Krishan Kumar is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia.

"An invaluable contribution to a field in which thoughtfully conceived, globe-spanning efforts remain all too few."—Times Literary Supplement"A marvellous book, the best available on this subject: fluent, authoritative and blessed with enormous range."—John A. Hall, McGill University"Sweeping yet succinct, globe-spanning but focused, Krishan Kumar's Empires is the most comprehensive and illuminating survey we now have of the past, present, and even future of the world's longest-lasting political form. A miracle of synthesis and compression."—David Armitage, Harvard University"This is a sharply argued book that builds on Krishan Kumar's already highly impressive oeuvre on empires and nationalism. Exploring both Western and non-Western empires, Kumar makes a bold claim: empires belong not just to the past but also, potentially, to a post-national future."—George Lawson, Australian National University"With clarity and precision, Kumar presents an original argument built on deep and convincing historical evidence from many empires over thousands of years of human history. It should be a must read for scholars of empires."—Richard W. Lachmann, University at Albany, SUNY“simultaneously accessible, affordable, examine[s] Western and non-Western perspectives and [ranges] so authoritatively in chronology from the ancient world to the modern period […] this work should be required reading by both undergraduates and experts, both for its global scope as well as for its fascinating insights.”—The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History

• Preface Chapter One Empires in Time and Space Chapter Two Traditions of Empire, East and West Chapter Three Rulers and Ruled Chapter Four Empires, Nations, and Nation-States Chapter Five Decline and Fall Chapter Six Empire after Empire Notes References Index

Krishan Kumar is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia.

"An invaluable contribution to a field in which thoughtfully conceived, globe-spanning efforts remain all too few."—Times Literary Supplement"A marvellous book, the best available on this subject: fluent, authoritative and blessed with enormous range."—John A. Hall, McGill University"Sweeping yet succinct, globe-spanning but focused, Krishan Kumar's Empires is the most comprehensive and illuminating survey we now have of the past, present, and even future of the world's longest-lasting political form. A miracle of synthesis and compression."—David Armitage, Harvard University"This is a sharply argued book that builds on Krishan Kumar's already highly impressive oeuvre on empires and nationalism. Exploring both Western and non-Western empires, Kumar makes a bold claim: empires belong not just to the past but also, potentially, to a post-national future."—George Lawson, Australian National University"With clarity and precision, Kumar presents an original argument built on deep and convincing historical evidence from many empires over thousands of years of human history. It should be a must read for scholars of empires."—Richard W. Lachmann, University at Albany, SUNY“simultaneously accessible, affordable, examine[s] Western and non-Western perspectives and [ranges] so authoritatively in chronology from the ancient world to the modern period […] this work should be required reading by both undergraduates and experts, both for its global scope as well as for its fascinating insights.”—The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History

• Preface Chapter One Empires in Time and Space Chapter Two Traditions of Empire, East and West Chapter Three Rulers and Ruled Chapter Four Empires, Nations, and Nation-States Chapter Five Decline and Fall Chapter Six Empire after Empire Notes References Index