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Historical map · 1880

Map of India and South Asia in 1880

In 1880, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 20 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 British Raj and the Qing Dynasty. The British Empire reached well beyond India and South Asia: its whole territory measured about 25.2 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on India and South Asia in 1880. 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 1880 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1880
Atlas map: Congress and the Raj (Dec 1885)
FROM THE ATLAS · INDIAN INDEPENDENCE & PARTITION, CHAPTER 2: CONGRESS AND THE RAJ (DEC 1885)

States and empires in India and South Asia in 1880

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
British Empire Wikipedia4.2 million km²25.2 million km²1706–1999
British Raj Wikipedia4.2 million km²4.2 million km²1859–1947
Qing Dynasty Wikipedia2.0 million km²11.1 million km²1645–1911
Emirate of Afghanistan Wikipedia641,000 km²644,000 km²1828–1925
Burma Wikipedia402,000 km²438,000 km²1820–2024
Qajar Iran Wikipedia327,000 km²1.6 million km²1788–1923
Kashmir and Jammu Wikipedia169,000 km²169,000 km²1846–1947
Russian Empire Wikipedia168,000 km²22.2 million km²1721–1916
Nepal Wikipedia149,000 km²149,000 km²1775–2024
Netherlands Wikipedia61,000 km²1.3 million km²1811–2024
Dutch East Indies Wikipedia61,000 km²1.3 million km²1800–1949
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 km²66,000 km²1775–1884
Sultanate of Oman Wikipedia13,000 km²193,000 km²1744–2024
Portuguese Empire Wikipedia5,210 km²242,000 km²1502–1910
French Third Republic Wikipedia1,100 km²2.3 million km²1871–1939
French Indochina Wikipedia1,100 km²209,000 km²1860–1957

"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 1871

Gone from the map: Khanate of Khiva.

What comes next: 1900

Appear by 1900: Sultanate of Muscat and Oman.

Gone by 1900: Burma, Kashmir and Jammu, Talpur Dynasty, Chiangmai, Sultanate of Oman.

Read the history of 1880

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 1880?

The map data draws 20 states and other polities in India and South Asia in 1880. The largest by land were the British Empire, the British Raj, the Qing Dynasty, the Emirate of Afghanistan and Burma.

What was the largest empire in India and South Asia in 1880?

Of the states on this map, the British Empire held the most land in total: about 25.2 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 1880 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1880, 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 1880