A brief history of Swat State and its last wali.

A Short intro to the history of Swat

1. OVERVIEW ON DISTRICT SWAT 1 SAQIB RAZA ASLAM (Deputy Commissioner Swat)

2. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 2 Swat Valley has a rich history that dates back over two thousand years. The towns Odigram and Barikot , called Ora and Bazira in Greek accounts, were captured by Alexander in 327 BC. By 305 BC, the region became a part of the Mauryan Empire. Finally the Kushan dynasty absorbed Swat and this was time when the Gandhara civilization flourished.  From the 8th century CE onwards, the Arabs started to exert pressure from the west in the Persian-Afghan region where the Hindu Shahi Dynasty still ruled. Continue……...

3. 3 Ancient remains point to influence of Hindu Shahi reign in the valley The Muslim era in Swat began with the Mahmud of Ghazni from Afghanistan, who in 1001 CE, conquering Swat amongst other areas as he pushed into India. People from different Pukhtun tribes settled in Swat and came to be known Swati Pukhtuns .Latter on yusafzais with the help of Mughal king Babur setteled themselves in Swat. In 1849 Akhūnd Abdul Ghaffūr commonly known as  Saidū Bāba or the  Akhund of Swat established Islamic State of Swat under titular head Sayyid Akbar Shah. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Continue……...

4. 4 After Akbar Shah's death in 1857, Saidu Baba directly assumed control of the state with title of Akond till his own death in 1876. The state was in abeyance from 1876 to 1917. In 1917 Mian Gul Abdul Wadood a grandson of Saidu Baba was formally declared as King of Yusafzai state of Swat by the Jirga. He expanded the state to Buner and Shangla after recognition from the Swat Tribes within Swat valley. In 1926 Miangul Abdul Wadood was accorded formal recognition by the English Chief Commissioner, in a ‘ Darbar ’ held at Saidu Sharif Continue……... HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

5. 5 In 1947 state of Swat under Mian Abdul Wadud acceded to Pakistan. On 12 December 1949 Mian Abdul Wadud abdicated in favour of his eldest son,  Miangul Jahan Zeb who ruled Swat until its merger with Pakistan in 1969. Continue……... HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE