Southeast Asia: 'Burmah, Siam and Anam', a map of Greater Indochina and the western part of the Malay-Indonesian Archipelago, London, 1886

A Political map of mainland Southeast Asia including Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as peninsular Malaysia, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and part of Sumatra.

Published, apparently, just before the 3rd Anglo-Burmese War (1885-86) which would extinguish Burmese independence, it shows 'Independent Burma' in an approximate rectangle around Mandalay. To the east lies the 'Independent Shan Country' encompassing the Burmese Shan States and northern Laos. East of this again is Tonkin, or northern Vietnam, where the 'Independent Tribes' represent the semi-independent Tai domain of Sipsongchuthai, absorbed by the French in 1888 and now a part of Vietnam.

South of this again, the 'Shan States' encompass the former Lan Na Kingdom centred on Chiang Mai to the west, and the Lao kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champassak to the east. Chiang Mai is no longer shown as extending west of the Salween River, as is the case in some earlier European maps. Interestingly (and culturally, though no longer politically) accurate, Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani are shown as part of the Lao states tributary to Siam.

To the south, Bangkok is clearly indicated as the capital of Siam, while Siamese control over more than half of Cambodia, including Angkor Wat and Battambang, is indicated. Cochinchina is shown as a French colony (1862). Siamese control is acknowledged over most of peninsular Malaya, though the nascent British Straits Settlements at Penang and Province Wellesley (1867) are shown.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Credit:

Pictures From History