Mortimer Durand

British statesman

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June 17, 2026

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Sir Henry Mortimer Durand was a British statesman and diplomat who played a significant role in the geopolitical landscape of British India and Afghanistan. He served as the foreign secretary of the government of India and was instrumental in negotiating the Durand Line in 1893. This agreement demarcated the border between British India and the Emirate of Afghanistan, a line that continues to be a point of contention between Afghanistan and Pakistan today. Durand's work was part of the broader "Great Game" rivalry between the British and Russian empires for influence in Central Asia.1234

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Durand Line
In 1893 Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, as foreign secretary, negotiated on behalf of the British government with Abdur Rahman. Durand’s goal was demarcating their respective spheres of influence. The resulting Durand Line Agreement delineated the frontier between Afghanistan and British India. The agreement was only a page…
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In 1893 Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, as foreign secretary, negotiated on behalf of the British government with Abdur Rahman. Durand’s goal was demarcating their respective spheres of influence. The resulting Durand Line Agreement delineated the frontier between Afghanistan and British India. The agreement was only a page…
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India
The Second Anglo-Afghan War
In 1893 Lansdowne sent Sir Mortimer Durand, the government of India’s foreign secretary, on a mission to Kabul to open negotiations on the delimitation of the Indo-Afghan border. The delimitation, known as the Durand Line, was completed in 1896 and added the tribal territory of the Afrīdīs, Maḥsūds, Wazīrīs,…
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In 1893 Lansdowne sent Sir Mortimer Durand, the government of India’s foreign secretary, on a mission to Kabul to open negotiations on the delimitation of the Indo-Afghan border. The delimitation, known as the Durand Line, was completed in 1896 and added the tribal territory of the Afrīdīs, Maḥsūds, Wazīrīs,…
Read More