Decolonisation of Asia

The decolonisation of Asia was the gradual growth of independence movements in Asia, leading ultimately to the retreat of foreign powers and the creation of several nation-states in the region.

Background

Main article: Western imperialism in Asia

The decline of Spain and Portugal in the 17th century paved the way for other European powers, namely the Netherlands, France and England. Portugal would lose influence in all but three of its colonies, Portuguese India, Macau and Timor.

By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch had taken over much of the old Portuguese colonies, and had established a strong presence in present-day Indonesia, with colonies in Aceh, Bantam, Makassar and Jakarta. The Dutch also had trade links with Siam, Japan, China and Bengal.

The British had competed with Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch for their interests in Asia since the early 17th century and by the mid-19th century held much of India (via the British East India Company), as well as Burma, Ceylon, Malaya and Singapore. After The Indian Rebellion of 1857, Queen Victoria was declared Empress of India, thus solidifying the British rule on the subcontinent. The last British acquisition in Asia was the New Territories of Hong Kong, which was leased from the Qing emperor in 1897, expanding the British colony originally ceded in the Treaty of Nanking in 1842.

The French had little success in India following defeats against the British in the 17th century, though they held onto possessions on the east coast of India (such as Pondicherry and Mahar) until decolonisation. The French established their most lucrative and substantial colony in Indochina in 1862, eventually occupying the present-day areas of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia by 1887.

Japan's first colony was the island of Taiwan, occupied in 1874 and officially ceded by the Qing emperor in 1894. Japan continued its early imperialism with the annexation of Korea in 1910.

The United States entered the region in 1898 during the Spanish–American War, taking the Philippines as its sole colony after a mock battle in the capital and the later formal acquisition of the Philippines from Spain through the 1898 Treaty of Paris

Asian colonies from the 17th century to the end of World War II

The following list shows the colonial powers following the end of World War II in 1945, their colonial or administrative possessions and the date of decolonisation.

Individual countries

Country Date of acquisition of sovereignty Acquisition of sovereignty
/Afghanistan 1919 Treaty of Rawalpindi ends British control of foreign policy
Bahrain 15 August 1971 End of treaties with the United Kingdom
Bangladesh 26 March 1971 Independence from Pakistan declared
Bhutan 1885 Ugyen Wangchuck ends a period of civil war and unites Bhutan
Brunei 1 January 1984 Brunei regains its independence after an agreement with the British on 4 January 1979
Cambodia 9 September 1953 France grants Cambodia independence
26 September 1989 Becomes free from Vietnamese occupation; it gets back its name instead of the People's Republic of Kampuchea
/ China 221 BC In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring states and created for himself the title of Huangdi or "emperor" of the Qin, marking the beginning of imperial China.
India 15 August 1947 Independence from the British Empire
Indonesia 27 December 1949 Independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands following their unilateral Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945 and subsequent Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in The Hague.
Iran 609 BC After the fall of Assyria between 616 BC and 609 BC, a unified Median state was formed, which together with Babylonia, Lydia, and ancient Egypt became one of the four major powers of the ancient Near East.
Iraq 762 The Abbasid Caliphate built the city of Baghdad along the Tigris in the 8th century as its capital, and the city became the leading metropolis of the Arab and Muslim world for five centuries
3 October 1932 Kingdom of Iraq
Israel 14 May 1948 Upon the end of the British Mandate, Jews declared independence, forming the State of Israel; the remainder of Palestine came under control of Egypt (Gaza Strip) and Transjordan (West Bank)
Japan 4th century CE During the subsequent Kofun period, most of Japan gradually unified under a single kingdom
Jordan 25 May 1946 End of the British Mandate for Palestine
Kuwait 1752 Establishment of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan 31 August 1991 Independence from the Soviet Union
Laos 22 October 1953 Independence from France
Lebanon 26 November 1941 Independence from France declared
22 November 1943 Independence from France recognised
Malaysia 31 August 1957 Malayan independence from the United Kingdom was declared in Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square)
16 September 1963 Malaysia was formed by the federation of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore with the existing States of the Federation of Malaya.
Maldives 26 July 1965 Independence from the United Kingdom
Mongolia 1206 Mongol Empire formed
29 December 1911 Proclamation of Mongolian independence from Manchu's Qing dynasty
Myanmar 4 January 1948 Myanmar (Burma) declares independence from the British Empire
Nepal 25 September 1768 Nepali unification
Oman 26 January 1650 Expulsion of the Portuguese
Pakistan 14 August 1947 Independence from British India in the Partition
Palestine 15 November 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence
Philippines 12 June 1898 The evolving revolutionary movement in Philippine revolutionaries declared independence from the Spanish Empire but sovereignty remained with Spain, which ceded the country to the United States.
4 July 1946 The United States recognises independence under the provisions of the Treaty of Manila (1946). The 1935 Constitution remained in effect until 1973, when the Marcos regime promulgated a newer one, in turn, replaced by the present 1987 Constitution.
Qatar 18 December 1878 Independence from the Ottoman Empire
Saudi Arabia 1744 Establishment of the First Saudi State
Singapore 3 June 1959 Self-government under the United Kingdom
9 August 1965 Malaysia unilaterally expels Singapore from the federation of Malaysian states, creating an independent Singaporean state
Sri Lanka 4 February 1948 Independence from the United Kingdom
Syria 28 September 1961 End of the United Arab Republic
Tajikistan 9 September 1991 Independence from the Soviet Union
Thailand 6 November 1767 King Taksin the Great reunifies Thailand, establishing a new kingdom and repelling Burmese invasions
Timor-Leste 28 November 1975 East Timor declares its independence but was occupied by Indonesia
20 May 2002 Independence was recognised by the international community following the UN-sponsored act of self-determination of 1999
Turkmenistan 27 October 1991 Independence from the Soviet Union
United Arab Emirates 2 December 1971 End of a treaty relationship with the United Kingdom
Uzbekistan 31 August 1991 Independence from the Soviet Union declared
Vietnam 2524 BC Hùng king established Van Lang, the first kingdom of Vietnam
Yemen 1 November 1918 North Yemen independence from the Ottoman Empire
30 November 1967 South Yemen independence from the United Kingdom
Table notes

Burma

See Burma's colonial era.

Burma was almost completely occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. Many Burmese fought alongside Japan in the initial stages of the war, though the Burmese Army and most Burmese switched sides in 1945.

A transitional government sponsored by the British government was formed in the years following the Second World War, ultimately leading to Burma's independence in January 1948.

Cambodia

See Cambodia's path to independence.

Following the capitulation of France and the formation of the Vichy regime, France's Indochinese possessions were given to Japan. While there was some argument that Indochina should not be returned to France, particularly from the United States, Cambodia nevertheless remained under French rule after the end of hostilities.

France had placed Norodom Sihanouk on the throne in 1941 and was hoping for a puppet monarch. They were mistaken. However, the King led the way to Cambodian independence in 1953, taking advantage of the background of the First Indochina War being fought in Vietnam.

Ceylon

See Ceylon independence.

Ceylon was an important base of operations for the Western Allies during the Second World War. The British gave in to popular pressure for independence and in February 1948, the country won its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon.

China

For some clarification and more detail including the sovereignty status of the Republic of China, see the following articles: History of China, Cross-Strait relations, One-China policy and Political status of Taiwan. Hong Kong was returned to the United Kingdom following its occupation by the Japanese during the Second World War. It was controlled directly by a British governor until the expiry of the ninety-nine-year lease of the New Territories, which occurred in 1997. From that date, the territory was returned to People's Republic of China and controlled as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

Philippines

Main article: Sovereignty of the Philippines

Philippine revolutionaries unilaterraly declared independence from Spain in 1898, during the Spanish–American War, but sovereignty remained with Spain. Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris that concluded that war. In 1899, Philippine revolutionaries established the insurgent First Philippine Republic. Shortly thereafter, the Philippine–American War began, ending in 1901 with a U.S. victory, though isolated fighting continued for several years thereafter.

In 1902, the Philippines became a U.S. territory with the passage of the Philippine Organic Act, later becoming a U.S. Commonwealth in 1936. It was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War. In 1943, with Japan granting it a short-lived nominal independence. In 1944, the Allied invasion of the Philippines by combined U.S. and Filipino troops began, which resulted in Americans and Filipinos regaining full control of the nation. In 1946, the United States recognised Philippine independence in the 1946 Treaty of Manila.

Timeline

The "colonial power" and "colonial name" columns are merged when required to denote territories, where current countries are established, that have not been decolonised but achieved independence in different ways.

Country and Region Colonial name Colonial power Independence declared and/or achieved First head of state Independence won through
Philippines Spanish East Indies Spain 12 June 1898 declared Emilio Aguinaldo Philippine Revolution
Philippines Empire of Japan
United States 		4 July 1946 Manuel Roxas World War II
Republic of the Philippines United States 4 July 1946 achieved Manuel Roxas Treaty of Manila (1946)
Yemen Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen Ottoman Empire 1 November 1918 Yahya I World War I
Colony and Protectorate of Aden British Empire 30 November 1967 Qahtan Mohammed al-Shaabi Aden Emergency
Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan British Empire 19 August 1919 Amanullah Khan Third Anglo-Afghan War
Egypt Sultanate of Egypt 28 February 1922 Fuad I Egyptian revolution of 1919
Iraq Mandatory Iraq 3 October 1932 Faisal I of Iraq -
Lebanon Greater Lebanon France 22 November 1943 Bechara El Khoury –
Syria Mandate of Syria 30 November 1943 Shukri al-Quwatli Syrian Revolution
Indonesia Dutch East Indies Netherlands 17 August 1945 Sukarno Indonesian National Revolution
Empire of Japan Japan 27 December 1949
Vietnam French Indochina Empire of Japan France
Japan 		2 September 1945 Hồ Chí Minh August Revolution
Jordan Emirate of Transjordan British Empire 25 May 1946 Abdullah I
Pakistan India British Empire 14 August 1947 Liaquat Ali Khan -
Bangladesh
as part of Pakistan 		14 August 1947 Liaquat Ali Khan
India 15 August 1947 Jawaharlal Nehru Indian independence movement
Myanmar Japan 1 August 1943 U Nu
British Burma 4 January 1948
Sri Lanka British Ceylon 4 February 1948 Don Senanayake -
22 February 1972
Israel Mandatory Palestine British Empire
Arab League 		14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion 1948 Palestine war
South Vietnam French Indochina France 28 May 1948 Ngo Dinh Diem 1955 State of Vietnam referendum
23 October 1955
South Korea Japanese Korea Empire of Japan 15 August 1945 Syngman Rhee Korean independence movement
15 August 1948
North Korea 15 August 1945 Kim Il Sung
9 September 1948
China Manchukuo 9 August 1945 Chiang kai shek Second Sino-Japanese War
Nationalist government on Mainland China Republic of China 1 October 1949 Chinese Civil War
Taiwan and Penghu Taiwan Japan 15 August 1945 Chen Yi Second Sino-Japanese War
25 October 1945
28 April 1952
Laos French Indochina France 22 October 1953 Sisavang Vong -
Cambodia 9 November 1953 Norodom Sihanouk
Malaysia Malaya
Colony of North Borneo
Colony of Sarawak 		British Empire 31 August 1957 Tuanku Abdul Rahman Malayan Emergency
16 September 1963
Cyprus British Cyprus 16 August 1960 Makarios III -
Kuwait Sheikhdom of Kuwait 19 June 1961 Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah –
Oman Muscat and Oman 9 August 1970 Qaboos bin Said Night attack on Muscat
-
Singapore Straits Settlements 31 August 1963 Yusof Ishak –
9 August 1965
Maldives Maldives 26 July 1965 Muhammad Fareed Didi –
Qatar Qatar 3 September 1971 Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani –
United Arab Emirates Trucial States 2 December 1971 Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan –
Bahrain Bahrain 15 August 1971 Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa -
East Timor Dutch East Indies Dutch East Indies
German Empire 		Under colonial occupation.
Portuguese Timor Portugal
United Kingdom
Empire of Japan Japan
Portuguese Timor Portugal 28 November 1975 Francisco Xavier do Amaral Xanana Gusmão
Timor Timur Indonesia 1999 Xanana Gusmão
United Nations East Timor 20 May 2002 UNTAIET
Brunei Brunei British Empire 1 January 1984 Hassanal Bolkiah -
Hong Kong British Hong Kong 1 July 1997 Tung Chee-hwa –
Macau Portuguese Macau Portugal 20 December 1999 Edmund Ho –
Palestine Mandatory Palestine
West Bank
British Empire
Arab League
Jordan
14 May 1948
10 June 1967;
15 November 1988;
independence pending due to territorial dispute with Israel 		N/A;
Yasser Arafat;
Mahmoud Abbas 		Six-Day War;
Egypt–Israel peace treaty;
Jordanian disengagement from the West Bank;
Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Soviet Union

The 9 states may be divided into the following five regional categories. The distinguishing traits of each region result from geographic and cultural factors as well as their respective historical relations with Russia. Not included in these categories are the several de facto independent states presently lacking international recognition (read below: Separatist conflicts).

Region Country name First flag Current flag Capital Independence
Asia Russia (Russian Federation) Moscow 12 December 1991
Central Asia Uzbekistan (Republic of Uzbekistan) Tashkent 31 August 1991
Kazakhstan (Republic of Kazakhstan) Nur-Sultan 16 December 1991
Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic) Bishkek 31 August 1991
Tajikistan (Republic of Tajikistan) Dushanbe 9 September 1991
Turkmenistan Ashgabat 27 October 1991
Transcaucasia Georgia (formerly the Republic of Georgia) Tbilisi 9 April 1991
Azerbaijan (Republic of Azerbaijan) Baku 30 August 1991
Armenia (Republic of Armenia) Yerevan 21 September 1991
Total former Soviet Union

British colonies, protectorates and mandates

Country Pre-independence name
(different)		 Date Year of independence or first stage Notes
Afghanistan Northern Persia 19 August 1919 Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919
Bahrain 15 August 1971
Brunei 1 January 1984
Cyprus 16 August 1960 Cyprus Independence Day is commonly celebrated on 1 October.
Egypt 28 February 1922 Control over the Suez Canal Zone was maintained until 1952.
India British India 15 August 1947 Independence Day (India)
Iraq 3 October 1932
Israel Mandatory Palestine 14 May 1948 End of British mandate
Independence Day (Israel)
Palestine declared independence from Israel on 15 November 1988.
Jordan Transjordan 25 May 1946
Kuwait 19 June 1961
Malaysia Four parts: Malaya, North Borneo, Singapore and Sarawak 31 August 1957 As the Federation of Malaya (Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957). North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore gained full independence and joined Malaysia on 16 September 1963 under the Malaysia Agreement (Malaysia Act 1963).
Singapore gained independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965.
Maldives 26 July 1965
Mauritius 12 March 1968
Myanmar British Burma 4 January 1948 Gained independence as Burma. Renamed Myanmar in 1989, but still officially known by the United Kingdom government as Burma.
Oman Sultanate of Muscat and Oman 20 December 1951
Pakistan British India 14 August 1947 Partition of India
Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan on 26 March 1971.
Qatar British Qatari Protectorate 3 September 1971
Seychelles 29 June 1976
Singapore 3 June 1959 Became self-governing on 3 June 1959 and gained independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965.
Sri Lanka Ceylon 4 February 1948 Gained independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. Renamed Sri Lanka in 1972.
United Arab Emirates Trucial States 2 December 1971 National Day (United Arab Emirates)
Yemen Protectorate of South Arabia
Federation of South Arabia 		30 November 1967 South Yemen 1967

List of European colonies in Asia

British colonies in South Asia, East Asia, And Southeast Asia:

Danish India (1696–1869)
Swedish Parangipettai (1733)
British India (1613–1947)
British East India Company (1757–1858)
British Raj (1858–1947)

French colonies in South and Southeast Asia:

Dutch, British, Portuguese colonies and Russian territories in Asia:

Portuguese Malacca (1511–1641)
Dutch Malacca (1641–1824)
British Malaya, included:
Federation of Malaya (under British rule, 1948–1963)
Spanish Philippines (1565–1898, 3rd longest European colony in Asia, 333 years),
Spanish Formosa (1626–1642)
Dutch Formosa (1624–1662)

Independent states

  • China – independent, but within European cultures of influence which were largely limited to the colonised ports except for Manchuria.
  • Bhutan – in British sphere of influence
  • Iran – in the Russian sphere of influence in the north and British in the south
  • Japan – a Great power that had its own colonial empire (including Korea and Taiwan)
  • Mongolia – in the Russian sphere of influence and later Soviet controlled
  • Nepal – in British sphere of influence
  • Saudi Arabia - most of Saudi Arabia has always been independent, including the Sharifate of Mecca in Hejaz which was under the Ottomans but with a dual system of government shared between the Sharif and the Ottoman Wali or governor.
  • Thailand – the only independent state in Southeast Asia, but bordered by a British sphere of influence in the north and south and French influence in the northeast and east
  • Turkey – successor to the Ottoman Empire in 1923; the Ottoman Empire itself could be considered a colonial empire

Asian colonies from the 17th century to the end of the Second World War (Japanese)

The following list shows the colonial powers following the end of World War II in 1945, their colonial or administrative possessions and the date of decolonisation.

Territory Date Notes
South Sakhalin prewar-1945
Mainland China 1931–1945 Manchukuo 50 million (1940), Jehol, Kwantung Leased Territory, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, plus parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia
Japan prewar-1945 Present day Japan, Kuril and Ryukyu Islands
Korea prewar-1945 Both North and South
Taiwan prewar-1945
Hong Kong 12 December 1941 – 15 August 1945 Hong Kong (UK)
:: East Asia (subtotal) –
Vietnam 15 July 1940 – 29 August 1945 As French Indochina (FR)
Cambodia 15 July 1940 – 29 August 1945 As French Indochina, Japanese occupation of Cambodia
Laos 15 July 1940 – 29 August 1945 As French Indochina, Japanese occupation of Laos
Thailand 8 December 1941 – 15 August 1945 Independent State but Allied with Japan
Malaysia 27 March 1942 – 6 September 1945 (Malaya), 29 March 1942 – 9 September 1945 (Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan, North Borneo) As Malaya (UK), British Borneo (UK), Brunei (UK)
Philippines 8 May 1942 – 5 July 1945 Philippines (US)
Dutch East Indies 18 January 1942 – 21 October 1945 Dutch East Indies (NL)
Singapore 15 February 1942 – 9 September 1945 Singapore (UK)
Myanmar 1942–1945 Burma (UK)
East Timor 19 February 1942 – 2 September 1945 Portuguese Timor (PT)
:: Southeast Asia (subtotal) –
New Guinea 27 December 1941 – 15 September 1945 As Papua and New Guinea (AU)
Guam 6 January 1942 – 24 October 1945 from Guam (US)
South Seas Mandate 1919–1945 from German Empire
Nauru 26 August 1942 – 13 September 1945 from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand
Wake Island, US 27 December 1941 – 4 September 1945 US
Kiribati December 1941 – 22 January 1944 from Gilbert Islands (UK)
:: Pacific Islands (subtotal) –

Disclaimer: Not all areas were considered part of Imperial Japan but rather part of puppet states & sphere of influence, allies, included separately for demographic purposes. Sources: POPULSTAT Asia Oceania

Other occupied World War 2 islands:

Areas attacked but not conquered

Raided without immediate intent of occupation

Asia Territorial evolution of the British Empire

Name of territory Dates Status Comments
Aden 1839 Colony subordinate to Bombay Presidency British India
1932 Separate province of British India
1937 Separate Crown colony
1963 Part of Federation of South Arabia
Afghanistan 1839–1842 Protectorate
1879 Protectorate
1919 Independence
Assam 1874–1905 Province of British India
1905–1912 Incorporated into the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam
1912–1947 Province of British India Now a state of the Republic of India
Bahrain 1880 Protectorate
1961–1971 Autonomous
1971 Independence Invited to join the Trucial States, but declined
Baluchistan 1877–1896 Province
1896–1947 Province of British India
1947 Part of Pakistan Now part of Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, in Pakistan
Bantam 1603–1609 Station
1609–1617 Factory
1617–1621 Presidency
1621 Expelled by the Dutch
1630–1634 Subordinated to Surat
1634–1652 Presidency
1652–1682 Subordinated to Surat
1682 Expelled by the Dutch Now in Indonesia
Bencoolen
("Fort York", later "Fort Marlborough") 		1685–1760 Coastal settlements of southwestern Sumatra, subordinated to Madras
1760–1785 Presidency
1785–1825 Subordinated to Bengal Presidency
1825 Part of Dutch East Indies Now Bengkulu, in Indonesia
Bengal
("Fort William") 		1634–1658 Factories
1658–1681 Subordinated to Madras
1681–82 Agency
1682–1694 Presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements
1694–1698 Subordinated to Madras
1698–1700 Presidency of Coromandel and Bengal Settlements
1700–1774 Presidency
1774–1905 Presidency of British India
1905–1912 Partitioned between [West] Bengal and Eastern Bengal and Assam
1912–1937 Presidency of British India
1937–1947 Province of British India
1947 Divided between India (West Bengal) and Pakistan (East Bengal) Now Bangladesh, and part of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand, in India
Brunei 1888 Protectorate
1967 Protected state
1984 Independence
Burma (now called Myanmar) 1824–1852 Arakan, Tenasserim
1852–1886 Lower Burma
1885–1886 Upper Burma
1886 Lower and Upper Burma United as a province of British India
1937 Separate Crown Colony
1948 Independence Name changed to Myanmar after a military junta in 1989.
Eastern Bengal and Assam 1905–1912 Province of British India Established upon the partition of Bengal (1905)
1912 Partition reversed Split between the re-established province of Assam and the re-constituted presidency of Bengal
Ceylon 1795 Ceded by the Dutch and subordinated to the Madras presidency of British India
1798 Separate Crown colony
1948 Independence Now the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Dansborg 1801–02 Occupied
1808–1815 Occupied
1845 purchased and incorporated into British India Now in Tamil Nadu state, India
Frederiksnagore 1801–02 Occupied
1808–1815 Occupied
1845 Purchased and incorporated into British India Now in West Bengal state, India
Hong Kong 1841 Hong Kong Island occupied
1843–1982 Crown colony
1860 Kowloon and Stonecutters Island ceded by China
1898 New Territories leased from China for 99 years
1942–1945 Occupied by Japan
1945–1946 Military administration
1983–1997 Dependent territory
1997 Handover to China as a special administrative region
Kuwait 1899 Protectorate
1961 Independence
Indian Empire (British Raj) 1613 Company rule in India
1858 Crown rule over the Indian Princely states, the Presidencies and provinces of British India
1947 Independent as India & Pakistan after partition
Mandatory Iraq 1920–1932 League of Nations mandate never passed, replaced by Anglo-Iraqi treaty with the Kingdom of Iraq
Java 1811–1816 Territory of the East India Company restored to the Netherlands
Malaya 1824 Transferred following Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
1824–1867 Territory of British East India Company
1867–1946 Straits Settlements, Crown colony
1895–1946 Federated Malay States, protectorate
1885–1946 Johor, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
1909–1946 Kedah, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
1909–1946 Kelantan, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
1909–1946 Perlis, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
1909–1946 Terengganu, protectorate (part of Unfederated Malay States)
1942–1945 Japanese occupation
1945–1946 Military Administration
1946–1948 Malayan Union
1948–1957 Federation of Malaya
1957–1963 Independent state
1963 Annex North Borneo and Sarawak forming the renamed federation of Malaysia
North Borneo 1882–1946 Protectorate
1945–1946 Military administration Labuan to British N. Borneo on 15 July 1946
1946–1963 Crown colony Labuan to British N. Borneo on 15 July 1946
1963 Self-government
1963 Annexed by Malaya into Malaysia
Palestine 1920 Mandate
1948 British sovereignty relinquished; the proposed partition between a Jewish and an Arab state never fully materialised; the Jewish state – Israel – was established immediately after British withdrawal, with the short-lived All-Palestine government following six months later
1949 Two sections of the former Palestine Mandate outside Israel – the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – were occupied by Jordan and Egypt respectively following the collapse of the All-Palestine government
1956 Gaza Strip briefly falls under Israeli occupation during the Suez Crisis
1967 West Bank and Gaza Strip fall under Israeli occupation as a consequence of the Six-day War
1993 A Palestinian National Authority is declared in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; most matters regarding the day-to-day governance of these territories fell under its jurisdiction, in anticipation of a future Palestinian state
2005 Israel formally withdraws from the Gaza Strip, placing it under full PNA control; despite this, Gazan waters are still under Israeli military control
Pulo Condore Island (Côn Đảo) 1702 Possession of British East India Company
1705 Abandoned Now Côn Đảo, in Vietnam
Sarawak 1888–1946 Protected States
1945–1946 Military administration
1946–1963 Crown colony
1963 Self-government
1963 Annexed by Malaya into Malaysia
Straits Settlements 1826–1858 Possession under British East India Company
1858–1867 Subordinated to British India
1867–1946 Crown colony
1942–1945 Occupied by Japan
1946 Dissolved Now divided between Malacca and Penang, in Malaysia, and Singapore
Qatar 1916–1971 Protectorate
1971 Independence Invited to join the Trucial States, but declined
Surat 1612–1658 Factory
1658–1668 Presidency
1668–1685 Possession under British East India Company
1685–1703 Subordinated to Bombay
1703 Incorporated into Bombay Now in India
Singapore 1824 Purchased
1824 Part of Straits Settlements (as residency of the Presidency of Bengal)
1867–1946 Part of Straits Settlements (crown colony)
1946–1955 Crown colony
1955–1959 self-governing colony
1959–1963 State of Singapore
1963–1965 Part of Malaysia
1965 Independence
Transjordan 1920 Part of Palestine Mandate
1923 Formally separated from Palestine
1928 Emirate independent, except for military and financial control
1946 Formal independence Now known as Jordan
Trucial States 1892 Protectorate
1971 Formation of Federation of Arab Emirates Now part of the United Arab Emirates
Weihaiwei 1898–1930 Leased from China
1930 Returned to the Republic of China Now part of the People's Republic of China
West Bengal
("Bengal") 		1905–1912 Province of British India Established by the partition of Bengal. Abolished with the reversal of the partition and the creation of the new province of Bihar and Orissa.

Territorial evolution of the French Empire in Asia

See also