Who was Sir Henry McMahon?

Sir Henry McMahon was a British official who served as the secretary in the Indian foreign department and acted as the chief representative of the British Empire during the 1913–14 Shimla Convention.12

Held in Shimla, the conference brought together representatives from Great Britain, China, and Tibet to settle territorial boundaries and other matters regarding Tibet. During these negotiations, McMahon helped define the frontier between Tibet and northeastern India, which follows the crest of the Himalayas. This boundary, which stretches approximately 550 miles (890 km), became known as the McMahon Line in his honor.12

While the British and Tibetan delegates accepted the agreement, the Chinese government refused to sign the convention, arguing that Tibet lacked the authority to enter into such treaties. Consequently, the line has remained a point of significant geopolitical contention between India and China, serving as the de facto border between the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet.12