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Historical map · 1850

Map of India and South Asia in 1850

In 1850, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 21 states, empires and other polities in India and South Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the British Empire, the Qing Dynasty and the Emirate of Afghanistan. The Qing Dynasty reached well beyond India and South Asia: its whole territory measured about 12.1 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on India and South 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 Rebellion and the Crown (Jul 1857)
FROM THE ATLAS · INDIAN INDEPENDENCE & PARTITION, CHAPTER 1: THE REBELLION AND THE CROWN (JUL 1857)

States and empires in India and South Asia in 1850

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia4.1 million km²11.8 million km²1706–1999
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia2.0 million km²12.1 million km²1645–1911
Emirate of Afghanistan Wikipedia663,000 km²666,000 km²1828–1925
Burma Wikipedia517,000 km²554,000 km²1820–2024
Qajar Iran Wikipedia327,000 km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Mughal Empire Wikipedia241,000 km²241,000 km²1529–1858
Kashmir and Jammu Wikipedia169,000 km²169,000 km²1846–1947
Nepal Wikipedia150,000 km²150,000 km²1775–2024
Khanate of Khiva Wikipedia108,000 km²847,000 km²1512–1919
Emirate of Bukhara Wikipedia61,000 km²268,000 km²1788–1919
Talpur Dynasty Wikipedia50,000 km²50,000 km²1820–1894
Siam Wikipedia47,000 km²609,000 km²1783–1931
Sultanate of Aceh Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²1516–1959
Bhutan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²1636–2024
Chiangmai Wikipedia22,000 km²65,000 km²1775–1884
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia13,000 km²177,000 km²1744–2024
Sultanate of Malacca Wikipedia9,170 km²40,000 km²1459–1861
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia5,330 km²244,000 km²1502–1910
Netherlands Wikipedia2,140 km²587,000 km²1811–2024
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia2,140 km²506,000 km²1800–1949
French Second Republic Wikipedia1,100 km²1.5 million km²1848–1852

"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, French Second Republic.

Gone from the map: Sikh Empire, Maratha Empire, French India.

What comes next: 1871

Appear by 1871: British Raj, Russian Empire, French Third Republic, French Indochina.

Gone by 1871: Mughal Empire, Emirate of Bukhara, Sultanate of Malacca, French Second Republic.

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 India and South Asia in 1850?

The map data draws 21 states and other polities in India and South Asia in 1850. The largest by land were the British Empire, the Qing Dynasty, the Emirate of Afghanistan, Burma and Qajar Iran.

What was the largest empire in India and South Asia in 1850?

Of the states on this map, the Qing Dynasty held the most land in total: about 12.1 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 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.

India in other years

Other regions in 1850