Hindu Kush, << HIHN doo KUSH >>, is a chain of mountains in Central Asia. The name kush means death. It was probably given to the mountains because of their dangerous passes. The Hindu Kush are a westward continuation of a region called the Pamirs (see Pamirs).
For 500 miles (800 kilometers), the Hindu Kush form a great watershed, or water divide, between the Indus and Amu Darya rivers. They are part of the boundary between eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. The highest peak in the range is Tirich Mir (25,230 feet, or 7,690 meters). The Macedonian general Alexander the Great and the Mongol leader Timur (also called Tamerlane) crossed the Hindu Kush in about 330 B.C. and A.D. 1400, respectively, as they fought to control Central Asia.
See also Khyber Pass.
