.
+4
Level 61
Sep 23, 2014
It's not accurate to say that the successor to the Holy Roman Empire was "Austria." Only portions of the Habsburgs' holdings were part of the Holy Roman Empire and there has never been an "Austrian" empire. There was an Austrian-Hungarian empire, but the successors to the Holy Roman Empire were the various German states that united into Germany in 1871.

Not a very sophisticated quiz at all.

+4
Level ∞
Mar 12, 2015
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor

The last Holy Roman Emperor and the first emperor of Austria.

+2
Level 66
Nov 15, 2018
starting the end of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian kingdom was transformed to Austrian Empire. That's why the king/emperor was known as Francis II/I (II as Holy Roman Emperor and I as Austrian Emperor)
+4
Level 60
May 1, 2020
There was an Austrian Empire. Though I would agree it isn't really the successor of the Holy Roman Empire. The territories controlled by the Habsburg weren't entirely part of the HRE (Hungary, for instance, was a Habsburg territory but it wasn't part of the HRE), which wasn't much of an empire towards the end of its life anyway. I would argue the true successor of the HRE was the German Confederation, which existed between 1815 and 1866 and wasn't a unified country (just like the HRE) but rather an association of independent countries, much like the EU today.
+1
Level 53
Mar 10, 2022
Agree, not sophisticated enough, especially in regards of how Austro-Hungarian empire is treated. Suggest a major rewording and then really the answer ought to be Austo-Hungarian Empire (Hapsburg).
+1
Level 44
Jun 5, 2015
Great quiz, but could you please accept Great Britian and England for the British empire. Thanks.
+1
Level ∞
Jun 5, 2015
Okay
+5
Level 82
Jan 10, 2022
You absolutely shouldn’t accept England. It’s incorrect.
+1
Level 56
Jun 5, 2015
Great quiz - thanks!
+1
Level 41
Jun 5, 2015
No Serbian Empire?
+2
Level 54
Jun 6, 2015
Klingon?
+1
Level 71
Jun 7, 2015
You should include Japan in there.
+1
Level 14
Jun 14, 2015
add france
+3
Level 75
Oct 30, 2015
When I first started reading the last question, Admiral Ackbar immediately came to mind and for a split second I wondered when he switched to the Empire.
+4
Level 85
Dec 29, 2019
It's a trap!
+1
Level 23
Nov 13, 2015
Holy Roman empire wasn´t ruled only by Habsburgs, but also by Luxembourgs and others.
+1
Level 66
Nov 15, 2018
but since Charles V, all (except one) Holy Roman Emperors were from the Habsburg dynasty. So it's correct
+1
Level 67
Feb 11, 2016
Enjoyed this quizz! Enough of a challenge to make me sweat a little and think about it, but not so much that I couldn't do it :).
+1
Level 82
Aug 11, 2016
Good quiz, but how about a sequel with some slightly less well known empires to add a bit of challenge? Khmer, Majapahit, Mauryan, Seleucid, Mali, Bulgar. Perhaps some post-colonial ones - Mexican, Brazilian, Haitian or Central African?
+3
Level 51
Jan 4, 2017
Good idea for a quiz but would be improved if you answered as per yellow box. Currently, you can just type in the name of any empire and it puts it neatly in the box for you. Cheers
+1
Level 38
Jan 30, 2018
I think you got a thing mxed up. House Habsburg ruled the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
+1
Level 82
Jul 15, 2018
Only from 1867 to 1918
+3
Level 85
Jul 10, 2018
Accept HRE for Holy Roman Empire please!
+1
Level ∞
Jul 11, 2018
Okay
+1
Level 77
Jul 11, 2018
100% :)
+1
Level 64
Jul 11, 2018
Great quiz! 100%
+2
Level 66
Jul 13, 2018
Shout out to Civilization for making the quiz extra easy
+1
Level 49
Nov 15, 2018
Missed out Assyrian.
+1
Level 51
Nov 15, 2018
Would you call Nazi Germany an empire? Prussia or German Empire under Wilhelm I, II and Friedrich III would be more of a German Empire
+1
Level 78
Dec 15, 2020
Germany called itself "Deutsches Reich" even under the Nazis. "Reich" means any large or powerful dominion, although it is most commonly translated as "empire". But even the English word empire does not necessarily refer to something ruled by a monarch, as we see in the Merriam-Webster definition: "a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority". Which applies to Nazi Germany, especially during WWII.
+3
Level 69
Nov 15, 2018
'Songhai' should be accepted alongside Mali for the last one
+3
Level 60
Nov 15, 2018
Mughal Empire is overrated. Mauryan Empire was way bigger than Mughal. Chola Empire controlled not only south India but the whole south east Asia. Gupta Empire, Pala Empire, Maratha Empire, Rashtrakutas, & Kushan Empire are also some prominent Empires. And you also forgot the Qing and Han Dynasties of China and Khmer Of Cambodia.
+5
Level 82
Nov 15, 2018
While they might be better known in the West at least partially because they came into direct conflict with the British, still, what are you talking about? The Mughal Empire lasted over 300 years. They ruled over almost all of India as well as a significant chunk of central Asia. At their capital of Agra they constructed easily the most famous landmark in all of India. Under their rule the population of India tripled, growing faster than during any other period up to that point, and they made many advances in other areas, as well. How is that less significant than what the Maratha Empire accomplished?
+3
Level 60
Nov 19, 2018
Largest Empires In India Wikipedia

Taj Mahal is overrated, there's a lot better monuments in India than just that. Give India a visit not like a tourist, but like a traveller, you will realise.

+4
Level 82
Nov 19, 2018
Thanks very much for the misplaced condescension but your comment still reads as ignorant and/or biased. And though your link doesn't work, Mughal shows up as #2 largest on Wikipedia, so what are you trying to accomplish by posting that?
+1
Level 71
Dec 15, 2020
Agree with Kal. The Mughal Empire was easily on-par with (or even arguably ahead of) Europe into the early 1700s, which only really changed with the start of the Industrial Revolution. India was one of the richest and most economically productive parts of the world at that point. Additionally, they accomplished a lot in the arts and sciences. Regardless of whether you personally like or dislike the Taj Mahal, it's widely considered one of the greatest feats of architecture in history.
+3
Level 65
Nov 15, 2018
I think that "The sun never set on this naval empire" is a bit misleading since that phrase has been used to refer to different Empires. For instance, in non-English speaking Countries it is far more common to apply that phrase to the Spanish Empire, which has been called "the empire on which the sun never sets" since the 16th Century (approx 300 years before it became popular for the British Empire).
+2
Level 60
Aug 17, 2023
I thought of the Japanese Empire because it's the Land of the Rising Sun.
+1
Level 72
Nov 15, 2018
Central African Empire (1976-1979)
+1
Level 60
Aug 17, 2023
I mean, this list is nowhere near exhaustive...
+1
Level 68
Nov 15, 2018
Fun quiz thanks. Just missed two, should have known Macedonian.
+1
Level 77
Nov 16, 2018
Some of you enjoyed this a bit too much. This quiz was very unforgiving when awarding points. Sheesh!
+1
Level 65
Sep 4, 2019
Yea I missed 3 and only got 3 points, but it was fun nonetheless.
+1
Level 34
Nov 18, 2019
should've put the Akkadians since they were the first empire in history
+1
Level 46
Jan 24, 2020
Shouldn't there be more ? Like the frankish empire of Charlemagne ? the French one of Napoleon ? Some muslim caliphates (abbasid, ommeyads, seldjoukides, cordoba...) ? Maybe some chinese dynasties (ming, yuan, qing...) too ?
+1
Level 62
Feb 11, 2020
Too eastern hemisphere-centric
+1
Level 51
Apr 14, 2020
Got all of them!😁
+2
Level 43
May 24, 2020
You forgot about the Empire of Japan
+1
Level 73
Dec 15, 2020
Many of the clues are very wrong.
+3
Level 60
Mar 15, 2021
Which ones? If you want them to change, tell what's wrong with them. If you can prove it, sure.
+1
Level 54
Dec 15, 2020
Interesting quiz
+1
Level 46
Dec 15, 2020
Kemet should be allowed as it is how the kemetians actually named themselves instead of the name historians gave them.
+1
Level 47
Dec 15, 2020
Anyone else get most of these from Age of Empires?!
+1
Level 79
Dec 16, 2020
You should accept Songhai for Mali.
+1
Level 60
Mar 15, 2021
They were completely different, and they fought each other all the time before Mali took over. Mali was much more well known so i'd say it should stay the same.
+2
Level 59
Dec 18, 2020
I'm so sorry, I feel stupid now. I got them all except assyrian, mughai and...

British..

+1
Level 49
Jun 9, 2021
They should include the French Empire
+1
Level 54
Dec 20, 2021
The correct spelling is Hapsburgs
+2
Level 82
Jan 10, 2022
That’s an alternative spelling in English, I would say far less commonly used than Habsburg, which is also the original spelling in German. So no, Hapsburg is not ‘the correct spelling’, but it is an acceptable spelling.
+1
Level 82
Jan 11, 2022
The first time an empire was ruled by a tsar was the Bulgarian Empire, under Simeon I. The last was Bulgaria under Simeon II. As the question is worded, Bulgaria is absolutely a correct answer. Likewise Serbia. Maybe change tsars to Romanovs, to make it more Russia specific? Or alternatively, accept Serbia and Bulgaria as type-ins.
+1
Level 53
Mar 10, 2022
Second the idea of including the French Empire. But do not include Polish-Lithuanian Empire, it was never an "empire" in the strict sense, it was a Commonwealth.
+1
Level 56
May 4, 2022
It might be a bit of a stretch, but can you please accept "England" and "UK" for British?
+1
Level 44
May 11, 2022
got them all exept russian
+3
Level 77
Sep 29, 2022
Empires have been built since the dawn of civilization. It's weird how modern peoples seem to think that it's a uniquely European phenomenon simply because the Europeans were the ones left holding the bag at the end of the age of colonialism.
+1
Level 82
Nov 28, 2022
though your implications here I think are an oversimplification, and there were some things novel about European colonialism, there's also a bit of truth in it... which I think is to blame on the fact(s) that the historically ignorant (almost all of us) don't know much beyond whatever happened most recently, and also that racists find it much easier to have a single shade of people to blame something on when looking for villains or scapegoats. These two things go hand in hand, too, since, it's impossible to believe in the concept of race if you are not historically ignorant.
+1
Level 62
Dec 20, 2022
ugh I tried 'Mugyal'
+1
Level 60
Aug 17, 2023
Please accept Habsburg Empire for Austrian, I think Habsburg to Austrian is like Achaemenid to Persian.