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Historical map · 1492

Map of Asia in 1492

In 1492, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 86 states, empires and other polities in Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Allegiance of Joseon to Ming Dynasty, the Mongol Khanate and the Ming Dynasty.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1492. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

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States and empires in Asia in 1492

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Allegiance of Joseon to Ming Dynasty4.6 million km²4.8 million km²1395–1897
Mongol Khanate Wikipedia4.5 million km²4.5 million km²1468–1635
Ming Dynasty Wikipedia4.3 million km²4.3 million km²1375–1644
Khanate of Sibir Wikipedia2.8 million km²2.8 million km²1429–1587
Kazakh Khanate Wikipedia2.3 million km²2.3 million km²1468–1847
Grand Principality of Moscow Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.1 million km²1294–1546
Timurid Empire Wikipedia1.9 million km²1.9 million km²1375–1506
Aq Qoyunlu Wikipedia1.7 million km²1.7 million km²1407–1511
Tibet Wikipedia1.5 million km²1.5 million km²1363–1952
Moghulistan Wikipedia1.4 million km²1.4 million km²1463–1686
Mamluk Sultanate Wikipedia1.4 million km²1.5 million km²1241–1518
House of Jagiellon Wikipedia722,000 km²1.0 million km²1395–1571
Nogai Horde Wikipedia702,000 km²702,000 km²1450–1737
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia609,000 km²929,000 km²1305–1923
Golden Horde Wikipedia548,000 km²548,000 km²1294–1695
Vassalage of Jaffna kingdom to Vijayanagara Empire Wikipedia542,000 km²554,000 km²1314–1594
Vijayanagara Empire Wikipedia530,000 km²530,000 km²1344–1571
Ayutthaya Kingdom Wikipedia395,000 km²395,000 km²1352–1768
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia394,000 km²394,000 km²1272–1935
Tahirid Sultanate379,000 km²379,000 km²1459–1515
Lan Xang Wikipedia377,000 km²377,000 km²1363–1708
Lodi Dynasty Wikipedia338,000 km²338,000 km²1453–1528
Delhi Sultanate Wikipedia338,000 km²338,000 km²1210–1528
Sultanate of Bengal Wikipedia333,000 km²333,000 km²1344–1533
Warring States Japan Wikipedia321,000 km²321,000 km²1468–1601
Khmer Empire Wikipedia288,000 km²288,000 km²800–1539
Shan States Wikipedia275,000 km²275,000 km²1294–1563
Kalmar Union Wikipedia223,000 km²2.6 million km²1402–1525
Makuria Kingdom Wikipedia213,000 km²213,000 km²347–1518
Lê Dynasty Wikipedia191,000 km²191,000 km²1429–1571
Ava Kingdom Wikipedia174,000 km²174,000 km²1375–1528
Khanate of Kazan Wikipedia169,000 km²169,000 km²1440–1551
Astrakhan Khanate Wikipedia161,000 km²161,000 km²1468–1768
Kashmiri Sultanate Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1344–1587
Adal Sultanate Wikipedia150,000 km²150,000 km²1415–1578
Crimean Khanate Wikipedia136,000 km²136,000 km²1450–1782
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Sind-Samma Dynasty Wikipedia123,000 km²123,000 km²1344–1525
Bijapur Sultanate Wikipedia119,000 km²119,000 km²1492–1686
Kapisa Wikipedia117,000 km²117,000 km²1475–1506

Also on the map: Majapahit, Kingdom of Mrauk U, Principality of Moldavia, Berar Sultanate, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Sultanate of Palembang, Ahmadnagar Sultanate, Bahrani Dynasty, Livonian Conference, Bidar Sultanate, Ceylon, Sunda Kingdom, Lan Na Kingdom, Sultanate of Brunei, Shirvan, Samtskhe-Saatabago, Principality of Wallachia, Beylik of Dulkadir, Kingdom of Georgia, Ramadanid Emirate, Qasim Khanate, Kingdom of Kakheti, Pskov Republic, Prome Kingdom, Ryazan, Personal union of Kingdom of Bohemia with Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Hungary, Republic of Venice, Sultanate of Kedah, Principality of Mingrelia, Kingdom of Imereti, Republic of Genoa, Samudera Pasai Sultanate, Chámpa, Sultanate of Cirebon, Demak Sultanate, Sultanate of Malacca, Principality of Abkhazia, Tondo, Mahdids, Principality of Guria, Ryukyu Kingdom, Sultanate of Sulu, Namayan, Ashikaga Shogunate, Kathmandu.

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1453

New on the map: Mongol Khanate, Kazakh Khanate, Moghulistan, Tahirid Sultanate, Warring States Japan, Astrakhan Khanate, Bijapur Sultanate, Kapisa, Berar Sultanate, Sultanate of Palembang, Ahmadnagar Sultanate, Bidar Sultanate, Samtskhe-Saatabago, Kingdom of Kakheti, Prome Kingdom, Personal union of Kingdom of Bohemia with Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Hungary, Principality of Mingrelia, Kingdom of Imereti, Sultanate of Cirebon, Demak Sultanate, Sultanate of Malacca, Principality of Abkhazia, Principality of Guria, Sultanate of Sulu.

Gone from the map: Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire, Four Oirats, Chagatai Khanate, Novgorod Republic, Rasulid Dynasty, Bahmani Sultanate, Jaunpur Sultanate, House of Oldenburg, Beylik of Karaman, Beylik of Isfendiyar, Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal, Empire of Trebizond, Holy Roman Empire, Allegiance of Swiss Confederation to Holy Roman Empire, Vassalage of Electorate of Brandenburg to Holy Roman Empire, House of Habsburg, Kingdom of Cyprus, Tver, Byzantine Empire, Principality of Theodoro.

What comes next: 1500

Appear by 1500: Shaybanids, Rajahnate of Cebu.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Asia in 1492?

The map data draws 86 states and other polities in Asia in 1492. The largest by land were the Allegiance of Joseon to Ming Dynasty, the Mongol Khanate, the Ming Dynasty, the Khanate of Sibir and the Kazakh Khanate.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1492?

Of the states on this map, the Allegiance of Joseon to Ming Dynasty held the most land in total: about 4.8 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1492 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1492, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Asia in other years

Other regions in 1492