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Swat in Transition
- University of Minnesota Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
185 SwatinTransition sultan-i-rome swat lies at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and China.1 Once the cradle of the great Gandhara civilization, Swat is now part of Pakistan’s ProvinciallyAdministeredTribalAreas (PATA) of the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province. The “Switzerland of the East,” Swat attracted travelers and adventurers over the centuries.2 In recent years, it has become famous for another kind of adventure: war. Since the 1990s, it has been home to the Tahrik Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM), whose rebellion against the government resulted in armed clashes with the Pakistani military in 1994 and then again in 2007–09 (under the leadership of Fazlullah). The entry of militancy into Swat is related to certain important historical factors, such as the manner in which Swat was incorporated into the state of Pakistan and the wars in Afghanistan. This essay lays out these elements in some detail.What is important to establish before we get to these details is that Swat society is remarkably independent. The Swatis were known to be instinctively restive and hence always at daggers drawn prior to the 1920s, defending their Pukhtun code (Pukhtu also called Pukhtunwali). Occupied by the Yusufzai Afghans in the sixteenth century, Swat nonetheless was ruled by the tribal welter, divided into two opposing blocks (dalay).As well, the people of Swat have had a 186 Sultan-i-Rome long history of patronizing religious figures, the babas and mullas of the past such as Mian Noor, Akhund Abdul Ghafur (Saidu Baba), Sadullah Khan (Sartor Faqir), and Sandakai Baba.3 Between 1879 and 1881, the Khan of Dir occupied the right bank of Swat.The combination of independence and the role of the babas pushed the people of Shamizi, Sebujni , and Nikpi Khel cantons to unite under the patronage of a religious figure, Sandakai Baba, in 1915. After various encounters, they defeated and expelled the Dir forces, formed a five-member council to manage the affairs of the liberated area, and installed as their king SayyadAbdul Jabbar Shah onApril 24, 1915.Two years later, in September 1917, he was made to relinquish power.4 In the place of Abdul Jabbar Shah, the people installed Miangul AbdulWadud, the grandson of Saidu Baba.AbdulWadud (Bacha Sahib) was dynamic and energetic. He expanded and consolidated the emergent Swat State.The drive, initiative, and policies of the new king made Swat a model of peace in the Pukhtun tribal areas. A sense of peace and respect for the authority of the state prevailed in an overwhelmingly illiterate tribal society. Under the term of an illiterate but enlightened person, Swat became “a unique State.”5 In December 1949, Abdul Wadud abdicated in favor of his son, Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb (Wali Sahib). The Wali Sahib put his energy into developmental work, such as in the education, communication , and health sectors. His modern education and outlook pushed the Wali Sahib to consider certain Western developments, which also included education and health policies as well as his secularization and modernization of the state institutions and the society. Both Miangul Abdul Wadud and Miangul Jahanzeb gradually altered the centuriesold social organization and introduced drastic changes. Although autocratic , they evolved governmental machinery that not only controlled but also served the people: they provided quick disposal of disputes and cases, standard civic amenities like education, health care, and communication systems, and ensured peace, security, and order.These changed the outlook, behavior, and temperament of the people and eroded the tribal ingredients of the society. The emergence of Pakistan in 1947 did not affect the Swat State’s independence. The Swati ruler signed the Instrument of Accession to join Pakistan, but he formally held most of the power to manage [54.234.233.157] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 16:51 GMT) swat in transition 187 the Swat State.6 Although the Wali Sahib surrendered more power to Pakistan by signing the Supplementary Instrument ofAccession in 1954, matters remained as they had been. However, on July 28, 1969, the Chief Martial Law Administrator and President of Pakistan, General Yahya Khan, announced the merger of the State; and on August 15, 1969, the Wali lost his seat. The Malakand Division absorbed Swat and a Commissioner took charge. The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner came to administer theWali’s former state as well as Kalam (the area the Wali Sahib administered on behalf of the Pakistan government). The Pakistani state brought an alien administrative apparatus, characterized by federal and provincial centralization, and a bureaucratic...