The Making of a Frontier: Five Years' Experiences and Adventures in Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar, Chitral, and the Eastern Hindu-Kush

by Algernon George Arnold Durand

"The Making of a Frontier is the personal record of Colonel Algernon Durand's struggle to establish the authority of the British Government on the frontiers of the Empire. In apprehension of a threat from Russia, Colonel Durand was despatched by the British Government to Gilgit to assess the local political situation. Upon reaching Gilgit, Colonel Durand found utter chaos, intrigue, and treachery in local politics. Alarmed by his report, the British Government sent him back to Gilgit as Political Agent. As a result of his stupendous efforts, the authority of the British Government was firmly established and peace was restored." "In the book, Durand not only details the political subordination of the northern regions and Kashmir's dependencies that later became Pakistan's Northern Areas, but also includes notes on ethnography, archaeology, flora and fauna. The book is therefore, a faithful, and comprehensive account of the policies pursued on the Gilgit frontier, of the steps taken to give it effect, and of the results attained." The introduction to this edition of The Making of a Frontier has been written by the late Sir Oliver Forster who was the British Ambassador to Pakistan from 1979 to 1985. He also served in the later years of his life as the Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

393 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

1854 - 1923