Southern Asia 1920: Soviet Victory in Central Asia

Changes to the map 27 December 1919–18 May 1920

Russian Civil War: The Soviets have pushed through Central Asia, destroying the last remnants of White resistance and conquering the Khanate of Khiva. However Turkmen raiders fleeing Khiva under Junayd Khan are now at large to the south.

Caucasus: The Soviets have occupied Daghestan, the North Caucasian Emirate, and Azerbaijan.

Persia: The Soviets have extended their influence into northern Persia. From Azerbaijan, they have occupied Gilan.

Turkish War of Independence: Fed up with the inability of the Ottoman government to suppress the Turkish Nationalists, the British have taken control in Constantinople, forcing the Sultan to dissolve the Ottoman parliament.

Somaliland Campaign: In their final expedition against the Dervish State, the British have defeated the so-called 'Mad Mullah' Mohammed Abdullah Hassan with the support of the RAF.

British Protectorates in the Persian Gulf

The British Residency of the Persian Gulf maintains British India influence in a number of Gulf states. These states are nominally independent - and shown as such in most atlases from the period - but have all signed treaties guaranteeing British control over their foreign affairs.

The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman is the only one of these states with significant international relations, having obtained trade agreements with the US and France before it signed its treaty with Britain. Maps of the time often show Trucial Oman and even Qatar as regions of Oman.

Trucial Oman is the region to the west of Oman which collectively signed treaties with Britain. The sheikhdoms of this region are often called the Trucial States, and will become the United Arab Emirates. However at this time they have little unity, with no regional council until 1952.

Indian Empire

The British Indian Empire, also known as the British Raj, is comprised of a complex of presidencies, provinces, protectorates, and agencies. Only the top level subdivisions are shown here.

The area under direct British rule is known as British India and made up of presidencies and provinces - a presidency simply being the name for an older province.

Outside British India, but often included within the sphere of the presidencies/provinces, are the hundreds of protectorates or 'princely states'. These are indirectly ruled states, the largest being Hyderabad, Kashmir, and Mysore. The others are either collected into agencies - which may in turn contain other smaller agencies - or fall under the sway of the provinces.