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Historical map · 1500

Map of India and South Asia in 1500

In 1500, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 31 states, empires and other polities in India and South Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were Tibet, the Timurid Empire and the Vassalage of Jaffna kingdom to Vijayanagara Empire. The Allegiance of Joseon to Ming Dynasty reached well beyond India and South Asia: its whole territory measured about 4.8 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on India and South Asia in 1500. 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 India and South Asia in 1500

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Tibet Wikipedia1.4 million km²1.5 million km²1363–1952
Timurid Empire Wikipedia1.2 million km²1.9 million km²1375–1506
Vassalage of Jaffna kingdom to Vijayanagara Empire Wikipedia542,000 km²554,000 km²1314–1594
Vijayanagara Empire Wikipedia530,000 km²530,000 km²1344–1571
Lodi Dynasty Wikipedia442,000 km²442,000 km²1453–1528
Delhi Sultanate Wikipedia442,000 km²442,000 km²1210–1528
Moghulistan Wikipedia336,000 km²1.4 million km²1463–1686
Sultanate of Bengal Wikipedia333,000 km²333,000 km²1344–1533
Shan States Wikipedia238,000 km²275,000 km²1294–1563
Ava Kingdom Wikipedia174,000 km²174,000 km²1375–1528
Mongol Khanate Wikipedia171,000 km²4.5 million km²1468–1635
Kashmiri Sultanate Wikipedia152,000 km²152,000 km²1344–1587
Sind-Samma Dynasty Wikipedia123,000 km²123,000 km²1344–1525
Bijapur Sultanate Wikipedia119,000 km²119,000 km²1492–1686
Kapisa Wikipedia117,000 km²117,000 km²1475–1506
Kingdom of Mrauk U Wikipedia85,000 km²85,000 km²1429–1787
Berar Sultanate Wikipedia80,000 km²80,000 km²1492–1578
Hanthawaddy Kingdom Wikipedia78,000 km²78,000 km²1294–1546
Ahmadnagar Sultanate Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²1492–1652
Bidar Sultanate Wikipedia64,000 km²64,000 km²1492–1618
Ayutthaya Kingdom Wikipedia63,000 km²395,000 km²1352–1768
Ceylon63,000 km²63,000 km²1236–1506
Aq Qoyunlu Wikipedia61,000 km²1.7 million km²1407–1511
Allegiance of Joseon to Ming Dynasty32,000 km²4.8 million km²1395–1897
Ming Dynasty Wikipedia32,000 km²4.3 million km²1375–1644
Lan Na Kingdom Wikipedia22,000 km²53,000 km²1294–1761
Prome Kingdom Wikipedia19,000 km²19,000 km²1482–1546
Kazakh Khanate Wikipedia11,000 km²1.9 million km²1468–1847
Samudera Pasai Sultanate Wikipedia8,710 km²8,710 km²1272–1520
Mahdids Wikipedia700 km²4,410 km²1169–1506
Kathmandu Wikipedia660 km²660 km²1202–1761

"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 1492

Between 1492 and 1500 the data shows the same states in India and South Asia; their borders may still have moved.

What comes next: 1550

Appear by 1550: Sur Empire, Safavid Dynasty, Mughal Empire, First Toungoo Empire, Tümed, Golconda Sultanate, Khanate of Bukhara, Portuguese Empire, Portuguese Ceylon, Nayaks of Madurai, Sultanate of Aceh, Nayaks of Thanjavur, Kingdom of Portugal.

Gone by 1550: Timurid Empire, Lodi Dynasty, Delhi Sultanate, Sultanate of Bengal, Ava Kingdom, Mongol Khanate, Sind-Samma Dynasty, Kapisa, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Ceylon, Aq Qoyunlu, Prome Kingdom, Kazakh Khanate, Samudera Pasai Sultanate, Mahdids.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in India and South Asia in 1500?

The map data draws 31 states and other polities in India and South Asia in 1500. The largest by land were Tibet, the Timurid Empire, the Vassalage of Jaffna kingdom to Vijayanagara Empire, the Vijayanagara Empire and the Lodi Dynasty.

What was the largest empire in India and South Asia in 1500?

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 India and South Asia in 1500 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1500, 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.

India in other years

Other regions in 1500