Please help with verifying or updating older sections of this article.

At least some were last verified for version 3.0.

De jure empires in 1066.

An Empire is the highest tier of landed titles in Crusader Kings II, above kingdom. The title is held by Emperor-ranked characters only. The portrait of emperor (or equivalent) has a golden border adorned by gems.

To create or usurp an empire, a character needs to:

Control at least 80% of its de jure territory

territory Hold either two kingdom titles, or an empire-rank title

Pay 600 wealth plus 400 piety (or equivalent) (wealth cost is gradually reduced as the character amasses piety, with 50% discount at 1000 piety)

Comply with specific religious and/or cultural conditions (since patch 2.0, most conditions only apply to the AI).

Comply with any other conditions

Empires are very large and difficult to form. However, emperors' ability to employ kings (or equivalent) as vassals makes management of large realms considerably easier, as is their ability to assimilate kingdoms via de jure drift once the kingdom is fully held by the empire. A Catholic emperor can hold the Papacy as a vassal after successfully pressing an antipope's claim. By granting de jure duchies to the various holy orders, a Catholic emperor can easily terrorise heretic and infidel realms. A Zoroastrian emperor in control of the Persian Empire can reinstate the High Priesthood, creating a religious head for the faith. Once in complete control of the Persian Empire, they can declare themselves the Saoshyant, the One Who Brings Benefit, which enhances their (and their descendants') standing with Zoroastrian vassals.

Additionally, independent dukes within the de jure empire or have the same culture as the emperor are more likely to accept diplomatic vassalization if offered.

In the Charlemagne start date at 769, the Abbasids have only recently taken power and are on the ascent, while the Byzantine Empire is well-established. The Holy Roman Empire has yet to exist, but may be formed by decision. In the East, the powerful Empire of Tibet looms over its smaller neighbors.

In The Old Gods start date at 867, the Arabian Empire is under the control of the collapsing Abbasids, while the Holy Roman Empire may also be formed by decision. The Tibetan Empire has collapsed into a patchwork of warring states by this date. In the 936 start date, a new empire shows up in Iberia - the Caliphate of Cordoba - and another in the Balkans, Bulgaria.

By 1066, the Arabian Empire has collapsed; the Fatimids control Egypt and a sizeable portion of the former empire. Cordoba and Bulgaria are likewise gone. In 1186, the Empire of Rajastan in India appears. In 1204, the Byzantine Empire collapses, replaced by the Nicene Empire and Latin Empire - though in 1261, the Byzantine Empire once again rises, replacing its successor states. The Mongol Empire appears on the map when starting after 1206 and may also spawn as a horde from 1210 if playing from earlier start dates. The successor Mongol Empires of the Golden Horde, the Ilkhanate and the Chagatai appear at the end of 1227. The Deccan Empire will appear only in the last possible start date (The Hundred Years War) in 1337.

If the Horse Lords Expansion is active, many more empires are available: independent nomadic rulers, or khagans, hold an empire-tier title and will form titular empires when settling (or custom empires named after the capital county if Charlemagne DLC is also active).

Mechanics unlocked at emperor rank [ edit ]

There are two additional mechanics available to emperors who are not merchant republics, which are unavailable for lower-ranked rulers; they are tied to the Legalism or Majesty technologies:

Imperial Administration: Grants automatic "Duchy Viceroyalties" law and revocation of duchy viceroyalty, free vassal retraction, revocation of duchy-level titles (without Charlemagne DLC), and a substantial bonus to vassal limit ( +25 bonus; combined with -10 from "Duchy Viceroyalties" law, net increase is +15 ). Imperial Administration is also required to restrict vassals' ability to declare wars.

Grants automatic "Duchy Viceroyalties" law and revocation of duchy viceroyalty, free vassal retraction, revocation of duchy-level titles (without Charlemagne DLC), and a substantial bonus to vassal limit ( bonus; combined with from "Duchy Viceroyalties" law, net increase is ). Viceroyalties (requires Charlemagne DLC): They are lifetime-only title grants that revert to the emperor upon the viceroy's death. The emperor may pass Kingdom Viceroyalty ( -5 vassal limit), or both Duchy and Kingdom Viceroyalties ( -10 vassal limit).

Those laws are visible on the demesne laws tab; if the Conclave DLC is active, the player can find both under the realm laws tab.

The Byzantine Empire starts with both "Imperial Administration" and "Duchy Viceroyalties" enacted.

Nomenclature [ edit ]

The proper title of emperor-rank character and their respective land titles are generated according to the combination of their religion, government type, and culture, for instance:

The Byzantine Emperor is called basileus if their culture group is Byzantine

if their culture group is Byzantine A German emperor-tier character is known as kaiser , while a Russian liege is tsar

, while a Russian liege is An Arabic emperor is known as badshah , while a Turkish liege is padishah

, while a Turkish liege is An Iranian emperor is shahanshah and an Indian liege is called samrat

and an Indian liege is called An Altaic emperor is known as khagan , while a Tibetan liege is called tsenpo

, while a Tibetan liege is called A merchant republic liege who attains the emperor-tier title is known as grand prince.

Custom empires [ edit ]

If the Charlemagne DLC is active, rulers can create a custom de jure empire.

This decision is available to an independent king with 8,000 prestige as well as either 180 holdings in their realm, or else three kingdom titles. Custom empires are named after, and take the color of, their creator's primary kingdom (although they can be renamed by owning the Customization Pack DLC).

When formed, all kingdoms either held or entirely controlled by their creator ruler become de jure vassals of the custom empire, so long as their original de jure empire does not exist.

List of de jure empires [ edit ]

CoA Empire Capital De Jure Kingdoms Special Requirements AI additional requirements ID Alternate names Abyssinia Gondar (883) Abyssinia, Nubia King of Egypt, Nubia and Abyssinia East African culture group e_abyssinia Arabian Empire Damascus (728) Arabia, Jerusalem, Egypt, Syria, Yemen (& Israel)

769 only: Maghreb, Africa Arabic culture group e_arabia Bengal Empire Laksmanavati (1151) Bengal, Bihar, Gondwana, Kamarupa, Orissa Empire of India does not exist. e_bengal Britannia Middlesex (32) England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales English, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman culture, or Celtic or North Germanic culture group e_britannia Prydain, Alba Bulgaria Tyrnovo (499) 936: Bulgaria, Wallachia

All other starts: None e_bulgaria Byzantine Empire Constantinople (496) Anatolia, Armenia, Bulgaria, Epirus, Georgia, Greece, Serbia, Sicily, Thrace, Trebizond (& Amalfi, Cyprus, Saruhan, Trinacria, Tekke, Ottoman Turks, Rum, Mentese, Karaman, Germiyan, Eretnid, Aydin, Candar) Roman Empire does not exist. Latin empire does not exist. Must be Orthodox or Hellenic/Hellenic Reformed. e_byzantium Carpathia Pest (522) Hungary, Wallachia, Croatia e_carpathia Deccan Empire Manyakheta (1210) Andhra, Karnata, Lanka, Maharastra, Tamilakam, Telingana Empire of India does not exist. e_deccan Francia Ile de France (112) All starts: Aquitaine, France, Brittany, Burgundy

Additionally in 769: Frisia, Lotharingia One kingdom title other than Aquitaine, France, Brittany, or Burgundy French, Norman, or Occitan culture e_france Gallia Germania Würzburg (254) 769: Bavaria, Carinthia, Germany, Saxony (& The Hansa)

All other starts: None Saxon culture or Central Germanic culture group e_germany Hispania Toledo (197) All starts: Andalusia, Navarra

769 and 867: Asturias

from 769 to 1147: Badajoz

from 769 to 1212: Galicia, Valencia

from 1066: Aragon, Castille, León

from 1109: Portugal No de jure kingdom is held by an infidel (with Holy Fury) e_spain Holy Roman Empire Jülich (90) 769: None

All other starts: Bavaria, Carinthia, Frisia, Germany, Lotharingia (& The Hansa)

From 1066: Bohemia Can only be created by special decisions.

867 and beyond: requires Catholic or Fraticelli religion, German or Dutch culture, neither the HRE nor the empire of Francia exist, the ruler be adult, not a prisoner, not Incapable, 1000 Prestige, 180 Realm Size, Kingdom of Germany and one other Kingdom title, and 2 years of wealth

769: requires Catholic or Fraticelli religion, not holding the Byzantine Empire, the ruler be adult, not a prisoner, not Incapable, 1000 Prestige, 220 Realm Size, holding the Kingdom of Italy or Empire of Italia, a Kingdom or Empire title within Francia, Germania, Britannia, or Hispania, no Christian holder of Francia, Germania, Britannia, or Hispania other than the ruler, 100 opinion with your religious head, and 2 years of wealth. It will inherit the coat of arms of the ruler's previous primary title if it is an empire. e_hre Italia Rome (333) Italy, Romagna (Papal States in its place in most bookmarks), Sardinia and Corsica, Venice (& Genoa, Pisa, Naples). King of Sicily. (This requirement changes based on de jure drift. You must own all of the following kingdoms if not titular and not de jure Italia: Kingdoms of Sicily, Naples, Trinacria, Italy, Sardinia-Corsica, Romagna, Venice.) Italian culture e_italy Kanem-Bornu None Hausaland, Kanem e_kanem Maghreb Marrakech (843) 769: none (titular)

All other starts: Africa, Maghreb Berber culture e_maghreb Mali Timbuktu (911) Ghana, Mali, Songhay West African culture group e_mali Persian Empire Esfahan (646) Al-Jazira, Daylam, Iraq, Kabulistan, Khorasan, Persia, Sistan Iranian culture group e_persia Parthicum Pontic Steppe Saray (619) Alania, Crimea, Khazaria Altaic culture group, Alan culture or Hungarian culture e_pontic_steppe Rajasthan Kanyakubja (1356) Delhi, Gujarat, Kosala, Malwa, Punjab, Rajputana, Sindh Empire of India does not exist. e_rajastan Rus Kiev (547) Chernigov, Galicia-Volhynia, Kievan Rus, Novgorod, Vladimir East Slavic, North Germanic or Finno-Ugric culture groups e_russia Suomi Scandinavia Uppland (290) Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lapland, Norway, Sweden North Germanic culture group or Finnish culture e_scandinavia Tartaria Kara Khorum (1457) Cumania, Mongolia, Sibir Altaic culture group e_tartaria Tibet Lhasa (1498) Guge, Kashmir, Kham, Nepal, Yarlung, Xia e_tibet Bodchenpo, Tufan, Tubo Turan Khiva (626) Khotan, Oghuz, Transoxiana, Zhetysu e_turkestan Turkestan Wendish Empire Krakow (527) All start dates: Lithuania, Poland, Pomerania

Additionally at 769 start: Bohemia

Additionally at 867 start: Bohemia, Great Moravia West Slavic or Baltic culture groups e_wendish_empire Volga-Ural Bulgar (610) Nenetsia, Perm, Volga Bulgaria e_idel_ural

List of titular empires [ edit ]