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Concept
Khyber Pass
Summary
The Khyber Pass (د خيبر دره d̪ə xebər d̪ara) is a mountain pass in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, on the border with the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. It connects the town of Landi Kotal to the Valley of Peshawar at Jamrud by traversing part of the White Mountains. Since it was part of the ancient Silk Road, it has been a vital trade route between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent and a strategic military choke point for various states that controlled it. The Khyber Pass is considered one of the most famous mountain passes in the world.
The inhabitants of the area are predominantly from the Afridi and Shinwari tribes of Pashtuns.
Following Asian Highway 1 (AH1), the summit of the pass at the town of Landi Kotal is inside Pakistan, descending into the Valley of Peshawar at Jamrud, about from the Afghan border by traversing part of the Spin Ghar mountains.
Historical invasions of the Indian subcontinent have been predominantly through the Khyber Pass, such as those of Cyrus, Darius I, Genghis Khan, and later Mongols such as Duwa, Qutlugh Khwaja and Kebek. Prior to the Kushan era, the Khyber Pass was not a widely used trade route.
The Khyber Pass became a critical part of the Silk Road, a major trade route from East Asia to Europe.
The Parthian Empire fought for control of passes such as this to profit from the trade in silk, jade, rhubarb, and other luxuries moving from China to Western Asia and Europe. Through the Khyber Pass, Gandhara (in present-day Pakistan) became a regional center of trade connecting Bagram in Afghanistan to Taxila in Pakistan, adding Indian luxury goods such as ivory, pepper, and textiles to the Silk Road commerce.
Among the Muslim invasions of the Indian subcontinent through the Khyber Pass were Mahmud Ghaznavi, Muhammad Ghori and the Turkic-Mongols. Finally, Sikhs under Ranjit Singh captured the Khyber Pass in 1834.
A common phrase at the time described the length of what was then India as "Khyber to Kanyakumari".
To the north of the Khyber Pass lies the country of the Shalmani tribe and Mullagori tribe.
Official source
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