Geographical Principle Of The Validity Of The Argument "mcmahon Line"?

In the 1950-60s, the border dispute and then the border war broke out between China and India, which made these two countries turn from a friendly relationship into an unfriendly one. The series of calamities were caused by complex factors, certainly, but the then Indian government's opinion that geographical principles could naturally demonstrate the validity of the McMahon Line became an important factor in the course.This thesis intends to analyze from historical aspect the Indian government's above opinion for the hope of solving the Sino-Indian border question and recovering and developing the friendship between China and India. It consists of four parts:The first part details the background of the Indian government putting forward the opinion that geographical principles could naturally demonstrate the validity of the McMahon Line. Although the Indian government insisted at the beginning that "there is sufficient authority based on geography, tradition as well as treaties for the boundary as shown in our published maps", it is clear that the Indian government emphasized the geographical principles because she was unable to demonstrate her opinions on the ground of treaties and tradition.The second part gives a comprehensive introduction of the Indian government's explanation on the meaning of geographical principles concerning the Sino-Indian border question. The Indian government mentioned geographical principles on the basis that the boundary can be delimited by historical process. She said that "clearly marked geographical features" can naturally fix the position and direction of the boundary in the course of "delimitation by historical process" and the most noticeable feature of geography is the watershed or the crest of a range. In Indian government's opinion, the McMahon Line is based on "clearly marked geographical features".The third part concludes from the geographical facts that it is failed to demonstrate the validity of the McMahon Line even by geographical principles that the Indian government insisted on. The East Himalayas are not the watershed and cannot provide any sole, continuous and definite crest of range on the ground. It is impossible that the McMahon Line is based on "clearly marked geographical features". On the contrary, the custom line along the foot of Himalayas is based on clearly marked geographical features as many observers have said.The fourth part concludes from the historical facts that geographical principles cannot demonstrate the validity of the McMahon Line but it deteriorated into the then situations on the frontier. The Chinese government did not accept the McMahon Line as a formal boundary but treated it as the line of actual control for the purpose of solving the border question by peaceful means in the future. Chinese troops did not cross the line until the border war broken out in 1962. On the other hand, the Indian government claimed the territories on the north of this line because she changed the line on geographical principles, which was the direct cause of the first conflict and the war on the frontier.