The Conrad-Demarest Model of Empires Cap’n BOLT Presents: The Conrad-Demarest Model of Empires

Necessary preconditions for the rise of empires- The regions must have: state-level government High agricultural potential of the environment An environmental mosaic Several small states with no clear dominant power Mutual antagonism among those states Adequate military resources (or a military or tech advantage

The state The empire The LEADER The conquest militarism States succeed in empire building if they have an ideology that promotes personal identification with: The state The empire The LEADER The conquest militarism

Characteristics of well-run empires: Build roads, transportation systems, canals, ports, etc. Trade increases Cosmopolitan cities-art/education flourish Effective bureaucracy to: Ensure communication Collect taxes Oversee coinage Enforce emperor’s laws

More characteristics of well-run empires: Common official language System of justice, law for entire empire Citizenship or rights extend in some degree to conquered: must have some “buy-in” or vested interest

Major Results of Empire: Economic Rewards, especially in the early years, redistributed to the elite and trickles down to other classes, esp. merchants, scribes, etc. Relative stability and prosperity Population increase

Empires Fall because: Failure of leadership; focus on wealth, not the needs of the state Ideology of expansion and conquest leads to attempting new conquests beyond a practical limit: Overstretching of bureaucracy Overextension of military Overtaxing resources Outdistancing communications

RIP EMPIRE Empires Fall because: Lack of new conquests erodes economic base and lessens faith in ideology that supported the empire to begin with Rebellions from with in Challenges from without RIP EMPIRE

Compare the declines of the: Han Dynasty Roman Empire Gupta Empire