Khyber Pass
The summit of the Khyber Pass at Landi Kotal lies inside Pakistan, descending into the Peshawar Valley at Jamrud. This route traverses part of the Spin Ghar mountains along Asian Highway 1. The total length of the pass proper stretches from Jamrud to Landi Kotal. A lesser section runs for an additional distance westwards until the town of Lōya Daka in Afghanistan. To the north of the pass lies the country of the Shalmani tribe and Mullagori tribe. To the south is Afridi Tirah while inhabitants of villages within the pass are Afridi clansmen. Throughout centuries Pashtun clans particularly the Afridis and Afghan Shinwari have regarded the pass as their own preserve. They levy a toll on travelers for safe conduct since this has long been their main source of income.
A number of historical invasions of the Indian subcontinent occurred through the Khyber Pass such as those by Darius I Ardashir I Shapur I and Anushirvan. Later Mongols including Duwa Qutlugh Khwaja and Kebek also used this path. Prior to the Kushan era the Khyber Pass was not a widely used trade route. The pass became a critical part of the Silk Road connecting East Asia to Europe. The Parthian Empire fought for control of passes like this to profit from 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 India. This added Indian luxury goods such as ivory pepper and textiles to the Silk Road commerce.
During the Islamic period Muslim rulers including Mahmud Ghaznavi Muhammad of Ghor Timur Babur and Nader Shah used the Khyber and nearby passes for their invasions of the Indian subcontinent. The Mughals attempted to control the pass but faced resistance from local tribes. Ahmad Shah Durrani was the last major Islamic conqueror to cross the pass though his successors campaigns had limited lasting impact. The pass has been traversed by military expeditions launched by empires such as the Achaemenids and Sassanids. Nomadic invaders from Central Asia including the Saka Yuezhi and White Huns also moved through this region. Indian empires rarely extended their control beyond the pass with the Maurya king Chandragupta being an exception. Despite military activities trade continued to thrive there.
In the 19th century the British East India Company aimed to secure the Khyber Pass from Russia as part of the Great Game. Sikhs under Ranjit Singh captured the Khyber Pass in 1837 with Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa constructing Jamrud Fort to safeguard it. After the Second Anglo-Afghan War ended in 1880 the Khyber region came under British control. The policy of paying local tribes to maintain the route's security was implemented. The British invested in infrastructure development building roads railways and telegraph lines through the pass. For strategic reasons after World War I the government of British India built the heavily engineered Khyber Pass Railway from Jamrud near Peshawar to the Afghan border near Landi Kotal. It opened in 1925. During World War II concrete dragon's teeth were erected on the valley floor due to British fears of an invasion of India by Axis powers.
Following the partition of India in 1947 the Khyber Pass became part of Pakistan. Passenger services through the pass have been intermittent with the Khyber Steam Safari operating in the 1990s. During the War in Afghanistan the Khyber Pass was a major route for resupplying military armament and food to NATO forces since the beginning of the invasion in 2001. Almost 80% of NATO and US supplies brought in by road were transported through the Khyber Pass. Until the end of 2007 the route had been relatively safe since tribes living there mainly the Afridi were paid by the Pakistani government to keep the area safe. In January 2009 Pakistan sealed off the bridge as part of a military offensive against Taliban guerrillas focused on Jamrud. This operation targeted homes belonging to men suspected of harboring or supporting Taliban militants. By 2010 NATO forces executed a helicopter attack across the border killing three Pakistani soldiers leading to further closures.
A number of locations around the world have been named after the Khyber Pass including a steep twisting minor road in Mugdock Country Park near Glasgow Scotland. A suburb of Civil Lines Delhi India bears the name while Khyber Pass Road exists in Newmarket Auckland New Zealand. An artificial rockwork feature sits at East Park Kingston upon Hull UK with Khyber Road located in Phoenix Park Dublin Ireland. The bus journey on this road was belle-lettered very beautifully in the selective memoir Deshe Bideshe published in 1948 by Syed Mujtaba Ali. Before partition the pass was mentioned as part of common Hindustani phrase used to describe colonial India length as Khyber sé Kanyakumari. Cockney rhyming slang uses 'Khyber Pass' meaning arse alluded to in the 1968 film Carry On Up the Khyber. Parts of the 1985 Jay McInerney book Ransom take place in or near the Khyber Pass.
Common questions
Where is the summit of the Khyber Pass located?
The summit of the Khyber Pass at Landi Kotal lies inside Pakistan. It descends into the Peshawar Valley at Jamrud.
Which historical empires used the Khyber Pass for invasions of the Indian subcontinent?
Historical invasions through the Khyber Pass were conducted by Darius I, Ardashir I, Shapur I, Anushirvan, Mongols including Duwa Qutlugh Khwaja and Kebek, Muslim rulers such as Mahmud Ghaznavi and Muhammad of Ghor, Timur Babur and Nader Shah, Achaemenids, Sassanids, Saka, Yuezhi, White Huns, and British forces. The Maurya king Chandragupta was an exception among Indian empires that rarely extended control beyond the pass.
When did the British East India Company capture the Khyber Pass?
Sikhs under Ranjit Singh captured the Khyber Pass in 1837 with Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa constructing Jamrud Fort to safeguard it. After the Second Anglo-Afghan War ended in 1880 the Khyber region came under British control.
What percentage of NATO supplies traveled through the Khyber Pass during the War in Afghanistan?
Almost 80% of NATO and US supplies brought in by road were transported through the Khyber Pass since the beginning of the invasion in 2001. Until the end of 2007 the route had been relatively safe since tribes living there mainly the Afridi were paid by the Pakistani government to keep the area safe.
Which locations around the world have been named after the Khyber Pass?
Locations named after the Khyber Pass include a steep twisting minor road in Mugdock Country Park near Glasgow Scotland, a suburb of Civil Lines Delhi India, Khyber Pass Road in Newmarket Auckland New Zealand, an artificial rockwork feature at East Park Kingston upon Hull UK, and Khyber Road located in Phoenix Park Dublin Ireland.