A line drawn by a British diplomat in 1893 still divides Afghanistan and Pakistan

historyWikipedia1893 · Kabul, Afghanistan

A line drawn by a British diplomat in 1893 still divides Afghanistan and Pakistan

the gist

On 12 November 1893 Emir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan accepted the Durand Line as the border between his realm and British India. It was named after Sir Mortimer Durand, the colonial official who negotiated it. The Emir, known as the 'Iron Emir' for crushing rebellions and uniting a decentralised country after the Second Anglo-Afghan War, wanted British support and a subsidy. For the British, the line set the limit of their Indian frontier, as a buffer against Russia's expanding empire. The border cut through Pashtun tribal lands, dividing communities on both sides.

so what

The line, about 2,640 km long, became the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan after 1947. Afghan governments have disputed its legitimacy and Pakistan treats it as a fixed international border, so it remains a source of tension and cross-border movement problems. Both positions rest on different readings of the 1893 agreement and later treaties.

the bigger pattern

Colonial-era borders drawn with little regard for local communities, such as the Sykes–Picot lines in the Middle East and boundaries in Africa, have often been contested by successor states.

fun fact

Abdur Rahman Khan was nicknamed 'the Iron Emir'.

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

read it onThe Times of India The Tribune

search onBBCNYTCNNReutersAPAl Jazeera

Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10:49

supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.