What I meant was for any invading central Asian soldiers around 1500 BCE, khyber pass was the only logical option have any large scale army movement. I may be wrong here in my assumption and you are more than welcome to correct me, without being rude that is. Other-wise, I would not like to engage any further with you.
Okay, fair enough. Apology tendered. We get lot of dumb posters peddling Indian propaganda so over time I just have built a reflex that was wrong on this occasion. You appear to be a serious member. On point no, your assumption is incorrect. The Durand Line is not contrary to what perhaps is taught in India, is not a barrier. In fact there is no such barrier on the western marches of South Asia. It is purely
arbitrary construct as to where you place the western boundary of South Asia.
The real barrier between South Asia and Central Asia runs right across the middle of Afghanistan in the form of the almost impenetrable mountain range called the Hindu Kush. All of Afghanistan south and east of it falls within South Asia. For instance Kabul is in the Kabul River valley and River Kabul flows east crossing the Af-Pak border north of Khyber Pass. It then flows north of Peshawar before joining the Indus River near Attock. Even today the only all weather road crossing the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan is through the Soviet era built Salang Pass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salang_Pass
Most of Kabul region/Eastern Afghanistan actually falls within the Indus River catchment area therefore and drains into the wider Indus Valley. The reall barrier as I said before between South/Central Asia is the Hindu Kush which runs along centre of Afghanistan dividing that country. On both side of Durand Line the Pakhtuns are the majority. The only significant thing about Durand Line is that the British chose that as their maximal point of empire this etching Khyber Pass as 'gateway to the sub-continent' when the geographic/ethnic/historical facts say otherwise. Across the Durand there are numerous passes. From the extreme north Kunar Valley [route taken by Alexander the Great], Khyber Pass, Kurram, Tochi Pass, Gomal Pass, Khojack Pass, Bolan Pass, etc etc all marked
green in the map below.
The fact that Pakistan is building a fence along the Durand Line should tell you that there is no real barrier. You can cross it at dozens of points. The real barrier is nortth in Afghanistan in the shape of Hindu Kush range. The other point you might like to draw is the division between the Indus Plains and the higher ground west of it but even that leaves Islamabad/Potohar plateau, Peshwar plain on the west and even Karachi falls within that line.
To add further to this in history the Durand Line rarely formed the boundary. For instance Gandhara covered modern day Pakistani capital Islamabad [Taxila is a suburb of the capital] and then spread west across to Peshwar. Then it went over the Khyber Pass into all the way to Kabul.
Map below of the Indus River catchement area. Notice Kabul region of Afghanistan falls within the Indus Basin and on the east so does Punjab region of India. And of course almost all of Pakistan is within the Indus Basin. I hope this helps to explain my point. The boundary of South Asia on the west is arbitrary and most people tend to inform themselves by the British Raj legacy.
