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Revision as of 00:50, 13 November 2016 edit2601:189:4300:74e4:c444:4b23:68e:fda5 (talk) Origin of name: - translation of the persian word kuhTag: Visual edit← Previous edit Latest revision as of 20:14, 9 January 2025 edit undoLhimec (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users8,714 edits Etymology: spelling 
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{{Short description|Mountain range near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan}}
{{redirect|Hindukush|the village in Iran|Hendukosh}}
{{For|the cannabis variety of the same name|Kush (cannabis)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Redirect|Hindukush|other uses|Hindukush (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Coord|35|N|71|E|region:AF_type:mountain_dim:1000000|display=title}}
{{Infobox mountain range {{Infobox mountain
|photo = Mountains of Afghanistan.jpg | photo = Hindu Kush mountains (30357238428).jpg
| alt = Hindu Kush | photo_alt = Hindu Kush
|photo_caption = Hindu Kush range | photo_caption = The Hindu Kush mountains at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
| country_type = Countries
|country1 = ]
|country2 = ] | country = {{enum|]|]|]}}
| subdivision2_type = Region
|country3 = ]
| subdivision2 = ] and ]
|country4 = ]
| parent = ]
|region_type = Region
|region = ]-] | highest = ] (])
| elevation_m = 7708
|parent = ]
| range_coordinates =
|highest = ]
| length_km =
|elevation_m = 7708
800
|coordinates_no_title = 1
| coordinates = {{coord|36|14|45|N|71|50|38|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}}
| lat_d = 36 |lat_m = 14 |lat_s = 45 |lat_NS = N
| map_image = Approximate Hindu Kush range with Dorah Pass.png
|long_d = 71 |long_m = 50 |long_s = 38 |long_EW = E
| map_size = 270
|map = Hindu-Kush-Range.png
| map_caption = Topography of the Hindu Kush range<ref>, Encyclopedia Iranica</ref>
|map_size = 270
| name = Hindu Kush
|map_caption = Topography of the Hindu Kush range (upper-right regions of the map)
| embedded = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=9 |coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
}} }}
] ] or ] to the west]]
The '''Hindu Kush''' is an {{convert|800|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} ] in ] and ] to the west of the ]. It stretches from central and eastern ]<ref name="Searle2013p157" /><ref>{{cite book|author=George C. Kohn|title=Dictionary of Wars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OIzreCGlHxIC |year=2006|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-2916-7|page=10}}</ref> into northwestern ] and far southeastern ]. The range forms the western section of the ''Hindu Kush Himalayan Region'' (''HKH'');<ref name="ICIMOD" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> to the north, near its northeastern end, the Hindu Kush buttresses the ] near the point where the borders of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet, after which it runs southwest through Pakistan and into Afghanistan near their border.<ref name="Searle2013p157" />
The '''Hindu Kush''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ʊ|ʃ|,_|k|uː|ʃ}}; ], ] and {{lang-ur|{{nq|هندوکش}}}}), also known in Ancient Greek as the '''Caucasus Indicus''' ({{lang-grc|Καύκασος Ινδικός}}) or ''']''' ({{lang-grc|Παροπαμισάδαι}}), is an {{convert|800|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} ] that stretches between central ] and northern ]. It forms the western section of the ''Hindu Kush Himalayan Region'' (''HKH'').<ref name=ICIMOD>{{cite web |url=http://www.icimod.org/?q=1137 |title=Hindu Kush Himalayan Region |last1= |publisher= ICIMOD |accessdate=17 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212094714000929 |title=Mapping the vulnerability hotspots over Hindu-Kush Himalaya region to flooding disasters |access-date=2015-09-06 |doi=10.1016/j.wace.2014.12.001 |volume=8 |pages=46–58 |journal=Weather and Climate Extremes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.assess-hkh.at/downloads/Poster1_ASSESS_HKH_scientific.pdf |title=Development of an ASSESSment system to evaluate the ecological status of rivers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region |periodical=assess-hkh.at |access-date=2015-09-06|format=}}</ref> It divides the valley of the ] (the ancient ''Oxus'') to the north from the ] valley to the south.


The eastern end of the Hindu Kush in the north merges with the ] Range.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4"/> Towards its southern end, it connects with the ] near the ].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> It divides the valley of the ] (the ancient ''Oxus'') to the north from the ] valley to the south. The range has numerous high snow-capped peaks, with the highest point being ] or Terichmir at {{convert|7708|m}} in the ] of ], Pakistan.
The highest point in the Hindu Kush is ] or Terichmir at {{convert|7708|m}} in the ] of ], Pakistan. To the east, the Hindu Kush buttresses the ] near the point where the borders of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet, after which it runs southwest through Pakistan and into Afghanistan, finally merging into minor ranges in central Afghanistan like the ]. The mountain range separates ] from ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hindu Kush mountains|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266291/Hindu-Kush|publisher=Britannica|accessdate=25 December 2013}}</ref>


The Hindu Kush range region was a historically significant center of ], with sites such as the ].<ref name=deborahkh/><ref name="auto">{{cite book|author=Claudio Margottini|title=After the Destruction of Giant Buddha Statues in Bamiyan (Afghanistan) in 2001: A UNESCO's Emergency Activity for the Recovering and Rehabilitation of Cliff and Niches|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTK_BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|year=2013|publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-642-30051-6|pages=5–6}}</ref> The range and communities settled in it hosted ancient monasteries, important trade networks and travelers between ] and ].<ref name="Neelis2010p249" /><ref name="sl2009">{{cite book |author1=Ibn Battuta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eP_uByWWmUsC&pg=PA97 |title=The Travels of Ibn Battuta: In the Near East, Asia and Africa |author2=((Samuel Lee (Translator))) |publisher=Cosimo (Reprint) |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-61640-262-4 |pages=97–98}}; Columbia University </ref> While the vast majority of the region has been majority-] for several centuries now, certain portions of the Hindu Kush only became ] relatively recently, such as ],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVgrDwAAQBAJ&q=Kafiristan&pg=PT29|title=Pagan Christmas: Winter Feasts of the Kalasha of the Hindu Kush|isbn=9781909942851|last1=Cacopardo|first1=Augusto S.|year=2017|publisher=Gingko Library }}</ref> which retained ancient polytheistic beliefs until the 19th century when it was converted to Islam by the ] and renamed ] ("land of light").<ref name="paganp29" /> The Hindu Kush range has also been the passageway for invasions of the ],<ref name="Konrad H. Kinzl 2010 577" /><ref name="Wink2002p52" /> and continues to be important to contemporary warfare in Afghanistan.<ref name="Clements2003p109" /><ref name="Michael Ryan 2013 54–55" />
==Geology, the range's origin==
The Hindu Kush began forming about 70 million years ago,<ref></ref> and marks the western end of the Hindu Kush to ] mountain chain.<ref name =ICIMOD/> During the late ], as the ] drove north into the ], they formed a ], resulting in the ongoing ].<ref></ref>


==Name origin==
The Hindu Kush range is still rising;<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> the area is still geologically unstable and gets earthquakes.<ref></ref><ref></ref> See also ] and ].
The earliest known usage of the Persian name ''Hindu Kush'' occurs on a map published about 1000 CE.<ref name="brithkushfm2">Fosco Maraini et al., , Encyclopædia Britannica</ref> Some modern scholars remove the space and refer to the mountain range as ''Hindukush''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Karl Jettmar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ig8ngEACAAJ|title=The Religions of the Hindukush: The religion of the Kafirs|author2-link=Schuyler Jones|author2=Schuyler Jones|publisher=Aris & Phillips|year=1986|isbn=978-0-85668-163-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Winiger|first1=M.|last2=Gumpert|first2=M.|last3=Yamout|first3=H.|year=2005|title=Karakorum-Hindukush-western Himalaya: assessing high-altitude water resources|journal=Hydrological Processes|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|volume=19|issue=12|pages=2329–2338|bibcode=2005HyPr...19.2329W|doi=10.1002/hyp.5887|s2cid=130210677 }}</ref>


==Origin of name== === Etymology ===
''Hindu Kush'' is generally translated as "Killer of ]"<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=usbRAAAAMAAJ&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22killer+of+hindus%22|title=The National Geographic Magazine|date=1958|publisher=National Geographic Society|isbn=|location=|pages=|language=en|quote=Such bitter journeys gave the range its name, Hindu Kush – "Killer of Hindus."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Metha|first=Arun|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X0IwAQAAIAAJ&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22killer+of+hindus%22|title=History of medieval India|date=2004|publisher=ABD Publishers|isbn=9788185771953|location=|pages=|language=en|quote=of the Shahis from Kabul to behind the Hindu Kush mountains (Hindu Kush is literally 'killer of Hindus'}}</ref><ref name="McColl2014p41332">{{cite book|author=R. W. McColl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJgnebGbAB8C&pg=PA413|title=Encyclopedia of World Geography|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2014|isbn=978-0-8160-7229-3|pages=413–414}}</ref><ref name="Nigel2001p54622">{{cite journal|last=Allan|first=Nigel|year=2001|title=Defining Place and People in Afghanistan|journal=Post-Soviet Geography and Economics|series=8|volume=42|issue=8|page=546|doi=10.1080/10889388.2001.10641186|s2cid=152546226}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Runion|first=Meredith L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EY6NDgAAQBAJ&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22killer+of+hindus%22&pg=PA4|title=The History of Afghanistan|edition=2nd|date=2017|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-778-1|location=|pages=|language=en|quote=The literal translation of the name “Hindu Kush” is a true reflection of its forbidding topography, as this difficult and jagged section of Afghanistan translates to "Killer of Hindus."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Weston|first=Christine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFDhAAAAMAAJ&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22hindu+killers%22|title=Afghanistan|date=1962|publisher=Scribner|isbn=|location=|pages=|language=en|quote=To the north and northeast, magnificent and frightening, stretched the mountains of the Hindu Kush, or Hindu Killers, a name derived from the fact that in ancient times slaves brought from India perished here like flies from exposure and cold.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Knox|first=Barbara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vzPswhHQAH0C&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22killer+of+hindus%22&pg=PA4|title=Afghanistan|date=2004|publisher=Capstone|isbn=978-0-7368-2448-4|location=|pages=|language=en|quote=Hindu Kush means 'killer of Hindus.' Many people have died trying to cross these mountains.}}</ref> or "Hindu-Killer" by most writers.<ref> {{cite book|author=Michael Franzak|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KqenaOE0ziIC&pg=PA241|title=A Nightmare's Prayer: A Marine Harrier Pilot's War in Afghanistan|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4391-9499-7|page=241}};
The origins of the name ''Hindu Kush'' are uncertain, with multiple theories being propounded by different scholars and writers. In the time of ], the Hindu Kush range was referred to as the ''Caucasus Indicus'' or the "Caucasus of the ]" (as opposed to the ] range between the ] and ]s), and some past authors have considered this as a possible derivation of the name ''Hindu Kush''. ''Hindū Kūh'' ({{nastaliq|ھندوکوه}}, Hindu Mountain) and ''Kūh-e Hind'' ({{nastaliq|کوهِ ھند}}, Mountain of Hind) usually applied to the entire range separating the basins of the ] and ]s from that of the ], or, more specifically, to that part of the range lying northwest of ].{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}


{{cite book|author=Ehsan Yarshater|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ulYOAQAAMAAJ|title=Encyclopædia Iranica|publisher=The Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation|year=2003|isbn=978-0-933273-76-4|page=312}}
The mountain range was also called ''"]"'' by Hellenic Greeks in the late first millennium BC.<ref name="Vogelsang">{{Cite book|title=The Afghans|last1=Vogelsang|first1=Willem|authorlink=|volume=|year=2002|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |location=|isbn=0-631-19841-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9kfJ6MlMsJQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=2010-08-22}}</ref>


{{cite book|author=James Wynbrandt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xQGwgJnCPZgC|title=A Brief History of Pakistan|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2009|isbn=978-0-8160-6184-6|page=5}};
Some 19th century Encyclopedias and gazetteers state that the term ''Hindu Kush'' originally applied only to the peak in the area of the ], which had become a center of the ] by the first century.<ref>1890,1896 ''Encyclopedia Brittanica'' s.v. "Afghanistan", Vol I p.228.</ref><ref>1893, 1899 ''Johnson's Universal Encyclopedia'' Vol I p.61.</ref><ref>1885 ''Imperial Gazetteer of India'', V. I p. 30.</ref><ref>1850 ''A Gazetteer of the World'' Vol I p. 62.</ref>


{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia Americana|year=1993|volume=14|page=206}};
The Persian-English dictionary<ref>{{cite book|title=A Practical Dictionary of the Persian Language|last=Boyle|first=J.A.|authorlink=|volume=|edition=|year=1949|publisher=Luzac & Co.|page=129}}</ref> indicates that the word 'koš' is derived from the verb ('koštan' {{nastaliq|کشتن}} {{IPA||lang=fa}}), meaning to kill. Although the derivation is only a possible one, some authors, including ],<ref>{{cite book |last=Sanyal |first=Sanjeev |date=2012 |title=Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography
|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16115622-land-of-the-seven-rivers |location= |publisher=Penguin Books, India |isbn=9780670086399}}</ref> have proposed the meaning "Kills the Hindu" for "Hindu Kush", a derivation that is reproduced in '']'' which says that the name ''Hindu Kush'' means "kills the Hindu" and is a reminder of the days when ] died in the harsh weather typical of the Afghan mountains while being transported to Central Asia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia Americana|last=|first=|authorlink=|volume=14|edition=|year=1993|publisher=|page=206}}</ref> The ''World Book Encyclopedia'' states that "the name Kush ... means Death".<ref>{{cite book|title=The World Book Encyclopedia|volume=19|edition=|year=1990|publisher=|page=237}}</ref>


{{cite book|author=André Wink|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC&pg=PA110|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th–11th Centuries|publisher=Brill Academic|year=2002|isbn=978-0-391-04173-8|page=110}}, Quote: "(..) the Muslim Arabs also applied the name 'Khurasan' to all the Muslim provinces to the east of the Great Desert and up to the '''Hindu-Kush ('Hindu killer')''' mountains, the Chinese desert and the Pamir mountains".</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Runion|first=Meredith L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EY6NDgAAQBAJ&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22killer+of+hindus%22&pg=PA4|title=The History of Afghanistan|edition=2nd|date=2017|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-778-1|language=en|quote=The literal translation of the name “Hindu Kush” is a true reflection of its forbidding topography, as this difficult and jagged section of Afghanistan translates to “Killer of Hindus.”}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Weston|first=Christine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFDhAAAAMAAJ&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22hindu+killers%22|title=Afghanistan|date=1962|publisher=Scribner|language=en|quote=To the north and northeast, magnificent and frightening, stretched the mountains of the Hindu Kush, or Hindu Killers, a name derived from the fact that in ancient times slaves brought from India perished here like flies from exposure and cold.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Knox|first=Barbara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vzPswhHQAH0C&q=%22hindu+kush%22+%22killer+of+hindus%22&pg=PA4|title=Afghanistan|date=2004|publisher=Capstone|isbn=978-0-7368-2448-4|language=en|quote=Hindu Kush means "killer of Hindus." Many people have died trying to cross these mountains.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The World Book Encyclopedia|publisher=]|year=1990|edition=1994|volume=9|page=235}}</ref> Boyle's Persian–English dictionary indicates that the Persian suffix -''koš'' {{IPA|fa|koʃ|}} is the present stem of the verb 'to kill' (''koštan'' {{nastaliq|کشتن}}).<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|last=Boyle|first=J.A.|title=A Practical Dictionary of the Persian Language|publisher=Luzac & Co.|year=1949|page=129}}</ref> According to linguist ], the suffix -''kush'' means "a male; (imp. of ''kushtan'' in comp.) a killer, who kills, slays, murders, oppresses as ''azhdaha-kush'' ."<ref name="Steingass1992p1030" />
The word ''Koh'' or ''Kuh'' means "mountain" in a local language, ]. According to Nigel Allan, ''Hindu Kush'' meant both "mountains of India" and "sparkling snows of India", as he notes, from a Central Asian perspective.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Allan |first=Nigel |title=Defining Place and People in Afghanistan |journal=Post Soviet Geography and Economics |year=2001 |volume=42 |series=8 |pages=545–560}}</ref>


The term was earliest used by ]. According to him, ''Hindu Kush'' means Hindu Killer as Hindu ] died in the harsh climatic conditions of the mountains while being taken from India to ] by Muslim traders.<ref name="iranicaonline">Ervin Grötzbach (2012 Ed., Original: 2003), , Encyclopædia Iranica</ref><ref name="Nigel2001p54622"/><ref>{{Cite book|last=Dunn|first=Ross E.|title=The Adventures of Ibn Battuta|publisher=University of California Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-520-24385-9|pages=171–178|author-link=Ross E. Dunn}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=André Wink|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC&pg=PA110|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th–11th Centuries|publisher=Brill Academic|year=2002|isbn=978-0-391-04173-8|page=110}}, Quote: "(..) the Muslim Arabs also applied the name 'Khurasan' to all the Muslim provinces to the east of the Great Desert and up to the '''Hindu-Kush ('Hindu killer')''' mountains, the Chinese desert and the Pamir mountains".</ref>{{efn|Boyle's Persian-English dictionary indicates that the suffix -''koš'' {{IPA|fa|koʃ|}} is the present stem of the verb 'to kill' (''koštan'' {{nastaliq|کشتن}}).<ref name="auto1"/> According to linguist ], the suffix -''kush'' means 'a male; (imp. of ''kushtan'' in comp.) a killer, who kills, slays, murders, oppresses as ''azhdaha-kush''.'<ref name="Steingass1992p1030" />}}
==History==
] in the foreground.]]
The mountains have historical significance in the ] and China.
There has been a military presence in the mountains since the time of ]. The ] of the 19th century often involved military, intelligence and/or espionage personnel from both the Russian and British Empires operating in areas of the Hindu Kush. The Hindu Kush were considered, informally, the dividing line between Russian and British areas of influence in Afghanistan.


Several other theories have been propounded as to the origins of the name.<ref name="McColl2014p41332"/> According to Nigel Allan, the term ''Hindu Kush'' has two alternate meanings i.e 'sparkling snows of India' and 'mountains of India', with ''Kush'' possibly being a soft variant of the Persian ''kuh'' ('mountain'). Allan states that Hindu Kush was the frontier boundary to Arab geographers.<ref name="Allan 2001 545–5602">{{cite journal|last=Allan|first=Nigel|year=2001|title=Defining Place and People in Afghanistan|journal=Post-Soviet Geography and Economics|series=8|volume=42|issue=8|pages=545–560|doi=10.1080/10889388.2001.10641186|s2cid=152546226}}</ref> Yet others suggest that the name may be derived from ancient ], meaning 'water mountain'.<ref name="McColl2014p41332"/>
During the ] the mountains again became militarized, especially during the 1980s when ] forces and their Afghan allies fought the ]. After the Soviet withdrawal, Afghan warlords fought each other and later the ] and the ] and others fought in and around the mountains.


According to '']'', a 19th-century British dictionary, ''Hindukush'' might be a corruption of the ancient Latin ''Indicus (Caucasus);'' the entry mentions the interpretation first given by ] as a popular theory already at that time, despite doubts cast upon it.<ref>{{cite book|author=Henry Yule|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F51h6q-bB6sC&pg=PA258|title=Hobson-Jobson: The Definitive Glossary of British India|author2=A. C. Burnell|date=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199601134|editor=Kate Teltscher|page=258}}</ref>
The American and ] campaign against ] and their ] allies has once again resulted in a major military presence in the Hindu Kush.<ref>, Alpinist 18.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t16.html |title=Alexander in the Hindu Kush |publisher=Livius. Articles on Ancient History |accessdate=2007-09-12}}</ref>


=== Other names ===
] explored the Afghan areas between ] and the ] after his ] in 330 BCE. It became part of the ] before falling to the Indian ] around 305 BCE.
In ], the range was known as ''upariśyaina'', and in ], as ''upāirisaēna'' (from ] *''upārisaina''- 'covered with juniper').<ref>{{cite book|last=Thapar|first=Romila|title=Which of Us are Aryans?: Rethinking the Concept of Our Origins|date=2019|publisher=Aleph|isbn=978-93-88292-38-2|pages=1|author-link=Romila Thapar}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Schmitt |first=Rüdiger |date=2007|title=Iškata|url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/iskata|website=Encyclopaedia Iranica}}</ref> It can alternatively be interpreted as "beyond the reach of eagles".<ref>{{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=Arlo |title=The Vedas: Texts, Language & Ritual |publisher=Egbert Forsten |publication-place=Groningen |year=2004 |isbn=90-6980-149-3 |oclc=57477186 |page=594 |url=https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~rnoyer/courses/51/Witzel2002.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730063254/http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~rnoyer/courses/51/Witzel2002.pdf |archive-date=2012-07-30 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the time of ], the mountain range was referred to as the ''Caucasus Indicus'' (as opposed to the ] range between the ] and ]s), and as ''Paropamisos'' (see '']'') by ] in the late first millennium BCE.<ref name="Vogelsang">{{cite book|last1=Vogelsang|first1=Willem|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9kfJ6MlMsJQC&pg=PA1|title=The Afghans|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2002|isbn=978-0-631-19841-3|access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref>


Some 19th-century encyclopedias and gazetteers state that the term ''Hindu Kush'' originally applied only to the peak in the area of the ], which had become a center of the ] by the first century.<ref> 1896 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' s.v. "Afghanistan", Vol. I p. 228.;<br /> 1899 ''Johnson's Universal Encyclopedia'' Vol. I p. 61.;<br />1885 ''Imperial Gazetteer of India'', VoI. p. 30.<br />1850 ''A Gazetteer of the World'' Vol. I p. 62.</ref>
{{Quote|Alexander took these away from the ]ns and established settlements of his own, but ] gave them to ] (Chandragupta), upon terms of intermarriage and of receiving in exchange 500 elephants.<ref name=Dupree-name>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aisk.org/aisk/NHDAHGTK05.php |title=An Historical Guide to Kabul - The Name |author=Nancy Hatch Dupree / Aḥmad ʻAlī Kuhzād|publisher=American International School of Kabul |year=1972 |accessdate=2010-09-18}}</ref>|], 64 BCE–24 CE}}


==Geography==
] expelled the ] by the mid 1st century BCE, but lost the area to the ] about 100 years later.<ref name="Houtsma">{{Cite book|title=E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936|last1=Houtsma|first1=Martijn Theodoor|authorlink=|volume=2|year=1987|publisher=BRILL|location=|isbn=90-04-08265-4|page=159|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zJU3AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA159#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=2010-08-23}}</ref>
] is the second highest independent peak of the Hindu Kush Range after ].]]
] tank in the foreground]]
]
] valley, Pakistan]]
] in Afghanistan]]
]]]


The range forms the western section of the ''Hindu Kush Himalayan Region'' (''HKH'')<ref name="ICIMOD" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> and is the westernmost extension of the ], the ] and the ]. It divides the valley of the ] (the ancient ''Oxus'') to the north from the ] valley to the south. The range has numerous high snow-capped peaks, with the highest point being ] or Terichmir at {{convert|7708|m}} in the ] of ], Pakistan. To the north, near its northeastern end, the Hindu Kush buttresses the Pamir Mountains near the point where the borders of China, ] and Afghanistan meet, after which it runs southwest through Pakistan and into Afghanistan near their border.<ref name="Searle2013p157" /> The eastern end of the Hindu Kush in the north merges with the ] Range.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Towards its southern end, it connects with the ] near the ].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />
{{Quote|Before the ], and afterwards, there was an intimate connection between the ] and India. All the passes of the Hindu-Kush descend into that valley; and travellers from the north as soon as they crossed the watershed, found a civilization and religion, the same as that which prevailed in India. The great range was the boundary in those days and barrier that was at times impassable. Hindu-Kuh—the mountain of Hind—was similarly derived.}}


=== Peaks ===
Pre-Islamic populations of the Hindu Kush included ], Yeshkun,<ref>Biddulph, p.38</ref>
Many peaks of the range are between {{cvt|14500|and|17000|ft|order=flip}}; however, some are much higher, with an average peak height of {{convert|4500|m|ft|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Macnab" /> The mountains of the Hindu Kush range diminish in height as they stretch westward. Near Kabul, in the west, they attain heights of {{convert|3500|to|4,000|m|ft}}; in the east they extend from {{convert|4500|to|6,000|m|ft}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
],
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
Neemchas<ref>Biddulph, p.7</ref>
|-
Koli,<ref name="Biddulph-9">Biddulph, p.9</ref>
!Name !! Height !! Country
Palus,<ref name="Biddulph-9"/>
|-
Gaware,<ref>Biddulph, p.11</ref>
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|7708|m}}||]
Yeshkuns,<ref name="Biddulph-12">Biddulph, p.12</ref>
|-
Krammins,<ref name="Biddulph-12" />
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|7492|m}}||], Pakistan
],
|-
],
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|7403|m}}|| Pakistan
], and ancient
|-
Iranian Aryan ] tribes.
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|7338|m}}|| Pakistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|7140|m}}|| Pakistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|7084|m}}|| Afghanistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|6901|m}}|| Afghanistan, Pakistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|6843|m}}|| Afghanistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|6743|m}}|| Afghanistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|6272|m}}|| Afghanistan, Pakistan
|-
| style="text-align:left" |]||{{convert|6234|m}}|| Afghanistan
|}


==Mountains== === Passes ===
Numerous high passes ("''kotal''") transect the mountains, forming a strategically important network for the transit of caravans. The most important mountain pass in Afghanistan is the ] (Kotal-e Salang) ({{cvt|3878|m|disp=or||}}) north of ], which links southern Afghanistan to northern Afghanistan. The ] at {{cvt|3363|m|||}} and the extensive network of galleries on the approach roads was constructed with Soviet financial and technological assistance and involved drilling {{cvt|1.7|mi|order=flip||}} through the heart of the Hindu Kush; since the start of the wars in Afghanistan it has been an active area of armed conflict with various parties trying to control the strategic tunnel.<ref>{{cite book|author=John Laffin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_BncAAAAMAAJ|title=The World in Conflict: War Annual 8 : Contemporary Warfare Described and Analysed|publisher=Brassey's|year=1997|isbn=978-1-85753-216-6|pages=24–25}}</ref> The range has several other passes in Afghanistan, the lowest of which is the southern ] ({{cvt|9000|ft|disp=or||order=flip}}) where the Hindu Kush range terminates.<ref name="Clements2003p109" />
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2015}}
]


Before the ], another feat of engineering was the road constructed through the ] gorge near Kabul, replacing the ancient ] and greatly reducing travel time towards the Pakistani border at the ].
The mountains of the ''Hindu Kush system'' diminish in height as they stretch westward: Toward the middle, near Kabul, they extend from {{convert|4,500|to|6,000|m|ft|sp=us}}; in the west, they attain heights of {{convert|3,500|to|4,000|m|ft|sp=us}}. The average altitude of the Hindu Kush is {{convert|4,500|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref name="Macnab">{{Cite book|title=On the roof of the world|last1=Scott-Macnab|first1=David|volume=|year=1994|publisher=Reader's Digest Assiciation Ldt.|location=London|page=22}}</ref>


Other mountain passes are at altitudes of about {{cvt|12000|ft|||order=flip}} or higher,<ref name="Clements2003p109" /> including the ] at 12,460 feet in Pakistan,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Burrard|first=Sir Sidney Gerald|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nw7lAAAAMAAJ&q=hindu+kush+geology&pg=PA101|title=A Sketch of the Geography and Geology of the Himalaya Mountains and Tibet|date=1908|publisher=Superintendent government printing, India|pages=102|language=en}}</ref> and the ] between Pakistan and Afghanistan at 14,000 feet. Other high passes in Pakistan include the ] at 10,200 feet,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Authority|first=West Pakistan Water and Power Development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUWvID3e9agC&q=lowari+pass+elevation|title=WAPDA Annual Report|date=1971|publisher=The Authority.|language=en}}</ref> the ]. The ] is at elevation of {{cvt|14341|ft|||order=flip}}. The ] is at elevation of {{cvt|15049|ft|||order=flip}}.
The Hindu Kush system stretches about {{convert|966|km|mi}} laterally,<ref name="Macnab"/> and its median north-south measurement is about {{convert|240|km|mi}}. Only about {{convert|600|km|mi}} of the Hindu Kush system is called the ''Hindu Kush mountains''. The rest of the system consists of numerous smaller mountain ranges including the ], ], ], ] (also called the eastern Safēd Kōh), ], ], ] and ]. The western Safid Koh, the Malmand, Chalap Dalan, Siah Band and Doshakh are commonly referred to as the ] by western scholars, though that name has been slowly falling out of use over the last few decades.


===Watershed===
]s that flow from the mountain system include the Helmand River, the ] and the Kabul River, watersheds for the ].
The Hindu Kush form the boundary between the Indus watershed in South Asia, and ] watershed in Central Asia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Ahmad|first1=Masood|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWiReSL6D6YC&q=hindu+kush+amu+darya+indus+helmand&pg=PA9|title=Water Resource Development in Northern Afghanistan and Its Implications for Amu Darya Basin|last2=Wasiq|first2=Mahwash|date=2004|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0-8213-5890-0|pages=9|language=en}}</ref> Melt water from snow and ice feeds major river systems in Central Asia: the Amu Darya (which feeds the ]), ] (which is a major source of water for the ] in southern Afghanistan and Iran), and the Kabul River<ref name=":0" />{{Snd}}the last of which is a major tributary of the Indus River. Smaller rivers with headwaters in the range include the Khash, the Farah and the Arashkan (Harut) rivers. The basins of these rivers serve the ecology and economy of the region, but the water flow in these rivers greatly fluctuates, and reliance on these has been a historical problem with extended droughts being commonplace.<ref>, UNEP, United Nations, pp. 5, 12–14</ref> The eastern end of the range, with the highest peaks, high snow accumulation allows to long-term water storage.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ahmad|first1=Masood|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWiReSL6D6YC&q=hindu+kush+amu+darya+indus+helmand&pg=PA9|title=Water Resource Development in Northern Afghanistan and Its Implications for Amu Darya Basin|last2=Wasiq|first2=Mahwash|date=2004|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0-8213-5890-0|language=en}}</ref>


==Geology ==
Numerous high passes ("''kotal''") transect the mountains, forming a strategically important network for the transit of caravans. The most important mountain pass is the ] (Kotal-e Salang) (3,878&nbsp;m); it links Kabul and points south of it to northern Afghanistan. The completion of a tunnel within this pass in 1964 reduced travel time between Kabul and the north to a few hours. Previously access to the north through the ] (3,260&nbsp;m) took three days. The ] at 3,363&nbsp;m and the extensive network of galleries on the approach roads were constructed with Soviet financial and technological assistance and involved drilling 1.7 miles through the heart of the Hindu Kush.
Geologically, the range is rooted in the formation of the subcontinent from a region of ] that drifted away from ] about 160 million years ago, around the ] period.<ref name="Jones2011p267">{{cite book|author=Robert Wynn Jones|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mrPiq_8pkAwC&pg=PA267|title=Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2011|isbn=978-1-139-49920-0|pages=267–271}}</ref><ref name="hinsbergen1">{{cite journal|last1=Hinsbergen|first1=D. J. J. van|last2=Lippert|first2=P. C.|last3=Dupont-Nivet|first3=G.|last4=McQuarrie|first4=N.|last5=Doubrovine|display-authors=etal|year=2012|title=Greater India Basin hypothesis and a two-stage Cenozoic collision between India and Asia|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=109|issue=20|pages=7659–7664, for geologic Indian subcontinent see Figure 1|bibcode=2012PNAS..109.7659V|doi=10.1073/pnas.1117262109|pmc=3356651|pmid=22547792|doi-access=free}}</ref> The Indian subcontinent, ] and islands of the Indian Ocean rifted further, drifting northeastwards, with the Indian subcontinent colliding with the ] nearly 55 million years ago, towards the end of ].<ref name="Jones2011p267" /> This collision gradually formed the Himalayas, including the Hindu Kush.<ref>{{cite book|author1=S. Mukherjee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hwN7CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA55|title=Tectonics of the Himalaya|author2=R. Carosi|author3=P.A. van der Beek|publisher=Geological Society of London|year=2015|isbn=978-1-86239-703-3|pages=55–57|display-authors=etal}}</ref>


The Hindu Kush are a part of the "young Eurasian mountain range consisting of metamorphic rocks such as ], ] and marble, as well as of intrusives such as granite, diorite of different age and size". The northern regions of the Hindu Kush witness Himalayan winter and have glaciers, while its southeastern end witnesses the fringe of Indian subcontinent summer monsoons.<ref name="iranicahk">{{cite book|author=Ehsan Yarshater|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hindu-kush|title=Encyclopædia Iranica|publisher=The Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation|year=2003|isbn=978-0-933273-76-4|page=312}}</ref>
Before the Salang road was constructed, the most famous passes in the Western historical perceptions of Afghanistan were those leading to India. They include the ] (1,027&nbsp;m), in Pakistan, and the ] (2,499&nbsp;m) east of Kabul, which was superseded in 1960 by a road constructed within the Kabul River's most spectacular gorge, the ]. This remarkable engineering feat reduced travel time between Kabul and the Pakistan border from two days to a few hours.


The Hindu Kush range remains geologically active and is still rising;<ref>{{cite book|author=Martin Beniston|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fBiIAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA320|title=Mountain Environments in Changing Climates|publisher=Routledge|year=2002|isbn=978-1-134-85236-9|page=320}}</ref> it is prone to earthquakes.<ref>{{cite book|author=Frank Clements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bv4hzxpo424C&pg=PA109|title=Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2003|isbn=978-1-85109-402-8|pages=90–91}}</ref><ref> National Geographic;<br /> BBC News; See also ] and ].</ref> The Hindu Kush system stretches about {{convert|966|km|mi}} laterally,<ref name="Macnab">{{Cite book|last1=Scott-Macnab|first1=David|title=On the roof of the world|publisher=Reader's Digest Assiciation Ldt.|year=1994|location=London|page=22}}</ref> and its median north–south measurement is about {{convert|240|km|mi}}. The mountains are ] described in several parts.<ref name="iranicahk" /> Peaks in the western Hindu Kush rise to over {{cvt|5100|m|||}} and stretch between Darra-ye Sekari and the Shibar Pass in the west and the Khawak Pass in the east.<ref name="iranicahk" /> The central Hindu Kush peaks rise to over {{cvt|6800|m|||}}, and this section has numerous spurs between the ] in the east and the ] in the west. In 2005 and 2015 there were some major earthquakes.
<gallery class="center" caption="Lataband Road" widths="175px" heights="175px">
File:Lataband_Road_1.jpg
File:Lataband_Road_hut.jpg
File:Lataband_Road_mountains.jpg
File:Lataband_Road_2.jpg
</gallery>


The eastern Hindu Kush, also known as the "High Hindu Kush", is mostly located in northern Pakistan and the ] and ] provinces of Afghanistan with peaks over {{cvt|7000|m|||}}. This section extends from the Durāh Pass to the Baroghil Pass at the border between northeastern Afghanistan and north Pakistan. The Chitral District of Pakistan is home to ], ], and ]{{Snd}}the highest peaks in the Hindu Kush. The ridges between Khawak Pass and Badakshan is over {{cvt|5800|m|||}} and are called the Kaja Mohammed range.<ref name="iranicahk" />
The roads through the Salang and Tang-e Gharu passes played critical strategic roles during the ] and were used extensively by heavy military vehicles. Consequently, these roads are in very bad repair. Many bombed out bridges have been repaired, but numbers of the larger structures remain broken. Periodic closures due to conflicts in the area seriously affect the economy and well-being of many regions, for these are major routes carrying commercial trade, emergency relief and reconstruction assistance supplies destined for all parts of the country.


==Land cover and land use ==
].]]
] was developed using Landsat 30-meter data.<ref name="Springer International Publishing">{{Citation|last1=Uddin|first1=Kabir|title=Regional Land Cover Monitoring System for Hindu Kush Himalaya|date=2021|work=Earth Observation Science and Applications for Risk Reduction and Enhanced Resilience in Hindu Kush Himalaya Region: A Decade of Experience from SERVIR|pages=103–125|editor-last=Bajracharya|editor-first=Birendra|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-73569-2_6|isbn=978-3-030-73569-2|last2=Matin|first2=Mir A.|last3=Khanal|first3=Nishanta|last4=Maharjan|first4=Sajana|last5=Bajracharya|first5=Birendra|last6=Tenneson|first6=Karis|last7=Poortinga|first7=Ate|last8=Quyen|first8=Nguyen Hanh|last9=Aryal|first9=Raja Ram|s2cid=238902124|editor2-last=Thapa|editor2-first=Rajesh Bahadur|editor3-last=Matin|editor3-first=Mir A.|doi-access=free}}</ref>]]
], situated {{convert|5900|ft|m}} above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains]]
]'s first annual regional 30-meter resolution ] database of HKH<ref name="Springer International Publishing"/> generated using public domain ] images demonstrated that grassland was the most dominant land cover, followed by barren land, which includes areas with bare areas. In 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, ] covered 37.2%, 37.6%, 38.7%, and 38.2%, respectively, of the total area of the HKH region. During the same years, the second dominant land cover was barren areas, including bare soil and bare rock. In 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, bare soil and bare rock covered 32.1, 31.4, 30.4, and 30.7%. The cropland cover in 2000 was about 5.1% and about 5.4% in 2015. Snow and glacier areas covered about 4% of the high-elevation section in 2018, while waterbodies and riverbeds/channels together accounted for 2%. The weather conditions also have an impact on the land cover patterns across the regions. In the HKH, forest cover is mostly distributed in the south and south-eastern areas, where precipitation is more; the grasslands are mostly distributed in the north and north-western parts, while cropland is mostly found in the southern part of the region.


=== Flora and fauna ===
There are a number of other important passes in Afghanistan. The ] (4,923&nbsp;m), proceeds from the ] into ], China, and into ] of Pakistan. Passes which join Afghanistan to Chitral, Pakistan, include the ] (3,798&nbsp;m) and the ] (5,639&nbsp;m), which also cross from the Wakhan. Important passes located farther west are the ] (3,720&nbsp;m), linking ] and ] provinces; the ] (2,713&nbsp;m), leading into ]; the ] (4,370&nbsp;m) in the ], and the ] (3,858&nbsp;m) at the head of the Panjsher Valley giving entrance to the north. The ] (2,713&nbsp;m) and ] (3,350&nbsp;m) lead into the eastern ] and ]. The passes of the Paropamisus in the west are relatively low, averaging around 600 meters; the most well-known of these is the ] between the ] and ] provinces, which links the western and northwestern parts of Afghanistan.
The mountainous areas of Hindu Kush range are mostly barren or, at the most, sparsely sprinkled with trees and stunted bushes. From about {{cvt|1300|to|2300|m|}}, states Yarshater, "] forests are predominant with ] and ] (wild olive); above that, up to a height of about {{cvt|3300|m|||}} one finds coniferous forests with ], ], ], ], and ]s". The inner valleys of the Hindu Kush see little rain and have desert vegetation.<ref name="iranicahk" /> On the other hand, Eastern Himalaya is home to multiple ] hotspots, and 353 new species (242 plants, 16 ]s, 16 ]s, 14 ], two ]s, two ]s and 61+ ]s) have been discovered there in between 1998 and 2008, with an average of 35 new species finds every year. With Eastern Himalaya included, the entire Hindu Kush Himalaya region is home to an estimated 35,000+ species of plants and 200+ species of animals.<ref name=":HKH2019" />


== History ==
These mountainous areas are mostly barren, or at the most sparsely sprinkled with trees and stunted bushes. Very ancient mines producing ] are found in Kowkcheh Valley, while gem-grade ]s are found north of Kabul in the valley of the Panjsher River and some of its tributaries. The famous 'balas rubies', or ]s, were mined until the 19th century in the valley of the Ab-e Panj or Upper Amu Darya River, considered to be the meeting place between the Hindu Kush and the Pamir ranges. These mines now appear to be exhausted.
], situated {{convert|5900|ft|m}} above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains]]
The high altitudes of the mountains have historical significance in South and Central Asia. The Hindu Kush range was a major center of ] with sites such as the ].<ref name="auto"/> It has also been the passageway during the invasions of the Indian subcontinent,<ref name="Konrad H. Kinzl 2010 577" /><ref name="Wink2002p52" /> a region where the ] and ] grew,<ref name="Michael Ryan 2013 54–55" /><ref>{{cite journal | last=Magnus | first=Ralph H. | title=Afghanistan in 1997: The War Moves North | journal=Asian Survey | publisher=University of California Press | volume=38 | issue=2 | year=1998 | pages=109–115 | doi=10.2307/2645667 | jstor=2645667 }}</ref> and a scene of modern era warfare in Afghanistan.<ref name="Clements2003p109" /> Ancient mines producing ] are found in Kowkcheh Valley, while gem-grade ]s are found north of Kabul in the valley of the Panjsher River and some of its tributaries. According to Walter Schumann, the West Hindu Kush mountains have been the source of the finest Lapis lazuli for thousands of years.<ref>{{cite book|author=Walter Schumann|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V9PqVxpxeiEC&pg=PA188|title=Gemstones of the World|publisher=Sterling|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4027-6829-3|page=188}}</ref>


{{multiple image
===Eastern Hindu Kush===
| direction = vertical
The Eastern Hindu Kush range, also known as the High Hindu Kush range, is mostly located in northern Pakistan and the ] and ] provinces of Afghanistan. The ] of Pakistan is home to ], ], and ], the highest peaks in the Hindu Kush. The range also extends into ], ], and ] in Pakistan's Northern Areas.
| align = left
| footer = ], Afghanistan in 1896 (top) and after destruction in 2001 by the ].<ref name=goldman360>{{cite book|author=Jan Goldman |title=The War on Terror Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bjeaBAAAQBAJ | year= 2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-511-4|pages=360–362}}</ref>
| image1 = Nouvelle géographie universelle - la terre et les hommes (1876) (14592652167).jpg
| alt1 = Buddha statue in 1896, Bamiyan
| image2 = Destroyed Statue, July 17, 2005 at 15-53.jpg
| alt2 = After statue destroyed by Islamist Taliban in 2001
}}
Buddhism was widespread in the ancient Hindu Kush region. The ancient artwork of Buddhism includes the giant rock-carved statues called the Bamiyan Buddhas, in the southern and western end of the Hindu Kush.<ref name=deborahkh>Deborah Klimburg-Salter (1989), The Kingdom of Bamiyan: Buddhist art and culture of the Hindu Kush, Naples – Rome: Istituto Universitario Orientale & Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, {{ISBN|978-0877737650}} (Reprinted by Shambala)</ref> These statues were destroyed by Taliban Islamists in 2001.<ref name=goldman360/> The southeastern valleys of Hindu Kush connecting towards the Indus Valley region were a major center that hosted monasteries, religious scholars from distant lands, trade networks and merchants of the ancient Indian subcontinent.<ref name="Neelis2010p249">{{cite book|author=Jason Neelis|title=Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks: Mobility and Exchange Within and Beyond the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GB-JV2eOr2UC |year=2010|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-90-04-18159-5|pages=114–115, 144, 160–163, 170–176, 249–250}}</ref>

One of the ], the ]-], was prominent in the area of Bamiyan. The Chinese Buddhist monk ] visited a Lokottaravāda monastery in the 7th century CE, at Bamiyan, Afghanistan. ] and ]s of texts in this monastery's collection, including ], have been discovered in the caves of Hindu Kush,<ref>, The Schoyen Collection, Quote: "Provenance: 1. Buddhist monastery of Mahasanghika, Bamiyan, Afghanistan (−7th c.); 2. '''Cave in Hindu Kush, Bamiyan'''."</ref> and these are now a part of the ]. Some manuscripts are in the ] and ] script, while others are in ] and written in forms of the ].<ref name="Schøyen Collection: Buddhism">{{cite web|url=http://www.schoyencollection.com/buddhism.html|title=Schøyen Collection: Buddhism|access-date=23 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre67g1cn-us-afghanistan-buddhist-relics/ |title=Afghan archaeologists find Buddhist site as war rages |access-date=16 August 2010 |work=Sayed Salahuddin |publisher=News Daily |date=17 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818151642/http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre67g1cn-us-afghanistan-buddhist-relics/ |archive-date=18 August 2010 }}</ref>

According to ], the Hindu Kush and nearby regions gradually converted to Buddhism by the 1st century CE, and this region was the base from where Buddhism crossed the Hindu Kush expanding into the ] region of Central Asia.<ref name="Neelis2010">{{cite book|author=Jason Neelis|title=Early Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks: Mobility and Exchange Within and Beyond the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GB-JV2eOr2UC |year=2010|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-90-04-18159-5|pages=234–235}}</ref> Buddhism later disappeared and locals were forced to convert to Islam. ] also proposes that the area north of Hindu Kush was center of a new sect that had spread as far as ], remaining in existence until the ] times.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Sheila Canby | title=Depictions of Buddha Sakyamuni in the Jami al-Tavarikh and the Majma al-Tavarikh | journal=Muqarnas | volume=10 | year=1993 | pages=299–310 | doi=10.2307/1523195 | jstor=1523195 }}</ref><ref name=jerryson464>{{cite book|author=Michael Jerryson|title=The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1MljDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA464 |year=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-936239-4|page=464}}</ref> The area eventually came under the control of the ] dynasty of Kabul.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The History and Culture of the Indian People: The struggle for empire''. 2nd ed., p. 3</ref> The Islamic conquest of the area happened under ] who conquered ]'s dominion west of ] in the 10th century.<ref name="India: A History">{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0IquM4BrJ4YC&q=sabuktigin+hindu+kush&pg=PT351 | title=India: A History| isbn=9780802195500| last1=Keay| first1=John| date=2011| publisher=Open Road + Grove/Atlantic}}</ref>

===Ancient===
The significance of the Hindu Kush mountain ranges has been recorded since the time of ] of the ]. ] ] through the Hindu Kush as ] moved past the Afghan Valleys in the spring of 329 BCE.<ref>{{cite book|author=Peter Marsden|title=The Taliban: War, Religion and the New Order in Afghanistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xghveVap2rYC&pg=PA12|year=1998|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-85649-522-6|page=12}}</ref> He moved towards the Indus Valley river region in the Indian subcontinent in 327 BCE;_his armies built several towns in this region over the intervening two years.<ref>{{cite book|author=Peter Marsden|title=The Taliban: War, Religion and the New Order in Afghanistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xghveVap2rYC&pg=PA12|year=1998|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-85649-522-6|pages=1–2}}</ref>

After Alexander died in 323 BCE, the region became part of the ], according to the ancient history of ] written in the 1st century BCE, before it became a part of the Indian ] around 305 BCE.<ref name="Dupree-name">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aisk.org/aisk/NHDAHGTK05.php |title=An Historical Guide to Kabul – The Name |author=Nancy Hatch Dupree / Aḥmad ʻAlī Kuhzād |publisher=American International School of Kabul |year=1972 |access-date=18 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830031416/http://www.aisk.org/aisk/NHDAHGTK05.php |archive-date=30 August 2010 }}</ref> The region became a part of the ] around the start of the common era.<ref name="Houtsma">{{Cite book|title=E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936|last1=Houtsma|first1=Martijn Theodoor|volume=2|year=1987|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-08265-6|page=159|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zJU3AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA159 |access-date=23 August 2010}}</ref>

===Medieval era===
The lands north of the Hindu Kush, in the ] dominion, Buddhism was the predominant religion by mid 1st millennium CE.<ref name="Wink2002p110"/> These Buddhists were religiously tolerant and they co-existed with followers of ], ], and ] Christianity.<ref name="Wink2002p110"/><ref name="Shaban1979p8">{{cite book|author=M. A. Shaban|title=The 'Abbāsid Revolution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1_03AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA8| year=1979| publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-29534-5| pages=8–9}}</ref> This Central Asia region along the Hindu Kush was taken over by Western Turks and Arabs by the eighth century, facing wars with mostly Iranians.<ref name="Wink2002p110">{{cite book|author=André Wink|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th–11th Centuries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC |year=2002|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-0-391-04173-8|pages=110–111}}</ref> One major exception was the period in the mid to late seventh century when the ] from China destroyed the Northern Turks and extended its rule all the way to the Oxus River valley and regions of Central Asia bordering all along the Hindu Kush.<ref>{{cite book|author=André Wink|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th–11th Centuries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC |year=2002|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-0-391-04173-8|pages=114–115}}</ref>

]
The subcontinent and valleys of the Hindu Kush remained unconquered by the Islamic armies until the 9th century, even though they had conquered the southern regions of the Indus River valley such as ].<ref name=wink123>{{cite book|author=André Wink|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th–11th Centuries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC |year=2002|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-0-391-04173-8|pages=9–10, 123}}</ref> Kabul fell to the army of ], the seventh Abbasid caliph, in 808 and the local king agreed to accept Islam and pay annual tributes to the caliph.<ref name=wink123/> However, states André Wink, inscriptional evidence suggests that the Kabul area near Hindu Kush had an early presence of Islam.<ref name=wink124>{{cite book|author=André Wink|title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7th–11th Centuries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC |year=2002|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-0-391-04173-8|page=124}}</ref> When the extraction of silver from the mines in the Hindu Kush was at its greatest (c.850), the value of silver in relation to gold dropped, and the content of silver in the Carolingian ''denarius'' was increased so that it should maintain its intrinsic value.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ralph Henry Carless|first=Davis|title=A History of Medieval Europe – From Constantine to Saint Louis|publisher=A Longman Paperback |year=1957|isbn=0582482089|location=Great Britain|pages=183–184}}</ref>

The range came under the control of the ] dynasty of Kabul<ref name="ReferenceA"/> but was conquered by ] who took all of ]'s dominion west of ].<ref name="India: A History"/>

] came to power in 998 CE, in ], Afghanistan, south of Kabul and the Hindu Kush range.<ref name="Kulke2004p164">{{cite book|author1=Hermann Kulke|author2=Dietmar Rothermund|title=A History of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TPVq3ykHyH4C&pg=PA164 |year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-32919-4|pages=164–165}}</ref> He began a military campaign that rapidly brought both sides of the Hindu Kush range under his rule. From his mountainous Afghani base, he systematically raided and plundered kingdoms in north India from east of the Indus river to west of Yamuna river seventeen times between 997 and 1030.<ref name="Jackson2003p6">{{cite book|author=Peter Jackson|title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt2tqOpVRKgC|year=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-54329-3|pages=3–4, 6–7}}</ref>

Mahmud of Ghazni raided the treasuries of kingdoms, sacked cities, and destroyed Hindu temples, with each campaign starting every spring, but he and his army returned to Ghazni and the Hindu Kush base before monsoons arrived in the northwestern part of the subcontinent.<ref name="Kulke2004p164" /><ref name="Jackson2003p6" /> He retracted each time, only extending Islamic rule into western Punjab.<ref>T. A. Heathcote, The Military in British India: The Development of British Forces in South Asia:1600–1947, (Manchester University Press, 1995), pp. 5–7</ref><ref>Barnett, Lionel (1999), {{Google books|LnoREHdzxt8C|Antiquities of India: An Account of the History and Culture of Ancient Hindustan|page=1}}, Atlantic pp. 73–79</ref>

In 1017, the Iranian Islamic historian ] was deported after a war that Mahmud of Ghazni won,<ref name=unescoalbe> Bobojan Gafurov (June 1974), ''The Courier Journal'', UNESCO, p. 13</ref> to the northwest Indian subcontinent under Mahmud's rule. Al Biruni stayed in the region for about fifteen years, learnt Sanskrit, and translated many Indian texts, and wrote about Indian society, culture, sciences, and religion in Persian and Arabic. He stayed for some time in the Hindu Kush region, particularly near Kabul. In 1019, he recorded and described a solar eclipse in what is the modern era ] of Afghanistan through which Hindu Kush pass.<ref name=unescoalbe/> Al Biruni also wrote about early history of the Hindu Kush region and Kabul kings, who ruled the region long before he arrived, but this history is inconsistent with other records available from that era.<ref name=wink124/> Al Biruni was supported by Sultan Mahmud.<ref name=unescoalbe/> Al Biruni found it difficult to get access to Indian literature locally in the Hindu Kush area, and to explain this he wrote, "Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, and performed wonderful exploits by which the Hindus became the atoms scattered in all directions, and like a tale of old in the mouth of the people. (...) This is the reason, too, why Hindu sciences have retired far from those parts of the country conquered by us, and have fled to places which our hand cannot yet reach, to Kashmir, ] and other places".<ref>{{cite book|author1=William J. Duiker|author2=Jackson J. Spielvogel|title=The Essential World History, Vol. I: To 1800 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9DMjtWoJKoC |year=2013|publisher=Cengage |isbn=978-1-133-60772-4|page=228}}</ref>

In the late 12th century, the historically influential Ghurid empire led by ] ruled the Hindu Kush region.<ref>{{cite book|author=K.A. Nizami|title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=18eABeokpjEC&pg=PA186| year=1998| publisher=UNESCO|isbn=978-92-3-103467-1|page=186}}</ref> He was influential in seeding the ], shifting the base of his Sultanate from south of the Hindu Kush range and Ghazni towards the Yamuna River and Delhi. He thus helped bring Islamic rule to the northern plains of the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{cite book|author=Peter Jackson|title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=lt2tqOpVRKgC |year=2003| publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-54329-3|pages=7–15, 24–27}}</ref> In the ], ] invaded the region from the northeast in one of his many conquests to create the huge ].
]
The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta arrived in the ] by passing through the Hindu Kush.<ref name=sl2009/> The mountain passes of the Hindu Kush range were used by Timur and his army and they crossed to launch the 1398 invasion of the northern Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{cite book|author=Francis Robinson|title=The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fz5kgjMDnOIC&pg=PA56|year=1996|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-66993-1|page=56}}</ref> ], also known as Temur or Tamerlane in Western scholarly literature, marched with his army to Delhi, plundering and killing all the way.<ref name=jackson311>{{cite book|author=Peter Jackson|title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt2tqOpVRKgC|year=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-54329-3|pages=311–319}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title=Tīmūr Lang | encyclopedia=] | publisher=] | author=Beatrice F. Manz |editor1=P. J. Bearman |editor2=Th. Bianquis |editor3=C. E. Bosworth |editor4=E. van Donzel |editor5=W. P. Heinrichs | year=2000 | volume=10 | edition=2nd}}</ref><ref name=annemarie36>{{cite book|author=Annemarie Schimmel|title=Islam in the Indian Subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYImm1TnemwC|year=1980|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-06117-0|pages=36–44}}</ref> He arrived in the capital Delhi where his army.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Hermann Kulke|author2=Dietmar Rothermund|title=A History of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TPVq3ykHyH4C|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-32919-4|page=178}}</ref> Then he carried the wealth and the captured slaves, returning to his capital through the Hindu Kush.<ref name=jackson311/><ref name=annemarie36/><ref>{{cite book|author=Paddy Docherty|title=The Khyber Pass: A History of Empire and Invasion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oSbovvxLlWgC&pg=PA160|year=2007|publisher=London: Union Square|isbn=978-1-4027-5696-2|pages=160–162}}</ref>

], the founder of the Mughal Empire, was a patrilineal descendant of Timur with roots in Central Asia.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Gerhard Bowering|author2=Patricia Crone|author3=Wadad Kadi|display-authors=etal|title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHcZlo12SGoC&pg=PA60 |year=2012|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0691134840|page=60}}</ref> He first established himself and his army in Kabul and the Hindu Kush region. In 1526, he made his move into north India, and won the Battle of Panipat, ending the last Delhi Sultanate dynasty, and starting the era of the Mughals.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Scott Cameron Levi|author2=Muzaffar Alam|title=India and Central Asia: Commerce and Culture, 1500–1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7DkMAQAAMAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-568647-0|pages=19–20}}</ref>

====Slavery====
], as with all major ancient and medieval societies, has been a part of ] and ] history. The Hindu Kush mountain passes connected the slave markets of Central Asia with slaves seized in South Asia.<ref name=levi277>Scott C. Levi (2002), ''Hindus beyond the Hindu Kush: Indians in the Central Asian Slave Trade'', Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Cambridge University Press, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Nov. 2002), pp. 277–288</ref><ref name=witzenrath10/><ref name="Alam2007p11">{{cite book|author1=Scott Cameron Levi|author2=Muzaffar Alam|title=India and Central Asia: Commerce and Culture, 1500–1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7DkMAQAAMAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-568647-0|pages=11–12, 43–49, 86 note 7, 87 note 18}}</ref> The seizure and transportation of slaves from the Indian subcontinent became intense in and after the 8th century CE, with evidence suggesting that the slave transport involved "hundreds of thousands" of slaves from India in different periods of Islamic rule era.<ref name=witzenrath10>{{cite book|author=Christoph Witzenrath|title=Eurasian Slavery, Ransom and Abolition in World History, 1200–1860 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7LG1CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 |year=2016| publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-14002-3|pages=10–11 with footnotes}}</ref> According to John Coatsworth and others, the slave trading operations during the pre-Akbar Mughal and Delhi Sultanate era "sent thousands of Hindus every year north to Central Asia to pay for horses and other goods".<ref>{{cite book|author1=John Coatsworth|author2=Juan Cole|author3=Michael P. Hanagan|display-authors=etal|title=Global Connections: Vol. 2, Since 1500: Politics, Exchange, and Social Life in World History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BHfmBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA18|year=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-316-29790-2|page=18}}</ref><ref>According to Clarence-Smith, the practice was curtailed but continued during Akbar's era, and returned after Akbar's death; {{cite book|author=W. G. Clarence-Smith|title=Islam and the Abolition of Slavery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQbylEdqJKkC&pg=PA90|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-522151-0|pages=90–91}}</ref> However, the interaction between Central Asia and South Asia through the Hindu Kush was not limited to slavery, it included trading in food, goods, horses and weapons.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Scott Cameron Levi|author2=Muzaffar Alam|title=India and Central Asia: Commerce and Culture, 1500–1800|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7DkMAQAAMAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-568647-0|pages=9–10, 53, 126, 160–161}}</ref>

The practice of raiding tribes, hunting, and kidnapping people for slave trading continued through the 19th century, at an extensive scale, around the Hindu Kush. According to a British Anti-Slavery Society report of 1874, the governor of Faizabad, Mir Ghulam Bey, kept 8,000 horses and cavalrymen who routinely captured non-Muslims as well as Shia Muslims as slaves. Others alleged to be involved in the slave trade were feudal lords such as Ameer Sheer Ali. The isolated communities in the Hindu Kush were one of the targets of these slave-hunting expeditions.<ref>{{cite book|author=Junius P. Rodriguez|title=Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXysBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA666 |year=2015| publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-47180-6|pages=666–667}}</ref>

===Modern era===
], during the ]]]
The people of ] practiced had ancient polytheistic traditions until the 1896 invasion and conversion to Islam at the hands of Afghans under Amir ].<ref name="paganp29" />

'''British era'''

The Hindu Kush served as a geographical barrier to the ], leading to a paucity of information and scarce direct interaction between the British colonial officials and Central Asian peoples. The British had to rely on tribal chiefs, Sadozai and Barakzai noblemen for information, and they generally downplayed the reports of slavery and other violence for geo-political strategic considerations.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jonathan L. Lee|title=The 'Ancient Supremacy': Bukhara, Afghanistan and the Battle for Balkh, 1731–1901|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYaamE_3kD4C&pg=PA74|year=1996|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-90-04-10399-3|page=74 with footnote}}</ref> The first ] ended in disaster in 1842, when 16,000 British soldiers and camp followers were massacred as they ] through the Hindu Kush back to India.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Terry |title=Britain's Retreat from Kabul 1842 |url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Britains-Retreat-From-Kabul-1842/ |work=Historic UK}}</ref>

'''After 1947'''

In the colonial era, the Hindu Kush was considered, informally, the dividing line between Russian and British areas of influence in Afghanistan. During the ] the Hindu Kush range became a strategic theatre, especially during the 1980s when ] forces and their Afghan allies fought the ] channelled through Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mohammed Kakar|title=Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979–1982|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QyTmFj5tUGsC&pg=PA130 |year=1995|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-91914-3|pages=130–133}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Scott Gates|author2=Kaushik Roy|title=Unconventional Warfare in South Asia: Shadow Warriors and Counterinsurgency|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5sSXCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA142|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-00541-4|pages=142–144}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Mark Silinsky|author-link=Mark Silinsky|title=The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yciUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6 |year=2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-39898-8|pages=6–7}}</ref> After the Soviet withdrawal and the end of the Cold War, many mujahideen morphed into Taliban and al-Qaeda forces imposing a strict interpretation of Islamic law (]), with Kabul, these mountains, and other parts of Afghanistan as their base.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mark Silinsky|title=The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yciUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6 |year=2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-39898-8|pages=8, 37–39, 81–82}}</ref><ref name=barber15>{{cite book|author=Nicola Barber|title=Changing World: Afghanistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZsLBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15|year=2015|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|isbn=978-1-62513-318-2|page=15}}</ref> Other Mujahideen joined the Northern Alliance to oppose the Taliban rule.<ref name=barber15/>

After the ] in ] and ], the ] and ] campaign against Al Qaeda and their Taliban allies made the Hindu Kush once again a militarised conflict zone.<ref name=barber15/><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203080628/http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP18/short-march-hindu-kush-ed-darack |date=3 February 2020 }}, Alpinist 18.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t16.html |title=Alexander in the Hindu Kush |publisher=Livius. Articles on Ancient History |access-date=12 September 2007 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930203829/http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t16.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Climate change ==
]

The 2019 Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment<ref name=":HKH2019">{{Cite book |last1=Wester |first1=Philippus |last2=Mishra |first2=Arabinda |last3=Mukherji |first3=Aditi |last4=Shrestha |first4=Arun Bhakta |year=2019 |title=The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment: Mountains, Climate Change, Sustainability and People |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1 |isbn=978-3-319-92288-1 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1 |s2cid=199491088 }} }}</ref> concluded that between 1901 and 2014, the Hindu Kush Himalaya (or HKH) region had already experienced warming of 0.1&nbsp;°C per decade, with the warming rate accelerating to 0.2&nbsp;°C per decade over the past 50 years. Over the past 50 years, the frequency of warm days and nights had also increased by 1.2 days and 1.7 nights per decade, while the frequency of ''extreme'' warm days and nights had increased by 1.26 days and 2.54 nights per decade. There was also a corresponding decline of 0.5 cold days, 0.85 extreme cold days, 1 cold night, and 2.4 extreme cold nights per decade. The length of the ] has increased by 4.25 days per decade.

There is less conclusive evidence of light ] becoming less frequent while heavy precipitation became both more frequent and more intense. Finally, since 1970s glaciers have retreated everywhere in the region beside ], eastern ], and western ], where there has been an unexpected increase in snowfall. Glacier retreat had been followed by an increase in the number of ]s, some of which may be prone to dangerous floods.<ref name=":HKH2019Climate">{{Cite book |last1=Krishnan |first1=Raghavan |last2=Shrestha |first2=Arun Bhakta |last3=Ren |first3=Guoyu |last4=Rajbhandari |first4=Rupak |last5=Saeed |first5=Sajjad |last6=Sanjay |first6=Jayanarayanan |last7=Syed |first7=Md. Abu. |last8=Vellore |first8=Ramesh |last9=Xu |first9=Ying |last10=You |first10=Qinglong |last11=Ren |first11=Yuyu |title=The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment |date= 2019 |chapter=Unravelling Climate Change in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Rapid Warming in the Mountains and Increasing Extremes |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_3 |pages=57–97 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_3 |isbn=978-3-319-92287-4 |s2cid=134572569 }}</ref>

In the future, if the ] goal of 1.5&nbsp;°C of global warming is not exceeded, warming in the HKH will be at least 0.3&nbsp;°C higher, and at least 0.7&nbsp;°C higher in the hotspots of northwest Himalaya and Karakoram. If the Paris Agreement goals are broken, then the region is expected to warm by 1.7–2.4&nbsp;°C in the near future (2036–2065) and by 2.2–3.3&nbsp;°C (2066–2095) near the end of the century under the "intermediate" ] 4.5 (RCP4.5).

Under the high-warming RCP8.5 scenario where the annual emissions continue to increase for the rest of the century, the expected regional warming is 2.3–3.2&nbsp;°C and 4.2–6.5&nbsp;°C, respectively. Under all scenarios, winters will warm more than the summers, and the Tibetan Plateau, the central Himalayan Range, and the Karakoram will continue to warm more than the rest of the region. Climate change will also lead to the degradation of up to 81% of the region's ] by the end of the century.<ref name=":HKH2019Climate" />

Future precipitation is projected to increase as well, but ] models struggle to make specific projections due to the region's topography: the most certain finding is that the ] precipitation in the region will increase by 4–12% in the near future and by 4–25% in the long term.<ref name=":HKH2019Climate" /> There has also been modelling of the changes in snow cover, but it is limited to the end of century under the RCP 8.5 scenario: it projects declines of 30–50% in the Indus Basin, 50–60% in the Ganges basin, and 50–70% in the Brahmaputra Basin, as the snowline elevation in these regions will rise by between 4.4 and 10.0 m/yr. There has been more extensive modelling of glacier trends: it is projected that one third of all glaciers in the extended HKH region will be lost by 2100 even if the warming is limited to 1.5&nbsp;°C (with over half of that loss in the Eastern Himalaya region), while RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 are likely to lead to the losses of 50% and >67% of the region's glaciers over the same timeframe.

Glacier melt is projected to accelerate regional river flows until the amount of meltwater peaks around 2060, going into an irreversible decline afterwards. Since precipitation will continue to increase even as the glacier meltwater contribution declines, annual river flows are only expected to diminish in the western basins where contribution from the monsoon is low: however, ] and ] generation would still have to adjust to greater interannual variability and lower pre-monsoon flows in all of the region's rivers.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 February 2019 |author=Damian Carrington |title=A third of Himalayan ice cap doomed, finds report |website=] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/04/a-third-of-himalayan-ice-cap-doomed-finds-shocking-report |access-date=20 October 2022}}</ref><ref name=":HKH2019Cryo">{{Cite book |last1=Bolch |first1=Tobias |last2=Shea |first2=Joseph M. |last3=Liu |first3=Shiyin |last4=Azam |first4=Farooq M. |last5=Gao |first5=Yang |last6=Gruber |first6=Stephan |last7=Immerzeel |first7=Walter W. |last8=Kulkarni |first8=Anil |last9=Li |first9=Huilin |last10=Tahir |first10=Adnan A. |last11=Zhang |first11=Guoqing |last12=Zhang |first12=Yinsheng |title=The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment |date=5 January 2019 |chapter=Status and Change of the Cryosphere in the Extended Hindu Kush Himalaya Region |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_3 |pages=209–255 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_7 |isbn=978-3-319-92287-4 |s2cid=134814572 }}</ref><ref name=":HKH2019Water">{{Cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Christopher A. |last2=Zhang |first2=Fan |last3=Mukherji |first3=Aditi |last4=Immerzeel |first4=Walter |last5=Mustafa |first5=Daanish |last6=Bharati |first6=Luna |title=The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment |date=5 January 2019 |chapter=Water in the Hindu Kush Himalaya |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_8 |pages=257–299 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_8 |isbn=978-3-319-92287-4 |s2cid=133800578 }}</ref>

=== Future development and adaptation ===
A range of adaptation efforts are already undertaken across the HKH region: however, they suffer from underinvestment and insufficient coordination between the various state, institutional and other non-state efforts, and need to be "urgently" strengthened in order to be commensurate with the challenges ahead.<ref name=":HKH2019Adaptation">{{Cite book |last1=Mishra |first1=Arabinda |last2=Appadurai |first2=Arivudai Nambi |last3=Choudhury |first3=Dhrupad |last4=Regmi |first4=Bimal Raj |last5=Kelkar |first5=Ulka |last6=Alam |first6=Mozaharul |last7=Chaudhary |first7=Pashupati |last8=Mu |first8=Seinn Seinn |last9=Ahmed |first9=Ahsan Uddin |last10=Lotia |first10=Hina |last11=Fu |first11=Chao |last12=Namgyel |first12=Thinley |last13=Sharma |first13=Upasna |title=The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment |date= 2019 |chapter=Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Stronger Action Urgently Needed |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_13 |pages=457–490 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_13 |isbn=978-3-319-92287-4 |s2cid=133625937 }}</ref>

The 2019 Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment outlined three main "storylines" for the region between now and 2080: "business-as-usual" (or "muddling through"), with no significant change from the current trends and development/adaptation initiatives proceeding as they do now; "downhill", where the intensity of global climate change is high, local initiatives fail and regional cooperation breaks down; and "prosperous".


Where extensive cooperation allows region's communities to weather "moderate" climate change and increase their living standards while also preserving the region's biodiversity. In addition, it described two alternate pathways through which the "prosperous" future can be achieved: the first focuses on top-down, large-scale development and the latter describes a bottom-up, decentralized alternative.<ref name=":HKH2019Pathways">{{Cite book |last1=Roy |first1=Joyashree |last2=Moors |first2=Eddy |last3=Murthy |first3=M. S. R. |last4=Prabhakar |first4=V. R. K. |last5=Khattak |first5=Bahadar Nawab |last6=Shi |first6=Peili |last7=Huggel |first7=Christian |last8=Chitale |first8=Vishwas |title=The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment |date= 2019 |chapter=Exploring Futures of the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Scenarios and Pathways |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_4 |pages=99–125 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_4 |isbn=978-3-319-92287-4 |s2cid=158743152 }}</ref>
Chitral is considered to be the pinnacle of the Hindu Kush region. The highest peaks, as well as countless passes and massive glaciers, are located in this region. The ], ], and ] ]s are amongst the most extensive in the Hindu Kush and the meltwater from these glaciers form the ], which eventually flows south into Afghanistan and joins the ], ], and eventually the much smaller ].


{| class="wikitable"
==Highest mountains==
|+Pathway 1 <ref name=":HKH2019Pathways"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
!rowspan="2"|Actions
!colspan="4"|Benefits
!colspan="2"|Need
!|Risk
|- |-
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Economic
!Name !! Height<br /> in !! Country
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Social
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Environmental/climate
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Cross sectoral
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Finance and human resources
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Governance
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Source
|- |-
|Large ] generating capacity||] in economic prosperity for the region as a whole, high potential for power trade||New skill development, diversified livelihood options||] reduction, both adaptation and mitigation||Large ] to manage seasonal variability and strategic cross-sector allocation||Large corporate, ], sustained ]||HKH institution, regional ], cross-border policy coordination||Lack of transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of cross-sector water sharing formal arrangements; lack of ]-based design of ]s/power plants; public acceptance, ] accumulation
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 7708 || PK
|- |-
|HKH and non-HKH ]||Very high economic prosperity for the region and beyond||New skill, non-farm diversified livelihood options||Unplanned local ] will decrease||Reliable power supply for all ]||Large corporate, global finance, climate finance||HKH electric distribution corporation||Transboundary sustainable political cooperation;lack of ecosystem-based design
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 7492 || AF, PK
|- |-
|HKH ICT (]) network||Boost to regional and local ]||New skill, non-farm diversified livelihood options||Connectivity across mountainous terrain without ecological impact||Extent of market cutting across sectors and regions||Large corporations, global finance, climate finance||HKH communications corporation||Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of biodiversity-sensitive design
|style="text-align:left" |] || 7403 || PK
|- |-
|Cross-border trade corridors e.g., silk route re-development ||Income, consumption, production leapfrogs as per ], benefit to large-scale ] industry||], ], health service, social interdependence, non-farm livelihood generation||Comparative advantage will lead to biodiversity conservation, enhance payment for ]||Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge||Regional, global||HKH trade authority||Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of biodiversity-sensitive design in transport corridor development
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 7338 || PK
|-
|Large water storage and supply ||Income, consumption, production leapfrog||Food security, energy security, non-farm water sector livelihood generation||Less ], less ]s, ] facility||Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge||Regional, global||HKH water council||Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of ecosystem-sensitive development
|- |-
|Large ] facilities||Leapfrog in water resource management||Water security, non-farm water sector livelihood generation||Reduction in ]||Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge||Regional, global||HKH water council||Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of ecosystem sensitive development
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 7140 || PK
|-
|Large-scale ]||Leapfrog in economic growth centers||Non-farm water sector livelihood generation||Reserve nature for biodiversity conservation||Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge||Local, national, regional, and global||National urban development authorities||Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development
|- |-
|Large ]||Leapfrog in farm-level activity and income||Income, livelihood security||Investment in environmental management||Farming based industrial/trade growth||Local, national, regional, and global||National farming development authorities||Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development; lack of public acceptance, possibility of food crop reduction, crop ]
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 6901 || AF, PK
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Pathway 2 <ref name=":HKH2019Pathways"/>
!rowspan="2"|Actions
!colspan="4"|Benefits
!colspan="2"|Need
!|Risk
|-
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Economic
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Social
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Environmental/climate
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Cross sectoral
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Finance and human resources
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Governance
! style="font-weight:normal;font-size:85%;"|Source
|-
|Distributed small hydro power generating capacity||Incremental national, local economic prosperity through ]||Traditional skill utilization||Air pollution reduction, both adaptation and mitigation||Water flow uninterrupted||Small to medium national scale finance, programmatic finance by bundling, climate finance||Community level, local, national, multilevel coordination for tariff, etc. to ensure equity||Lack of local capacity for multi-level governance; lack of upstream- downstream water sharing arrangements; lack of ecosystem-based design
|- |-
|]||Local economic prosperity||Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development||Small ] with less environmental impact||Reliable power supply for target group||Specialized medium-scale global finance, climate finance||Private, local electric distribution companies||Without multilevel governance, inequality may arise across social groups; not a tried and tested technology; maintenance will need local skill building
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 6843 || AF
|- |-
|National ICT (information and communications technology) network||Incremental national growth||Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development||National connectivity in mountainous terrain improves without ecological impact||Extent of market cutting across sectors||National/global investment negotiated competitively||National institutions||Lack of local/national skill, national negotiation capacity
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 6743 || AF
|- |-
|National culture based products, tourism||Incremental progress||Traditional skill, non-farm livelihood||Environmental conservation||Tourism related infrastructure expansion||Local, national||Local and national institutions||Lack of capacity to integrate with the rest of the world
|style="text-align:left" |]|| 6272 || AF, PK
|-
|Decentralized water storage and supply||Incremental progress||Traditional systems to be revived||Environmental conservation||Local infrastructure expansion||Local, national||Local, national||New modern technology to be developed; lack of local/national skill
|- |-
|Decentralized water treatment||Incremental Progress||Traditional systems to be revived||Environmental conservation||Local infrastructure expansion||Local, national||Local, national||New modern technology to be developed; lack of local/national skill
|style="text-align:left" |] || 6234 || AF
|-
|Small settlement planning||Less displacement cost||Less displacement and ]||No change in large-scale land use pattern||Local infrastructure expansion||Local, national||Local, national regulations||Localized environmental impact might go unregulated
|- |-
|Small farming practices||Incremental progress||Continuation of traditional practices||No change in large-scale land use pattern||Local infrastructure expansion||Local, national||Local, national regulations||Localized environmental impact might go unregulated
|style="text-align:left" |] || 5809 || AF
|} |}

==Ethnography==
Pre-Islamic populations of the Hindu Kush included ], ],<ref name="Biddulph-12">Biddulph, p. 12</ref><ref>Biddulph, p. 38</ref> ], Neemchas<ref>Biddulph, p. 7</ref> Koli,<ref name="Biddulph-9">Biddulph, p. 9</ref> Palus,<ref name="Biddulph-9"/> Gaware,<ref>Biddulph, p. 11</ref> and Krammins.<ref name="Biddulph-12" />


==See also== ==See also==
*] *]
*] *]
*]
* '']'' * '']''
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*] *]
*] (a list of mountains above 7,200m) *] (a list of mountains above 7,200m)
Line 151: Line 286:
*] *]


==References== ==Notes==
{{Reflist|33em}} {{notelist}}


===Bibliography=== == References ==
=== Citations ===
*Biddulph, John. ''Tribes of the Hindoo Koosh'' (Sang-e-Meel, 2001)
{{reflist|30em|refs=


<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |title=Mapping the vulnerability hotspots over Hindu-Kush Himalaya region to flooding disasters |doi=10.1016/j.wace.2014.12.001 |volume=8 |pages=46–58 |journal=Weather and Climate Extremes|year=2015 |last1=Elalem |first1=Shada |last2=Pal |first2=Indrani |bibcode=2015WCE.....8...46E |doi-access=free}}</ref>
===Further reading===

<ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=http://www.assess-hkh.at/downloads/Poster1_ASSESS_HKH_scientific.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922065423/http://www.assess-hkh.at/downloads/Poster1_ASSESS_HKH_scientific.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-22 |url-status=live |title=Development of an ASSESSment system to evaluate the ecological status of rivers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region |periodical=Assess-HKH.at |access-date=6 September 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=":3">, Encyclopædia Britannica</ref>

<ref name=":4">{{cite book|author=Stefan Heuberger|title=The Karakoram-Kohistan Suture Zone in NW Pakistan – Hindu Kush Mountain Range|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=67JwfOvNm4UC&pg=PA25|year=2004|publisher=vdf Hochschulverlag AG|isbn=978-3-7281-2965-9|pages=25–26}}</ref>

<ref name=":5">, Encyclopædia Britannica</ref>

<ref name=":6">{{cite book|author1=Jonathan M. Bloom|author2=Sheila S. Blair|title=The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=un4WcfEASZwC&pg=PA389 |year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-530991-1|pages=389–390}}</ref>

<ref name="Clements2003p109">{{cite book|author=Frank Clements|title=Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bv4hzxpo424C&pg=PA109|year=2003|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-402-8|pages=109–110}}</ref>

<ref name="ICIMOD">{{cite web |url=http://www.icimod.org/?q=1137 |title=Hindu Kush Himalayan Region |publisher= ICIMOD |access-date=17 October 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="Konrad H. Kinzl 2010 577">{{cite book|author=Konrad H. Kinzl|title=A Companion to the Classical Greek World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=loeWIRBo3isC&pg=PA577|year=2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4443-3412-8|page=577}}</ref>

<ref name="Michael Ryan 2013 54–55">{{cite book|author=Michael Ryan|title=Decoding Al-Qaeda's Strategy: The Deep Battle Against America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZtCrAgAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-16384-2|pages=54–55}}</ref>

<ref name="paganp29">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVgrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29|title=Pagan Christmas: Winter Feasts of the Kalasha of the Hindu Kush|author=Augusto S. Cacopardo|publisher=Gingko Library|isbn=978-1-90-994285-1|date=15 February 2017}}</ref>

<ref name="Searle2013p157">{{cite book|author=Mike Searle|title=Colliding Continents: A geological exploration of the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Tibet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c25oAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA157|year=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-165248-6|page=157}}, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan".</ref>

<ref name="Steingass1992p1030">{{cite book|author=Francis Joseph Steingass|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knA9NptP7xsC&pg=PA1030|title=A Comprehensive Persian–English Dictionary|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=1992|isbn=978-81-206-0670-8|pages=1030–1031 ('''kush means''' "killer, kills, slays, murders, oppresses"), p. 455 (khirs–kush means "bear killer"), p. 734 (shutur–kush means "camel butcher"), p. 1213 (mardum–kush means "man slaughter")}}</ref>

<ref name="Wink2002p52">{{cite book|author=André Wink|title=Al-Hind: The Slavic Kings and the Islamic Conquest, 11th–13th Centuries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uQ7k2vQlYxEC&pg=PA52 |year=2002|publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-0-391-04174-5|pages=52–53}}</ref>

}}

=== Sources ===
; Works cited
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Biddulph |first=John |year=2001 |orig-year=1880 |title=Tribes of the Hindoo Koosh |location=Lahore |publisher=Sang-e-Meel |isbn=9789693505825 |oclc=223434311 }} {{Google books|P4tEAQAAMAAJ|Tribes of the Hindoo Koosh}} (facsimile of the original edition).
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* ] (1877). ''The Northern Barrier of India: A Popular Account of the Jammoo and Kashmir Territories with Illustrations''. Frederic Drew. 1st edition: Edward Stanford, London. Reprint: Light & Life Publishers, Jammu, 1971 * ] (1877). ''The Northern Barrier of India: A Popular Account of the Jammoo and Kashmir Territories with Illustrations''. Frederic Drew. 1st edition: Edward Stanford, London. Reprint: Light & Life Publishers, Jammu, 1971
* Gibb, H. A. R. (1929). ''Ibn Battūta: Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325–1354''. Translated and selected by H. A. R. Gibb. Reprint: Asian Educational Services, New Delhi and Madras, 1992 * Gibb, H. A. R. (1929). ''Ibn Battūta: Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325–1354''. Translated and selected by H. A. R. Gibb. Reprint: Asian Educational Services, New Delhi and Madras, 1992
* ] (1876). ''The Roof of the World: Being the Narrative of a Journey over the High Plateau of Tibet to the Russian Frontier and the Oxus Sources on Pamir.'' Edinburgh. Edmonston and Douglas. Reprint: Ch’eng Wen Publishing Company. Tapei, 1971 * ] (1876). ''The Roof of the World: Being the Narrative of a Journey over the High Plateau of Tibet to the Russian Frontier and the Oxus Sources on Pamir.'' Edinburgh. Edmonston and Douglas. Reprint: Ch’eng Wen Publishing Company. Tapei, 1971
* Leitner, Gottlieb Wilhelm (1890). ''Dardistan in 1866, 1886 and 1893: Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush, as also a supplement to the second edition of The Hunza and Nagyr Handbook. And An Epitome of Part III of the author's 'The Languages and Races of ]'''. Reprint, 1978. Manjusri Publishing House, New Delhi. ISBN 81-206-1217-5 * Leitner, Gottlieb Wilhelm (1890). ''Dardistan in 1866, 1886 and 1893: Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush, as also a supplement to the second edition of The Hunza and Nagyr Handbook. And An Epitome of Part III of the author's 'The Languages and Races of ]'''. Reprint, 1978. Manjusri Publishing House, New Delhi. {{ISBN|81-206-1217-5}}
* ]. (1958). '']''. Secker, London. Reprint: Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-0-86442-604-8 * ]. (1958). '']''. Secker, London. Reprint: Lonely Planet. {{ISBN|978-0-86442-604-8}}
* Yule, Henry and Burnell, A. C. (1886). ''Hobson-Jobson: The Anglo-Indian Dictionary''. 1996 reprint by Wordsworth Editions Ltd. ISBN 1-85326-363-X * Yule, Henry and Burnell, A. C. (1886). ''Hobson-Jobson: The Anglo-Indian Dictionary''. 1996 reprint by Wordsworth Editions Ltd. {{ISBN|1-85326-363-X}}
* ]] * , ]
* {{Iranica|hindu-kush}} * Ervin Grötzbach, {{Iranica|hindu-kush}}
* Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.21, pp.&nbsp;54–55, 1987 * ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 15th Ed., Vol. 21, pp.&nbsp;54–55, 65, 1987
* ], by ], ], K.Datta, 2nd Ed., MacMillan and Co, London, pp.&nbsp;336–37, 1965 * '']'', by ], ], K.Datta, 2nd Ed., MacMillan and Co., London, pp.&nbsp;336–37, 1965
* ''The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period'', by W. Haig & R. Burn, S. Chand & Co., New Delhi, pp.&nbsp;98–99, 1963
* Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 th Ed, Vol.21, p.&nbsp;65, 1987
* The Cambridge History of India, Vol.IV - The Mughul Period, by W.Haig & R.Burn, S.Chand & Co., New Delhi, pp.&nbsp;98–99, 1963


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Wikivoyage}} {{Wikivoyage}}
{{Commons category|Hindu Kush}} {{Commons category|Hindu Kush}}
{{EB1911 poster|Hindu Kush}}
*
*
*
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703015449/http://www.baluch-rugs.com/History/Hindu_Kush_Mountains.htm |date=3 July 2012 }}
* *
* *
* *

{{Ranges of Iranian Plateau}} {{Ranges of Iranian Plateau}}
{{GeoSouthAsia}} {{GeoSouthAsia}}
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{{Authority control}} {{Authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 20:14, 9 January 2025

Mountain range near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan For the cannabis variety of the same name, see Kush (cannabis). "Hindukush" redirects here. For other uses, see Hindukush (disambiguation).

Hindu Kush
Hindu KushThe Hindu Kush mountains at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
Highest point
PeakTirich Mir (Pakistan)
Elevation7,708 m (25,289 ft)
Coordinates36°14′45″N 71°50′38″E / 36.24583°N 71.84389°E / 36.24583; 71.84389
Dimensions
Length800 km (500 mi)
Geography
Topography of the Hindu Kush range
CountriesAfghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan
RegionSouth and Central Asia
Parent rangeHimalayas
Hindu Kush (top right) and its extending mountain ranges like Selseleh-ye Safīd Kūh or Koh-i-Baba to the west

The Hindu Kush is an 800-kilometre-long (500 mi) mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and eastern Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan and far southeastern Tajikistan. The range forms the western section of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region (HKH); to the north, near its northeastern end, the Hindu Kush buttresses the Pamir Mountains near the point where the borders of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet, after which it runs southwest through Pakistan and into Afghanistan near their border.

The eastern end of the Hindu Kush in the north merges with the Karakoram Range. Towards its southern end, it connects with the White Mountains near the Kabul River. It divides the valley of the Amu Darya (the ancient Oxus) to the north from the Indus River valley to the south. The range has numerous high snow-capped peaks, with the highest point being Tirich Mir or Terichmir at 7,708 metres (25,289 ft) in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

The Hindu Kush range region was a historically significant center of Buddhism, with sites such as the Bamiyan Buddhas. The range and communities settled in it hosted ancient monasteries, important trade networks and travelers between Central Asia and South Asia. While the vast majority of the region has been majority-Muslim for several centuries now, certain portions of the Hindu Kush only became Islamized relatively recently, such as Kafiristan, which retained ancient polytheistic beliefs until the 19th century when it was converted to Islam by the Durrani Empire and renamed Nuristan ("land of light"). The Hindu Kush range has also been the passageway for invasions of the Indian subcontinent, and continues to be important to contemporary warfare in Afghanistan.

Name origin

The earliest known usage of the Persian name Hindu Kush occurs on a map published about 1000 CE. Some modern scholars remove the space and refer to the mountain range as Hindukush.

Etymology

Hindu Kush is generally translated as "Killer of Hindu" or "Hindu-Killer" by most writers. Boyle's Persian–English dictionary indicates that the Persian suffix -koš [koʃ] is the present stem of the verb 'to kill' (koštan کشتن). According to linguist Francis Joseph Steingass, the suffix -kush means "a male; (imp. of kushtan in comp.) a killer, who kills, slays, murders, oppresses as azhdaha-kush ."

The term was earliest used by Ibn Battuta. According to him, Hindu Kush means Hindu Killer as Hindu slaves from the Indian subcontinent died in the harsh climatic conditions of the mountains while being taken from India to Turkestan by Muslim traders.

Several other theories have been propounded as to the origins of the name. According to Nigel Allan, the term Hindu Kush has two alternate meanings i.e 'sparkling snows of India' and 'mountains of India', with Kush possibly being a soft variant of the Persian kuh ('mountain'). Allan states that Hindu Kush was the frontier boundary to Arab geographers. Yet others suggest that the name may be derived from ancient Avestan, meaning 'water mountain'.

According to Hobson-Jobson, a 19th-century British dictionary, Hindukush might be a corruption of the ancient Latin Indicus (Caucasus); the entry mentions the interpretation first given by Ibn Battuta as a popular theory already at that time, despite doubts cast upon it.

Other names

In Vedic Sanskrit, the range was known as upariśyaina, and in Avestan, as upāirisaēna (from Proto-Iranian *upārisaina- 'covered with juniper'). It can alternatively be interpreted as "beyond the reach of eagles". In the time of Alexander the Great, the mountain range was referred to as the Caucasus Indicus (as opposed to the Greater Caucasus range between the Caspian and Black Seas), and as Paropamisos (see Paropamisadae) by Hellenic Greeks in the late first millennium BCE.

Some 19th-century encyclopedias and gazetteers state that the term Hindu Kush originally applied only to the peak in the area of the Kushan Pass, which had become a center of the Kushan Empire by the first century.

Geography

Noshaq is the second highest independent peak of the Hindu Kush Range after Tirich Mir.
Landscape of Afghanistan with a T-62 tank in the foreground
Aerial view of Hindu Kush mountains in northern Afghanistan
Terraced fields amongst the Hindu Kush in the Swat valley, Pakistan
Chitraas village, Nuristan Province in Afghanistan
Hindu Kush in the background in Ishkoshim, Tajikistan

The range forms the western section of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region (HKH) and is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram and the Himalayas. It divides the valley of the Amu Darya (the ancient Oxus) to the north from the Indus River valley to the south. The range has numerous high snow-capped peaks, with the highest point being Tirich Mir or Terichmir at 7,708 metres (25,289 ft) in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To the north, near its northeastern end, the Hindu Kush buttresses the Pamir Mountains near the point where the borders of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet, after which it runs southwest through Pakistan and into Afghanistan near their border. The eastern end of the Hindu Kush in the north merges with the Karakoram Range. Towards its southern end, it connects with the Spin Ghar Range near the Kabul River.

Peaks

Many peaks of the range are between 4,400 and 5,200 m (14,500 and 17,000 ft); however, some are much higher, with an average peak height of 4,500 metres (14,800 feet). The mountains of the Hindu Kush range diminish in height as they stretch westward. Near Kabul, in the west, they attain heights of 3,500 to 4,000 metres (11,500 to 13,100 ft); in the east they extend from 4,500 to 6,000 metres (14,800 to 19,700 ft).

Name Height Country
Tirich Mir 7,708 metres (25,289 ft) Pakistan
Noshak 7,492 metres (24,580 ft) Afghanistan, Pakistan
Istor-o-Nal 7,403 metres (24,288 ft) Pakistan
Saraghrar 7,338 metres (24,075 ft) Pakistan
Udren Zom 7,140 metres (23,430 ft) Pakistan
Kohe Shakhawr 7,084 metres (23,241 ft) Afghanistan
Lunkho e Dosare 6,901 metres (22,641 ft) Afghanistan, Pakistan
Kuh-e Bandaka 6,843 metres (22,451 ft) Afghanistan
Koh-e Keshni Khan 6,743 metres (22,123 ft) Afghanistan
Sakar Sar 6,272 metres (20,577 ft) Afghanistan, Pakistan
Kohe Mondi 6,234 metres (20,453 ft) Afghanistan

Passes

Numerous high passes ("kotal") transect the mountains, forming a strategically important network for the transit of caravans. The most important mountain pass in Afghanistan is the Salang Pass (Kotal-e Salang) (3,878 m or 12,723 ft) north of Kabul, which links southern Afghanistan to northern Afghanistan. The Salang Tunnel at 3,363 m (11,033 ft) and the extensive network of galleries on the approach roads was constructed with Soviet financial and technological assistance and involved drilling 2.7 km (1.7 mi) through the heart of the Hindu Kush; since the start of the wars in Afghanistan it has been an active area of armed conflict with various parties trying to control the strategic tunnel. The range has several other passes in Afghanistan, the lowest of which is the southern Shibar pass (2,700 m or 9,000 ft) where the Hindu Kush range terminates.

Before the Salang Tunnel, another feat of engineering was the road constructed through the Tang-e Gharu gorge near Kabul, replacing the ancient Lataband Pass and greatly reducing travel time towards the Pakistani border at the Khyber Pass.

Other mountain passes are at altitudes of about 3,700 m (12,000 ft) or higher, including the Broghil Pass at 12,460 feet in Pakistan, and the Dorah Pass between Pakistan and Afghanistan at 14,000 feet. Other high passes in Pakistan include the Lowari Pass at 10,200 feet, the Gomal Pass. The Darmodar Aghost Pass is at elevation of 4,371 m (14,341 ft). The Ishkoman Aghost Pass is at elevation of 4,587 m (15,049 ft).

Watershed

The Hindu Kush form the boundary between the Indus watershed in South Asia, and Amu Darya watershed in Central Asia. Melt water from snow and ice feeds major river systems in Central Asia: the Amu Darya (which feeds the Aral Sea), Helmand River (which is a major source of water for the Sistan Basin in southern Afghanistan and Iran), and the Kabul River – the last of which is a major tributary of the Indus River. Smaller rivers with headwaters in the range include the Khash, the Farah and the Arashkan (Harut) rivers. The basins of these rivers serve the ecology and economy of the region, but the water flow in these rivers greatly fluctuates, and reliance on these has been a historical problem with extended droughts being commonplace. The eastern end of the range, with the highest peaks, high snow accumulation allows to long-term water storage.

Geology

Geologically, the range is rooted in the formation of the subcontinent from a region of Gondwana that drifted away from East Africa about 160 million years ago, around the Middle Jurassic period. The Indian subcontinent, Australia and islands of the Indian Ocean rifted further, drifting northeastwards, with the Indian subcontinent colliding with the Eurasian Plate nearly 55 million years ago, towards the end of Palaeocene. This collision gradually formed the Himalayas, including the Hindu Kush.

The Hindu Kush are a part of the "young Eurasian mountain range consisting of metamorphic rocks such as schist, gneiss and marble, as well as of intrusives such as granite, diorite of different age and size". The northern regions of the Hindu Kush witness Himalayan winter and have glaciers, while its southeastern end witnesses the fringe of Indian subcontinent summer monsoons.

The Hindu Kush range remains geologically active and is still rising; it is prone to earthquakes. The Hindu Kush system stretches about 966 kilometres (600 mi) laterally, and its median north–south measurement is about 240 kilometres (150 mi). The mountains are orographically described in several parts. Peaks in the western Hindu Kush rise to over 5,100 m (16,700 ft) and stretch between Darra-ye Sekari and the Shibar Pass in the west and the Khawak Pass in the east. The central Hindu Kush peaks rise to over 6,800 m (22,300 ft), and this section has numerous spurs between the Khawak Pass in the east and the Durāh Pass in the west. In 2005 and 2015 there were some major earthquakes.

The eastern Hindu Kush, also known as the "High Hindu Kush", is mostly located in northern Pakistan and the Nuristan and Badakhshan provinces of Afghanistan with peaks over 7,000 m (23,000 ft). This section extends from the Durāh Pass to the Baroghil Pass at the border between northeastern Afghanistan and north Pakistan. The Chitral District of Pakistan is home to Tirich Mir, Noshaq, and Istoro Nal – the highest peaks in the Hindu Kush. The ridges between Khawak Pass and Badakshan is over 5,800 m (19,000 ft) and are called the Kaja Mohammed range.

Land cover and land use

A land cover map of the HKH region was developed using Landsat 30-meter data.

ICIMOD's first annual regional 30-meter resolution land cover database of HKH generated using public domain Landsat images demonstrated that grassland was the most dominant land cover, followed by barren land, which includes areas with bare areas. In 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, grassland covered 37.2%, 37.6%, 38.7%, and 38.2%, respectively, of the total area of the HKH region. During the same years, the second dominant land cover was barren areas, including bare soil and bare rock. In 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, bare soil and bare rock covered 32.1, 31.4, 30.4, and 30.7%. The cropland cover in 2000 was about 5.1% and about 5.4% in 2015. Snow and glacier areas covered about 4% of the high-elevation section in 2018, while waterbodies and riverbeds/channels together accounted for 2%. The weather conditions also have an impact on the land cover patterns across the regions. In the HKH, forest cover is mostly distributed in the south and south-eastern areas, where precipitation is more; the grasslands are mostly distributed in the north and north-western parts, while cropland is mostly found in the southern part of the region.

Flora and fauna

The mountainous areas of Hindu Kush range are mostly barren or, at the most, sparsely sprinkled with trees and stunted bushes. From about 1,300 to 2,300 m (4,300 to 7,500 ft), states Yarshater, "sclerophyllous forests are predominant with Quercus and Olea (wild olive); above that, up to a height of about 3,300 m (10,800 ft) one finds coniferous forests with Cedrus, Picea, Abies, Pinus, and junipers". The inner valleys of the Hindu Kush see little rain and have desert vegetation. On the other hand, Eastern Himalaya is home to multiple biodiversity hotspots, and 353 new species (242 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, two birds, two mammals and 61+ invertebrates) have been discovered there in between 1998 and 2008, with an average of 35 new species finds every year. With Eastern Himalaya included, the entire Hindu Kush Himalaya region is home to an estimated 35,000+ species of plants and 200+ species of animals.

History

Kabul, situated 5,900 feet (1,800 m) above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains

The high altitudes of the mountains have historical significance in South and Central Asia. The Hindu Kush range was a major center of Buddhism with sites such as the Bamiyan Buddhas. It has also been the passageway during the invasions of the Indian subcontinent, a region where the Taliban and al-Qaeda grew, and a scene of modern era warfare in Afghanistan. Ancient mines producing lapis lazuli are found in Kowkcheh Valley, while gem-grade emeralds are found north of Kabul in the valley of the Panjsher River and some of its tributaries. According to Walter Schumann, the West Hindu Kush mountains have been the source of the finest Lapis lazuli for thousands of years.

Buddha statue in 1896, BamiyanAfter statue destroyed by Islamist Taliban in 2001Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan in 1896 (top) and after destruction in 2001 by the Taliban.

Buddhism was widespread in the ancient Hindu Kush region. The ancient artwork of Buddhism includes the giant rock-carved statues called the Bamiyan Buddhas, in the southern and western end of the Hindu Kush. These statues were destroyed by Taliban Islamists in 2001. The southeastern valleys of Hindu Kush connecting towards the Indus Valley region were a major center that hosted monasteries, religious scholars from distant lands, trade networks and merchants of the ancient Indian subcontinent.

One of the early Buddhist schools, the Mahāsāṃghika-Lokottaravāda, was prominent in the area of Bamiyan. The Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang visited a Lokottaravāda monastery in the 7th century CE, at Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Birchbark and palm leaf manuscripts of texts in this monastery's collection, including Mahāyāna sūtras, have been discovered in the caves of Hindu Kush, and these are now a part of the Schøyen Collection. Some manuscripts are in the Gāndhārī language and Kharoṣṭhī script, while others are in Sanskrit and written in forms of the Gupta script.

According to Alfred Foucher, the Hindu Kush and nearby regions gradually converted to Buddhism by the 1st century CE, and this region was the base from where Buddhism crossed the Hindu Kush expanding into the Oxus valley region of Central Asia. Buddhism later disappeared and locals were forced to convert to Islam. Richard Bulliet also proposes that the area north of Hindu Kush was center of a new sect that had spread as far as Kurdistan, remaining in existence until the Abbasid times. The area eventually came under the control of the Hindu Shahi dynasty of Kabul. The Islamic conquest of the area happened under Sabuktigin who conquered Jayapala's dominion west of Peshawar in the 10th century.

Ancient

The significance of the Hindu Kush mountain ranges has been recorded since the time of Darius I of the Achaemenid Empire. Alexander entered the Indian subcontinent through the Hindu Kush as his army moved past the Afghan Valleys in the spring of 329 BCE. He moved towards the Indus Valley river region in the Indian subcontinent in 327 BCE;_his armies built several towns in this region over the intervening two years.

After Alexander died in 323 BCE, the region became part of the Seleucid Empire, according to the ancient history of Strabo written in the 1st century BCE, before it became a part of the Indian Maurya Empire around 305 BCE. The region became a part of the Kushan Empire around the start of the common era.

Medieval era

The lands north of the Hindu Kush, in the Hephthalite dominion, Buddhism was the predominant religion by mid 1st millennium CE. These Buddhists were religiously tolerant and they co-existed with followers of Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Nestorian Christianity. This Central Asia region along the Hindu Kush was taken over by Western Turks and Arabs by the eighth century, facing wars with mostly Iranians. One major exception was the period in the mid to late seventh century when the Tang dynasty from China destroyed the Northern Turks and extended its rule all the way to the Oxus River valley and regions of Central Asia bordering all along the Hindu Kush.

Hindu Kush relative to Bactria, Bamiyan, Kabul and Gandhara (bottom right).

The subcontinent and valleys of the Hindu Kush remained unconquered by the Islamic armies until the 9th century, even though they had conquered the southern regions of the Indus River valley such as Sind. Kabul fell to the army of Al-Ma'mun, the seventh Abbasid caliph, in 808 and the local king agreed to accept Islam and pay annual tributes to the caliph. However, states André Wink, inscriptional evidence suggests that the Kabul area near Hindu Kush had an early presence of Islam. When the extraction of silver from the mines in the Hindu Kush was at its greatest (c.850), the value of silver in relation to gold dropped, and the content of silver in the Carolingian denarius was increased so that it should maintain its intrinsic value.

The range came under the control of the Hindu Shahi dynasty of Kabul but was conquered by Sabuktigin who took all of Jayapala's dominion west of Peshawar.

Mahmud of Ghazni came to power in 998 CE, in Ghazna, Afghanistan, south of Kabul and the Hindu Kush range. He began a military campaign that rapidly brought both sides of the Hindu Kush range under his rule. From his mountainous Afghani base, he systematically raided and plundered kingdoms in north India from east of the Indus river to west of Yamuna river seventeen times between 997 and 1030.

Mahmud of Ghazni raided the treasuries of kingdoms, sacked cities, and destroyed Hindu temples, with each campaign starting every spring, but he and his army returned to Ghazni and the Hindu Kush base before monsoons arrived in the northwestern part of the subcontinent. He retracted each time, only extending Islamic rule into western Punjab.

In 1017, the Iranian Islamic historian Al-Biruni was deported after a war that Mahmud of Ghazni won, to the northwest Indian subcontinent under Mahmud's rule. Al Biruni stayed in the region for about fifteen years, learnt Sanskrit, and translated many Indian texts, and wrote about Indian society, culture, sciences, and religion in Persian and Arabic. He stayed for some time in the Hindu Kush region, particularly near Kabul. In 1019, he recorded and described a solar eclipse in what is the modern era Laghman Province of Afghanistan through which Hindu Kush pass. Al Biruni also wrote about early history of the Hindu Kush region and Kabul kings, who ruled the region long before he arrived, but this history is inconsistent with other records available from that era. Al Biruni was supported by Sultan Mahmud. Al Biruni found it difficult to get access to Indian literature locally in the Hindu Kush area, and to explain this he wrote, "Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, and performed wonderful exploits by which the Hindus became the atoms scattered in all directions, and like a tale of old in the mouth of the people. (...) This is the reason, too, why Hindu sciences have retired far from those parts of the country conquered by us, and have fled to places which our hand cannot yet reach, to Kashmir, Benares and other places".

In the late 12th century, the historically influential Ghurid empire led by Mu'izz al-Din ruled the Hindu Kush region. He was influential in seeding the Delhi Sultanate, shifting the base of his Sultanate from south of the Hindu Kush range and Ghazni towards the Yamuna River and Delhi. He thus helped bring Islamic rule to the northern plains of the Indian subcontinent. In the Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire, Genghis Khan invaded the region from the northeast in one of his many conquests to create the huge Mongol Empire.

Kabul in the 19th century

The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta arrived in the Delhi Sultanate by passing through the Hindu Kush. The mountain passes of the Hindu Kush range were used by Timur and his army and they crossed to launch the 1398 invasion of the northern Indian subcontinent. Timur, also known as Temur or Tamerlane in Western scholarly literature, marched with his army to Delhi, plundering and killing all the way. He arrived in the capital Delhi where his army. Then he carried the wealth and the captured slaves, returning to his capital through the Hindu Kush.

Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, was a patrilineal descendant of Timur with roots in Central Asia. He first established himself and his army in Kabul and the Hindu Kush region. In 1526, he made his move into north India, and won the Battle of Panipat, ending the last Delhi Sultanate dynasty, and starting the era of the Mughals.

Slavery

Slavery, as with all major ancient and medieval societies, has been a part of Central Asia and South Asia history. The Hindu Kush mountain passes connected the slave markets of Central Asia with slaves seized in South Asia. The seizure and transportation of slaves from the Indian subcontinent became intense in and after the 8th century CE, with evidence suggesting that the slave transport involved "hundreds of thousands" of slaves from India in different periods of Islamic rule era. According to John Coatsworth and others, the slave trading operations during the pre-Akbar Mughal and Delhi Sultanate era "sent thousands of Hindus every year north to Central Asia to pay for horses and other goods". However, the interaction between Central Asia and South Asia through the Hindu Kush was not limited to slavery, it included trading in food, goods, horses and weapons.

The practice of raiding tribes, hunting, and kidnapping people for slave trading continued through the 19th century, at an extensive scale, around the Hindu Kush. According to a British Anti-Slavery Society report of 1874, the governor of Faizabad, Mir Ghulam Bey, kept 8,000 horses and cavalrymen who routinely captured non-Muslims as well as Shia Muslims as slaves. Others alleged to be involved in the slave trade were feudal lords such as Ameer Sheer Ali. The isolated communities in the Hindu Kush were one of the targets of these slave-hunting expeditions.

Modern era

The last stand of the 44th Foot, during the 1842 retreat from Kabul

The people of Kafiristan practiced had ancient polytheistic traditions until the 1896 invasion and conversion to Islam at the hands of Afghans under Amir Abdur Rahman Khan.

British era

The Hindu Kush served as a geographical barrier to the British Empire, leading to a paucity of information and scarce direct interaction between the British colonial officials and Central Asian peoples. The British had to rely on tribal chiefs, Sadozai and Barakzai noblemen for information, and they generally downplayed the reports of slavery and other violence for geo-political strategic considerations. The first British invasion of Afghanistan ended in disaster in 1842, when 16,000 British soldiers and camp followers were massacred as they retreated through the Hindu Kush back to India.

After 1947

In the colonial era, the Hindu Kush was considered, informally, the dividing line between Russian and British areas of influence in Afghanistan. During the Cold War the Hindu Kush range became a strategic theatre, especially during the 1980s when Soviet forces and their Afghan allies fought the Afghan mujahideen channelled through Pakistan. After the Soviet withdrawal and the end of the Cold War, many mujahideen morphed into Taliban and al-Qaeda forces imposing a strict interpretation of Islamic law (Sharia), with Kabul, these mountains, and other parts of Afghanistan as their base. Other Mujahideen joined the Northern Alliance to oppose the Taliban rule.

After the 11 September 2001 terror attacks in New York City and Washington D.C., the American and ISAF campaign against Al Qaeda and their Taliban allies made the Hindu Kush once again a militarised conflict zone.

Climate change

Observed glacier mass loss in the HKH since the 20th century.

The 2019 Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment concluded that between 1901 and 2014, the Hindu Kush Himalaya (or HKH) region had already experienced warming of 0.1 °C per decade, with the warming rate accelerating to 0.2 °C per decade over the past 50 years. Over the past 50 years, the frequency of warm days and nights had also increased by 1.2 days and 1.7 nights per decade, while the frequency of extreme warm days and nights had increased by 1.26 days and 2.54 nights per decade. There was also a corresponding decline of 0.5 cold days, 0.85 extreme cold days, 1 cold night, and 2.4 extreme cold nights per decade. The length of the growing season has increased by 4.25 days per decade.

There is less conclusive evidence of light precipitation becoming less frequent while heavy precipitation became both more frequent and more intense. Finally, since 1970s glaciers have retreated everywhere in the region beside Karakoram, eastern Pamir, and western Kunlun, where there has been an unexpected increase in snowfall. Glacier retreat had been followed by an increase in the number of glacial lakes, some of which may be prone to dangerous floods.

In the future, if the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5 °C of global warming is not exceeded, warming in the HKH will be at least 0.3 °C higher, and at least 0.7 °C higher in the hotspots of northwest Himalaya and Karakoram. If the Paris Agreement goals are broken, then the region is expected to warm by 1.7–2.4 °C in the near future (2036–2065) and by 2.2–3.3 °C (2066–2095) near the end of the century under the "intermediate" Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5).

Under the high-warming RCP8.5 scenario where the annual emissions continue to increase for the rest of the century, the expected regional warming is 2.3–3.2 °C and 4.2–6.5 °C, respectively. Under all scenarios, winters will warm more than the summers, and the Tibetan Plateau, the central Himalayan Range, and the Karakoram will continue to warm more than the rest of the region. Climate change will also lead to the degradation of up to 81% of the region's permafrost by the end of the century.

Future precipitation is projected to increase as well, but CMIP5 models struggle to make specific projections due to the region's topography: the most certain finding is that the monsoon precipitation in the region will increase by 4–12% in the near future and by 4–25% in the long term. There has also been modelling of the changes in snow cover, but it is limited to the end of century under the RCP 8.5 scenario: it projects declines of 30–50% in the Indus Basin, 50–60% in the Ganges basin, and 50–70% in the Brahmaputra Basin, as the snowline elevation in these regions will rise by between 4.4 and 10.0 m/yr. There has been more extensive modelling of glacier trends: it is projected that one third of all glaciers in the extended HKH region will be lost by 2100 even if the warming is limited to 1.5 °C (with over half of that loss in the Eastern Himalaya region), while RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 are likely to lead to the losses of 50% and >67% of the region's glaciers over the same timeframe.

Glacier melt is projected to accelerate regional river flows until the amount of meltwater peaks around 2060, going into an irreversible decline afterwards. Since precipitation will continue to increase even as the glacier meltwater contribution declines, annual river flows are only expected to diminish in the western basins where contribution from the monsoon is low: however, irrigation and hydropower generation would still have to adjust to greater interannual variability and lower pre-monsoon flows in all of the region's rivers.

Future development and adaptation

A range of adaptation efforts are already undertaken across the HKH region: however, they suffer from underinvestment and insufficient coordination between the various state, institutional and other non-state efforts, and need to be "urgently" strengthened in order to be commensurate with the challenges ahead.

The 2019 Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment outlined three main "storylines" for the region between now and 2080: "business-as-usual" (or "muddling through"), with no significant change from the current trends and development/adaptation initiatives proceeding as they do now; "downhill", where the intensity of global climate change is high, local initiatives fail and regional cooperation breaks down; and "prosperous".

Where extensive cooperation allows region's communities to weather "moderate" climate change and increase their living standards while also preserving the region's biodiversity. In addition, it described two alternate pathways through which the "prosperous" future can be achieved: the first focuses on top-down, large-scale development and the latter describes a bottom-up, decentralized alternative.

Pathway 1
Actions Benefits Need Risk
Economic Social Environmental/climate Cross sectoral Finance and human resources Governance Source
Large hydro power generating capacity Leapfrog in economic prosperity for the region as a whole, high potential for power trade New skill development, diversified livelihood options Air pollution reduction, both adaptation and mitigation Large water storage to manage seasonal variability and strategic cross-sector allocation Large corporate, global finance, sustained climate finance HKH institution, regional tariff, cross-border policy coordination Lack of transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of cross-sector water sharing formal arrangements; lack of ecosystem-based design of reservoirs/power plants; public acceptance, silt accumulation
HKH and non-HKH electric grid Very high economic prosperity for the region and beyond New skill, non-farm diversified livelihood options Unplanned local resource extraction will decrease Reliable power supply for all sectors Large corporate, global finance, climate finance HKH electric distribution corporation Transboundary sustainable political cooperation;lack of ecosystem-based design
HKH ICT (information and communications technology) network Boost to regional and local economic growth New skill, non-farm diversified livelihood options Connectivity across mountainous terrain without ecological impact Extent of market cutting across sectors and regions Large corporations, global finance, climate finance HKH communications corporation Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of biodiversity-sensitive design
Cross-border trade corridors e.g., silk route re-development Income, consumption, production leapfrogs as per comparative advantage, benefit to large-scale tourism industry Food security, energy security, health service, social interdependence, non-farm livelihood generation Comparative advantage will lead to biodiversity conservation, enhance payment for ecosystem service Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge Regional, global HKH trade authority Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of biodiversity-sensitive design in transport corridor development
Large water storage and supply Income, consumption, production leapfrog Food security, energy security, non-farm water sector livelihood generation Less GLOF, less flash floods, pump storage facility Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge Regional, global HKH water council Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of ecosystem-sensitive development
Large water treatment facilities Leapfrog in water resource management Water security, non-farm water sector livelihood generation Reduction in waste disposal Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge Regional, global HKH water council Transboundary sustainable political cooperation; lack of ecosystem sensitive development
Large-scale urbanization Leapfrog in economic growth centers Non-farm water sector livelihood generation Reserve nature for biodiversity conservation Multiple opportunities across sectors emerge Local, national, regional, and global National urban development authorities Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development
Large contract farming Leapfrog in farm-level activity and income Income, livelihood security Investment in environmental management Farming based industrial/trade growth Local, national, regional, and global National farming development authorities Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development; lack of public acceptance, possibility of food crop reduction, crop monoculture
Pathway 2
Actions Benefits Need Risk
Economic Social Environmental/climate Cross sectoral Finance and human resources Governance Source
Distributed small hydro power generating capacity Incremental national, local economic prosperity through self-sufficiency Traditional skill utilization Air pollution reduction, both adaptation and mitigation Water flow uninterrupted Small to medium national scale finance, programmatic finance by bundling, climate finance Community level, local, national, multilevel coordination for tariff, etc. to ensure equity Lack of local capacity for multi-level governance; lack of upstream- downstream water sharing arrangements; lack of ecosystem-based design
Micro grids Local economic prosperity Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development Small infrastructure with less environmental impact Reliable power supply for target group Specialized medium-scale global finance, climate finance Private, local electric distribution companies Without multilevel governance, inequality may arise across social groups; not a tried and tested technology; maintenance will need local skill building
National ICT (information and communications technology) network Incremental national growth Lack of ecosystem-sensitive development National connectivity in mountainous terrain improves without ecological impact Extent of market cutting across sectors National/global investment negotiated competitively National institutions Lack of local/national skill, national negotiation capacity
National culture based products, tourism Incremental progress Traditional skill, non-farm livelihood Environmental conservation Tourism related infrastructure expansion Local, national Local and national institutions Lack of capacity to integrate with the rest of the world
Decentralized water storage and supply Incremental progress Traditional systems to be revived Environmental conservation Local infrastructure expansion Local, national Local, national New modern technology to be developed; lack of local/national skill
Decentralized water treatment Incremental Progress Traditional systems to be revived Environmental conservation Local infrastructure expansion Local, national Local, national New modern technology to be developed; lack of local/national skill
Small settlement planning Less displacement cost Less displacement and migration No change in large-scale land use pattern Local infrastructure expansion Local, national Local, national regulations Localized environmental impact might go unregulated
Small farming practices Incremental progress Continuation of traditional practices No change in large-scale land use pattern Local infrastructure expansion Local, national Local, national regulations Localized environmental impact might go unregulated

Ethnography

Pre-Islamic populations of the Hindu Kush included Shins, Yeshkuns, Chiliss, Neemchas Koli, Palus, Gaware, and Krammins.

See also

Notes

  1. Boyle's Persian-English dictionary indicates that the suffix -koš [koʃ] is the present stem of the verb 'to kill' (koštan کشتن). According to linguist Francis Joseph Steingass, the suffix -kush means 'a male; (imp. of kushtan in comp.) a killer, who kills, slays, murders, oppresses as azhdaha-kush.'

References

Citations

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  3. George C. Kohn (2006). Dictionary of Wars. Infobase Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4381-2916-7.
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Sources

Works cited

Further reading

  • Drew, Frederic (1877). The Northern Barrier of India: A Popular Account of the Jammoo and Kashmir Territories with Illustrations. Frederic Drew. 1st edition: Edward Stanford, London. Reprint: Light & Life Publishers, Jammu, 1971
  • Gibb, H. A. R. (1929). Ibn Battūta: Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325–1354. Translated and selected by H. A. R. Gibb. Reprint: Asian Educational Services, New Delhi and Madras, 1992
  • Gordon, T. E. (1876). The Roof of the World: Being the Narrative of a Journey over the High Plateau of Tibet to the Russian Frontier and the Oxus Sources on Pamir. Edinburgh. Edmonston and Douglas. Reprint: Ch’eng Wen Publishing Company. Tapei, 1971
  • Leitner, Gottlieb Wilhelm (1890). Dardistan in 1866, 1886 and 1893: Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush, as also a supplement to the second edition of The Hunza and Nagyr Handbook. And An Epitome of Part III of the author's 'The Languages and Races of Dardistan'. Reprint, 1978. Manjusri Publishing House, New Delhi. ISBN 81-206-1217-5
  • Newby, Eric. (1958). A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. Secker, London. Reprint: Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-0-86442-604-8
  • Yule, Henry and Burnell, A. C. (1886). Hobson-Jobson: The Anglo-Indian Dictionary. 1996 reprint by Wordsworth Editions Ltd. ISBN 1-85326-363-X
  • A Country Study: Afghanistan, Library of Congress
  • Ervin Grötzbach, "Hindu Kush" at Encyclopædia Iranica
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th Ed., Vol. 21, pp. 54–55, 65, 1987
  • An Advanced History of India, by R. C. Majumdar, H. C. Raychaudhuri, K.Datta, 2nd Ed., MacMillan and Co., London, pp. 336–37, 1965
  • The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period, by W. Haig & R. Burn, S. Chand & Co., New Delhi, pp. 98–99, 1963

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