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Historical map · 1789

Map of India and South Asia in 1789

In 1789, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 29 states, empires and other polities in India and South Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Durrani Empire, Tibet and the Maratha Empire. The Portuguese Empire reached well beyond India and South Asia: its whole territory measured about 15.9 million km².

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

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States and empires in India and South Asia in 1789

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Durrani Empire Wikipedia1.7 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
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia770,000 km²11.3 million km²1645–1911
Konbaung Dynasty Wikipedia628,000 km²677,000 km²1741–1819
British Empire Wikipedia510,000 km²2.8 million km²1706–1999
Mughal Empire Wikipedia365,000 km²365,000 km²1529–1858
Zand Dynasty Wikipedia271,000 km²901,000 km²1748–1793
Hyderabad State Wikipedia185,000 km²185,000 km²1727–1947
Nepal Wikipedia170,000 km²170,000 km²1775–2024
Carnatic Sultanate Wikipedia125,000 km²125,000 km²1713–1802
Nawab of Awadh Wikipedia94,000 km²94,000 km²1727–1802
Kingdom of Mysore Wikipedia91,000 km²91,000 km²1572–1799
Dutch Republic Wikipedia76,000 km²970,000 km²1582–1795
Sikh Confederacy Wikipedia63,000 km²63,000 km²1762–1806
Emirate of Bukhara Wikipedia61,000 km²266,000 km²1788–1919
Siam Wikipedia47,000 km²361,000 km²1783–1931
Sultanate of Aceh Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²1516–1959
Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024
Dutch Ceylon Wikipedia29,000 km²29,000 km²1687–1795
Chiangmai Wikipedia22,000 km²65,000 km²1775–1884
Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom Wikipedia14,000 km²14,000 km²1677–1799
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia12,000 km²121,000 km²1744–2024
Sultanate of Malacca Wikipedia9,170 km²49,000 km²1459–1861
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia5,210 km²15.9 million km²1502–1910
Danish India Wikipedia2,230 km²2,230 km²1757–1808
Habsburg Monarchy Wikipedia2,010 km²1.3 million km²1459–1805
Kingdom of France Wikipedia910 km²1.1 million km²990–1848
French India Wikipedia910 km²10,000 km²1673–1847

"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: Emirate of Bukhara, Siam, Habsburg Monarchy.

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

What comes next: 1800

Appear by 1800: Qajar Iran, Sikh Empire, British Ceylon, Khanate of Khiva.

Gone by 1800: Tibet, Zand Dynasty, Hyderabad State, Kingdom of Mysore, Dutch Republic, Dutch Ceylon, Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom, Habsburg Monarchy, Kingdom of France.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in India and South Asia in 1789?

The map data draws 29 states and other polities in India and South Asia in 1789. The largest by land were the Durrani Empire, Tibet, the Maratha Empire, the Qing Dynasty and the Konbaung Dynasty.

What was the largest empire in India and South Asia in 1789?

Of the states on this map, the Portuguese Empire held the most land in total: about 15.9 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 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.

India in other years

Other regions in 1789