World Empires

The struggle for the possession of land, with valuable roads, along with the control of coastlines and maritime trading routes, radically changed the exercise of power, allowing empires to expand and dominate the global economy through a combination of military force, capital, and religious zeal. The dividing up of territories required the creation of strong diplomatic and economic networks to ensure stable governance in the new centralised empires. As the embodiment of power and of the State, rulers carried forward ambitious programmes combining their religious, military, and economic strengths to stabilise or enlarge their areas of influence.  

The modern era saw the strengthening and progressive consolidation of the codes of international representation amongst rulers. Fashioned by symbols and a carefully controlled appearance, the image of the sovereign, idealised or realistic, displaced the emblematic figures of the ancient world and expressed their power and success in the eyes of both subjects and peers.