Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

Physical Geography of South Asia

DiHerentiated Instrudion

The Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass is a narrow, steep-sided pass that connects

northern Pakistan with Afghanistan. (A pass is a lower point that allows easier access through a mountain range.) The Khyber Pass winds for about 30 miles (48 km) through the Safed Koh Mountains, which are part of the Hindu Kush range on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Roads through the pass link the cities of Peshawar, Pakistan,

. and Kabul, Afghanistan. Because of its strategic location, the Khyber Pass has been a vital

trade-and invasion-route from Central Asia to South Asia for centuries. About 326 B.C., Alexander the Great moved his troops through the pass on the way to India. British and Indian forces used it as an entry point for their invasions of Afghanistan during the three Afghan Wars (the last occurring in 1919). Some historians have even theorized that the Aryan people originally migrated to India by going through the Khyber Pass.

Today two highways snake through the Khyber Pass-one for vehicles and the other for traditional camel caravans. A railway line also winds through the pass. Recently, the Khyber Pass has been used by refugees from the Afghanistan civil war to get into Pakistan, and by arms dealers transporting weapons into Afghanistan.

The people who live in the villages along the Khyber Pass are mainly ethnic Pashtuns. During the Afghan-Soviet War (1979-1989), Pashtuns were important members of the mujahideen. These are Islamic guerrilla groups that fought the Soviets during their takeover of Afghanistan. More recently, Pashtuns have dominated the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group allied with Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions.

1. Identifying Name at least two non-Asian nations that have been involved militarily in the Khyber Pass region.

2. Speculating Pakistan currently controls the Khyber Pass. Name at least one way this might be an advantage to Pakistan in its relations with the United States.

41

Teaching Strategies for Different Learning Styles

The following activities are ways the basic lesson can be modified to accommodate students' different learning styles.

English Learners (EL)

Ask students to use a map to identify the countries, cities, and geographic elements referenced in the article.

Verbal/Linguistic; Intrapersonal For centuries, the native Pashtun clans of

the Khyber region have traditionally considered the pass to be their personal property, and they have demanded tolls from travelers to ensure safe passage. Such tolls have traditionally been major sources of income for locals. Ask students to assume the role of a Pashtun clansman and write a page in their journals defending the practice of demanding tolls.

Logical/Mathematical The Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges of

South Asia contain many other passes in addi­tion to the Khyber. Ask students to use library or Internet resources to create a table listing as many passes through these two ranges as they can find . Students may use the following format for their tables. .

Connects Fact Name of Mountain Which About

Pass Range Regions? the Pass

Kinesthetic Ask students to create accurate relief maps

of the Khyber Pass region using materials of their choice. They should use library or Inter­net resources to gather information about the region before creating their maps. Display students' maps in the classroom.

42

Visual/Spatial

Display in class Lady Elizabeth Butler's painting "Remnants of an Army," and ask students to record their impressions of the painting. What does it tell them? How does it make them feel? What can they discern about the events leading up to the scene depicted in the painting? Then have them research the episode depicted, and have them create their own artistic interpretation of the events.

Advanced Learners

Have students research and prepare papers describing the military importance of the Khyber Pass. Students can investigate the role of the Khyber in the campaigns of the Persians (600 B.C.), Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur (aka Tamerlane), Ahmad Shah Abdali, Mahmud of Ghazni, or the British in the Afghan Wars of 1839- 1842, 1878-1880, and 1919.

Auditory/Musical

Former U.S. diplomat James W. Spain has observed that "history hangs heavy on the Khyber and has left its mark upon its sombre stone. Ground into dust of the Pass is Per-sian gold, Greek iron, Tartar leather, Moghul gems, Afghan silver, and British steel. All have watered it with their blood." Ask students to write a poetic interpretation of Spain's obser­vation, based on the article about the Khyber Pass.

Below Grade Level Have students outline the information pre­

sented on the previous page. Each paragraph can be a main (I, II, III) entry. Students should determine their own subentries (A, B, C) based on the content of the paragraphs.