Swat Valley

Publishing Date: Tuesday, March 1 2005

In the 1840s, tribal swat started to get organized with the rise of a sufi ascetic and anti british reformer named abdul ghafoor, who later became known as the akhund of swat. Akhund means theologian or religious teacher. When the british moved into Peshawar in 1849 he rallied the clans but his state collapsed after a few years. He supported an inconclusive 1863 battle at ambela pass which at least discouraged the british (Chakdarra was the furthest british garrison in dir and swat).

After his deat in 1877 and a yusufzai dominated uprising at Malakand pass in 1897, the british in 1926 brought the valley under the rule of the akhund's grandson, miangul wadud, the first wali of swat, and recognized it as a sovereign state. After partition, swat joined Pakistan but was left to itself under the wali's son and successor, Miangul Jehanzeb, who was also granted administration of Swat Kohistan. In july, 1969, this sovereignty was abolished and the state was absorbed into Pakistan as a district of Malakand division.

Under the wali's benevolent, autocracy, swat had become one of asia's most peaceful and progressive kingdoms, with good roads, environmental laws and higher per capita spending on education and public health than the rest of the country. Jehanzeb's son miangul Aurangzeb merely a member of the national assembly now, still lives in the royal compound in saidu sharif, but most swatis feel things have gone downhill ever since 1969.

Favourite among locals and foreigners, it has the best reputation for scenery of all of Pakistan's northern Valleys. It is also known as the "Switzerland of the East". Its head quareters are the twin towns of Mingora and Saidu Sharif. The people are mainly Pushto speaking Yousufzais and are easy going and hospitable. Mingora and Saidu Sharif are just 991 metres apart and have grown into one another to form a single city. The biggest city north of Peshawar. Saidu Sharif, Swat's traditional seat of government remains and administrative head quarters of the Malakand division and Swat district. Mingora is an old market town with a big bazar. Northwards, the mountains beyond Madyan rise and close in, squeezing the river into a leaping torment. The deodar forests are dominated by the 5918m Falaksir mountain. As the scenery becomes more ruggedly beautiful, the welcome becomes less warmer. Beyond Kalam, the trekking is legendary but officials accept no responsibility unless you go with an armed local guide. Swat was a cradle of Buddhism due to the presence of the Mauryan and Kushan kingdoms.

History of Swat:

It is said that Alexander crossed the Swat River with part of his army and before turning south, subdued the locals at what are now Barikot and Udegram. His successors gave swat to the Mauryan Dynasty. Under them, and the Bactrian King, Menander, Buddhism thrived and spread into central asia and china. Swat was the birthplace of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism, which in 7th century took root directly in Ladakh and Tibet. The chinese pilgrim, Fa-Hsien counted hundreds of monasteries here in 403 AD; 2 centuries later, Hsuan Tsang, another Monk traveller estimated them to be around 1400. The Hindu Shahi dynasty ruled from 8-10th century. The ruins of their forts are still part of Swat's rural skyline. From Afghanistan at the start of the 11th century came Mahmood of Ghazni, who took Udegram fortress from Gira, the last Shahi Raja.

After this came the first pushtuns, pushing the ancient Swatis (Ancestors of Kohistanis) north & east. By 16th Century, Yousufzai Pashtuns, driven before the moghal army of Babur, were the valley's dominant tribes. With them, came Islam to this region. The Moghals never got a foothold in Swat. In 1586, Akbar was thrashed by the Yousufzai's at the Karakar Pass south of Barikot.

The moghuls never got a foothold in Swat, though babar managed a diplomatic marriage with the daughter of a yusufzai leader (legend has it that he went in disguise to a yusufzai banquet at Thana, west of Chakdarra and fell in love with her). In 1586, Akbar was thrashed by the yusufzais at the Karakar pass south of Barikot.

In the 1840s, tribal swat started to get organised with the rise of the Sufi-ascetric and anti british reformer named Abdul Ghafoor, the so called Akhund of Swat. Akhund means theoligan or religious teacher. When the british moved into Peshawar in 1849, he rallied the clans but his state collapsed after a few years. He supported the 1863 battle at Ambela Pass which discouraged the british from further invading into Dir from Chakdarra. They were stopped at Chakdarra.

After his death in 1877, and a yousufzai dominated uprising at Malakand Pass in 1897, the british in 1926 brought the valley under the rule of the Akhund's grandson, Miangul Wadood, the first Wali of Swat and recognized it as a sovereign state.

After the partition, Swat joined Pakistan but was left to itself under the Wali's son and successor , Miangul Jehanzeb, who was also granted administration of Swat Kohistan. In July 1969, this sovereignty was abolished and the state was absorbed into Pakistan as a district of Malakand Division.

Under the Wali's benevolent autocracy, Swat had become one of asia's most peaceful and progressive kingdoms, with good roads, environmental laws, and higher per capita spending on education and public health then the rest of the country.

Jehanzeb's son, Miangul Aurangzeb, merely a member of the National Assembly now, still lives in the royal compound in Saidu Sharif, but most Swatis feel things have gone downhill ever since 1969.

A Visit Through the Valley

The Journey North

The Swat Valley

Swat is the most historically interesting valley in Pakistan. It is also one of the most beautiful - certainly much greener and more fertile than the valleys further north because it lies within the monsoon belt. In Lower Swat, the valley is wide, the fields on either side of the river are full of wheat and lucerne, and the villages are prosperous and surrounded by fruit trees. In Upper Swat, the river tumbles through pine forests hemmed in by snow-capped mountains. For the historical and amateur archaeologist, Swat offers several hundred archaeological sites spanning 5,000 years of history. For the sportsman and trekker, it offers good fishing and hiking.

The people of Swat are Muslim Pathans, Kohistanis and Gujars. Some have very distinct features and claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great.The Swat women wear colourful embroidered shirts and shalwars (baggy trousers). The men wear shalwar-gamiz and embroidered caps or silk turban.

Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years. The first inhabitants were settled in well-planned towns. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to Udegram and Barikot and stormed their battlemens. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists, who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. There are many remains that testify to their skills as sculptors and architects. In the beginning of the 11th century AD, Mahmud of Ghazni advanced through Dir and invaded Swat, defeating Gira, the local ruler, near Udegram. Later the land was taken over by the Dilazak, who in turn were ousted by the Yusufzais.

Mingora and Saidu Sharif:

These two towns at 991 metres have grown into each other and now form a single city, the biggest north of Peshawar and rawalpindi, saidu sharif, swat's traditional seat of government, remains the administrative headquarters of Malakand division (swat, dir and chitral) and swat district. Mingora is an old market town with a big bazaar, some government offices, many hotels and all the long distance transport offices. Local speech is Pashto. Mingora is the district headquarter and commercial centre of Swat. the Swat Museum, located between Mingora and Saidu, has a rich collection of Gandhara art which is worth viewing. For a traveler coming from the north, mingora's noise, traffic and frenetic atmosphere may come as a shock. Saidu Sharif is one of the twin cities of Mingora-Saidu Sharif. Saidu Sharif has several government buildings, the Swat Museum, the Tomb of Akund (RA) of Swat and the archaeological remains of the Butkara Buddhist Stupa.

Mingora is beside the main road up the swat valley, on the south bank of the swat river. The general bus stand is on the gt road west of the bazaar, and a regional bus stand is north on airport road. The airport is about four km north west of the bazaar. Saidu sharif on the other hand is south of mingora. Further south is marghazar along the saidu river (saidu khwarh in Pashto). The towns meet across the tributary jambil khwarh, though saidu's center is three km south at the old ro yal compound.

Saidu Baba:

This is the honorific nickname of the colorful shrie to the akhund of swat, behind the saidu sharif police station and near the old wali's residence.

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.

Jambil Valley:

At Panrh (or pahn) on the east side of the jambil khwarh are a stupa and a monastery from the 1st to 5th centuries ad. There is allegedly a path and a bridge about 1 � km beyond butkara number 3, or go three km out haji baba road from mingora bazaar. Further out at loebanrh, on the west side, are an Aryan graveyard from the 2nd to 1st Millennia BC and a 3rd to 4th century AD stupa.

Butkara (Butkada) Stupa

One of the most important Buddhist shrines in Swat, is near the museum. Take the dirt track on the left (north) side of the museum for one kilometer (about half a mile). The stupa is 400 metres (above a quarter of mile) across the fields to the left (north).

The stupa, which dates from the second century BC, was possibly built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to house some of the ashes of the Buddha. In subsequent centuries, it was enlarged five times by encasing the existing structure in a new shell. Italian excavators working in 1955 exposed the successive layers of the stupa, each layer illustrating a stage in the evolution of building techniques.

Udegram

This historic town is known as "Ora" where Alexander the Great fought a battle in 327 BC. Later on Mehmood of Ghazni (RA) also made an attack on Hindu Shahi rulers. He built a mosque here. The ruins of Hindu Shahi period can also be seen scattered in the area. The shrine of Hazrat Pir Khushal (RA) of Khushab Baba (RA) is also situated here.

Kabal

Kabal is a golfer's paradise: an eighteen-hotel course is open all year round and anyone can play there by paying the green fees.

Upper Swat Valley

The Swat Valley becomes more beautiful the higher you go. In mid-winter it is sometimes blocked by snow above Bahrain, but in summer you can drive up beyond Kalam and from there trek north to either the Chitral Valley or the Gilgit Valley. From Khwazakhela, the road across the Shangla Pass to the Karakoram Highway is usually open only from April to December.

Miandam

Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometres (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometres (35 miles) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The metalled road pases 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.

Bahrain:

A quarter of an hour past Madyan, the road squeezes through Bahrain. Tourists stop to shop or have a look around for beautiful carved wood chairs and tables and other handicrafts. Bahrainis are a mix of Pashtuns and Kohistanis.

Bahrain is ten kilometres north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 metres (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.

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 offers motel accommodation in Maindam, Kalam and Besham. for booking please contact: PTDC Motels, Ground Floor, Block 4-B, Markaz F-7, Bhitai Road, Islamabad. Tel: (92) (51) 111 555 999.

Beyond Kalam:

Just North of Kalam are the Utrot and the Ushu Rivers, which join together to form the Swat River. The scenery is alpine and heavily forested and the trekking is best of all. 25 km further from Kalam is the Mahodand valley. It has an unobstructive view of Swat's highest peak, the 5918 m Falaksir. Also, situated here is the beautiful Mahodhand Lake.

The valleys of Ushu, Utrot and Gabral beyond Kalam, constitute some of the most beautiful parts of Swat. There is good trout fishing around Utrot. Foreign tourists are advised to contact the local police authorities at Kalam before preceding to the valleys of Ushu, Utrot and Gabral.

Swat is ideal for camping, trekking and mountaineering. Permits are necessary, and can be obtained from the Tourism Division, Government of Pakistan, Markaz F-7, Islamabad.

The waters of the Swat River around Kalam and in the valleys of Ushu and Gabral abound in brown trout. Fishing licences must be obtained from the office of the Assistant Commissioner, Fisheries at Madyan and Kalam.