Are immense empires inevitable?

Never say inevitable on an alternate history website. :p

But, on to a serious answer:

On one hand, the ambitions of men tend towards it. Inside every man is a little Sauron with our will to dominate all life. The shadows of kings of kings go back to Sargon of Agade and the Pharaohs.

On the other... well, there's this model. Lots of overlapping centers of power shifting constantly instead of the idea of a single dominating force. I mean, it could be disrupted, but it's a possibility.
 
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