Letter from Sir Mortimer Durand to Ameer Abdul Rahman Khan
Kabul, November 11, 1893
Text
After compliments
“When Your Highness came to the throne of Afghanistan, Sir Lepel Griffin was instructed to give you the assurance that, if any Foreign Power should attempt to interfere in Afghanistan, and if such interference should lead to unprovoked aggression on the dominions of your Highness, in that event the British Government would be prepared to aid you to such extent and in such manner as might appear to the British Government necessary in repelling it, provided that Your Highness followed unreservedly the advice of the British Government in regard to your external relations.
I have the honour to inform Your Highness that this assurance remains in force, and that it is applicable with regard to any territory which may come into your possession in consequence of the agreement which your have made with me today in the matter of the Oxus frontier.
It is the desire of the British Government that such portion of the northern frontier of Afghanistan as has not yet been marked out should now be clearly defined ; when this has been done, the whole of your Highness’s frontier towards the side of Russia will be equally free from doubt and equally secure.”
