This guide tells the story of the great empires for kids ages 8–12 — how they rose, what made each one special, and why even the mightiest empires came to an end. Each one has a free printable worksheet to explore.
What is an empire?
An empire is a large group of different lands and peoples ruled by one government or one leader, often called an emperor. Empires usually grow by conquering or joining together many smaller kingdoms.
Empires rise when they are strong, wealthy and well organized — and they fall when they grow too big to manage, run out of money, or are defeated by others.
Empires of the ancient world
The Persian Empire built the Royal Road — a route 2,500 km long so royal messengers could cross the empire quickly.
The Roman Empire is famous for its straight roads and its aqueducts — bridges that carried water for miles. Many Roman roads can still be seen today.
Mighty empires of the Americas
The Aztec Empire built Tenochtitlan, a grand city on an island in the middle of a lake — where Mexico City stands today.
The Inca Empire is famous for its great stone roads and mountain farming terraces, high in the Andes.
The largest empires ever
The Mongol Empire was the largest connected land empire in all of history — stretching across Asia and into Europe.
The Ottoman Empire captured the great city of Constantinople in 1453 and lasted for centuries.
The British Empire became the largest empire in all of history — so big that it was said 'the sun never set' on it.
And the Mali Empire of West Africa was so rich in gold that its king, Mansa Musa, amazed the whole world.
Why do empires fall?
No empire lasts forever. They fall for many reasons: they grow too large to govern, they run out of money, their leaders quarrel, or stronger neighbors defeat them. Sometimes it happens slowly over hundreds of years, and sometimes surprisingly fast.
That's the big lesson of history — the rise and fall of empires is a story that has repeated again and again, all over the world.
Explore the great empires at home
All of these empires — and more — are in our Great Empires activity book, with facts, word searches and an Explorer Certificate. Or start with a free worksheet.
A fun challenge for young historians: which empire was the largest ever — and can you say why every empire eventually fell?