The Empires, States, and Imperialism research group supports research about the shifting political and cultural dynamics and historical memories that sustain and trigger empires from antiquity to the present. We draw upon recent studies in imperialism and global history and facilitate closer collaboration between scholars within the humanities and social sciences, bridging gaps between History and International Relations. We shed light on these common themes through multiple lenses, moving the field safely beyond the narrow geopolitical realm, and incorporating new insights and perspectives from recent efforts toward intellectual decolonization. While the overlaps between modern imperialism, colonialism, and capitalism have long been emphasized in scholarly literature, a new awareness has been raised on the lived, intersectional consequences of imperial practices, and a stronger need has arisen to better define pre-modern empires and their justifications.
Some say we now live in a world without empires. For the first time, it has been noted, we have stepped into a new “empire-free millennium”. Yet, contrary to these false assertions, the memory of empires remains active and still very much shapes our present, from international politics to the life and aspirations of nation-states, down to generational traumas and the emotional regimes we live by. The global (dis)order and recent wars in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere, are daily reminders that it is dangerous and wrongheaded to consign imperialism to the past. It is therefore vitally important that we study what it is like to live in imperial worlds, and how post-imperial societies grapple with the aftermath and legacies of empires. For empire is by no means a new phenomenon. Understanding the relationship between empires, states, and imperialism is crucial for our views of the past, the present, and the future.
Contact
Professor Jesper Majbom Madsen
E-mail: majbom@sdu.dk