MCQ Detailed View

The Afghan ruler who signed the Durand Line agreement with the British was Abdur Rahman Khan. He was the Amir (king) of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901 and is often remembered as the Iron Amir because of his strong leadership and central control over the country.

The Durand Line agreement was signed in 1893 between Amir Abdur Rahman Khan and Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat and representative of British India. The agreement created a formal border between British-controlled India and Afghanistan, which is now known as the Durand Line.

Key Details:

• Year of signing: 1893


• Afghan ruler: Abdur Rahman Khan


• British representative: Sir Henry Mortimer Durand

Purpose: 

To define the boundary between Afghanistan and British India.

Total length of boundary: Approximately 2,640 kilometers Amir Abdur Rahman Khan agreed to the terms of the agreement because he wanted to avoid direct conflict with the British, who were a major colonial power at the time. He also hoped to gain British support for the internal stability of his kingdom. Although the agreement was signed peacefully, it caused long-term issues because the boundary divided many Pashtun tribes, who lived on both sides of the new border.

After the partition of British India in 1947, this line became the official border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, successive Afghan governments have refused to recognize it as a legitimate international border, leading to ongoing disputes.