Feythabolis region mentions how they were a reasonably advanced culture, or group of cultures, that had developed their own spacecraft and so on.
Then the Angel Cartel enslaved all of them, and utterly destroyed all that there was of their culture.
"The human diaspora throughout the systems of New Eden was quite widespread prior to the collapse of the EVE Gate. In many areas, cultures cut off from other civilizations thrived in isolation. One of these regions was Feythabolis, a relatively small empire of progressive thinkers and egalitarian political philosophers. Unfortunately, this state lagged behind other empires significantly in technological advancement, having only recently started to colonize the local space just as the ruthless Angel Cartel was moving in to establish their control. Completely outclassed by the military forces of the Cartel, the fledgling empire was defeated with ease and its entire population bent to the will of the Angels." Region Description.
Which means the Cartel are worse than the Amarr Empire. A fact that many conveniently overlook.