This map, created by CFR Education in 2022, shows the advance of the British Empire and the Russian Empire in Asia throughout the 19th century.

Russia and the United Kingdom were the two great colonial powers in Asia between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. The map shows how the Russian Empire advanced from the north, while the British Empire advanced from its coastal positions on the Indian subcontinent.

The different colours show the progress made by both powers.

• The Russian Empire: Dark brown shows its possessions in 1795, orange shows its possessions in 1858, and light orange shows the territories under its control in 1907. The area painted with brown stripes represents its area of influence in 1907.
• The British Empire: His possessions in 1793 are shown in dark blue, those in 1858 in blue, and the territories under his control in 1907 in light blue. The area marked with blue stripes is his sphere of influence in 1907.

The area of greatest tension between the two empires was Persia, as can also be seen in this another map of the region in 1912.

Sources

• Modern History: South and Central Asia