ESPN of Decline of Empire
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Economic – These civilizations allowed an elite, privileged class to hold excessive wealth and created a
sizable “underclass” without access to economic gain;
• Social/Cultural – These civilizations often enslaved conquered populations without integrating them
socially or culturally into the mainstream of society;
• Political – These empires developed legal systems and strong military structures, however, as empires
expanded it became more and more difficult to maintain rule over far-flung territories;
• eNvironmental – These societies often exploited land to support growing populations and often lost
control of frontier areas to invaders.