The circle of justice was first developed in the Middle East during the classical era and was reinforced by the emergence of Islam in the seventh century. According to the circle of justice, a ruler owed justice to his subjects, his subjects paid taxes to the treasury, the treasury provided funding for the army, and the army protected the authority of the ruler. Collectively, it delineated the social duty and responsibility of all members of society and provided a unifying social force and justification for the rule of caliphs and emperors.

Ghana was the most powerful region of West Africa during much of the Middle Ages. Most notably, the powerful Ashanti Empire was formed in Ghana in the thirteenth century. Other powerful empires in the region include the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire.

After William the Conqueror took control of the Kingdom of England he organized his new territory into a tightly-controlled feudal system. William concentrated power in his own hands and ensured that only nobles loyal to his reign could hold land, titles, and power. In 1086 William compiled the Domesday Book, which was sort of like a census, to provide a full account of his holdings in England.

The Tokugawa Period (also called the Edo Period) of Japanese history lasted from 1603 until 1868 (and the Meiji Restoration). Prior to the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate political power in Japan was heavily decentralized and the country was ruled and administered by various warlords and wealthy landowners. The Tokugawa Shogunate united the country and brought to an end the fractious rule of feudalism.

The Tea Act was meant to aide the failing East India Trading Company, which had massive overstocks of tea and other goods in London. Parliament therefore banned the sale of these goods from any other source. While this actually drove down the price of these goods in the colonies, the colonists resented the British attempting to regulate their economy in this way.

In Islamic tradition, the Caliph is the legitimate ruler of the entire political, religious, and social community of Islamic people. Caliphs exist in both the Sunni and Shiite tradition, however these two denominations disagree on how the Caliph should be chosen and who he is. The Caliph is said to govern the Ummah, or the community of Islamic worshippers in the world.

While Mussolini, Franco, and Hitler all followed Fascist doctrines, Stalin was a follower of communism. Fascism differs in that it promotes staunch nationalism and authoritarianism whereas communism deals with common ownership of property. European Fascism, especially in Italy, was, as opposed to Communism, tied to corporate business interests.

Bloody Sunday took place in Russia in 1905, during the first Russian Revolution. It involved the massacre of peaceful demonstrators in St. Petersburg by forces associated with the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. It contributed to the decline of the ruling Romanov dynasty.

Hattusa was the capital city of the Hittite empire in what is today central Turkey.

One of the first capitals of Mayan civilization was El Mirador.

The Babylonian empire's capital was Babylon itself.

Over 3000 years of self-rule, the Egyptian empire had different capital cities, most notably Memphis; Hattusa was not a capital under the Egyptian empire.

The eastern Roman empire was centered in Constantinople, what is today officially Istanbul.

The Gunpowder Empires got their name from their reliance of black powder weapons as the crux of their military might. They were strictly run dynastic empires focused on aggressive expansion of territories. They all three were located in the Middle East and could trace their lineage back to early Turkish tribes.