Malakand Pass: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:34, 8 June 2025

The Malakand Pass (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is a mountain pass in the Malakand District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that connects Peshawar with the Chitral District.

The pass road begins at Dargai, which is 150 km the north-west from Islamabad. It then slopes upward towards the tunnel, reaching the areas of Swat and Dir. From the top of the pass, Swat Canal descends through the valley. The Canal was built by the British in the colonial era to channel water from the Swat River through Malakand Pass to the plain areas around Mardan.

The Pass is a wide open road and is well-structured but sometimes it may get extensively trafficked.

At the top end, it is guarded by the Malakand Fort from which it descends through the bazaar of Batkhela, with a Hindu Shahi fort perched above it. After this, it continues to reach the headworks of the Swat Canal to the Swat River. At the bottom end, it meets the plain areas of Mardan and the Charsadda District.

History[edit | edit source]

The pass came into prominence in 1895 during the Chitral Expedition, when Pashtuns opposed a stout resistance to Sir Robert Low’s advance over the Malakand Pass in 1895 to the relief of Chitral.

During the frontier risings of 1897, the Swatis made a determined attack on the Malakand, where 700 were killed, and on the adjacent post of Chakdara, where 2000 were killed. This was the origin of the Malakand Expedition of the same year.^[1]^{[citation needed]}

References[edit | edit source]

↑ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Malakand Pass". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 460.

Template:Mountain passes of Pakistan 34°35′N 71°57′E / 34.583°N 71.950°E / 34.583; 71.950Template:Castles in Pakistan

[1] One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Malakand Pass". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 460.

[1]

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 {{more refs|date=January 2021}}
 [[File:Malakand Tunnel.jpg|300px|thumbnail|Malakand Pass Tunnel]]
-The '''Malakand Pass''' Peshawar with chitral ({{lang-ps| درہ ملاکنډ}}; {{lang-ur|{{nq|درۂ ملاکنڈ}}}}) is a [[mountain pass]] in [[Malakand District]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]].
+The '''Malakand Pass''' ({{langx|ps| درہ ملاکنډ}}; {{langx|ur|{{nq|درۂ ملاکنڈ}}}}) is a [[mountain pass]] in the [[Malakand District]] of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] that connects [[Peshawar]] with the [[Chitral District]].
-The pass road begins at [[Dargai]]. The road across the pass is in good condition, but may often become crowded from a high volume of [[HGVs]]. From a viewpoint about one kilometre before the top of the pass, one can see the Swat Canal in the valley below. It was built by the [[United Kingdom|British]] to channel water from the [[Swat River]] through a tunnel under the Malakand Pass to the plains around [[Mardan]].
+The pass road begins at [[Dargai]], which is 150 km the north-west from [[Islamabad]]. It then slopes upward towards the tunnel, reaching the areas of Swat and Dir. From the top of the pass, Swat Canal descends through the valley. The Canal was built by the [[United Kingdom|British]] in the colonial era to channel water from the [[Swat River]] through Malakand Pass to the plain areas around [[Mardan]].
-On the left, '''Malakand Fort''' guards the road at the top of the pass. On the other side of the pass, the road descends through the [[market town]] of [[Batkhela]], with a [[Hindu]] [[Hindu Shahi|Shahi]] [[fort]] perched above it, and continues past the headworks of the Swat Canal to the Swat River. The first [[bridge]] across the river is at [[Chakdara]], which carries the road to [[Lower Dir]] and [[Chitral]]. There was a battle at the pass during the [[Chitral Expedition]].
+The Pass is a wide open road and is well-structured but sometimes it may get extensively trafficked.
-The fort was also the residence of Mughal prince [[Rafi-ush-Shan]] the son of emperor Bahadur Shah the First and grandson of Emperor [[Aurangzeb]].
+At the top end, it is guarded by the '''Malakand Fort''' from which it descends through the [[market town|bazaar]] of [[Batkhela]], with a [[Hindu]] [[Hindu Shahi|Shahi]] [[fort]] perched above it. After this, it continues to reach the headworks of the Swat Canal to the Swat River. At the bottom end, it meets the plain areas of Mardan and the [[Charsadda District, Pakistan|Charsadda District.]]
 ==History==
-It came into prominence in 1895 during the [[Chitral Expedition]], when 7000 [[Pashtuns]] held it against [[Robert Low (Indian Army officer)|Sir Robert Low]]'s advance, but were easily routed. After the campaign was over a fortified camp was formed on the Malakand to guard the road to Chitral. During the frontier risings of 1897 the [[Swati (Pashtun tribe)|Swatis]] made a determined attack on the Malakand, where 700 were killed, and on the adjacent post of Chakdara, where 2000 were killed. This was the origin of the Malakand Expedition of the same year.<ref>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Malakand Pass |volume=17 |page=460 |inline=1}}</ref>
+{{see also|Battle of Malakand Pass}}
+The pass came into prominence in 1895 during the [[Chitral Expedition]], when Pashtuns opposed a stout resistance to Sir Robert Low’s advance over the Malakand Pass in 1895 to the relief of Chitral.
+During the frontier risings of 1897, the [[Swatis (Pashtun tribe)|Swatis]] made a determined attack on the Malakand, where 700 were killed, and on the adjacent post of Chakdara, where 2000 were killed. This was the origin of the Malakand Expedition of the same year.<ref>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Malakand Pass |volume=17 |page=460 |inline=1}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=August 2023|reason=requires a proper reference}}
 ==See also==

Malakand Pass: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:34, 8 June 2025

History[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]