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'{{short description|District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan}} {{Multiple issues| {{travel guide|date=January 2019}} {{original research|date=January 2019}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{EngvarB|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Swat | official_name = | native_name = {{Nastaliq|سوات}} | native_name_lang = ps | settlement_type = [[Districts of Pakistan|District]] | image_skyline = River Swat Pakistan 3.jpg | image_caption = Springtime photograph of the [[Swat River]] running through the valley, May 2015 | nickname = [[Switzerland]] of the East{{sfn|Steven stee|2013}} | image_map = Pakistan - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - Swat.svg | mapsize = 200px | map_caption = Swat District, highlighted red, shown within the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Pakistan}} | subdivision_type1 = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Province]] | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}} | seat_type = [[Capital city|Capital]] | seat = [[Saidu Sharif]] | established_title = Established | established_date = | leader_party = | leader_title = District Nazim | leader_name = | leader_title1 = District Naib Nazim | unit_pref = Metric | coordinates = {{coord|35|12|N|72|29|E|type:adm2nd_region:PK_dim:200000|display=inline,title}} | parts_style = para | parts_type = Largest city | p1 = [[Mingora]] | area_total_km2 = 5337 | population_total = 2,309,570 | population_rural = 1,613,670 | population_urban = 695,900 | population_footnotes = <ref name="census2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/bwpsr/kp/SWAT_SUMMARY.pdf|title=DISTRICT AND TEHSIL LEVEL POPULATION SUMMARY WITH REGION BREAKUP: KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA|date=2018-01-03|access-date=2018-04-23|publisher=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref> | population_as_of = [[2017 Census of Pakistan|2017]] | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone1 = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PST]] | utc_offset1 = +5 | area_code = Area code 0946 | blank_name_sec1 = Languages (1981)<ref name="Languages">{{cite book|author=Stephen P. Cohen|title=The Idea of Pakistan|url=https://archive.org/details/ideaofpakistan00cohe|url-access=registration|date=2004|publisher=[[Brookings Institution Press]]|isbn=0815797613|page=[https://archive.org/details/ideaofpakistan00cohe/page/202 202]}}</ref> | blank_info_sec1 = {{plainlist| * [[Pashto]] (90.28%) * [[Indus Kohistani|Kohistani]] (8.67%) }} | imagesize = 300px | map_caption1 = }} '''Swat District''' ({{lang-ps|سوات ولسوالۍ}}, {{IPA-ps|ˈswaːt̪|pron}}) is a [[Districts of Pakistan|district]] in the [[Malakand Division]] of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]]. Centred upon the upper portions of the [[Swat River]], the modern-day district was a major centre of early [[Buddhism]] under the ancient kingdom of [[Gandhara]], due to which a strong presence of [[Culture of Buddhism|Buddhist cultural influence]] exists in the region. Swat was home to [[Hinduism]] and later [[Gandharan Buddhism]] until the 10th century, after which the area predominantly came under [[Muslims|Muslim]] control and [[Islam|Islamic]] influence.<ref name="EW1983">{{cite book |title=East and West, Volume 33 |date=1983 |publisher=Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente |page=27 |language=en|quote=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 ).}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTMy0B9OZjAC&q=Swat+Pakistan&pg=PA17|title=Pakistan: A Global Studies Handbook|last=Mohiuddin|first=Yasmeen Niaz|date=2007|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781851098019|language=en}}</ref> Until 1969, Swat was part of the [[Swat (princely state)|Yusafzai State of Swat]], a self-governing [[Princely states of Pakistan|princely state]] that was inherited by Pakistan following its independence from [[British Raj|British rule]]. The region [[First Battle of Swat|was seized]] by the [[Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan|Tehrik-i-Taliban]] in late-2007,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDuvAwAAQBAJ&q=swat+tourism+taliban&pg=PA149|title=The Taliban Revival: Violence and Extremism on the Pakistan-Afghanistan Frontier|last=Abbas|first=Hassan|date=2014-06-24|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=9780300178845|language=en}}</ref> and its highly-popular tourist industry was subsequently decimated until Pakistani control [[Second Battle of Swat|was re-established in mid-2009]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-taliban-once-ruled-pakistans-swat-valley-now-peace-has-returned/2015/05/08/6bb8ac96-eeaa-11e4-8050-839e9234b303_story.html|title=The Taliban once ruled Pakistan's Swat Valley. Now peace has returned.|last=Craig|first=Tim|date=2015-05-09|work=Washington Post|access-date=2018-02-11|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Swat's capital is the city of [[Saidu Sharif]], although the largest city and main commercial centre is the nearby city of [[Mingora]].<ref name="afp1128">[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZ4MUOze82QJmr6Lv7C3sbmc-K1w "Pakistan troops seize radical cleric's base: officials"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202043152/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZ4MUOze82QJmr6Lv7C3sbmc-K1w |date=2 December 2007 }}, Agence France Presse article, 28 November 2007, accessed same day</ref>{{better source|reason=This is a Google News copy of an agency report. Cite the original instead|date=December 2019}} With a population of 2,309,570 per the [[2017 Census of Pakistan|2017 national census]], Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. With the exception of the uppermost regions of the valley, which are inhabited by ethnic [[Kohistani people|Kohistanis]], Swat is mostly inhabited by [[Yusufzai]] [[Pashtuns]], who arrived in the region from the southern [[Kabul Valley]] in 16 CE.<ref name=":0" /> The average elevation of Swat is {{convert|980|m|ft|abbr=on}},<ref name=":0" /> resulting in a considerably cooler and wetter climate compared to the rest of Pakistan. With lush forests, verdant [[Alpine tundra|alpine meadows]], and snow-capped mountains, Swat is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1383480|title=Tourists throng Swat to explore its natural beauty|last=Khaliq|first=Fazal|date=2018-01-17|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/197987/revival-tourism-pakistan/|title=The revival of tourism in Pakistan |date=2018-02-09|work=Daily Times|access-date=2018-02-12|language=en-US}}</ref> ==Etymology== [[File:Rigvedic geography.jpg|thumb|Geography of the ''[[Rigveda]]''; the extent of the [[Gandhara grave culture|Swat]] and [[Cemetery H culture|Cemetery H]] cultures are indicated.]] The name "Swat" is of [[Sanskrit]] origin. One theory derives it from ''Suvastu'', the ancient name of the [[Swat River]] (''Suastus'' in [[Greek literature]]);<ref name="Sultan_2008">{{cite book |author=Sultan-i-Rome |title=Swat State (1915–1969) from Genesis to Merger: An Analysis of Political, Administrative, Socio-political, and Economic Development |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pIsMAQAAMAAJ |year=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-547113-7 |page=13 }}</ref> Suvastu ({{Literal translation|clear [[Azure (color)|azure]] water}}) is attested in the earliest Sanskrit-language [[Hinduism|Hindu]] text, the [[Rigveda]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Susan Whitfield |title=Silk, Slaves, and Stupas: Material Culture of the Silk Road |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cHBdDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT136 |year=2018 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-95766-4 |page=136 }}</ref> Another theory derives the word Swat from the Sanskrit word "Shveta" ({{Literal translation|white}}), also used to describe the clear water of the Swat River.<ref name="Sultan_2008"/> == History == [[File:Sunset over the City.jpg|thumb|Photograph of [[Mingora]], the largest city in Swat – May 2014]] The earliest recorded history of the region, preserved through the [[oral tradition]], was the settlement and societies of the [[Indo-Aryan peoples]]. According to [[Edmund Leach|E. R. Leach]]: "Swat lies on the edge of the Indian world".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OlU7AAAAIAAJ&q=swat+hindu&pg=PA115|title = Aspects of Caste in South India, Ceylon and North-West Pakistan|isbn = 9780521096645|last1 = Leach|first1 = E. R.|year = 1960}}</ref> These Indo-Aryan tribes of the [[Rigveda]] created the earliest settlement and cultures in Swat. Some of these Indo-Aryan settlements, launched from Swat, gave rise to or influenced the early cultures of [[History of India|ancient India]], such as the [[Cemetery H culture]], [[Copper Hoard Culture|Copper Hoard culture]] and [[Painted Grey Ware culture]]. Later movements of the Indo-Aryan tribes saw the emergence of ethnic [[Nuristanis|Nuristani]] and [[Dardic peoples|Dardic]] populations.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tzU3RIV2BWIC&q=swat+aryan&pg=PA310|title = Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture|isbn = 9781884964985|last1 = Mallory|first1 = J. P.|last2 = Adams|first2 = Douglas Q.|year = 1997}}</ref> In 327 BC, [[Alexander the Great]] fought his way to [[Odigram]] and [[Barikot]] and stormed their battlements; in [[Greek literature|Greek accounts]], these towns are identified as ''Ora'' and ''Bazira''. This area was then ruled over by the [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]] for centuries. Around the second century BC, the area was occupied by [[Buddhism|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. Some time later, ethnic [[Swati (Pashtun tribe)|Swatis]] entered the area along with Sultans from [[Kunar Province|Kunar]] (present-day [[Afghanistan]]). The formal establisher of the [[Swat (princely state)|Yousafzai State of Swat]]'s last official ruling family before the [[Princely states of Pakistan|princely state]]'s merger with [[Pakistan]] was the [[Muslims|Muslim]] saint [[Akhund Abdul Ghaffur|Akhund Abdul Gaffur]], more commonly known as ''Saidu Baba''.<ref>S.G. Page 398 and 399, T and C of N.W.F.P by Ibbetson page 11 etc</ref><ref name=Barth/> ===Buddhist heritage=== [[File:Statue of a Buddha seated on a lotus throne in Swat Valley.jpg|thumb|upright|1896 photo of a [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] statue seated on a [[lotus throne]] in Swat]] The early presence of [[Buddhism in Pakistan|Buddhism in this region]] is said to have come via the settlement of [[Oddiyana]], where [[Vajrayana|Tantric Buddhism]] flourished under [[Indrabhuti]], the king of Swat in the early eighth century and one of the original [[Siddha|Siddhas]]. However, there is an old and well-known [[Indrabhuti#Conflation of Indrabhuti related to conflation of|scholarly dispute]] as to whether Oddiyana was located in the Swat Valley of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|northwestern Pakistan]], the [[East India|eastern Indian]] state of [[Odisha]], or somewhere else. [[Padmasambhāva|Padmasambhava]] (flourished eighth century AD), the semi-legendary [[History of Buddhism in India|Indian Buddhist]] mystic who introduced Tantric Buddhism to [[Tibet]] was, according to tradition, native to Oddiyana.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISFBJarYX7YC&q=swat+padmasambhava&pg=PA138|title=Students' Britannica India|isbn=9780852297605|access-date=27 January 2016|last1=Hoiberg|first1=Dale|year=2000}}</ref> He is revered as the second Buddha in Tibet, and is said to have been the son of Indrabhuti. Lakshminkaradevi, Indrabhuti's sister, is also said to have been an accomplished Siddha in the ninth century AD.<ref>Buddhist Art & Antiquities of Himachal Pradesh: Up to 8th Century A.D., by Omacanda Hāṇḍā Edition: illustrated Published by Indus Publishing, 1994 Page 89</ref> The ancient kingdom of [[Gandhara]], the [[Peshawar District|Purushapura valley]] and the adjacent hilly regions of Swat, [[Buner District|Buner]], [[Dir District|Dir]], and [[Bajaur District|Bajaur]], were one of the earliest centres of Buddhist culture following the reign of the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan]] emperor [[Ashoka]] in the third century BC. The name ''Gandhara''<nowiki/>'s earliest literary occurrence is in the Rigveda, which is usually synonymous with the region.<ref>Architecture and Art Treasures in Pakistan By F. A. Khan, published by Elite Publishers, 1969</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2018}} [[File:Buddhist-heritage swatvalley x002.JPG|thumb|left|[[Buddhism|Buddhist]] heritage site in the Swat Valley – April 2010]] The [[Greco-Buddhist art|Gandhara school]] is credited with having the first representations of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] in human form, rather than symbolically.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} [[File:Amlukdara stupa close.JPG|thumbnail|[[Amluk-Dara stupa|Amlukdara Stupa]] – March 2012]] ===Hindu Shahi=== After an early Buddhist phase, [[Hinduism]] reasserted itself, and by the time of the [[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent|Muslim conquests]] ({{Circa|1000 AD}}), the population in the region was predominantly [[Hindus|Hindu]].<ref name=Barth>Fredrik Barth, ''Features of Person and Society in Swat: Collected Essays on Pathans'', illustrated edition, Routledge, 1981</ref>{{rp|19}} Prior to the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]'s takeover of the region, Swat was ruled by the [[Hindu Shahi]] dynasty, who built an extensive array of [[Hindu temple|temples]] and other architectural buildings, of which ruins remain today. [[Sanskrit]] is believed to have been the [[lingua franca]] of the locals during this time.<ref>Sorrow and Joy Among Muslim Women The Pushtuns of Northern Pakistan By Amineh Ahmed Published by Cambridge University Press, 2006 Page 21.</ref> Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area, and ruins dating back to their rule can be seen on the hills at the southern entrance of Swat, at the [[Malakand Pass]].<ref>Swat: An Afghan Society in Pakistan: Urbanisation and Change in Tribal Environment By Inam-ur-Rahim, Alain M. Viaro Published by City Press, 2002 Page 59</ref> ===Taliban destruction of Buddhist relics=== [[File:Saidu Sharif hospital-002.JPG|right|thumb|Elevated view of the Saidu Sharif Hospital's new block – June 2012]] The Swat Valley, located in present-day [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province, has many [[Buddhist art|Buddhist carvings, statues, and stupas]]. The town of Jehanabad contains a [[Buddhist rock carving in Manglawar|Seated Buddha statue]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factsanddetails.com/asian/cat62/sub406/item2566.html|title=EARLY HISTORY OF BUDDHISM|author=Jeffrey Hays|access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=January 2021}} [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]]-era Buddhist stupas and statues in the Swat Valley were demolished by the [[Taliban]], and after two further attempts,<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Taliban defeated by the quiet strength of Pakistan's Buddha|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/taliban-defeated-by-the-quiet-strength-of-pakistans-buddha/articleshow/64956086.cms|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Times of India}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=January 2021}} the Jehanabad Buddha's face was blown up using [[dynamite]].<ref name="Yousafzai2013">{{cite book|author=Malala Yousafzai|title=I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban|url=https://archive.org/details/iammalalastoryof0000yous|url-access=registration|quote=The Taliban destroyed the Buddhist statues and stupas where we played Kushan kings haram Jehanabad Buddha.|date=8 October 2013|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=978-0-316-32241-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/iammalalastoryof0000yous/page/123 123]–124}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wijewardena |first=W.A. |date= 17 February 2014|title= 'I am Malala': But then, we all are Malalas, aren't we? |url=http://www.ft.lk/article/255420/%E2%80%98I-am-Malala---But-then--we-all-are-Malalas--aren-t-we? |newspaper= Daily FT }}</ref> Only the [[Buddhas of Bamiyan|Bamiyan Buddhas]] in [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], which were also demolished by the Taliban, were larger than the Buddha statue in Swat, Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|date=12 September 2007|title=Attack on giant Pakistan Buddha|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6991058.stm|url-status=live|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215221722/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6991058.stm|archive-date=15 December 2020}}</ref> The [[Government of Pakistan]] failed to safeguard the Buddha statue after the Taliban's initial attempts at destroying the Buddha took place, although they did not cause permanent harm; when the second Taliban attack took place shortly afterwards, the statue's feet, shoulders, and face were demolished.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 November 2007 |title=Another attack on the giant Buddha of Swat |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Another-attack-on-the-giant-Buddha-of-Swat-10761.html |newspaper= AsiaNews.it }}</ref> The Taliban and looters subsequently destroyed many of Pakistan's Buddhist artifacts, which dated back to the seventh-century BC Gandhara Buddhist civilization.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 October 2012 |title=Taliban and traffickers destroying Pakistan's Buddhist heritage |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Taliban-and-traffickers-destroying-Pakistan's-Buddhist-heritage-26142.html |newspaper= AsiaNews.it }}</ref> The Taliban deliberately targeted Gandhara Buddhist relics for destruction.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 November 2009 |title=Taliban trying to destroy Buddhist art from the Gandhara period |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Taliban-trying-to-destroy-Buddhist-art-from-the-Gandhara-period-16984.html |newspaper= AsiaNews.it }}</ref> Gandhara artifacts remaining from the demolitions were thereafter plundered by thieves and smugglers.<ref>{{cite news |last= Rizvi |first= Jaffer |date=6 July 2012 |title= Pakistan police foil huge artefact smuggling attempt |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-18738909 |newspaper= BBC News }}</ref> In 2009, the [[Archbishop]] of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore|Roman Catholic Diocese of Lahore]], [[Lawrence Saldanha|Lawrence John Saldanha]], wrote a letter to the Pakistani government denouncing the Taliban's activities in the Swat Valley, including their destruction of ancient Buddha statues and their attacks on [[Christians]], [[Sikhs]], and Hindus.<ref>{{cite news |last=Felix |first=Qaiser |date=21 April 2009 |title=Archbishop of Lahore: Sharia in the Swat Valley is contrary to Pakistan's founding principles |url=http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=15040&size=A |newspaper= AsiaNews.it }}</ref> The Buddha statue in Swat was repaired by a group of [[Italians]] in a nine-year-long process following the demolition.<ref>{{cite news |last=Khaliq |first=Fazal |date=7 November 2016<!-- 09:53pm--> |title=Iconic Buddha in Swat valley restored after nine years when Taliban defaced it |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1294246 |newspaper=DAWN }}</ref> ==Geography== [[File: Kalam, Swat (Pakistan).jpg|thumb|[[Kalam Valley]], upper Swat – May 2017]] [[File:Jarogo waterfall, Swat.jpg|thumb|[[Jarogo Waterfall]], [[Matta Tehsil]], Swat Valley – May 2017]] [[File: Mountains in Swat Vally Pakistan.jpg|thumb|Mountainous scenery pictured from the Swat Valley – May 2015]] Swat is surrounded by [[Chitral]], [[Upper Dir]] and [[Lower Dir]] in the West, [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] in North [[Kohistan District, Pakistan|Kohistan]], [[Buner]] and [[Shangla]] in the East and South East. The southern tehsil of Buner was granted the status of a separate district in 1991.<ref>{{Cite book|title=1998 District Census report of Buner|date=2000|publisher=Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan|series=Census publication|volume=98|location=Islamabad|page=1}}</ref> Swat Valley is located in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and enclosed by sky-high mountains. Swat's physical terrain can be divided into mountainous ranges and plains. ===Mountainous ranges=== [[File:Atror, Swat KPK (Pakistan).jpg|thumbnail|right|[[Utror|Utror Valley]], Swat – May 2017]] Swat lies in the lap of mountainous ranges, which are the offshoots of Hindukush, so the larger part of Swat is covered with high mountains and hills, the crests of which are hidden by everlasting snow. Though these gigantic ranges run irregularly: some to the west while the others to the east, the general direction is North-South. ===Plains=== The length of the valley from Landakay to Gabral is 91 miles. Two narrow strips of plains run along the banks of Swat River from Landakay to Madyan. Beyond Madyan in Kohistan-e-Swat, the plain is too little to be mentioned. So far as the width concerns, it is not similar, it varies from place to place. We can say that the average width is 5 miles. The widest portion of the valley is between Barikot and Khwaza Khela. The widest viewpoint and the charming sight where a major portion of the valley is seen is at Gulibagh on the main road, which leads to Madyan. == Economy == Approximately 38% of economy of Swat depends on [[Tourism]]<ref>https://korbah.com/hotels/?location_name=Swat&location_id=9694&start=&end=&date=19%2F01%2F2020+12%3A00+am-20%2F01%2F2020+11%3A59+pm&room_num_search=1&adult_number=1&child_number=0&price_range=0%3B23250&taxonomy%5Bhotel_facilities%5D=</ref> and 31% depends on [[Agriculture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kpktribune.com/index.php/en/swat/swat-economy|title=Swat Economy|author=Chief Editor|work=kpktribune.com|access-date=17 February 2016}}</ref> === Agriculture === Gwalerai village located near [[Mingora]] is one of those few villages which produces 18 varieties of apples due to its 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’.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1201016/gwalerai-the-little-village-behind-swats-famous-apples|title=Gwalerai — The little village behind Swat's famous apples|author=Amjad Ali Sahaab|work=dawn.com|access-date=17 February 2016}}</ref> Swat is famous for peach production mostly grown in the valley bottom plains and accounts for about 80% of the peach production of the country. Mostly marketed in the national markets with a brand name of "Swat Peaches". The supply starts from April and continues till September because of a diverse range of varieties grown. == Demographics == The population of Swat District is 2,309,570 as per the 2017 census, making it the third-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after [[Peshawar District]] and [[Mardan District]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politicpk.com/swat-district-population-of-cities-towns-and-villages-2017-2018/|title=Swat District – Population of Cities, Towns and Villages 2017–2018|date=2018-05-27|website=Pakistan's Political Workers Helpline|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref> Swat is populated mostly by mainly Yousafzai [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] and Kohistani communities. The language spoken in the valley is [[Pashto language|Pashto]], with a minority of [[Torwali language|Torwali]] and [[Kalami language|Kalami]] speakers in the Swat Kohistan region of Upper Swat. == Education == According to the ''Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings for 2017'', Swat District with a score of 53.1, is ranked 86 out of 155 districts in terms of education. Furthermore, school infrastructure score is 90.26 ranking the district at number 31 out of 155 districts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017 |url=https://elections.alifailaan.pk/wp-includes/file/DER17.pdf |website=elections.alifailaan.pk |publisher=[[Alif Ailaan]] |access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref> ==Tribes== [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] of the [[Yusufzai]]. [[Gurjar|Gujjar]] are Martial tribe of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.<ref name="T&F">{{cite book|title=South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka|last1=Claus|first1=Peter J.|last2=Diamond|first2=Sarah|last3=Ann Mills|first3=Margaret|date=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780415939195|page=447}}</ref> == Administrative divisions == The District of Swat is subdivided into 7 [[Tehsil]]s<ref>http://lgkp.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Village-Neighbourhood-Councils-Detatails-Annex-D.pdf</ref> i.e. # [[Babuzai]] # [[Matta, Tehsil|Matta]] # [[Khwaza Khela, Swat|Khwaza Khela]] # [[Barikot, Swat|Barikot]] # [[Kabal, Tehsil|Kabal]] # [[Charbagh Tehsil|Charbagh]] # [[Bahrain, Swat|Bahrain]] Each Tehsil comprises certain numbers of [[Union councils of Pakistan|Union councils]]. There are 65 Union councils in District Swat: 56 rural and 9 urban. According to [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act 2013]].<ref>http://lgkp.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Local-Government-Elections-Rules-2013.pdf</ref> There were new system introduced called as '''Local Governments''' which have District Swat has 67 [[Ward (KPK)|Wards]], of which total amount of [[Village Council (KPK)|Village Councils]] is 170, and [[Neighbourhood Council (KPK)|Neighbourhood Councils]] is 44.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lgkp.gov.pk/neighbourhood-council|title=Village/Neighbourhood Council|access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref> === Politics === The region elects three male members of the [[National Assembly of Pakistan]] (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the [[Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] (MPAs)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panwfp.gov.pk/index.php/members/bydistrict/en/9/57|title=Constituencies and MPAs – Website of the Provincial Assembly of the N-W.F.P|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228010000/http://www.panwfp.gov.pk/index.php/members/bydistrict/en/9/57|archive-date=28 December 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and two female MPAS. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections, the [[Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal]], an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats. ==Notable people== {{unreferenced section|date=August 2019}} {{div col}} * [[Malala Yousafzai]] * [[Ziauddin Yousafzai]] * [[Mubarika Yusufzai]] * [[Wāli of Swat]] * [[Jamila Ahmad]] * [[Sabra Shakir]] is a Pakistani politician who had been a Member of the Provisional Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007. * [[Anwar Ali (cricketer born 1987)|Anwar Ali]] * [[Nazia Iqbal]] * [[Ghazala Javed]] * [[Afzal Khan Lala]] * [[Haider Ali Khan]] * [[Malak Jamroz Khan]] * [[Rahim Khan (field hockey)|Rahim Khan]] * Ancestors of Bollywood actor [[Salman Khan]] hail from Swat Valley * [[Nasirul Mulk]] * [[Badar Munir]] * [[Murad Saeed]] * [[Shaheen Sardar Ali]] * [[Rahim Shah]] * [[Sherin Zada]] * [[Rafi-ul-mulk/kaki khan]] {{div col end}} ==See also== {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * [[Akhund of Swat]] * [[Lower Swat Valley]] * [[Oḍḍiyāna]] * [[Swat (princely state)]] * [[Lower Dir District]] * [[Upper Dir District]] * [[Chitral District]] * [[Buner District]] * [[Kaghan Valley]] * [[Kohistan District, Pakistan|Kohistan District]] * [[1974 Hunza earthquake]] * [[Operation Black Thunderstorm]] * [[Operation Rah-e-Rast]] * [[2009 refugee crisis in Pakistan]] * [[Pushtun|Pushtu People]] * [[Barikot]] {{Div col end}} == References == {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Swat District}} [https://www.visitswatvalley.com/ Visit Swat Valley] [https://swatvalley.pk Swat Valley Photos] {{Wikivoyage|Swat}} ==Bibliography== {{Refbegin|33em}} * {{citation |author=Malala Yousafzai|author-link=Malala Yousafzai|title=I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U70sgPyfjDAC|date=8 October 2013|publisher=Little, Brown|ref={{sfnref|Malala Yousafzai|2013}}|isbn=9780316322416}} {{Refend}} {{Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}} {{Swat-Union-Councils}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Swat District| ]] [[Category:Hill stations in Pakistan]] [[Category:Valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] [[Category:Indus basin]] [[Category:Buddhism in Pakistan]]'