Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (1848–1930), was a distinguished British statesman, Conservative politician, philosopher, and writer who played a pivotal role in British politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a prominent Scottish aristocratic family, he entered Parliament in 1874 and served as Chief Secretary for Ireland (1887–1891), earning the nickname 'Bloody Balfour' for his tough handling of Irish nationalism. He was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905, a tenure marked by the controversial Education Act of 1902. As Foreign Secretary from 1916 to 1919, Balfour authored the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917, committing Britain to support the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. This declaration, issued following direct lobbying by Zionist leaders such as Chaim Weizmann and the World Zionist Organization, affirmed that nothing should prejudice the rights of existing non-Jewish communities. The document galvanized the Zionist movement and laid foundational groundwork for the eventual creation of Israel. Later, as Lord President of the Council (1925–1929), he chaired the committee that produced the 1926 Balfour Report, which defined the British dominions as autonomous communities equal in status to the United Kingdom, influencing the Statute of Westminster in 1931 and advancing the evolution of the British Empire into the Commonwealth. An intellectual at heart, Balfour authored philosophical works like "A Defence of Philosophic Doubt" (1879) and was known for his wit and detachment. He never married and had no children, living a private life at his family estate in Scotland until his death in 1930, after a public service career spanning over 50 years.