Sino-Indian War

For 100 years, British and Chinese territorial claims in the Himalayas conflicted, with Indian historians claiming that the region was the fountainhead of Hindu civilisation.

In the halcyon days of the Raj, London saw Afghanistan and Tibet as buffers against Russian and Chinese imperialism.

In 1913, an ephemeral agreement between Britain, Tibet and China was signed, recognising the McMahon Line as the border of the disputed territory.

China, however, failed to ratify the agreement, while India protested against a loss of historical land.

After WWII, India became independent of Britain and Chinese Communists proclaimed a people's republic.

Despite cordial overtures from Indian Prime Minister Nehru, in late 1950 the Chinese People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet.

In the ensuing 12 years, Indian diplomacy and Chinese 'cartographic aggression' were punctuated by border incidents.