Swat (Pakistan)
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- ''This is an article about the Swat Valley and District in Pakistan. For Swat River, see Swat River.
- '' For other uses of the name Swat, see Swat.
Swat is a valley and a district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty, and a popular destination for tourists. It was a princely state (see State of Swat) in the NWFP until it was dissolved in 1969.
This valley and the other areas along the banks of river Swat, earliest known as "Shrivastu", later "Suvastu" and currently the present name, is also the place of the origin of Shrivastava sub-clan of Indo-Aryan Kayastha clan.
History
Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years and was known in ancient times as Udyana. The first inhabitants were settled in well-planned towns. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to Udegram and Barikot. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists and the Indo-Greeks, who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. Swat is thought to be the probable birthplace of Vajrayana Buddhism. There are many archaeological sites in the district, and Buddhist relics are common, testimony 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, when the King of Kabul Mirza Ulagh Beg attempted to assassinate the dominant chiefs of the Yousafzais they took refuge in the hilly areas of Swat. The whole area was dominated by the Swati Sultans of Swat. The last of the Swati Sultans ruled over an area from Jalalabad to Jhelum and Dilazaks of the Peshawar plain. After more than two decades of guerilla war, they were dispossessed by the Yousafzais. The majority of the aboriginal inhabitants of Swat migrated to the Hazara region to the east, where Swatis predominate with their surname Swati, reflecting their link to the region.
Demographics
The people of Swat are mainly Pashtuns, Kohistanis and Gujars. Some have very distinctive features and claim to be descendants of the army of Alexander the Great.The people of the Kalam region in northern Swat are known as Kohistanis and speak the Torwali and Kalami languages. There are also some Khowar speakers in the Kalam region. This is because before Kalam came under the rule of Swat it was a region tributary to both Yasin and Chitral and after Yasin itself was assimilated into Chitral the Kalamis paid a tribute of mountain ponies to the Mehtar of Chitral every year.
Tourist attractions
Apart from beautiful streams, rivers and meadows, there is a ski resort in Swat at Malam Jabba as well. Malam Jabba is about 40km north east of Saidu Sharif. It is the most popular ski resort in Pakistan. The ski slope is also the longest in Pakistan at about 800m.See also
- Assakenois and Aspasios (ancient people of north-east Afghanistan)
- State of Swat
- North-West Frontier Province
External links
- [Swat Valley site]
- [Website of Quarterly Pushtu Journal Meena From Swat]
- [Pictures of Swat]
- [RoyalArk website on general and dynastic history]
- [Details on the ruling family of Swat]
- [Francis Hannaway's Website on Swat]
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