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Historical map · 400

Map of the World in 400

In 400, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 53 states, empires and other polities in the world. By the land they held , the largest were the Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom, the Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire and the Sasanian Empire.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the World in 400. 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 400 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 400
Atlas map: The Storm from the North (Ad 396)
FROM THE ATLAS · ROME, CHAPTER 10: THE STORM FROM THE NORTH (AD 396)

States and empires in the World in 400

StateTerritoryWhole stateIn the data
Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom Wikipedia4.4 million km²4.4 million km²324–554
Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire Wikipedia3.9 million km²3.9 million km²358–450
Sasanian Empire Wikipedia3.0 million km²3.0 million km²215–643
Western Jin Wikipedia2.4 million km²2.4 million km²265–425
Western Roman Empire Wikipedia2.1 million km²2.1 million km²395–475
Eastern Roman Empire Wikipedia1.8 million km²1.8 million km²31 BC–AD 632
Huns Wikipedia1.4 million km²1.4 million km²106–673
Protectorate of the Western Regions Wikipedia597,000 km²597,000 km²117–601
Western Satraps Wikipedia506,000 km²506,000 km²43–489
Xionites Wikipedia488,000 km²488,000 km²387–401
Northern Wei Wikipedia437,000 km²437,000 km²387–533
Later Yan Wikipedia386,000 km²386,000 km²387–409
Mayan City-States Wikipedia380,000 km²380,000 km²247 BC–AD 1546
Vakataka Kingdom Wikipedia379,000 km²379,000 km²260–554
Later Qin Wikipedia323,000 km²323,000 km²387–416
Himyarite Kingdom Wikipedia297,000 km²297,000 km²110 BC–AD 601
Tuyuhun Wikipedia278,000 km²278,000 km²287–665
Lakhmid Kingdom Wikipedia259,000 km²259,000 km²270–633
Funan Wikipedia246,000 km²246,000 km²51–640
Goguryeo Wikipedia221,000 km²221,000 km²36 BC–AD 681
Kadamba Empire Wikipedia202,000 km²202,000 km²353–554
Nobatia Wikipedia148,000 km²148,000 km²347–655
Kalabhra Dynasty Wikipedia138,000 km²138,000 km²353–601
Kamarupa Kingdom Wikipedia131,000 km²131,000 km²353–1138
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Northern Liang Wikipedia120,000 km²120,000 km²397–440
Pyu City-States Wikipedia117,000 km²117,000 km²84–1045
Western Qin Wikipedia114,000 km²114,000 km²387–438
Kingdom of Axum Wikipedia97,000 km²97,000 km²50 BC–AD 946
Later Liang Wikipedia86,000 km²86,000 km²387–406
Caucasian Albania Wikipedia75,000 km²75,000 km²63 BC–AD 509
Anurādhapura Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²291 BC–AD 1017
Chámpa Wikipedia73,000 km²73,000 km²207–1652
Zapotec Civilization Wikipedia70,000 km²70,000 km²500 BC–AD 895
Makuria Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²347–1518
Visigoths Wikipedia45,000 km²45,000 km²396–425
Baekje Wikipedia43,000 km²43,000 km²347–660
Wusun Wikipedia39,000 km²39,000 km²170 BC–AD 450
Caucasian Iberia Wikipedia36,000 km²36,000 km²63 BC–AD 533
Vandals Wikipedia32,000 km²32,000 km²337–438

Also on the map: Southern Liang, Ripuarian Franks, Late Pallava Empire, Silla, Lazica, Tarumanagara, Norse, Byeonhan, Salian Franks, Saxons, Teotihuacan, Tamna, Angles.

"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 300

New on the map: Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom, Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, Western Roman Empire, Protectorate of the Western Regions, Xionites, Northern Wei, Later Yan, Later Qin, Kadamba Empire, Nobatia, Kalabhra Dynasty, Kamarupa Kingdom, Alodia, Northern Liang, Western Qin, Later Liang, Makuria, Visigoths, Baekje, Vandals, Southern Liang, Silla, Tarumanagara, Salian Franks, Angles.

Gone from the map: Gothia, Kingdom of Kush, Eastern Kushans, Kingdom of Armenia, Burgundians, Hadhramaut, Mahan, Cimmerian Bosporus, Early Pandyas, Dongye, Early Cholas, Early Cheras, Jinhan, Kingdom of Adiabene.

What comes next: 500

Appear by 500: Allegiance of Ostrogothic Kingdom to Eastern Roman Empire, Rouran Khaganate, White Huns, Southern Qi, Visigothic Kingdom, Scandinavian minor kingdoms, Merovingian Empire, Brythonic Kingdoms, Vandal Kingdom, Maitraka Dynasty, Anglo-Saxon England, Burgundian Kingdom, Kingdom of the Suebi, Kingdom of Thuringia, Lombards, Kingdom of Sussex, Kingdom of Kent.

Gone by 500: Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, Western Jin, Western Roman Empire, Huns, Western Satraps, Xionites, Later Yan, Later Qin, Northern Liang, Western Qin, Later Liang, Visigoths, Wusun, Vandals, Southern Liang, Norse, Angles.

Read the history of 400

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the World in 400?

The map data draws 53 states and other polities in the World in 400. The largest by land were the Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom, the Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, the Sasanian Empire, Western Jin and the Western Roman Empire.

What was the largest empire in the world in 400?

Of the states on this map, the Alliance between Gupta Empire and Vakataka Kingdom held the most land in total: about 4.4 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the World in 400 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 400, 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.

World in other years

Other regions in 400