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Historical map · 500

Map of India and South Asia in 500

In 500, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 13 states, empires and other polities in India and South Asia. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were White Huns, the Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom and the Vakataka Kingdom.

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States and empires in India and South Asia in 500

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
White Huns Wikipedia2.1 million km²3.3 million km²410–560
Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom Wikipedia1.7 million km²2.7 million km²324–554
Vakataka Kingdom Wikipedia673,000 km²673,000 km²260–554
Sasanian Empire Wikipedia314,000 km²2.2 million km²215–643
Kadamba Empire Wikipedia203,000 km²203,000 km²353–554
Maitraka Dynasty Wikipedia145,000 km²145,000 km²476–731
Tuyuhun Wikipedia139,000 km²554,000 km²287–665
Kalabhra Dynasty Wikipedia138,000 km²138,000 km²353–601
Kamarupa Kingdom Wikipedia130,000 km²130,000 km²353–1138
Pyu City-States Wikipedia117,000 km²117,000 km²84–1045
Anurādhapura Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²291 BC–AD 1017
Late Pallava Empire Wikipedia38,000 km²38,000 km²283–805
Protectorate of the Western Regions Wikipedia37,000 km²437,000 km²117–601

"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 400

New on the map: White Huns, Maitraka Dynasty.

Gone from the map: Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, Western Satraps.

What comes next: 600

Appear by 600: Maukhari Dynasty, Chalukya Dynasty, Turk Shahis, Karkota Dynasty, Pandya Dynasty, Western Göktürks.

Gone by 600: White Huns, Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom, Vakataka Kingdom, Kadamba Empire.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in India and South Asia in 500?

The map data draws 13 states and other polities in India and South Asia in 500. The largest by land were White Huns, the Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom, the Vakataka Kingdom, the Sasanian Empire and the Kadamba Empire.

What was the largest empire in India and South Asia in 500?

Of the states on this map, White Huns held the most land in total: about 3.3 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 500 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 500, 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 500