// Modern era

British Raj

Period
AD 1859 – AD 1947
Duration
approx. 88 years
Greatest extent
around AD 1917
Area (max.)
approx. 4.9 million km²
British Raj at its greatest extent (around AD 1917) · Borders: Cliopatria
▶ View on the interactive map

Period and duration

British Raj — according to the map data from AD 1859 to AD 1947, roughly 88 years. The dates refer to the time the empire is drawn as its own territory on the world map; historians sometimes date its founding and end differently.

Greatest extent

British Raj — greatest extent around AD 1917: the mapped borders then cover about 4.9 million km², roughly 3.3% of Earth's land area. The area is calculated from the border lines of the map and is therefore an approximation.

AD 1859Area according to the map data (max. 4.9 million km²)AD 1947

Predecessors and successors

States that ruled the same territory directly before and after:

Before (AD 1858)

After

  • Republic of India
  • Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  • Burma

Neighbours around AD 1917

The largest states in the region at the same time:

Learn more

Borders and dates: Cliopatria / Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coastlines: Natural Earth. Text: Centaurian.