The lush green and historic Swat Valley lies between 34°-40′ to 35° N latitude and 72′ to 74°-6′ E longitude and is part of the Provincially Administrated Tribal Area (PATA) of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The valley is an integral part of the strategic and significant region where three parts of the Asian continent–South Asia, Central Asia and China, meet.
The names found in ancient sources for Swat are Udyana and Suvastu because of the scenic beauty of the valley and the name of the river respectively.The historical and cultural remains of the area provide evidence about human activities covering a large span of time.
Alexander the Great came here in 327 BC en route India and conquered Bazira and Ora. At his departure the inhabitants of the area threw off Greek yoke, and enjoyed either independent or semi-independent status subsequently. In the meantime Buddhism penetrated here and Swat became center of Buddhist/Gandhara civilization. The Turki Shahis incorporated Swat in their kingdom but at the decline of their power it remained exposed to Hindu Shahis’ influence.
In early tenth century CE/AD, the Muslims occupied Swat. Consequently, Afghans from different tribes, commonly called Swati Pukhtun, came and settled here. They remained independent of the neighboring powers.
Buddhist Shrines in Valley Swat
Swat or Udyana as it is in the Sanskrit sources, is a valley in the mountainous region to the north of the Peshawar Plain, at the foot of the mountain range connecting the Hindu Kush with Karakorum; it includes the main valley of the upper course of the River Swat, for a length of about 200 Km from the source as far as the gullies through which the river flows down to the plain, and the lateral valleys of its tributaries.
Research Papers
- Administrative System of the Princely State of Swat
Situated in the North-West Frontier Province of British India and later Pakistan, Swat State has the distinction of not being imposed by an imperial power or an individual but was founded in 1915 by jarga of a section of the right bank Swat Valley - MUGHULS AND SWAT
Swat lies in the strategic region at the juncture of the Indian subcontinent, China, and Central Asia. For most of its known history, Swat retained its separate entity - The Durand Line Agreement (1893): —Its Pros and Cons
The English came to India for trading purposes but with the passage of time they made their position strong enough to play a prominent role in the politics
Eco-Tourism
Swat, is the only region upon which the Creator has been over gracious and benevolent regarding natural beauty and serenity. This realm of beauty and serenity is situated to the north of Pakistan in Hindukush mountain range and has been the abode of several ancient cultures. Apart from its historical significance, valley Swat is reputed all over the globe for its fascinating landscapes, crystal clear water torrents, diverse flora and fanna, hospitality, ancient relics and mesmerizing lakes which attract innumerable number of diverse nature lovers from all over the world.Read more
Art and Craft of Valley Swat
Swat or Udyana as it is in the Sanskrit sources, is a valley in the mountainous region to the north of the Peshawar Plain, at the foot of the mountain range connecting the Hindu Kush with Karakorum; it includes the main valley of the upper course of the River Swat, for a length of about 200 Km from the source as far as the gullies through which the river flows down to the plain, and the lateral valleys of its tributaries. Read more
Research Papers:
- Administrative System of the Princely State of Swat
Situated in the North-West Frontier Province of British India and later Pakistan, Swat State has the distinction of not being imposed by an imperial power or an individual but was founded in 1915 by jarga of a section of the right bank Swat Valley - MUGHULS AND SWAT
Swat lies in the strategic region at the juncture of the Indian subcontinent, China, and Central Asia. For most of its known history, Swat retained its separate entity - The Durand Line Agreement (1893): —Its Pros and Cons
The English came to India for trading purposes but with the passage of time they made their position strong enough to play a prominent role in the politics - ABDUL GHAFFUR (AKHUND) SAIDU BABA Of Swat: Life, Carrer and Role
Akhund Abdul Ghaffur (Akhund 'Abd al-Ghafur), now known as Saidu Baba, '''was born at Jabrai (in Shimizai), a small shepherd's hamlet in Bar (Upper) Swat, about the year 1794." His father's name was Abdul Wahid (Abd al-Wahid). Born of Gujar parents, Abdul Ghaffur began life as a herd boy. "His early occupation afforded ample time for mediation; and Abdul Ghaffur was soon noted amongst his own people as a sober, thoughtful lad, with a natural predeliction for a retired and religious life - Land Ownership In Swat: Historical And Contenporary Perspective
The sixteenth century proved a turning point in the history of Swat, as the Yusufzai Afghans occupied the land. The Yusufzai retained independent position of Swat but failed to establish an organised government. They lived in the old tribal fashion, headed by prominent tribal chiefs and divided into factions (dallas), headed by their own Khans. They, however, laid the foundation of the social organisation, which continued to function successfully for over four centuries till it was fundamentally changed during the Swat State era - Pukhtu: The Pukhtun Code of Life
Pukhtuns inhabit the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan as a major ethnic group of the populace. Most parts of the land they occupy remained independent, and without a centralized government of its own for most of its known history. It is due to the geographical nature of the land, being mostly hilly, that it is not easily accessible and it is difficult to maintain a hold and firm control over it, in the absence of advanced means of communication and other required things, which were not found in the earlier times. Then question arises that in the absence of a centralized authority, control - The Malakand Jihad (1897):An Unsuccessful Attempt To Oust The British From Malakand And Chakdara
The fall of Constantinople, in 1453, to the Ottomans, "made the European Powers, interested in the Eastern trade, anxious to discover a new route beyond the control of the Turks."1 Due to their favourable position, Portugal and Spain took the lead in the search for a direct sea-route to the East. Finally the Portuguese sailor, Vasco de Gama, with the help of an experienced Arab sailor, Majid, crossed the ocean and landed at the port of Calicut on the West coast of the subcontinent on 20th May 1498 - PUKHTUN WOMEN:Traditional Role, Contemporary Challanges
The mistimed and uncalled for changes that have crept into the Pukhtun Society of Swat are putting psychological stress on both males and the females. The stress is more profound in the female section of the Society, an allusion to the traditional life in Swat in part testifies to it. Being dissociated from one another, the capability of women to contribute to the sustainable development of the region is hampered. They have very difficult access to education facility - Sandakai Mullah:Career and Role in the Formation Of Swat State, Pakistan
Wali Ahmad, known as Sandakai Mullah (Mulla), was born at Sandakai, a small village in Chakisar, Swat. Detailed information about his early life is not available because he discouraged those who inquired about his personal life. However, he used to pray for his stepmother and considered her harshness towards him as a blessing in disguise. Born in a religious family; he was given religious education by a local teacher on the traditional lines - THE SARTOR FAQIR Life And Struggle Against British Imperialism
Sa'dullah Khan (Sa'd Allah Khan) known as 'Sartor Faqir ' was member of a honourable family of Buner. He is also known as Mullah (Mulla) Mastan, Sartor Baba, Faqir Baba, to the British as the 'Mad Mullah and mad Faqir. By birth he was the son of a Bunerwal Malik Hameedullah and an inhabitant of village Rega Buner.6 He belonged to the Abazai, a branch of the Nuriza'i which is a sub-branch of the Yusufza'i Maliza'i
Tourist attractions
Malam Jabba
Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) was a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.Malam Jabba is home to the largest ski resort in Pakistan.The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.
Swat Museum
Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery.
KALAM
2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to Swat after partition.Kalam, 29 kilometres (18 miles) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the Swat river. Here, the metalled road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another un-named peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high.
PTDC Motel at Malam Jabba Ski Resort
Swat Museum
Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery.
Miandam
Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometres (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometers (35 miles) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The metaled road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top. Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with behives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago.Madyan
By the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 55 km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazars of Madyan.At 1,321 metres (4,335 feet) above sea level, Madyan is neither as cool nor as beautiful as Miandam, but it is a larger town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages... ask in the bazaar in Muambar Khan's shop for a guide. North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard. The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati's love of decoration.For forieng tourest on can help from the link http://www.madyanguesthouse.com which is owned by Murad Ali KhanKALAM
2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to Swat after partition.Kalam, 29 kilometres (18 miles) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the Swat river. Here, the metalled road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another un-named peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high.
