The British Empire and South Asia
British India was a region of Asia that included the following present-day countries as British governed areas or Princely States whose foreign policy was controlled by Britain:
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Bangladesh
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India
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Pakistan
The countries which formed British India gained independence from the British Empire in 1947.
In 1947, East Bengal was a province in Pakistan, and the province became known as East Pakistan in 1955. Bangladesh became a separate country in 1971.
The following were kingdoms or emirates whose foreign policy was controlled by Britain, but which were never part of British India:
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Afghanistan (1879 to 1919)
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Bhutan (1910 to 1949)
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Nepal (1816 to 1923)
The following were British colonies at the same time as British India:
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The Maldives (1796 to 1965)
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Sri Lanka (1815 to 1948)
