- elevation 2,400 m (7,874 ft) Length 700 km Basin area 66,000 km² Mouth Indus River | - location Attock Basin area 66,000 km² Source Sanglakh Range Countries Afghanistan, Pakistan | |
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- left Panjshir River, Kunar River, Alingar River, Swat River - right Logar River, Bara River | ||
The Kabul River (Pashto: کابل سیند,Persian: دریای کابل;Urdu: دریائے کابل Sanskrit: कुभा ), the classical Cophes /ˈkoʊfiːz/, is a 700-kilometre (430 mi) long river that emerges in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and empties into the Indus River near Attock, Pakistan. It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass. The Kabul River passes through the cities of Kabul and Jalalabad in Afghanistan before flowing into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan some 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the Durand Line border crossing at Torkham. The major tributaries of the Kabul River are the Logar, Panjshir, Kunar, Alingar, Bara and Swat rivers.
Contents
- Map of Kabul River
- Expedition of Alexander the Great into Asia
- In Sanskrit and Avesta
- Al Biruni
- References
Map of Kabul River
The Kabul River is little more than a trickle for most of the year, but swells in summer due to melting snows in the Hindu Kush Range. Its largest tributary is the Kunar River, which starts out as the Mastuj River, flowing from the Chiantar glacie in Brughil valley in Chitral, Pakistan and after flowing south into Afghanistan it is met by the Bashgal river flowing from Nurestan. The Kunar meets the Kabul near Jalalabad. In spite of the Kunar carrying more water than the Kabul, the river continues as the Kabul River after this confluence, mainly for the political and historical significance of the name.
The Kabul River is impounded by several dams. The Naghlu, Surobi, and Darunta dams are located in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan. The Warsak Dam is in Pakistan, approximately 20 km northwest of the city of Peshawar.
Expedition of Alexander the Great into Asia
In Arrian's The Campaigns of Alexander, the River Kabul is referred to as Κωφήν Kōphēn (Latin spelling Cophen), the accusative of Κωφής Kōphēs (Latin spelling Cophes).
In Sanskrit and Avesta
The word Kubhā (कुभा ) which is the ancient name of the river is both a Sanskrit and Avestan word. Many of the rivers of Pakistan and Afghanistan are mentioned in the Rig Veda. The Sanskrit word later changed to Kābul.
Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni also called it "the River of Ghorwand".
The Kabul River later gave its name to the region and to the settlement of Kabul.