Speaker: Nabi Sahak

In this book talk, Nabi Sahak, the author of Anglo-Afghan Power and Politics, 1893–1947: The Durand Line Unmasked, uncovers the untold history and enduring impact of the Durand Line, revealing how this colonial border continues to fuel instability across the region.

The Durand Line, an enduring symbol of colonial imposition dividing British India and Afghanistan since 1893, and Afghanistan and Pakistan since 1947, fuels relentless regional instability and geopolitical strife. This book amplifies silenced Afghan voices and shatters long-held imperial narratives with new historical evidence. Through groundbreaking analysis, the author’s research reveals the Durand Line's unlawful and unscrupulous beginnings, its deliberately skewed history, and its unceasing, devastating human consequences, laying bare a persistent legacy of colonial injustice. By exposing untold truths, this book forges essential pathways toward genuine reconciliation, making it an essential read for scholars of South Asian history and the British Empire. 

About the author

From conflict ridden Afghanistan to the halls of global universities and prestigious fellowships, Nabi Sahak's journey exemplifies resilience, introspection, and a relentless pursuit of understanding. A former BBC reporter, Rotary Peace Fellow, and recent Fulbright Scholar, he currently conducts independent research in the United States. Sahak holds a BA from George Mason University (USA), an MA from the University of Queensland (Australia), and a PhD from King's College London. His articles, published in numerous international journals, provide unique and powerful insights into the region's enduring conflicts. His work bridges the worlds of journalism and scholarship, combining lived experience with rigorous academic inquiry. This book presents Sahak's latest research into the origins of the Durand Line.

Chair

Andrew Lambert is Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies. After completing research in the Department he taught at Bristol Polytechnic,(now the University of West of England), the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and also Director of the Laughton Naval Unit housed in the Department. In 2020 he was made a Fellow of Kings College London (FKC).