Indian Empire 1914

Dating from immediately before the outbreak of the First World War, this map graphically illustrates the reach of British imperial power on the Indian subcontinent.
Extending far beyond the political borders of modern India, the writ of the King Emperor George V ran across a territory that also encompassed the present-day states of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma). Although not officially recognised as part of British India, the strategically vital Crown colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the northern kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan also fell under its influence.
The map also demonstrates the complex interplay of direct rule and local autonomy that was essential to the smooth administration of such a vast and diverse territory. Britain’s occupation of and rule in India had begun early in the seventeenth century through the activities of the commercial trading company, the Honourable East India Company. Having monopolised trade with the East Indies, the Company subsequently acquired military and administrative responsibilities in the region until it had become the de facto ruler. By means of diplomacy and military activity, it brought many of the hundreds of independent native states into the British sphere of colonial influence. 
Areas marked in pink represent those administered directly by London through its principal representative, the Governor-General, the head of the British Administration in India, based in Calcutta.  Known collectively as the British Provinces of India, these areas included the United Provinces in the north, the Central Provinces, Madras in the south, Bombay in the west and Bengal in the east.
By contrast, those areas in yellow mark out the clusters of Princely States, those nominally sovereign territories outside the direct control of the British Government who had entered into personal treaties with the Crown. These treaties allowed each state a degree of local autonomy and freedom to issue its own laws and set its own government. However, each was essentially a vassal state under British protection. As the monarch’s personal representative to these Princely States, the Governor-General was also known as the Viceroy. 
Also evident from the map is the extent of India’s rail network. It was begun in 1853 under private enterprise, and by 1907, when all rail companies were brought under government control, the network extended over 9000 miles, mostly spreading inland from the major ports and termini of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
The historical snapshot presented here represents the high-water mark of Britain’s imperial control in the region. As with many other states, the political, cultural and social consequences of the First World War in India would lead to greater calls for self-government and begin the process that would eventually lead to independence.