Empire

Abstract

Derived from Latin imperium , related to imperare “to command,” the term “empire” refers to “an extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state,” according to the Oxford Dictionaries online. In the case of the British Empire, the modalities of extension took different forms, starting from small overseas possessions and trading posts, through colonies and dominions, not to mention protectorates and mandates, and developing into a vast empire on which the sun never set. The territorial dimension of empire is closely linked to the centrality and hegemony of its power. The sphere of influence of an empire may exceed its sheer geographical scope and time frame.