The Durand Line
The United States is spoiled by the acceptance of our international frontiers. The Rio Grande, and the oceans, are obvious. While the Canadian border was a matter of contention at one time, it has been accepted for many years. In many parts of the world, where one country ends and another begins is casus belli, or reason to start a war.
In 1893, what is now Pakistan was known as India, a part of the British empire. The Foreign Secretary of this government was a gentleman named Mortimer Durand. In 1893 a border was drawn between Afghanistan and India, which became known as the Durand Line. There are stories of British dirty deeds. Much of what is today Pakistan arguably belongs to Afghanistan, or an independent Balochistan. This is a repost, with photographs from The Library of Congress.














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