This map of Afghanistan and parts of present-day Iran and Pakistan was published by Charles Knight (1791–1873), an English author and publisher who is best known for his role as superintendent for publications for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. The society was founded in London in 1826 for the purpose of improving the educational level of the British working and middle classes. In the 1830s and 1840s, it produced numerous publications, including a Library of Useful Knowledge, the volumes of which sold for sixpence, and a two-volume series of maps that were known for their high quality. This map was published separately in 1841, but it also appeared as Plate 94 in Maps of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, published in London in 1844. The map was engraved by J. & C. Walker, a London firm of engravers, draftsmen, and publishers that flourished in the mid-19th century. The map is from the Library of Congress. The significance of the hand-colored lines on the map is not known.