Maps are often seen as neutral tools that describe geography. Historians increasingly argue they have also been instruments of power.
From empire-building to taxation and warfare, maps helped states organise territory, claim resources and project authority.
Borders drawn on paper could determine identities and conflicts for generations, even when they ignored local realities on the ground.
During colonial expansion, mapping was closely tied to administration and control, turning landscapes into governable space.
At the same time, maps also enabled exploration, trade and scientific understanding.
Modern historians study cartography not only for what maps show, but for whose interests they served and what they left out.
The rise of digital mapping has revived similar questions about data, ownership and representation.
In that sense, maps did not simply record history — they helped make it.
