The British Empire was the largest empire by size, though its constituent parts were spread across oceans, whilst the Mongolian Empire was the largest contiguous empire, being one entity in Eurasia . Long-lasting societies like China or Persia had periods of fragmentation and of foreign rule, though the foreigners would often adopt their institutions.

to 1453 A.D. -- a grand total of 1,480 years [source: Daniels ]. The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-lasting dynasties in world history. Note also that, if dated from the founding of Rome (753 BC) until the fall of Constantinople (1453), the Empire is history's longest-lasting at 2206 years. It eventually became one of the largest, most powerful and longest-lasting empires in the history of the world. We're not even 100% sure how long that one lasted, though, because of the very spotty historical records that remain Coupled with an excellent military and administrative system, the Roman Empire, or rather ancient Rome, is also one of the longest-lasting. The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest lasting empires in history. The Roman Empire is not just one of the most famous in history; it's also the longest-lasting.

Longest lasting empire in history. Precursor to the modern Commonwealth of Nations. The Achaemenid Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great grew substantially in less than 30 years and reached its greatest extent within 75 years.

Late date includes the so-called Byzantine Empire, a term never used during the period. Name the empires with official durations for 400 years or greater, according to Wikipedia. Empire is a tricky word to define. Pandyan Empire (1850 years) This society of Southern India is considered the longest-lasting empire in history. The Ottoman Empire was an imperial state that was founded in 1299 after growing out of the breakdown of several Turkish tribes. While the term is thrown around a lot, it's often misused and misrepresents a nation's political place. In total, the Mayans held their empire together for almost 3500 years, which is two times more than the Roman Empire.

If it's true that history repeats itself, then perhaps we can learn from the missteps and the achievements of the world's greatest and longest lasting empires. Rome started as a city-state, expanded into an empire, and the empire persisted long after the original territory was lost. It was dominated by trade and was extremely wealthy due to agriculture and control of fisheries and pearl beds.