Final answer:
Empires differed due to military practices, geographical factors, cultural and religious traditions, and reactions to internal and external challenges. The treatment of conquered peoples and adaptations to specific circumstances such as geography and history also played significant roles in shaping the unique features of each empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The differences between empires can often be attributed to factors such as their attitudes towards military conquest, the geographical location of their territories, unique cultural and religious practices, and their treatment of conquered peoples. Historically, empires like the Ottoman Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate exhibited differing practices. The Ottoman Empire, for example, drafted conquered citizens into its military as janissaries, while other empires might allow a significant degree of autonomy, permitting local languages and cultural practices. Differences also arose from the challenges they faced, such as nationalism in the case of land-based empires after the Napoleonic wars, leading to demands for autonomy by distinct ethnic groups. Moreover, ancient empires in the Middle East, like the various cultures of the Ancient Near East and Mesopotamia, saw constant changes in dominance, influenced by trade, warfare, and diplomacy.
Empires also varied in their cultural achievements due to their circumstances, such as geography, history, or legacies from preceding societies. The eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire developed distinct identities, and in the Americas, civilizations like the Olmec, Aztec, Inca, Maya, and North American Natives each had unique ways of life and cultural traditions shaped by their particular environments and histories.