1893, thirteen years after taking over from the British, this Iron Amir would meet with a British delegation from India to formalize the agreements hammered out so hastily at the start of his reign. The British nominated General Frederick Roberts to head up their delegation, but Abdu’Rahman curtly told them to send someone else: Roberts personified the second British invasion of Afghanistan and was too hated by Afghans for any Afghan king, even an “iron amir,” to make a deal with. So the British replaced him with Mortimer Durand, foreign minister to the Raj.
