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History, Civics & Social Studies · Grade 9

States, Empires and Institutions

How do a few rulers govern millions of people across huge distances? Learners build a 'toolkit of empire' (administration, law, infrastructure, armies, legitimacy, revenue and cultural policy) and use it to compare Achaemenid Persia, Rome, Han China, the Maurya, the Inca and Mali. They source an emperor's own account of his achievements and argue why some empires lasted longer than others.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 125 minutes
  • Empires and institutions check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, estimate, highlight a text, match pairs and type a number
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What learners will discover

  • Explain the main tools empires used to rule: administration, law, infrastructure, military force, legitimacy, revenue and cultural policy.
  • Compare how at least two empires used these tools, with specific evidence.
  • Analyze a primary source in which a ruler claims legitimacy, identifying purpose, audience and silences.
  • Evaluate multicausal explanations of why empires endured or declined.

Lessons

  1. The toolkit of empire 5 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  2. Persia and Rome 7 steps3 practiceabout 33 min
  3. Han, Maurya, Inca and Mali 5 steps4 practiceabout 32 min
  4. Why do empires endure or decline? 5 steps4 practiceabout 32 min
  5. Empires and institutions check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

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Guide for grown-ups