This film is part of Free
Baluchistan
The ‘wild’ frontier of India’s north west
Overview
This vividly photographed entry from British Instructional Films’ ‘Heart of Asia’ series presents a romanticised account of how the British managed the complexities of tribal life in India’s north west and built a buffer zone to the wild frontier region. The film showcases the Bolan Pass, the Kundalini village, the city of Quetta, nearby villages, the ‘Kojak’ Pass and finally and, most significantly, the border between India and Afghanistan: the gateway for the British to South East Asia.
The contrast between raw and nomadic Baluchistan and civilised India under British Rule highlights the rhetoric of Empire. The final sequence, on the Afghanistan-India border shows one of a series of pillars marking the ‘Durand Line’: the result of a negotiations between British officials including Sir Mortimer Durand, Lt. Col. Sir Henry McMahon and representatives of the Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. Baluchistan was one of a number regions that was historically divided by the Durand Line. Dr. Amina Yaqin (SOAS - University of London)
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