For over two millennia, from 221 BC until 1912 AD, China was an 帝国. This long imperial history has profoundly shaped its culture, politics, and national identity. The concept of a vast, unified, and centrally-governed state is a cornerstone of Chinese political thought. The first true Chinese empire, the Qin Empire (`秦帝国`), established a model of bureaucracy, currency, and writing that influenced all subsequent dynasties.
Comparison to Western “Empire”: While `帝国` translates directly to “empire,” its cultural resonance differs slightly. The Western concept of empire, exemplified by the Roman or British Empires, often emphasizes external conquest, colonization of overseas territories, and rule over ethnically distinct peoples. The traditional Chinese 帝国 model was more focused on a land-based, Sinocentric system. It sought to assimilate surrounding peoples into its cultural and political sphere under the “Mandate of Heaven” (`天命 tiānmìng`), which granted the emperor the divine right to rule over “all under heaven” (`天下 tiānxià`). While both involve power and expansion, the Chinese model was historically more defined by cultural gravitation than by maritime colonization.