8vo. xi, 355 pp., [1], 8 plates, 2 of 3 maps in rear pocket (lacking map: Persia & Afghanistan), contemporary cloth, slightly rubbed at spine extremities, title gilt on spine, gilt motif on upper cover, index, previous owner’s name inscribed on front endpaper, marginal small tear to page 15, not affecting text, otherwise copy clean & in good condition, Cassell & Company, Ltd, London, first edition, 1926.

Synopsis

Sir Mortimer Durand (1850 – 1924) was a British diplomat and civil servant of colonial British India. Durand entered the Indian Civil Service in 1873. During the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) he was Political Secretary at Kabul. From 1884 to 1894, he was Foreign Secretary of India.
Durand was appointed Minister plenipotentiary at Tehran in 1894 although despite being a Persian scholar and speaking the language fluently he made little impression either in Tehran or on his superiors in London. He left Persia in March 1900. From 1900 to 1903 he served as British Ambassador to Spain, and from 1903-1906 as Ambassador to the United States.
The Durand Line is named after Sir Mortimer and remains the international border between Afghanistan and modern-day Pakistan that is officially recognized by all countries apart from Afghanistan. The border is an ongoing point of contention between the two countries, as Afghanistan unilaterally disputes the legitimacy of the border.