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Historical map · 1789

Map of Asia in 1789

In 1789, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 88 states, empires and other polities in Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Russian Empire, the Qing Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire. The Spanish Empire reached well beyond Asia: its whole territory measured about 23.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1789. 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.

OPEN 1789 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1789

States and empires in Asia in 1789

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Russian Empire Wikipedia14.3 million km²16.2 million km²1721–1916
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia11.3 million km²11.3 million km²1645–1911
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia2.5 million km²2.9 million km²1305–1923
Kazakh Khanate Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.1 million km²1468–1847
Durrani Empire Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.8 million km²1748–1827
Tibet Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1363–1952
Maratha Empire Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.2 million km²1677–1845
Zand Dynasty Wikipedia901,000 km²901,000 km²1748–1793
Konbaung Dynasty Wikipedia677,000 km²677,000 km²1741–1819
Funj Sultanate Wikipedia629,000 km²629,000 km²1507–1821
Qajar Iran Wikipedia579,000 km²579,000 km²1788–1923
British Empire Wikipedia511,000 km²2.8 million km²1706–1999
Mughal Empire Wikipedia365,000 km²365,000 km²1529–1858
Siam Wikipedia361,000 km²361,000 km²1783–1931
Spanish Empire Wikipedia340,000 km²23.1 million km²1516–1931
Khanate of Khiva Wikipedia334,000 km²334,000 km²1512–1919
Tokugawa Shogunate Wikipedia329,000 km²329,000 km²1600–1869
Dutch Republic Wikipedia319,000 km²970,000 km²1582–1795
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Wikipedia300,000 km²531,000 km²1572–1793
Emirate of Diriyah Wikipedia275,000 km²275,000 km²1744–1819
Kingdom of Cambodia Wikipedia267,000 km²267,000 km²1540–2024
Emirate of Bukhara Wikipedia266,000 km²266,000 km²1788–1919
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia241,000 km²241,000 km²1272–1935
Joseon232,000 km²232,000 km²1395–1897
Swedish Empire Wikipedia217,000 km²785,000 km²1612–1814
Khanates of the Caucasus Wikipedia194,000 km²194,000 km²1748–1796
Hyderabad State Wikipedia185,000 km²185,000 km²1727–1947
Vientiane Wikipedia173,000 km²173,000 km²1709–1827
Nepal Wikipedia170,000 km²170,000 km²1775–2024
Sultanate of Johor Wikipedia165,000 km²165,000 km²1529–1884
Qasimids Wikipedia154,000 km²154,000 km²1636–1802
Tây Sơn dynasty Wikipedia151,000 km²151,000 km²1775–1802
Sultanate of Darfur Wikipedia149,000 km²296,000 km²1609–1876
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1709–1894
Carnatic Sultanate Wikipedia125,000 km²125,000 km²1713–1802
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia121,000 km²121,000 km²1744–2024
Nawab of Awadh Wikipedia94,000 km²94,000 km²1727–1802
Kingdom of Mysore Wikipedia91,000 km²91,000 km²1572–1799
Khanate of Kokand Wikipedia86,000 km²86,000 km²1709–1876
Sultanate of Palembang Wikipedia75,000 km²75,000 km²1459–1821

Also on the map: Principality of Moldavia, Sultanate of Brunei, Sultanate of Sulu, Chiangmai, Sultanate of Banten, Sikh Confederacy, Kingdom of Georgia, Sultanate of Malacca, Kingdom of Champasak, Sultanate of Aceh, Bhutan, Habsburg Monarchy, Principality of Wallachia, Sultanate of Banjar, Denmark, Dutch Ceylon, Sultanate of Jambi, Portuguese Empire, Sultanate of Perak, Sultanate of Terengganu, Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom, Sultanate of Kedah, Sultanate of Selangor, Sultanate of Sukadana, Kingdom of Imereti, Sultanate of Bima, Principality of Abkhazia, Kelantan, Bali, Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara, Negeri Sembilan, Sultanate of Sambas, Kuwait, Principality of Mingrelia, Yogyakarta Sultanate, Pontianak Kadriyah Sultanate, Duchy of Courland, Principality of Guria, Surakarta Sunanate, Đại Việt, Sultanate of Mempawah, Principality of Svaneti, Danish India, Sultanate of Bone, House of Khalifa, Kingdom of France, French India, Sultanate of Maguindanao.

"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 1776

New on the map: Qajar Iran, Siam, Emirate of Bukhara, House of Khalifa.

Gone from the map: Thonburi Kingdom, Khanate of Bukhara, Trịnh lords, Crimean Khanate, Gorkha Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, English Colonial Empire, Bahrain.

What comes next: 1800

Appear by 1800: Batavian Republic, Dutch East Indies, Sikh Empire, French Consulate, Nguyễn dynasty, British Ceylon.

Gone by 1800: Tibet, Zand Dynasty, Dutch Republic, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Khanates of the Caucasus, Hyderabad State, Kingdom of Mysore, Dutch Ceylon, Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom, Duchy of Courland, House of Khalifa, Kingdom of France.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Asia in 1789?

The map data draws 88 states and other polities in Asia in 1789. The largest by land were the Russian Empire, the Qing Dynasty, the Ottoman Empire, the Kazakh Khanate and the Durrani Empire.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1789?

Of the states on this map, the Spanish Empire held the most land in total: about 23.1 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1789 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1789, 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 1789