exarchate

Exarchate refers to a form of territorial jurisdiction used in the late Roman and Byzantine Empires as well as in some Eastern Christian churches. In civil governance, an exarchate was governed by an exarch, a high official who combined civil authority and military command on behalf of the emperor. The arrangement was designed to provide direct imperial oversight and more cohesive defense over distant or strategically important provinces.

In the Byzantine state, exarchates emerged in the 6th century as part of a broader administrative reform. The best-known examples were the Exarchate of Africa (centered on Carthage) and the Exarchate of Italy (centered on Ravenna). These districts were meant to be self-sufficient military and administrative hubs that could project force, collect revenue, and respond quickly to threats. Over time, external pressures—such as Lombard, Arab, and other invasions—eroded these zones, and they eventually dissolved as centralized control weakened and territories shifted hands. The Ravenna exarchate, in particular, declined and was absorbed by successor powers in the 8th century.

In Eastern Christian usage, an exarchate denotes a major ecclesiastical territory established under the authority of an exarch, a rank above many local bishops and often serving as a provisional or missionary jurisdiction within a larger patriarchal structure. The exact authority and standing of exarchs varied between churches and periods, but the core concept remained a territorially defined jurisdiction overseen by an exarch.

Etymology: from Greek exarchos, “leader of rulers,” via Latin exarchatus. The term thus carries both civil and ecclesiastical meanings tied to centralized imperial or ecclesiastical authority over wide areas.