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Historical map · 1871

Map of Asia in 1871

In 1871, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 63 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. The British Empire reached well beyond Asia: its whole territory measured about 22.3 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on Asia in 1871. 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 1871 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1871
Atlas map: The Fall of the Shogunate (1868)
FROM THE ATLAS · REMAKING THE STATE, CHAPTER 3: THE FALL OF THE SHOGUNATE (1868)

States and empires in Asia in 1871

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Russian Empire Wikipedia19.4 million km²21.6 million km²1721–1916
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia8.8 million km²8.8 million km²1645–1911
British Empire Wikipedia4.6 million km²22.3 million km²1706–1999
British Raj Wikipedia4.2 million km²4.2 million km²1859–1947
Ottoman Empire Wikipedia1.9 million km²2.1 million km²1305–1923
Khedivate of Egypt Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.8 million km²1866–1884
Qajar Iran Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia832,000 km²832,000 km²1800–1949
Netherlands Wikipedia830,000 km²906,000 km²1811–2024
Emirate of Nejd Wikipedia819,000 km²819,000 km²1824–1925
Emirate of Afghanistan Wikipedia666,000 km²666,000 km²1828–1925
Siam Wikipedia609,000 km²609,000 km²1783–1931
Empire of Japan Wikipedia461,000 km²461,000 km²1868–1946
Burma Wikipedia438,000 km²438,000 km²1820–2024
Khanate of Khiva Wikipedia384,000 km²384,000 km²1512–1919
Panthay Rebellion Wikipedia343,000 km²343,000 km²1856–1872
Spanish Empire Wikipedia340,000 km²1.6 million km²1516–1931
Ethiopian Empire Wikipedia241,000 km²241,000 km²1272–1935
Nguyễn dynasty Wikipedia235,000 km²235,000 km²1791–1884
Joseon232,000 km²232,000 km²1395–1897
French Indochina Wikipedia183,000 km²209,000 km²1860–1957
French Third Republic Wikipedia183,000 km²1.8 million km²1871–1939
Kashmir and Jammu Wikipedia169,000 km²169,000 km²1846–1947
Nepal Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Sultanate of Darfur Wikipedia149,000 km²295,000 km²1609–1876
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1709–1894
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia119,000 km²119,000 km²1744–2024
Imamate of Yemen Wikipedia95,000 km²95,000 km²1814–1872
Romania Wikipedia94,000 km²128,000 km²1859–1916
Majeerteen Sultanate Wikipedia92,000 km²92,000 km²1856–1889
Emirate of Jabal Shammar Wikipedia84,000 km²84,000 km²1825–1921
Kingdom of Sarawak Wikipedia81,000 km²81,000 km²1842–1946
Trucial States Wikipedia72,000 km²72,000 km²1820–1894
Khanate of Kokand Wikipedia71,000 km²71,000 km²1709–1876
Sultanate of Sulu Wikipedia68,000 km²68,000 km²1459–1879
Chiangmai Wikipedia66,000 km²66,000 km²1775–1884
Talpur Dynasty Wikipedia50,000 km²50,000 km²1820–1894
Sultanate of Aceh Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²1516–1959
Pahang41,000 km²41,000 km²1853–1889
Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024

Also on the map: Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Champasak, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, Sultanate of Zanzibar, Sultanate of Jambi, Portuguese Empire, Sultanate of Perak, Sultanate of Brunei, Sultanate of Johor, Sultanate of Terengganu, Qatar, Sultanate of Selangor, Ottoman Tripolitania, Sultanate of Kedah, Kelantan, Sultanate of Bima, Negeri Sembilan, Kuwait, Bali, United Kingdom, Kedah-Perlis District, House of Khalifa, Greece.

"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 1850

New on the map: 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 from the map: 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.

What comes next: 1880

Appear by 1880: Kingdom of Spain, Sultanate of Hobyo, Principality of Bulgaria.

Gone by 1880: Khanate of Khiva, Panthay Rebellion, Sultanate of Darfur, Imamate of Yemen, Khanate of Kokand, Sultanate of Sulu, Sultanate of Perak, Sultanate of Selangor, Kuwait.

Read the history of 1871

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 1871?

The map data draws 63 states and other polities in Asia in 1871. The largest by land were the Russian Empire, the Qing Dynasty, the British Empire, the British Raj and the Ottoman Empire.

What was the largest empire in Asia in 1871?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 22.3 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore Asia in 1871 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1871, 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 1871