Claim: Swedish Empire was ruled by Gustavus Adolphus for 22 years.
Evidence: After the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632 , the empire was , over lengthy periods , controlled by part of the high nobility , most prominently the Oxenstierna family , acting as tutors for minor regents.
The beginning of the Empire is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus , who ascended the throne in 1611 , and the end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the Great Northern War.