The world in 1400

In 1400, the timeline shows 177 states, empires and colonies and 122 peoples across 12 regions. The most significant include Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Swahili city-states, Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty), Khmer Empire, Ottoman Empire and Kingdom of Kongo.

See 1400 on the interactive chart

What was happening around 1400

1398 Timur sacks Delhi, South Asia. Timur defeats the Tughlaq sultan Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud outside Delhi in December 1398, then sacks the city to ruins and enslaves its population.
1405 Zheng He's first voyage, East Asia. The eunuch admiral sails with 317 ships and nearly 28,000 men, the first of seven voyages that reached India, Arabia and East Africa.
1405 Zheng He's fleets reach Malacca, Southeast Asia. The Ming admiral's treasure fleets begin calling at Malacca, and Ming backing helps the young sultanate resist Siam.

Central and Southern Africa

Western Bantu-speaking farmers c. 500 BCE to 1400 CE
Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1600 CE
Kingdom of Kongo c. 1390 to 1914 CE
Kingdom of Zimbabwe c. 1220 to 1450 CE
Central African forest foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
San hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Khoekhoe herders c. 100 BCE to 1904 CE
Bantu farmers of the Congo basin c. 500 BCE to 1500 CE
Kingdom of Buganda c. 1300 to 1966 CE
Kilwa Sultanate c. 957 to 1513 CE
East African hunter-gatherers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Kikuyu people c. 1200 CE to the present
Malagasy chiefdoms and trading towns c. 1000 to 1600 CE
Tio Kingdom (Anziku) c. 1350 to 1880 CE
Sotho-Tswana chiefdoms c. 1300 to 1830 CE
Nguni chiefdoms c. 1300 to 1820 CE
Ntusi and Bigo culture c. 1000 to 1500 CE
Xhosa chiefdoms c. 1400 to 1879 CE
Maravi Confederacy c. 1400 to 1860 CE

North and West Africa

Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE
Mali Empire c. 1235 to 1610 CE
Mamluk Sultanate 1250 to 1517 CE
Makuria c. 450 to 1470 CE
Kingdom of Benin c. 1180 to 1897 CE
Oyo Empire c. 1300 to 1835 CE
Bornu Empire c. 1387 to 1893 CE
Ife c. 1000 to 1420 CE
Hafsids 1229 to 1574 CE
Marinid Sultanate 1244 to 1465 CE
Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads c. 2300 BCE to the present
Cushitic-speaking peoples c. 2000 BCE to the present
Sahelian cereal farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
West African yam and oil palm farmers c. 1500 BCE to the present
Amazigh (Berber) tribes c. 1400 BCE to the present
Sao culture c. 500 BCE to 1600 CE
Coptic Christians c. 300 CE to the present
Saharan camel nomads (Sanhaja and Tuareg) c. 300 CE to the present
Jenne-Jeno (Middle Niger towns) c. 250 BCE to 1400 CE
Chadic-speaking farmers c. 700 CE to the present
Kingdom of Nri c. 900 to 1911 CE
Alodia c. 500 to 1504 CE
Arab tribes of Sudan c. 1150 CE to the present
Hausa city-states c. 1000 to 1808 CE
Kwararafa c. 1000 to 1800 CE
Mossi kingdoms c. 1250 to 1896 CE
Kingdom of Gao c. 800 to 1430 CE
Hadiya c. 1300 to 1893 CE
Kingdom of Bamum 1394 to 1923 CE
Kingdom of Dagbon c. 1400 to 1896 CE
Ajuran Sultanate c. 1300 to 1700 CE
Sultanate of Mogadishu c. 1250 to 1600 CE
Zayyanids c. 1235 to 1556 CE
Jolof Empire c. 1350 to 1549 CE
Ifat Sultanate c. 1285 to 1415 CE

Europe

Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE
Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE
Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE
Gaelic Ireland c. 500 BCE to 1607 CE
Papal States 756 to 1870 CE
Kingdom of Scotland c. 843 to 1707 CE
Kingdom of Portugal 1139 to 1910 CE
Kingdom of Bohemia 1198 to 1918 CE
Republic of Genoa c. 1099 to 1797 CE
Grand Duchy of Lithuania c. 1236 to 1795 CE
Kingdom of Naples 1282 to 1816 CE
Kingdom of Hungary 1000 to 1526 CE
Kingdom of England (Norman and Plantagenet) 1066 to 1485 CE
Republic of Florence 1115 to 1532 CE
Crown of Aragon 1162 to 1516 CE
Novgorod Republic 1136 to 1478 CE
Hanseatic League c. 1356 to 1669 CE
State of the Teutonic Order 1230 to 1525 CE
Crown of Castile 1230 to 1516 CE
Grand Principality of Moscow 1263 to 1547 CE
Kingdom of France (Valois) 1328 to 1589 CE
Golden Horde 1242 to 1502 CE
Emirate of Granada 1238 to 1492 CE
Kingdom of Poland (Jagiellonian) 1386 to 1569 CE
Kalmar Union 1397 to 1523 CE
Burgundian State 1363 to 1477 CE
Sami people c. 1000 BCE to the present
Basques c. 500 BCE to the present
County of Flanders 862 to 1795 CE
Duchy of Lorraine c. 959 to 1766 CE
San Marino c. 1243 CE to the present
Andorra 1278 CE to the present
Bavaria (Wittelsbach) 1180 to 1918 CE
Monaco 1297 CE to the present
County and Duchy of Savoy c. 1003 to 1720 CE
Kingdom of Navarre c. 824 to 1512 CE
Kingdom and Duchy of Brittany 851 to 1532 CE
Duchy of Brabant 1183 to 1795 CE
Earldom of Orkney c. 875 to 1472 CE
Kingdom of Sicily (island) 1282 to 1816 CE
Wallachia 1330 to 1859 CE
Moldavia c. 1346 to 1859 CE
Old Swiss Confederacy 1291 to 1798 CE
Margraviate of Brandenburg 1157 to 1618 CE
Venetian Crete 1211 to 1669 CE
Republic of Ragusa 1358 to 1808 CE
Republic of Pisa c. 1000 to 1406 CE
Duchy of Milan 1395 to 1796 CE
Lordship of Ireland 1171 to 1542 CE
Duchy (later Archduchy) of Austria 1156 to 1526 CE
Terra Mariana (Livonia) 1207 to 1561 CE
Banate and Kingdom of Bosnia c. 1154 to 1463 CE
Kingdom of Cyprus 1192 to 1489 CE
Despotate of Epirus 1205 to 1479 CE
Principality of Tver 1247 to 1485 CE
Principality of Achaea 1205 to 1432 CE
Genoese Gazaria c. 1266 to 1475 CE
Principality of Theodoro c. 1328 to 1475 CE
Moravian Serbia 1371 to 1402 CE

Middle East

Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE
Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE
Zaydi Imamate of Yemen 897 to 1918 CE
Kingdom of Georgia 1008 to 1466 CE
Mamluk Sultanate (Syria) 1260 to 1516 CE
Timurid Empire 1370 to 1507 CE
Aq Qoyunlu 1378 to 1508 CE
Kara Koyunlu 1374 to 1468 CE
Arab Bedouin tribes c. 900 BCE to the present
Kurdish tribes and emirates c. 640 CE to the present
Sharifate of Mecca c. 967 to 1916 CE
Shirvanshahs 861 to 1538 CE
Oghuz Turkmen nomads c. 1040 to 1600 CE
Kingdom of Imereti 1260 to 1810 CE
Kingdom of Hormuz c. 1100 to 1622 CE
Nabhani dynasty c. 1154 to 1624 CE
Artuqids 1102 to 1409 CE
Empire of Trebizond 1204 to 1461 CE
Karamanids c. 1250 to 1487 CE
Rasulids 1229 to 1454 CE
Jalayirids 1335 to 1432 CE

South Asia

Ahom Kingdom 1228 to 1826 CE
Kingdom of Mysore c. 1399 to 1950 CE
Delhi Sultanate 1206 to 1526 CE
Vijayanagara Empire 1336 to 1646 CE
Bengal Sultanate 1352 to 1576 CE
Bahmani Sultanate 1347 to 1527 CE
Timurid Empire 1370 to 1507 CE
Munda-speaking peoples c. 1500 BCE to the present
Tibeto-Burman hill peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Vedda people c. 900 BCE to the present
Kingdom of Mewar c. 728 to 1948 CE
Pashtun tribes c. 1000 CE to the present
Kingdom of Manipur c. 1110 to 1949 CE
Sultanate of the Maldive Islands c. 1153 to 1887 CE
Kingdom of Marwar c. 1226 to 1947 CE
Zamorins of Calicut c. 1124 to 1766 CE
Dimasa Kachari Kingdom c. 1250 to 1832 CE
Malla dynasty of Nepal 1201 to 1769 CE
Twipra Kingdom c. 1400 to 1949 CE
Jaffna Kingdom c. 1215 to 1619 CE
Eastern Ganga dynasty c. 1078 to 1434 CE
Shah Mir Sultanate of Kashmir 1339 to 1561 CE
Samma dynasty 1351 to 1524 CE
Malwa Sultanate 1392 to 1562 CE
Reddi Kingdom 1325 to 1448 CE
Jaunpur Sultanate c. 1394 to 1494 CE
Tughlaq dynasty 1320 to 1414 CE

Central and North Asia

Timurid Empire 1370 to 1507 CE
Northern Yuan 1368 to 1635 CE
Golden Horde 1242 to 1502 CE
Yukaghir peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Chukchi, Koryak and Itelmen peoples c. 1000 BCE to the present
Evenki and Even reindeer herders c. 500 CE to the present
Khanty, Mansi and Samoyedic peoples c. 1000 CE to the present
Buryats c. 1200 CE to the present
Turkmen tribes c. 1100 to 1881 CE
Sakha (Yakuts) c. 1250 CE to the present
Four Oirat 1399 to 1634 CE
Moghulistan c. 1347 to 1514 CE

East Asia

Ming dynasty 1368 to 1644 CE
Joseon 1392 to 1897 CE
Muromachi shogunate 1336 to 1573 CE
Formosan Austronesian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Qiang peoples c. 1250 BCE to the present
Ainu c. 1200 CE to the present
Jurchen tribes c. 926 to 1616 CE
Guge kingdom c. 967 to 1630 CE
Phagmodrupa dynasty c. 1354 to 1618 CE
Sanzan kingdoms of Okinawa c. 1314 to 1429 CE

Southeast Asia

Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE
Ayutthaya Kingdom 1351 to 1767 CE
Majapahit Empire c. 1293 to 1527 CE
Malacca Sultanate c. 1400 to 1511 CE
Champa c. 192 to 1832 CE
Bruneian Sultanate c. 1368 to 1888 CE
Lan Na 1292 to 1775 CE
Lan Xang 1353 to 1707 CE
Hanthawaddy Kingdom 1287 to 1539 CE
Sukhothai Kingdom c. 1238 to 1438 CE
Ava Kingdom 1364 to 1555 CE
Tran dynasty 1225 to 1400 CE
Philippine Negrito foragers c. 3200 BCE to the present
Orang Asli (Semang and Senoi) c. 1800 BCE to the present
Dayak peoples of Borneo c. 1000 BCE to the present
Langkasuka c. 100 to 1400 CE
Kutai Martadipura c. 399 to 1635 CE
Shan States c. 1215 to 1959 CE
Tondo c. 900 to 1589 CE
Barangay chiefdoms c. 900 to 1565 CE
Sunda Kingdom c. 932 to 1579 CE
Butuan c. 1001 to 1597 CE
Balinese kingdoms 1343 to 1908 CE
Pattani Sultanate c. 1400 to 1902 CE
Pagaruyung Kingdom 1347 to 1833 CE
Gowa Sultanate (Makassar) c. 1300 to 1669 CE
Samudera Pasai Sultanate c. 1267 to 1521 CE
Ho dynasty 1400 to 1407 CE

North America

Mississippian culture c. 900 to 1600 CE
Thule culture c. 1000 to 1600 CE
Pacific Northwest peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mogollon culture c. 200 to 1450 CE
Hohokam c. 300 to 1450 CE
Pueblo peoples (Hopi, Zuni, Rio Grande) c. 1300 CE to the present
Norse Greenland c. 985 to 1450 CE
Unangan (Aleut) peoples c. 2500 BCE to the present
Dene (Northern Athabaskan) peoples c. 750 BCE to the present
Belle Glade culture c. 1000 BCE to 1700 CE
Caloosahatchee culture 500 BCE to 1750 CE
Chumash c. 500 CE to the present
California peoples (Ohlone, Miwok, Pomo, Tongva) c. 500 CE to the present
Caddo confederacies c. 800 to 1859 CE
Cree peoples c. 1000 CE to the present
Numic peoples (Shoshone, Paiute, Ute) c. 1000 CE to the present
Plains Village tradition c. 900 to 1780 CE
Fort Ancient culture c. 1000 to 1750 CE
Oneota culture c. 1000 to 1650 CE
Apache peoples c. 1400 CE to the present
Monongahela culture 1050 to 1635 CE
Mandan and Hidatsa villages c. 1300 to 1837 CE
Plaquemine culture c. 1200 to 1700 CE
Moundville c. 1120 to 1450 CE
Fort Walton culture c. 1200 to 1500 CE
Huron-Wendat Confederacy c. 1400 to 1650 CE
Coosa chiefdom c. 1400 to 1600 CE

Mesoamerica and Caribbean

Taíno chiefdoms c. 1200 to 1550 CE
Chibchan chiefdoms (Costa Rica and Panama) c. 500 BCE to 1570 CE
Mixtec kingdoms c. 900 to 1522 CE
Casas Grandes (Paquimé) c. 1130 to 1450 CE
K'iche' kingdom c. 1225 to 1524 CE
Tarascan state c. 1300 to 1530 CE
Mayapan c. 1220 to 1441 CE
Gran Coclé chiefdoms c. 1200 BCE to 1520 CE
Guayabo de Turrialba c. 1000 BCE to 1400 CE
Greater Nicoya cultures c. 500 BCE to 1522 CE
Cholula c. 300 BCE to 1519 CE
Diquís culture c. 700 to 1530 CE
Island Caribs (Kalinago) c. 1200 CE to the present
Lucayan Taíno c. 800 to 1520 CE
Trincheras tradition c. 750 to 1450 CE
Chichimeca peoples c. 900 to 1600 CE
Zapotec city-states (Zaachila, Mitla) c. 850 to 1521 CE
Huastec (Teenek) peoples c. 900 to 1530 CE
Totonac (Cempoala) c. 1150 to 1519 CE
Nicarao chiefdoms c. 1200 to 1524 CE
Tlaxcala c. 1350 to 1521 CE
Tepanec state (Azcapotzalco) c. 1300 to 1428 CE
Mexica city-state (Tenochtitlan) c. 1325 to 1428 CE

South America

Tupi-Guarani peoples c. 500 CE to the present
Mapuche c. 1000 CE to the present
Marajoara culture c. 400 to 1400 CE
Muisca Confederation c. 800 to 1540 CE
Chimú kingdom (Chimor) c. 900 to 1470 CE
Fuegian canoe peoples (Yaghan, Kawésqar) before 3200 BCE to the present
Jê peoples c. 1 CE to the present
Patagonian peoples (Tehuelche, Selk'nam) c. 1 CE to the present
Zenú culture c. 200 BCE to 1535 CE
Tairona c. 200 to 1600 CE
Arawakan peoples of the Amazon c. 1000 CE to the present
Carib peoples of the Guianas c. 1000 CE to the present
Guaraní c. 1000 CE to the present
Charrúa c. 1000 to 1831 CE
Manteño-Huancavilca culture c. 850 to 1600 CE
Chachapoya culture c. 800 to 1470 CE
Diaguita c. 1000 to 1667 CE
Santarém culture (Tapajó) c. 1000 to 1650 CE
Cañari c. 1000 to 1532 CE
Chincha kingdom c. 1000 to 1476 CE
Chancay culture c. 1000 to 1470 CE
Upper Xingu garden cities c. 1250 to 1650 CE
Ichma kingdom c. 1100 to 1469 CE
Chanka confederation c. 1100 to 1438 CE
Aymara kingdoms (Colla, Lupaca) c. 1150 to 1477 CE
Kingdom of Cusco c. 1200 to 1438 CE

Oceania

Aboriginal Australian peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Papuan farmers and foragers before 3200 BCE to the present
Kuk Swamp agriculture before 3200 BCE to 1900 CE
Tu'i Tonga Empire c. 950 to 1865 CE
Saudeleur dynasty c. 1100 to 1628 CE
Archaic Māori (moa-hunter period) c. 1280 to 1500 CE
Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples before 3200 BCE to the present
Torres Strait Islanders c. 500 BCE to the present
Island Melanesian societies c. 500 BCE to the present
Fijian chiefdoms c. 500 BCE to 1874 CE
Eastern Micronesian islanders c. 200 BCE to the present
Samoan chiefdoms c. 1000 to 1900 CE
Society Islands chiefdoms c. 1000 to 1788 CE
Latte period Chamorro c. 900 to 1668 CE
Rapa Nui society c. 1200 to 1888 CE
Hawaiian chiefdoms c. 1200 to 1795 CE

Questions

What countries existed in 1400?

The timeline shows 177 states, empires and colonies alive in 1400. Among the most significant: Republic of Venice, Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Swahili city-states, Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty), Khmer Empire, Ottoman Empire and Kingdom of Kongo. The full list by region is on this page.

What was happening in the world in 1400?

Within 25 years of 1400, the timeline records Timur sacks Delhi (1398), Zheng He's first voyage (1405) and Zheng He's fleets reach Malacca (1405).

Which empires existed in 1400?

Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty), Khmer Empire, Ottoman Empire, Mali Empire, Ming dynasty, Majapahit Empire, Tu'i Tonga Empire and Oyo Empire.

Where do these dates come from?

Each row's dates were checked against the sources listed on that row's own page, mostly English Wikipedia articles, which cite the underlying scholarship. Dates that are uncertain are marked c.