Treaty of Rawalpindi
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Rawalpindi
(signed on 8 August 1919 and amended 22 November 1921) was an armistice made between the United Kingdom
and Afghanistan
during the Third Anglo-Afghan War
. In the somewhat ambiguous document, the United Kingdom recognised Afghanistan's independence, agreed that the British Indian empire would never extend past Khyber Pass
, and stopped British subsidies to Afghanistan. The Treaty of Rawalpindi is celebrated on Afghan Independence Day
, August 19 as part of the Great Game between the Russians
and the British
that made Afghanistan a buffer zone
between their Empire
s. The amendments and expansion negotiated in 1921 are sometimes called the Anglo–Afghan Treaty of 1921.
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
(signed on 8 August 1919 and amended 22 November 1921) was an armistice made between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
during the Third Anglo-Afghan War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
. In the somewhat ambiguous document, the United Kingdom recognised Afghanistan's independence, agreed that the British Indian empire would never extend past Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
, and stopped British subsidies to Afghanistan. The Treaty of Rawalpindi is celebrated on Afghan Independence Day
Afghan Independence Day
Afghan Independence Day is celebrated in Afghanistan on 19 August to commemorate the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919. The treaty granted complete independence from Britain; although Afghanistan was never officially a part of the British Empire...
, August 19 as part of the Great Game between the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
that made Afghanistan a buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
between their Empire
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
s. The amendments and expansion negotiated in 1921 are sometimes called the Anglo–Afghan Treaty of 1921.