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(
[sid] => 160530
[catid] => 1
[aid] => mick
[title] => A JOURNEY TO THE KHYBER PASS
[time] => 2010-06-11 06:02:34
[hometext] => RUDYARD KIPLING'S famous lines made me to read the History of the Khyber Pass , and today I narrate its story in verse !
[bodytext] => Excerpt from The Ballad of the King's Jest is not part of this poem. The Ballad of the King's Jest “When spring-time flushes the desert grass, Our caravan wind through the Khyber Pass. Lean are the camels but fat the frails, Lighter the purses but heavy the bales! As the snowbound trade of the North comes down, To the market square of Peshawar town.” - Rudyard Kipling (Dec1865- Jan 1936). Those immortal lines of Kipling had enticed me, To delve into famous Khyber’s History ; And today I narrate its wondrous story! THE KHYBER PASS Steeped in adventure, bloodshed and mystery, The Khyber remains the doorway of History! Winston Churchill, then a young newspaper correspondent, in 18 97 had said, - ‘Each rock and hill along the pass had a story to tell! ’ Cutting across the cliffs and limestone walls thousand feet high, This narrow winding path of 45 km’s stretch, Cuts through the Hindu Kush mountain range! It formed a part of the ancient Silk Route between Central and South Asia; Linking Kabul with the Peshawar town in ancient western India! The area is inhabited by fierce Pashtun tribesmen , - Who live by their ancient Honor Code ; They value their land and liberty, and their winding mountain roads ! They can be the greatest of friends and most deadliest of foes ! And as the saying goes, that for a friend a Pashtun can even give up his life; But he never forgets a wrong, or when rubbed on the wrong side ! He always avenges a wrong deed done, - Even after decades, - through his sons! The indigenous tribes living along the pass, Regard this area as their sole preserve! They have levied a toll on all travelers from early days, - For their safe conduct and passage through the Khyber, - as Historians say! HISTORIC INVASIONS At its highest point the Khyber is 3500 ft in height, And its strategic importance can never be denied! Around 2000 BC through this pass came the Indo- Aryan tribes from Central Asia, Migrating to the rich fertile plains of Ancient India! In 326 BC the great Alexander came through, - Bribing the local tribes to gain their favour, To defeat King Porus on the banks of Jhelum River; And set up his short-lived Bactrian Empire! In 1192 AD Afghan warlord Mohammad Ghori, - Invaded India to set up the Sultanate at Delhi! In 1220 Genghis Khan with his Mongol hordes came through the Khyber; He had picked up local tribesmen to help him to plunder the ruling Arab empire! In 1380 through this pass came Timur Lane, To wreck and destroy the Delhi Sultanate! And finally from Kabul through the Khyber path, Came Babur to establish the Mogul Empire with his victory at Panipath! * From 1839 till 1919, here the British had fought, Three bloody Anglo-Afghan Wars! And before retreating, drew the famous Durand Line to ally fears; This line is now cause of bickering and tribal tears! THE KHYBER RAILWAY At Jamrud Cantonment town 17 km west of Peshawar, Lies the doorway to the historic Khyber! The track passes through a breath-taking rugged mountainous terrain, - Through 34 tunnels, over 92 bridges, a 42 kilometer’s of winding stretch! A five hour’s journey at Laudi Kotal gets complete; The line stands as a tribute to British engineering feat! ** The legendary Khyber Rifles had guarded the western flanks of the British Empire, With garrisoned troops guarding this route entire! @ Since 1990 the train is run by a private enterprise, # With local tribesmen always taking a free ride! Recent Taliban attacks made Pakistan to close the Khyber Pass, An uneasy truce prevails, only God knows how long it will last ?! But with that Durand Line of 1893 demarcated, Forty million Pashtuns today stand divided, - Between Pakistan and Afghanistan! With hopes, aspirations , and dreams of one day becoming United! - Raj Nandy New Delhi . MY HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO RUDYARD KIPLING, WHOSE VERSE - INSPIRED ME TO DO RESEARCH BEORE WRITING THIS POEM! Notes :- *Battle Of Panipath, April 1526, where Babur defeated numerically superior forces of Ibrahim Lodhi; thereby establishing the Moghul Empire in India! **On 04Nov1925, the British inaugurated the Khyber Railway to carry troops upto Laudi Kotal on the other end, short of the Afghan border - to guard the western flanks of the British Empire! @KHYBER RIFLES: - Raised in early1880s with HQs at Laudi Kotal, & garrison troops manning the Forts at Ali Masjid near the mid-way point of the Pass, and also at Fort Maud to the east of the Khyber Pass! #Khyber Railway: -With 75 seats, a kitchenette & two toilets; pulled by two old Lancashire engines of 1920 vintage! It cuts across Peshawar Airport under Air Traffic Control! It was stopped in 1982, as economically not viable! Started again by a Private Enterprise in 1990, in collaboration with the Pak Railway! After the Partition of India in1947, the Khyber is under the Federal AdministeredTribalArea of Pakistan! A difficult and a volitile region to govern! ! The Khyber now remains closed due political reasons! THANKS FOR READING ! *** ALL COPYRIGHTS ARE RESERVED BY RAJ NANDY** [comments] => 1 [counter] => 474 [topic] => 31 [informant] => RAJNANDY [notes] => Changed quoted poem title to The Ballad of the King's Jest. Raj Nandy, you need to be especially careful when quoting copyrighted works. Thank you, Moderator_18 June 11, 2010 [ihome] => 0 [alanguage] => english [acomm] => 0 [haspoll] => 0 [pollID] => 0 [score] => 0 [ratings] => 0 [editpoem] => 1 [associated] => [topicname] => StoryPoetry )
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