Indian Empire

American  

noun

1. British India and the Indian states ruled by Indian princes but under indirect British control: dissolved in 1947 and absorbed into India and Pakistan.

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Indian Empire British  

noun

1. British India and the Indian states under indirect British control, which gained independence as India and Pakistan in 1947

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Etymology

Origin of Indian Empire

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Indian Empire

Maps showing the full reach of the Indian Empire were only published in top secrecy, and the Arabian territories were left off public documents to avoid provoking the Ottomans or later the Saudis.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2025

In April 1892, a small eight-page pamphlet in English circulated in the south Indian city of Hyderabad, the largest and wealthiest princely state within the British Indian Empire.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2019

Russia wanted access to the Indian Ocean through Afghanistan, while Britain wanted control of the land in order to protect the northern borders of its Indian Empire.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2012

I am looking forward with interest and pleasure" said His Majesty "to the time when it will be possible for me to visit my Indian Empire.

From Time Magazine Archive

I have been round about her towers, and marked well her bulwarks, and I see not why, so guarded and defended, she may not hold her Indian Empire for generations to come.

From From Egypt to Japan by Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)