Swat (princely state)
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State of Swat | |
|---|---|
| 1915–1969 | |
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| Status | Template:Infobox country/status text |
| Capital | Saidu Sharif |
| Religion | Islam |
| Wāli of Swat | |
| History | |
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| Area | |
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| Currency | Rupee, Pakistan Rupee (after 1947) |
| Today part of | Pakistan · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
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State of Swat (Template:Langx) was a princely state that existed between 1915 and 1969 in the North-West Frontier Province. It was recognized as a princely state in alliance with the British Raj by the British colonial government in 1926. In 1947 the Wali of Swat acceded to the newly independent state of Pakistan. Swat continued to exist as an autonomous region until it was dissolved in 1969,[1] and incorporated into North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province).
The area it covered is now divided among the present-day districts of Swat, Buner, Malakand, parts of Upper and Lower Dir, western parts of Indus Kohistan, and Shangla.
History
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The Swat region, known in ancient times as Oddiyana, was conquered by the Yousafzai Pashtuns in the early 16th century, coinciding with the Babur's conquest of Delhi Sultanate. Following the conquest and land distribution, the Yousafzai clans lived a tribal lifestyle, resisting Mughal and later Durrani attempts to expand their influence into Swat. They maintained their independence until the mid-19th century. After the expansion of the British East India Company following the Second Anglo-Sikh War into the neighbouring areas of Hazara, Buner and Mardan, the various tribes of Swat felt the need to elect their single leader. In 1849 Syed Akbar Shah, a religious leader descending from Pir Baba, was elected as the king of Swat. After his death the authority passed to Saidu Baba, another religious figure.[2] The region fell into the earlier state of anarchy after Saidu Baba's death in 1877.[3]
The British established the Malakand Agency in 1895 consisting of Swat, Dir and Chitral, but did not interfere in the internal independence of the tribes. In 1915, Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah, another descendant of Pir Baba, was elected as the ruler but he was deposed only two years later and Miangul Abdul Wadud, the grandson of Saidu Baba, was elected by the tribal jirga. Abdul Wadud, better known by his title Bacha Sahib, proved to be a capable ruler and soon expanded his influence in all directions. He brought Yousafzai territories of Buner, Malakand, and parts of Dir under his control. In 1922-23 he conquered the Swat Kohistan, followed by the conquest of Indus Kohistan as far as the west bank of river Indus. After a fierce fighting his army defeated the Kohistanis of Besham and Kormung (present-day Shangla) in 1926, and Bacha Sahib settled Yousafzai tribes in Shangla. The quick expansion raised alarms among the British colonial authorities and they delimited the sphere of influence of Abdul Wadud, recognising Swat as a princely state and awarding him the title of Wali of Swat.[4][citation needed]
Upon Pakistan's independence in August 1947, Swat became a fully independent princely state until 3 November, when it acceded to Pakistan as one of the autonomous Princely states of Pakistan, and the Wali continued to rule.[5] The last Wali, Miangul Jahan Zeb continued to exercise absolute rule until Pakistan took control, when on 28 July 1969, Yahya Khan announced the full integration of Swat, Chitral, and Dir into Pakistan. The state of Swat was incorporated into the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The title was made honorary after 1969 when the monarch was replaced by a civil administration. Today, the title is used unofficially as a courtesy title by heirs of the Miangul family.
Legacy
Under the rule of Miangul Jehanzeb, who assumed the role of Wali in 1949, Swat experienced a remarkable growth in educational opportunities. He founded several schools and colleges, most notably Jehanzeb College in 1952. Education was offered at no cost, and scholarships were made available to students, resulting in a substantial rise in literacy rates.[6][7]
Miangul Jahan Zeb implemented a judicial system that combined traditional practices with modern governance. A network of qazis (judges) was established to ensure swift justice. Law and order were maintained through a combination of local jirgas (councils) and state enforcement, leading to a significant reduction in crime.[8]
Under the leadership of Miangul Jahan Zeb, Swat's economy experienced diversification, becoming recognized for its handicrafts such as woolen blankets (Sharai), shawls, rugs, and intricate embroidery. Additionally, marble and emerald mining played a significant role in boosting the local economy.[9]
Miangul Abdul Wadud made investments in the preservation of culture and the development of architecture. The White Palace in Marghuzar, constructed in 1940, functioned as a summer retreat and stands as a symbol of the area's architectural legacy.
Government
The rulers of Swat held the title Amir-e Shariyat and from 1918 were known as Badshah; the title changed to Wali in 1926 when it became a Princely State of the British Raj. Since 1969 the former princely state has been under a civil administration as part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[1]
| State of Swat | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Reign begin | Reign ended | Notes | |
| 1 | Syed Akbar Shah | 1849 | 11 May 1857 | A descendant of Pir Baba, a renowned Sufi saint from Buner, he was chosen as the inaugural ruler of Swat through tribal agreement. | |
| 2 | Akhund Abdul Ghaffur | 11 May 1857 | 1878 | A notable religious figure, led Swat with his spiritual influence, ensuring peace and stability by enforcing Islamic law and utilizing tribal agreement.[10] | |
| – | Interregnum | 1878 | 1915 | After the death of Saidu Baba, Swat entered a phase of political turmoil characterized by a lack of centralized governance, resulting in the distribution of power among local Khans and tribal leaders. | |
| 4 | Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah | April 1915 | September 1917 | Previously Prime Minister of Amb State, he was appointed as the leader of Swat by tribal elders in 1915.[11] | |
| 5 | Miangul Abdul Wadud | September 1917 | 12 December 1949 | Grandson of Saidu Baba, he brought unity to Swat and was acknowledged by the British as the Wali (ruler) in 1926.[8][9] | |
| 6 | Miangul Jahan Zeb | 12 December 1949 | 28 July 1969 | He succeeded his father and advanced modernization initiatives with a significant emphasis on education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development. He willingly joined Pakistan, leading to Swat's incorporation into West Pakistan in 1969. | |
| Titular Head | |||||
| 7 | Miangul Aurangzeb | 1969 | 3 August 2014 | Held ceremonial title following the merger; held the position of governor in several provinces Balochistan and the North-West Frontier Province, which is now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. | |
| 8 | Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb | 3 August 2014 | 30 May 2022 | An engineer and former member of National Assembly of Pakistan from 1997–1999. He represented the Royal family at cultural and civic events before dying in a car accident in 2022. | |
| 9 | Miangul Mahmood Aurangzeb | 30 May 2022 | – | Perpetuates the family's tradition of ceremonies and participation in local matters. | |
See also
References
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- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Claus, Peter J.; Diamond, Sarah; Ann Mills, Margaret (2003). South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Taylor & Francis. p. 447. ISBN 9780415939195.
- ^ *Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ziad, Waleed (16 November 2021). Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints Beyond the Oxus and Indus. Harvard University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-674-24881-6.
Later known as the Akhund of Swat, he was arguably the region's most beloved personality of the nineteenth century. Originally from a poor family of Gujjar pastoralists, at age eighteen he de-voted himself to religious studies.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Inam-ur-Rahim; Viaro, Alain Mario (2002). Swat: An Afghan Society in Pakistan : Urbanisation and Change in Tribal Environment. City Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-969-8380-55-7.
Swat state's Akhund is said to be of Gujar origin from the village of Jabrai.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Edwards, David B. (2 October 1996). Heroes of the Age: Moral Fault Lines on the Afghan Frontier. University of California Press. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-520-20063-0.
Himself the son of a shepherd (some say from the Gujar tribe), the Akhund (born Abdul Ghafur) became a disciple of a local pir of the Qadiriya Sufi order named Sahibzada Muhammad Shwaib, who taught him the ritual formulae that are recited in the practice known as zikr.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Beattie, Dr Hugh; Beattie, Hugh (16 December 2013). Imperial Frontier: Tribe and State in Waziristan. Routledge. p. 312. ISBN 978-1-136-83957-3.
On this frontier, for example, the Akhund of Swat was not a Pashtun (he may have been a Gujar) and the Hadda Mullah, who was a Pashtun, established himself in an area where he had no local connections (Roy 1996: 59, Ahmed 1976: 94, D.B. Edwardes 1986: 282).
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Roy, Olivier (1990). Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan. Cambridge University Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-521-39700-1.
The Akhund of Swat¹ was probably a Gujar rather than a Yusufzay, the tribe he belonged to from choice.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Inam-ur-Rahim; Viaro, Alain Mario (2002). Swat: An Afghan Society in Pakistan : Urbanisation and Change in Tribal Environment. City Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-969-8380-55-7.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Haroon, Sana (2011). Frontier of Faith: Islam, in the Indo-Afghan Borderland. Hurst Publishers. ISBN 978-1849041836.
- ^ Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb, "Flashback, The Wali of Swat", The Express Tribune, 4 August 2014, at tribune.com.pk, accessed 1 November 2020
- ^ Wayne Ayres Wilcox, Pakistan: The Consolidation of a Nation (Columbia University Press, Template:ISBN), p. 82
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bangash, Yaqoob Khan (22 July 2018). "Glorious past of Swat State". thenews.com. The News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Khan, Talimand (28 December 2017). "Centennial of the Swat state". dailytimes.com.pk. Daily Times. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kazim, Syeda Shehrbano (23 March 2016). "Remembering the Swat princely state as it was". dawn.com. DAWN. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ahmed, Syed Shujaat (14 July 2018). "Addressing the gaps in Swat's economic plans". dailytimes.com. Daily Times. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Akhund Abdul Ghaffur of Swat" (PDF). philaletheians.co.uk. Philaletheians. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Akhund Abdul Ghaffur of Swat". swatencyclopedia.com. Swat Encyclopedia. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
Further reading
- The Last Wali of Swat: An Autobiography as Told by Fredrik Barth (Asian Portraits), by Fredrik Barth
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sack, John (2000). Report from Practically Nowhere. ISBN 0-595-08918-6.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rum, Sultan-i (2008). Swat State, 1915–1969, From Genesis to Merger: An Analysis of Political, Administrative, Socio-Political, and Economic Development. Karachi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-547113-7.
- Sultan-i-Rome. Forestry in the Princely State of Swat and Kalam (North-West Pakistan): A Historical Perspective on Norms and Practices, NCCR IP6 Working Paper No. 6. Zurich: Department of Geography, University of Zurich (2005)
- Dr. Sultan-I-Rome, Swat State under the Walis (1917–69), Ph.D. Dissertation, pp. 28–35
- Miangul Jehanzeb, The Last Wali of Swat, as told to Fredrik Barth. Norwegian University Press/Universitetsforlaget AS, Oslo, 1985
External links
Template:Princely states of Pakistan [[Category:Template:Resolve category redirect]]Template:Coord missing/CheckCat
