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Historical map · 1850

Map of Asia in 1850

In 1850, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 66 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 British Empire.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1850. 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 1850 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1850
Atlas map: The Closed Country (1842)
FROM THE ATLAS · REMAKING THE STATE, CHAPTER 1: THE CLOSED COUNTRY (1842)

States and empires in Asia in 1850

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Russian Empire Wikipedia17.1 million km²20.9 million km²1721–1916
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia12.1 million km²12.1 million km²1645–1911
British Empire Wikipedia4.2 million km²11.8 million km²1706–1999
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia1.9 million km²2.1 million km²1305–1923
Muhammad Ali dynasty Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.8 million km²1805–1865
Qajar Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Khanate of Khiva Wikipedia847,000 km²847,000 km²1512–1919
Emirate of Afghanistan Wikipedia666,000 km²666,000 km²1828–1925
Siam Wikipedia609,000 km²609,000 km²1783–1931
Burma Wikipedia554,000 km²554,000 km²1820–2024
Emirate of Nejd Wikipedia533,000 km²533,000 km²1824–1925
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia506,000 km²506,000 km²1800–1949
Netherlands Wikipedia506,000 km²587,000 km²1811–2024
Khanate of Kokand Wikipedia475,000 km²475,000 km²1709–1876
Spanish Empire Wikipedia340,000 km²1.5 million km²1516–1931
Tokugawa Shogunate Wikipedia329,000 km²329,000 km²1600–1869
Nguyễn dynasty Wikipedia302,000 km²302,000 km²1791–1884
Emirate of Bukhara Wikipedia268,000 km²268,000 km²1788–1919
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia241,000 km²241,000 km²1272–1935
Mughal Empire Wikipedia241,000 km²241,000 km²1529–1858
Joseon232,000 km²232,000 km²1395–1897
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia177,000 km²177,000 km²1744–2024
Omani East Africa (Swahili coast)173,000 km²186,000 km²1814–1855
Kashmir and Jammu Wikipedia169,000 km²169,000 km²1846–1947
Nepal Wikipedia150,000 km²150,000 km²1775–2024
Sultanate of Darfur Wikipedia149,000 km²295,000 km²1609–1876
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1709–1894
Kingdom of Cambodia Wikipedia116,000 km²116,000 km²1540–2024
Riau-Lingga Sultanate Wikipedia104,000 km²104,000 km²1820–1856
Imamate of Yemen Wikipedia96,000 km²96,000 km²1814–1872
Trucial States Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²1820–1894
Sultanate of Sulu Wikipedia68,000 km²68,000 km²1459–1879
Chiangmai Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²1775–1884
Sultanate of Johor Wikipedia63,000 km²63,000 km²1529–1884
Sultanate of Brunei Wikipedia55,000 km²55,000 km²1363–2024
Talpur Dynasty Wikipedia50,000 km²50,000 km²1820–1894
Sultanate of Aceh Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²1516–1959
Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024
Sultanate of Malacca Wikipedia40,000 km²40,000 km²1459–1861
Sultanate of Banjar Wikipedia39,000 km²39,000 km²1526–1859

Also on the map: Kingdom of Champasak, Caucasian Imamate, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, Sultanate of Jambi, Portuguese Empire, Qatar, Sultanate of Perak, Austrian Empire, Kingdom of Hungary (Austrian rule), Sultanate of Terengganu, Sultanate of Selangor, Ottoman Tripolitania, Sultanate of Bima, Sultanate of Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Kuwait, Kingdom of Sarawak, Bali, United Kingdom, Kedah-Perlis District, Sultanate of Bone, French Second Republic, House of Khalifa, Greece, 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 1830

New on the map: Kashmir and Jammu, Kingdom of Hungary (Austrian rule), Ottoman Tripolitania, Sultanate of Kedah, Kingdom of Sarawak, United Kingdom, Kedah-Perlis District, French Second Republic.

Gone from the map: Kazakh Khanate, Sikh Empire, Maratha Empire, Sultanate of Sambaliung, Sultanate of Sukadana, Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara, Đại Việt, Principality of Svaneti, French India.

What comes next: 1871

Appear by 1871: British Raj, Khedivate of Egypt, Empire of Japan, Panthay Rebellion, French Indochina, French Third Republic, Romania, Majeerteen Sultanate, Emirate of Jabal Shammar, Pahang, Austria-Hungary, Sultanate of Zanzibar.

Gone by 1871: Muhammad Ali dynasty, Tokugawa Shogunate, Emirate of Bukhara, Mughal Empire, Omani East Africa (Swahili coast), Kingdom of Cambodia, Riau-Lingga Sultanate, Sultanate of Malacca, Sultanate of Banjar, Caucasian Imamate, Austrian Empire, Kingdom of Hungary (Austrian rule), Sultanate of Bone, French Second Republic, Sultanate of Maguindanao.

Read the history of 1850

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in Asia in 1850?

The map data draws 66 states and other polities in Asia in 1850. The largest by land were the Russian Empire, the Qing Dynasty, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire and Muhammad Ali dynasty.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1850?

Of the states on this map, the Russian Empire held the most land in total: about 20.9 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1850 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1850, 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 1850