List of conquerors by area of their conquests
Historical leaders have been identified based on the estimated territorial extent of the lands they personally conquered during military campaigns. These leaders undertook expansions that significantly affected the political, economic, and cultural landscapes of their regions. Estimates of the territories conquered are derived from a range of historical studies and documented sources.
The conquests included in this article span from the nomadic confederations of Central Asia to established dynasties in the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. Figures represent the approximate maximum area under the direct control or influence of each leader during their campaigns. For comparative purposes, these data follow methods similar to those used by historians such as Rein Taagepera, who analyzed the size and duration of historical empires based on records of changing territorial BOUNDARIES.
This article lists the 15 list of conquerors by territorial extent of their conquests. The areas of each conqueror's empire may not match the areas of their empires, as some conquerors did not actively annex the conquered territories.
Name |
Empire |
Area of Occupied Territory (km2) |
Notes / Major Conquests |
|---|---|---|---|
Genghis Khan |
Mongol Empire |
13,500,000 |
Conquered much of Asia and Eastern Europe |
Modu Chanyu |
Xiongnu Empire |
9,000,000 |
Early nomadic confederation in Central Asia |
Timur |
Timurid Empire |
5,500,000 |
Persia, Mesopotamia, India |
Alexander the Great |
Macedonian Empire |
5,200,000 |
Persia, Egypt, Northwestern India |
Attila the Hun |
Hunnic Empire |
4,000,000 |
Central & Eastern Europe |
Cyrus the Great |
Achaemenid Empire |
3,500,000 |
Persia, Lydia, Babylon |
Ardashir I |
Sassanian Empire |
3,000,000 |
Persia |
Akbar the Great |
Mughal Empire |
2,600,000 |
India |
Chandragupta Maurya |
Maurya Empire |
2,500,000 |
India |
Mahmud of Ghazni |
Ghaznavid Empire |
2,300,000 |
Persia and Northern India |
Qin Shi Huang |
Qin Dynasty |
2,300,000 |
China |
Selim I |
Ottoman Empire |
2,200,000 |
Middle East and North Africa |
Napoleon |
First French Empire |
2,100,000 |
Europe |
Francisco Pizarro |
Spanish Empire |
2,000,000 |
Conquest of the Inca Empire, South America |
Suleiman the Magnificent |
Ottoman Empire |
1,300,000 |
Europe, Middle East, North Africa |
References
Sources