View source for Kilik Pass

{{Short description|High altitude border pass between Pakistan and China}}
{{Distinguish|text = the Kilik Pass just west of the [[Sanju Pass]], which led from [[Xaidulla]] into the [[Tarim Basin]]}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Kilik Pass
| photo = Kilik pass near morkoshi pakistan.jpg
| photo_caption = 
| elevation = {{convert|4827|m|ft}}
| elevation_ref = 
| map    = China Xinjiang Southern#China#Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan
| map_caption = Location of the Kilik Pass within the greater [[Karakoram]] region
| label_position = bottom
| location = [[China–Pakistan border]]
| range = [[Karakorum Mountains]]
| coordinates = {{coord|type:pass|display=title,inline}}
| topo = 
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 6
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
}}
{{Infobox chinese
| t = 基里克達坂
| s = 基里克达坂
| p = jīlǐkè dábǎn
| s2 = 克里克山口
| t2 = 克里克山口
| p2 = kèlǐkè shānkǒu
| uig = كىلىك ئېغىزى
| lang1 = [[Urdu language|Urdu]]
| lang1_content = {{nastaliq|کِلیک درہ}}
}}

The '''Kilik Pass''' (elevation {{convert|4827|m|ft|disp=or|0|abbr=on}}; {{zh|c=基里克达坂}};<ref>{{cite wikisource |title=中华人民共和国政府和巴基斯坦政府关于中国新疆和由巴基斯坦实际控制其防务的各个地区相接壤的边界的协定 |trans-title=China-Pakistan Border Agreement |wslanguage=zh |quote=穿过基里克达坂（达旺） |date=1963-03-02}}  </ref> {{langx|ur|کلوک پاس}}) to the west of [[Mintaka Pass]] is a high mountain pass in the [[Karakorum Mountains]] between [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] in [[Pakistan]] and [[Xinjiang]] in [[China]]. The two passes were, in ancient times, the two main access points into the Upper [[Hunza Valley]] (also called [[Gojal Valley]]) from the north. In addition, the two passes were also the paths used to reach [[Chalachigu Valley]] and [[Taghdumbash Pamir]] from the south.

==History==
In ancient times, Mintaka Pass and Kilik Pass were the shortest and quickest way into northern India from the [[Tarim Basin]], and one that was usually open all year, but was extremely dangerous and only suited for travellers on foot. From [[Tashkurgan Town|Tashkurgan]] one travelled just over {{convert|70|km|mi|-1}} south to the junction of the Minteke River, modern day [[Chalachigu River]]. Heading some {{convert|80|km|mi|-1}} west up this valley one reached the Mintaka Pass, (and {{convert|30|km|mi|-1}} further, the alternative Kilik Pass), which both led into upper Hunza from where one could travel over the infamous ''rafiqs'' or "hanging passages" to [[Gilgit Valley|Gilgit]] and on, either to Kashmir, or to the Gandharan plains.<ref>{{Cite book
| last = Hill
| first = John E.
| title = The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu
| section = Section 20 The Kingdom of Suoche 莎車 (Yarkand).
| section-url= https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/hhshu/notes20.html
| publisher = [[University of Washington]]
| date = September 2003
| access-date = 2017-02-07
| url = https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html
}}</ref>

Laden animals could be taken over the Mintaka and Kilik passes into upper [[Hunza Valley|Hunza]] (both open all year), but then loads would have to be carried by [[coolie]] (porters) to [[Gilgit Valley|Gilgit]] (an expensive and dangerous operation). From there, cargoes could be reloaded onto [[pack animal]]s again and taken either east to [[Kashmir]] and then on to [[Taxila]] (a long route), or west to [[Chitral]] which provided relatively easy access to either [[Jalalabad, Afghanistan|Jalalabad]], or [[Peshawar]] via [[Swat (Pakistan)|Swat]].

The Mintaka Pass was the main one used in ancient times until the fairly recent advance of glacier ice. After the glaciation of the Mintaka Pass, the Kilik Pass was favoured by caravans coming from China and Afghanistan as it is wider, free of glaciers and provided enough pasture for caravan animals.<ref>{{Cite web
| title = Historical Kilik and Mintika Pass
| website = www.gojal.net
| year = 2006
| access-date = 2017-02-02
| url = http://www.gojal.net/mintika.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141018092634/http://www.gojal.net/mintika.htm
| archive-date = 2014-10-18
}}</ref>

The "[[Sacred Rock of Hunza]]" has numerous [[petroglyph]]s depicting mounted horseman and ibex along with Kharoshthi inscriptions that mention [[Saka]] and [[Pahlava]] rulers. Historians assess that [[Maues]] must have used the Karakorum route via Mintaka or Kilik passes to capture [[Taxila]] in the first century BCE.<ref>{{citation |last=Puri |first=B. N. |chapter=The Sakas and Indo-Parthians |editor=János Harmatta |editor-link=János Harmatta |title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume II: The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 B.C. to AD> 250 |publisher=UNESCO Publishing |year=1996 |isbn=978-92-3-102846-5 |chapter-url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001057/105703eo.pdf |pages=185–186 }}</ref>

During the 1890s, the British established outposts near the pass as part of [[the Great Game]] against Russia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=66sYAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA368|year=1895|publisher=D. Appleton & Company|page=368|quote=Previous to this Russian advance the British were said to have established outposts at the Kilik and Mintaka passes beyond the Hindu Kush.}}</ref> The area was surveyed and Kilik Pass was deemed easily defensible in the event of a Russian invasion.<ref name="Lockyer1899">{{cite book|author=Sir Norman Lockyer|title=Nature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2vIyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA496|year=1899|publisher=Macmillan Journals Limited|page=496|quote=The keynote of his views is expressed in the title of a photograph of the Kilik Pass, which is described as one of the few passes by which India might be invaded. We presume that the Mintaka is another. But ... with which even a small undisciplined force can stop a whole army, when acting in difficult ground and on the defensive.}}</ref> This likely influenced the boundary delineation in the area.<ref name="Mehra1992">{{cite book|author=Parshotam Mehra|title=An "agreed" frontier: Ladakh and India's northernmost borders, 1846-1947|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mIduAAAAMAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=123|isbn=978-0-19-562758-9|quote=Kilik pass which was rated of potentially great importance in the event of a war with Russia. The fact that it could only be defended with small numbers made it very necessary to align the border so that this could be done as effectively as possible.}}</ref>

== Current status ==
Since the construction of the new [[Karakoram Highway]] further south over the [[Khunjerab Pass]], the pass has fallen out of use. As of late 2010s, on the Pakistani side, there are some trekking companies that offer tours to Kilik Pass.<ref name="hunzaadventuretours">{{Cite web
| title = Treks / Kilick
| author = Nisar Ali Rozi
| publisher = Hunza Adventure Tours
| access-date = 2017-02-07
| url = http://www.hunzaadventuretours.net/trek-kilick.html
| archive-date = 2017-01-20
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170120131749/http://hunzaadventuretours.net/trek-kilick.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> On the Chinese side, the entire valley around Kilik Pass is closed to visitors; however, local residents and herders from the area are permitted to access.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

==See also==
* [[China–Pakistan border]]
* [[Beyik Pass]] 
* [[Tegermansu Pass]] 
* [[Wakhjir Pass]] 
* [[Mintaka Pass]] 
* [[Chalachigu Valley]] 
* [[Afghanistan–China_border]] 
* [[China–Tajikistan border]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{Xinjiang topics}}
{{Mountain passes of China}}
{{Mountain passes of Pakistan}}

[[Category:Mountain passes of China]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of Xinjiang]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of the Karakoram]]
[[Category:Sites along the Silk Road]]
[[Category:China–Pakistan border crossings]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of Gilgit-Baltistan]]