Swat District (Urdu: ضلع سوات, Pashto: سوات ولسوالۍ, pronounced[ˈswaːt̪]), also known as the Swat Valley, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Known for its stunning natural beauty, the district is a popular tourist destination. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Swat District is centred on the Valley of Swat, usually referred to simply as Swat, which is a natural geographic region surrounding the Swat River. The valley was a major centre of early Buddhism of the ancient civilisation of Gandhara, mainly Gandharan Buddhism, with pockets of Buddhism persisting in the valley until the 17th century, after which the area became largely Muslim.[4][5][6] Swat was the centre of Hindu Shahis and the Sultanate of Swat. In the early 19th century, Swat emerged as an independent state under Saidu Baba. State of Swat became a Princely state under British suzerainty as part of the British Raj in 1918.
The average elevation of Swat is 980 m (3,220 ft),[5] resulting in a considerably cooler and wetter climate compared to the rest of Pakistan. With lush forests, verdant alpine meadows, and snow-capped mountains, Swat is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.[9][10]
Etymology
The name "Swat" is derived from the Swat River. The Swat River referred to as the Suvāstu in the Rig Veda, with a literal meaning "of fair dwellings".
Some have suggested the Sanskrit name may mean "clear blue water."[11] Another theory derives the word Swat from the Sanskrit word shveta (lit.'white'), also used to describe the clear water of the Swat River.[12] To the ancient Greeks, the river was known as the Soastus.[13][14][15][12] The Chinese pilgrim Faxian referred to Swat as the Su-ho-to.[16] Some legend says that it is derived from the name of Swati tribe who once ruled this region.
Geography
Upper Swat is enclosed by tall mountains.
Swat's total area is 5,337 square kilometres (2,061 sq mi). In terms of administrative divisions, Swat is surrounded by Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir to the west, Gilgit-Baltistan to the north, and Kohistan, Buner and Shangla to the east and southeast, respectively. The former tehsil of Buner was granted the status of a separate district in 1991.[17]
The Swat Valley is enclosed by mountains that forms a natural geographic boundary for it. The Swat River whose headwaters arise in the 5,500-to-5,800-metre-tall (18,000–19,000 ft) Hindu Kush mountain range runs through the length of the region. The main area consists of many sub valleys such as Kalam, Bahrain, Matiltan, Utror, and Gabral.
Valley
The Valley of Swat is delineated by natural geographic boundaries, and is centered on the Swat River. The valley is enclosed on all sides by mountains, and is intersected by glens and ravines.[18] Above mountains ridges to the west is the valley of the Panjkora River, to the north the Gilgit Valley, and Indus River gorges to the east. To the south, across a series of low mountains, lies the wide Peshawar valley.[19]
The northernmost area of Swat district are the high valleys and alpine meadows of Swat Kohistan (Swat Mountains), a region where numerous glaciers feed the Usho, and Gabral rivers (also known as the Utrar River), which form a confluence at Kalam, and thereafter forms the Swat river - which forms the spine of the Swat Valley and district. Swat then is characterized by thick forests along the narrow gorges of the Kalam Valley until the city of Madyan. From there, the river courses gently for 160 km through the wider Yousufzai Plains of the lower Swat Valley until Chakdara.
Climate
Climate in Swat is a function of altitude, with mountains in the Kohistan region snow-clad year round. The upper areas of the region are relatively colder and often get snowfall in the winter. Drier, warmer temperatures in the lower portions in the Yousafzai Plains where summer temperatures can reach 105 °F (41 °C), although the lower plains experience occasional snow.[18] Both regions are subject to two monsoon seasons - one in winter and the other in summer. Swat's lower reaches have vegetation characterized by dry bush and deciduous trees, while the upper areas mostly have thick pine forests.[19]
Airport
The Saidu Sharif Airport at Kanju is a stone throw from Mingora, adding much to the tourism in the past. The runway is situated between Swat River and the Sham Baba mountainous range, with lush green gardens and large trees being added as "charm" to the climate in the area. More than 20 km² has been covered strategically, as was proposed during the last Wali's rule and constructed later-on by the Pakistani government. The Kanju village has seen an influx of academics in the region and is considered a hub for the Matta and Kabal Tehsils of Swat Valley.
Falak Sar, Swat's tallest mountain at 5,957 metres (19,544 ft)
Mount Mankial, which rises to 5,700 m (18,600 ft)
Pine forests occur in Swat at elevations over 1,500 m (5,000 ft)
The northernmost region of Swat – a region known as Kohistan – has high alpine valley at the base of tall mountains
Alpine lakes, such as Mahodand Lake are found in the mountains of Swat Kohistan.
Alpine meadows in Utror
History
Ancient
The Gandhara grave culture that emerged c. 1400 BCE and lasted until 800 BCE,[20] and named for their distinct funerary practices, was found along the Middle Swat River course.[21]
Greek
In 327 BCE, Alexander the Great fought his way to Odigram and Barikot and stormed their battlements; in Greek accounts, these towns are identified as Ora and Bazira. After the Alexandrian invasion of Swat, and adjacent regions of Buner, control of the wider Gandhara region was handed to Seleucus I Nicator.
In 305 BCE, the Mauryan Emperor conquered the wider region from the Greeks, and probably established control of Swat, until their control of the region ceased around 187 BCE.[22] It was during the rule of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka that Buddhism was introduced into Swat,[23] and some of the earliest stupas built in the region.
The region of Gandhara (based in the Peshawar valley and the adjacent hilly regions of Swat, Buner, Dir, and Bajaur), broke away from Greco-Bactrian rule to establish their own independence as the Indo-Greek Kingdom.[25] Following the death of the most famous Indo-Greek king, Menander I around 140 BCE, the region was overrun by the Indo-Scythians, and then the Persian Parthian Empire around 50 CE. The arrival of the Parthians began the long tradition of Greco-Buddhist art, which was a syncretic form of art combining Buddhist imagery with heavy Hellenistic-Greek influences. This art form is credited with having the first representations of the Buddha in human form, rather than symbolically.[citation needed]
The Parthians were ousted from Swat by the Kushans, based in the Peshawar valley. Kushan rule began what is considered by many to be the golden age of Gandhara. Under the greatest Kushan king, Kanishka, Swat became an important region for the production of Buddhist art, and numerous Buddhists shrines were built in the area. As a patron of Mahayana Buddhism, new Buddhists stupas were built and old ones were enlarged. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hsien, who visited the valley around 403 CE, mentions 500 monasteries.[26]
Butkara Stupa may have first been built during Mauryan rule in the 2nd century BCE.
Amlukdara Stupa was built around the 3rd century CE, and is one of many Buddhist ruins in Swat.
Nemogram Stupa, dating from the Kushan period c. 2-3 centuries CE, with many of its statues on display at the Swat Museum
Shingardar Stupa, a 27-metre tall stupa built along the main road that enters Swat from the Peshawar Valley[27]
Shamozi Stupa
Alchon Huns
The Hephthalite bowl from Swat (5th century AD) features two Kidarite royal hunters as well as two Alchon hunters, suggesting a period of peaceful coexistence between the two entities.[28]
Swat and the wider region of Gandhara were overrun by the Alchon Huns around about 465 CE.[29] Under the rule of Mihirakula, Buddhism was suppressed as he himself became virulently anti-Buddhist after a perceived slight against him by a Buddhist monk.[30] Under his rule, Buddhist monks were reportedly killed, and Buddhist shrines attacked.[30] He himself appears to have been inclined towards the Shaivism sect of Hinduism.[30]
In around 520 CE, the Chinese monk Song Yun visited the area, and recorded that area had been in ruin and ruled by a leader that did not practice the laws of the Buddha.[31] The Tang-era Chinese monk Xuanzang recorded the decline of Buddhism in the region, and ascendance of Hinduism in the region. According to him, of the 1400 monasteries that had supposedly been there, most were in ruins or had been abandoned.[32]
Hindu Shahis
Raja Gira was the site of a fortress from which the Hindu Shahis ruled Swat.
Following the collapse of Buddhism in Swat following the Alchon Hun invasion, Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty beginning in the 8th century,[33] who made their capital at Udigram in lower Swat.[33] The Hindu Shahis are believed to belong to the Uḍi/Oḍi tribe, namely the people of Oddiyana, present-day Swat.[34][35]
The Shahis built an extensive array of temples and other architectural buildings, of which ruins remain today. Under their rule, Hinduism ascended, and Sanskrit is believed to have been the lingua franca of the locals during this time.[36] By the time of the Muslim conquests (c. 1000 CE), the population in the region was predominantly Hindu,[37]: 19 though Buddhism persisting in the valley until the 10th century, after which the area became largely Muslim.[4][5] Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area,[38] and ruins dating back to their rule can be seen on the hills at the southern entrance of Swat, at the Malakand Pass.[39]
Muslim rule
The Mahmud Ghaznavi Mosque was built in the former Hindu Shahi capital of Odigram shortly after their defeat, and dates to 1048–49 CE.
Sultanate of Swat was a major Gibari Swati state that existed in the Swat valley between 12th and 16th centuries, before being defeated by Yousafzai migrants from west. Sultan Pakhal Gibari was the first ruler of this kingdom. Sultan Awes Jahangiri was the last ruler until 1519 who was married to Shahida Bibi (making her Malika e Swat - the Queen of Swat), a sister of Yousafzai chief Malak Ahmed Khan.
The region was seized by the Tehrik-i-Taliban in late-2007,[7] and its highly-popular tourist industry was subsequently decimated until Pakistani control was re-established in mid-2009 after a month-long campaign.[8] During their occupation, the group attacked Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, who at the time was a young school-girl who wrote a blog for BBC Urdu detailing life under Tehreek-i-Taliban rule, and their curb on girls' education.
Kushan-era Buddhist stupas and statues in the Swat Valley were demolished by the Tehreek-i-Taliban,[42] and the Jehanabad Buddha's face was blown up using dynamite,[43][44] but was repaired by a group of Italian restorers in a nine-year-long process.[45] Looters subsequently destroyed many of Pakistan's Buddhist artifacts,[46] and deliberately targeted Gandhara Buddhist relics for destruction.[47] Gandhara artifacts remaining from the demolitions were thereafter plundered by thieves and smugglers.[48]
Gwalerai, a village located near Mingora, is one of those few villages which produces 18 varieties of apples due to its agriculturally favourable temperate climate in summer. The apple produced here is consumed in Pakistan as well as exported to other countries. It is known as ‘the apple of Swat’.[51]
Swat is also famous for peach production mostly grown in the valley bottom plains and accounts for about 80% of the peach production of the country - thus oft marketed in the national markets with a branded as "Swat Peaches". The supply starts in April and continues till September because of a diverse range of varieties grown. Salampur village, located near Saidu Sharif, is a principle region in Pakistan for the manufacture of sheets and shawls.
Demographics
Photograph of Mingora, the largest city in Swat – May 2014
At the time of the 2017 census the district had 270,974 households and a population of 2,308,624, of which 1,171,947 were males and 1,136,545 females. Swat had a sex ratio of and a literacy rate of 50.27% - 65.25% for males and 35.10% for females. 695,821 (30.14%) lived in urban areas. 31.45% of the population were under 10 years of age. 1,811 (0.08%) people in the district were from religious minorities.[2]
Swat is mostly inhabited by Pashtuns who make up 90.78% of the population.[2] The dominant tribe is the Yusufzai tribe with minor settlements of Shinwari, Tarkani, Ghoryakhel and Sulaimankhel tribes.[5] The language spoken in the valley is Pashto (mainly the Yousafzai dialect). Other languages, mainly the Kohistani languages of Torwali and Kalami, are spoken by 7.35% of the population, and form the majority in the Swat Kohistan region of Upper Swat.[2]
Education
According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan Education Rankings for 2017, Swat with a score of 53.1, is ranked 86 out of 155 districts in terms of education. Furthermore, the Swat schools infrastructure scores 90.26 which ranks it on number 31 out of 155.[53]
Schools
A Christian-run missionary school was established in 1950s, the first ever private sector educational institution in Swat Valley.
A number of other private sector schools are in run since long, Tipu Model School and College, Kabal Swat (TMS established by Safdar Ali Aziz) and Swat Public School (SPS) are oldest among such schools.
Safdar Ali Aziz is also founder of Private Schools Management Association (PSMA) and got good reputation in imparting quality education in the region.
Administrative divisions
Swat is subdivided into 9 administrative divisions Tehsils:[54]
^ abEast and West, Volume 33. Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente. 1983. p. 27. According to the 13th century Tibetan Buddhist Orgyan pa forms of magic and Tantra Buddhism and Hindu cults still survived in the Swāt area even though Islam had begun to uproot them (G. Tucci, 1971, p. 375) ... The Torwali of upper Swāt would have been converted to Islam during the course of the 17th century (Biddulph, p. 70).
^1998 District Census report of Buner. Census publication. Vol. 98. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 2000. p. 1.
^Callieri, Pierfrancesco (1997). Saidu Sharif I (Swat, Pakistan). IsMEO. Having brought under its domination part of Afghanistan and, most probably, Swat (Tucci 1978), the Maurya dynasty died out around 187 BC
^Rahman, Abdul (2002). "New Light on the Khingal, Turk and the Hindu Sahis"(PDF). Ancient Pakistan. XV: 37–42. The Hindu Śāhis were therefore neither Bhattis, or Janjuas, nor Brahmans. They were simply Uḍis/Oḍis. It can now be seen that the term Hindu Śāhi is a misnomer and, based as it is merely upon religious discrimination, should be discarded and forgotten. The correct name is Uḍi or Oḍi Śāhi dynasty.
^Meister, Michael W. (2005). "The Problem of Platform Extensions at Kafirkot North"(PDF). Ancient Pakistan. XVI: 41–48. Rehman (2002: 41) makes a good case for calling the Hindu Śāhis by a more accurate name, "Uḍi Śāhis".
^Sorrow and Joy Among Muslim Women The Pushtuns of Northern Pakistan By Amineh Ahmed Published by Cambridge University Press, 2006 Page 21.
^ abFredrik Barth, Features of Person and Society in Swat: Collected Essays on Pathans, illustrated edition, Routledge, 1981
Alram, Michael (2014). "From the Sasanians to the Huns New Numismatic Evidence from the Hindu Kush". The Numismatic Chronicle. 174: 261–291. JSTOR44710198.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swat District.
Village in Shkodër, AlbaniaRrash-KullajVillageRrash-KullajCoordinates: 42°9′4″N 19°31′45″E / 42.15111°N 19.52917°E / 42.15111; 19.52917Country AlbaniaCountyShkodërMunicipalityMalësi e MadheMunicipal unitGruemirëTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST) Rrash-Kullaj (also known as Kulla të Rrashit and Kulla të Boksit, Serbian: Раш и Куле) is a settlement in the former Gruemirë municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania…
Governor of Telangana తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్ర గవర్నర్IncumbentTamilisai Soundararajansince 8 September 2019AppointerPresident of IndiaInaugural holderE. S. L. NarasimhanFormation2 June 2014; 9 years ago (2014-06-02)Websitegovernor.telangana.gov.in The governor of Telangana is the head of state of the Indian state of Telangana. The governors have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the president of India at central l…
Opera by Peter von Winter Scene from Maometto (Act 2, scene 7). Set design by Alessandro Sanquirico for the 1826 production at La Scala. Maometto is an opera by Peter von Winter to a libretto by Felice Romani premièred in 1817 at La Scala, Milan.[1][2] Romani's libretto is unusual in that it depicts Muhammad, the founder of Islam, following the 1736 play Mahomet by Voltaire, and not Mehmed the Conqueror, the Turkish sultan of the fifteenth century known from Rossini's Maometto I…
The English PatientPoster film The English PatientSutradara Anthony Minghella Produser Saul Zaentz Ditulis oleh Anthony Minghella SkenarioAnthony MinghellaBerdasarkanThe English Patientoleh Michael OndaatjePemeranRalph FiennesKristin Scott ThomasJuliette BinocheWillem DafoeColin FirthNaveen AndrewsPenata musikGabriel YaredSinematograferJohn SealePenyuntingWalter MurchPerusahaanproduksiTiger Moth ProductionsDistributorMiramax FilmsTanggal rilis 15 November 1996 (1996-11-15) Durasi162 m…
Questa voce sull'argomento calciatori etiopi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Anwar Siraj Nazionalità Etiopia Calcio Ruolo Difensore Squadra Al-Saqr Carriera Squadre di club1 1994-2000 EEPCO? (?)2000-2001 Oman Club? (?)2001-2002 EEPCO? (?)2002-2006 St. George? (?)2006- Al-Saqr? (?) Nazionale 1998- Etiopia67 (9) 1 I due numeri indicano le presenze e le re…
Опис файлу Опис Обкладинка альбому The Ukrainians Джерело https://uk.the-ukrainians.com/copy-of-home-11 Час створення 1991 Автор зображення Невідомий Ліцензія Це зображення є обкладинкою музичного альбому або синглу. Найімовірніше, авторськими правами на обкладинку володіє видавець альбому (синглу)…
لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع جوشوا سميث (توضيح). هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (فبراير 2019) جوشوا سميث معلومات شخصية الميلاد 30 مايو 1992 (31 سنة) الجنسية المملكة المتحدة المدرسة الأم جامعة درم الحياة …
Pair of rocks in Greek mythology Illustration by Howard Davie for The Heroes by Charles Kingsley. The Symplegades (/sɪmˈplɛɡədiːz/; Greek: Συμπληγάδες, Symplēgádes) or Clashing Rocks, also known as the Cyanean Rocks (Κυανέαι), were, according to Greek mythology, a pair of rocks at the Bosphorus that clashed together whenever a vessel went through. They were defeated by Jason and the Argonauts, who would have been lost and killed by the rocks except for Phineus' advice. …
Artikel ini sebatang kara, artinya tidak ada artikel lain yang memiliki pranala balik ke halaman ini.Bantulah menambah pranala ke artikel ini dari artikel yang berhubungan atau coba peralatan pencari pranala.Tag ini diberikan pada Februari 2023. Dr. H.Yusra Habib Abdul GhaniDuta Besar Negara Aceh Merdeka untuk MalaysiaMasa jabatan1997 – 27 April 1998PresidenHasan di TiroAktivis Aceh Merdeka di Malaysia dan ScandinaviaMasa jabatan1991 – 15 Agustus 2005PresidenHasan di TiroIn…
Malagasy tennis player This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Zarah RazafimahatratraAt the 2010 US OpenCountry (sports) MadagascarBorn (1994-08-24) 24 August 1994 (age 29)Antananarivo, MadagascarPlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)P…
Приспущенный национальный флаг на здании Сейма. 10 апреля 2010 года Дни национального траура в Польше (польск. Żałoba narodowa) отмечаются в ознаменование скорби по погибшим в результате крупных трагических событий, как в самой Польше, так и за её пределами, либо по умершим государс…
Cet article ou cette section contient des informations sur un projet architectural. Il se peut que ces informations soient de nature spéculative et que leur teneur change considérablement alors que les évènements approchent. Centre aquatique olympiqueChantier de la piscine olympique en octobre 2022GénéralitésAdresse Avenue du Président-Wilson, Saint-DenisConstruction et ouvertureOuverture 2024 (JOP)juillet 2025 (grand public)Architecte VenhoevenCS (d)UtilisationPropriétaire Métropole d…
Card game FemkortThe decisive final trick: the player with the Ace of Hearts wins the pot.OriginSwedenTypeLast trick groupPlayers3–8Cards52 cardsDeckFrench-suited, Swedish Modern patternRank (high→low)A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2Playing time5 min/dealRelated gamesAgram, Chicago, Letzter Stich, Toepen Femkort (Five Cards) is a classic Swedish card game for 3 to 8 players[a] with an unusual object,[1] known since the 17th century, being mentioned in 1658 in Georg Stiernhielm's ep…
Filipino dish of rice and pickled fish Burong isdaCourseMain dishPlace of originPhilippinesRegion or stateCentral LuzonVariationsburong dalag (snakehead);burong bangus (milkfish);burong hito (catfish);burong gurami (gourami), etc.Similar dishesTinapayan, Balao-balao, Narezushi, Pla ra Burong isda (literally pickled fish) is a Filipino dish consisting of cooked rice and raw filleted fish fermented with salt and angkak (red yeast rice) for around a week. The dish is common in central Luzon, most n…
Cet article est une ébauche concernant le Québec. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. La centrale de Cap-aux-Meules Les réseaux autonomes d'Hydro-Québec désignent une vingtaine de petits réseaux électriques de communautés isolées au Québec sous la responsabilité d'Hydro-Québec qui ne sont pas reliées au réseau de transport d'électricité nord-américain. Situés au Nunavik, dans le secteur…
2nd President of Argentina from 1868 to 1874 In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sarmiento and the second or maternal family name is Albarracín. Domingo Faustino SarmientoSarmiento in c. 1874President of ArgentinaIn office12 October 1868 – 11 October 1874Vice PresidentAdolfo AlsinaPreceded byBartolomé MitreSucceeded byNicolás AvellanedaMinister of Foreign Affairs and WorshipIn office6 September 1879 – 9 October 1879PresidentNicolás AvellanedaP…
1937 film by Charles Vidor The Great GambiniTheatrical release posterDirected byCharles VidorScreenplay byFrederick J. JacksonFrank PartosHoward Irving YoungProduced byB. P. SchulbergStarringAkim TamiroffMarian MarshJohn TrentGenevieve TobinReginald DennyRoland DrewWilliam DemarestCinematographyLeon ShamroyEdited byRobert BischoffProductioncompanyParamount PicturesDistributed byParamount PicturesRelease date June 25, 1937 (1937-06-25) Running time70 minutesCountryUnited StatesLang…
List of awards won by Sex and the City Awards and nominations Award Won Nominated American Cinema Editors Award 2 5 American Comedy Awards 0 6 AFI Awards 1 2 BMI Film & TV Awards 3 3 British Comedy Awards 0 2 Chris Awards 1 1 CINE Golden Eagle Awards 3 3 Costume Designers Guild 4 6 Directors Guild of America Award 2 10 Emmy Awards 7 54 GLAAD Media Award 1 4 Golden Globe Awards 8 24 Golden Nymph Awards 2 2 Golden Reel Awards 1 4 Makeup Artist & Hairstylist Guild Awards 3 4 NAACP Image Awa…