Khawak Pass
Encyclopedia
The Khawak Pass sits across the route heading to the northwest from near the head of the Panjshir Valley
through the formidable Hindu Kush
range to northern Afghanistan via Andarab
and Baghlan
.
This is the route traditionally thought to have been followed by Alexander the Great in the spring of 329 BC when he led his army from the Kabul valley across the mountains to Bactria
(later Tokharistan in the north). Vincent Smith states that Alexander took his troops across both the Khāwak and the Kaoshān or Kushan Pass
. However, according to some scholars, there is really no proof for this..
The Khawak is most probably the pass used by the famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk, Xuanzang
, on his return from India to China in the early 7th century.
It was also crossed by Timur
(Tamerlane or Timur the Lame, 1336–1405), and by Captain John Wood
on his return journey to the sources of the Oxus in the mid-19th century. It was the easternmost pass leading from the Kabul Valley into northern Afghanistan, and the most popular pass of this region.
This pass, so important for the early history of Afghanistan, is now for the most part bypassed by the paved road that runs through the Salang tunnel
under the Salang Pass, completed by the Soviets in 1964, at a height of about 3,400 m. It links Charikar
and Kabul
with Kunduz
, Khulm, Mazari Sharif and Termez
.
Panjshir Valley
The Panjshir Province is a valley in north-central Afghanistan, 150 km north of Kabul, near the Hindu Kush mountain range. Located in the Panjshir Province it is divided by the Panjshir River...
through the formidable Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
range to northern Afghanistan via Andarab
Andarab
Andarab is the name of a large stream in Afghanistan and of the valley it empties into.The stream which originates in the Hindu Kush, near Khawak Pass, and flows to the west for about 75 miles before merging into the Surkhab.-Andarab valley:...
and Baghlan
Baghlan
Baghlan is a city in northern Afghanistan, in the eponymous province, Baghlan Province. It is located three miles east of the Kunduz River, 35 miles south of Khanabad, and about 1,700 metres above sea level in the northern Hindu Kush...
.
This is the route traditionally thought to have been followed by Alexander the Great in the spring of 329 BC when he led his army from the Kabul valley across the mountains to Bactria
Bactria
Bactria and also appears in the Zend Avesta as Bukhdi. It is the ancient name of a historical region located between south of the Amu Darya and west of the Indus River...
(later Tokharistan in the north). Vincent Smith states that Alexander took his troops across both the Khāwak and the Kaoshān or Kushan Pass
Kushan Pass
The Kushan Pass or Kaoshan Pass is a mountain pass just west of the famous Salang Pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range of northern Afghanistan...
. However, according to some scholars, there is really no proof for this..
The Khawak is most probably the pass used by the famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk, Xuanzang
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period...
, on his return from India to China in the early 7th century.
It was also crossed by Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
(Tamerlane or Timur the Lame, 1336–1405), and by Captain John Wood
John Augustus Wood
Colonel John Augustus Wood VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
on his return journey to the sources of the Oxus in the mid-19th century. It was the easternmost pass leading from the Kabul Valley into northern Afghanistan, and the most popular pass of this region.
This pass, so important for the early history of Afghanistan, is now for the most part bypassed by the paved road that runs through the Salang tunnel
Salang tunnel
The Salang Tunnel , located in Parwan province, is a link between northern and southern Afghanistan crossing the Hindukush mountain range under the difficult Salang Pass....
under the Salang Pass, completed by the Soviets in 1964, at a height of about 3,400 m. It links Charikar
Charikar
Charikar is the main town of the Kohdaman Valley and the capital of Parwan Province in northern Afghanistan. The city lies on the road 69 km from Kabul to the northern provinces. Travelers would have to pass by the city when going to Mazari Sharif, Kunduz or Puli Khumri. Charikar is at the...
and Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
with Kunduz
Kunduz
Kunduz also known as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. It is linked by highways with Mazari Sharif to the west, Kabul to the south and Tajikistan's border to the north...
, Khulm, Mazari Sharif and Termez
Termez
Termez is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan.Some link the name of the city to thermos, "hot" in Greek, tracing its name back to Alexander the Great. Others suggest that it came from Sanskrit taramato, meaning "on the river bank". It is the hottest point of Uzbekistan...
.