the longest running into 'today'? Roman Empire going over 1,000 years even with its 'Holy Roman Empire' variations when Christianity 're-created' it. The the Russian USSR version with containing 21 ethnic groups and some hundred distince languages and dialects lasted less then a hundred years. Things ---even languages, 'change'. English was not even a recongizable language until after the 12th-13th Century? King Arthur spoke 'Angle-Saxom', which was a pigin 'German' still partially understandable by German speakers (sort of). The average 'religion' lasts about 500 years. The Middle East with its various 'tribal groups' was only 'slightly' unified with conversions to Islam where they had to learn Arabic in order to read the Koran. So, 'maintaining control' is more of a dream than a historical reality, it seems.