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Swat Valley derives its name from River Suvastu (now known as River Swat), which flows down the valley to the Malakand Pass. It is “Udayana”, the “Garden” of the ancient Hindu epics; it is an exquisitely beautiful valley that bears witness to some major battles won by Alexander of Macedonia; it is the land of “hanging chains”, as described by the Chinese pilgrim, Huien Tsiang and Fa-Hian in the fifth and sixth centuries. Its historic importance and natural beauty make Swat Valley one of the most interesting areas in Pakistan. The archeological sites, that number more than a hundred, spread over an era of 5,000 years, and surprisingly, less than 10% of these have been excavated. These include prehistoric caves, Aryan graveyards and Buddhist monasteries. These graveyards have been in use for about 3,500 years.
HISTORY While on his way to the Indus from Afghanistan, Alexander the Great fought four battles and invaded Swat in 327 BC. Buddhism was the popular religion from the second century BC to the ninth century AD. In this era, Swat was bestowed with a legacy of beautiful sculpture and more than 1,400 monasteries. This is the land where tantric Buddhism evolved and Padmasambhava, the great tantric master and sorcerer was born in the eighth century. Padmasambhava traveled to Tibet on an invitation from Trisong Detson, the king of Tibet from 755 to 795, where he overthrew the old Bon priests by means of magic. He also taught the Nyingma sect of Buddhism that is still practiced in Ladakh, Tibet and Nepal. From the eighth to the tenth century, the Hindu Shahi kings built fortified cities on the peaks of hills in Lower Swat. Even today, great stone walls can be seen on the top of hills. Moving on to the 11th century, Mahmood of Ghazni took control of the valley after a fierce battle at Udegram. A mosque, dating back to the 11th century stands on a hill. The Mughals came to Swat in the 16th century but failed to conquer it. Babar, the first Mughal ruler, gained a wife from here while Akbar, his grandson, suffered a crushing defeat in the Karakar Pass. In 1849, Swat became a secular state, and was in abeyance from 1857 to 1915. A sufi ascetic, known as the Akhund of Swat, rose to power in the 19th century. Edward Lear wrote about him in 1862;
Who or Why, or Which or What, Highly charismatic and warlike in person, he made Saidu Sharif his capital and united the Swatis around this area. His death in 1877 was followed by forty years of tribal feuding. This ended when Miangul Wadud, grandson of the Akhund, aided by the British, declared himself king. Miangul Wadud was recognized as the wali or ruler of Swat, and Swat acknowledged as a sovereign state by the British in 1926. Miangul Jehanzeb, his son, came to power in 1944, when Miangul Wadud abdicated in his favor. The new ruler continued to build roads, schools, hospitals, and instituted land reforms. In 1947, when the sub-continent won independence from the British, Swat became a vassal of Pakistan. Its independence was restricted in 1954 but remained a sovereign state till 1969, in this year, Swat was made a part of Pakistan as Swat District, and Aurangzeb, Miangul Jehanzeb’s son, now represents Swat as an elected member of the government. HISTORICAL SITES
On the top of Malakand Pass and to the left stands Malakand Fort. It is here that in 1897 (the outbreak of the Pathan uprising), 1,000 Sikh infantry under British command held 10,000 tribal warriors until aid arrived from Mardan. If you want to visit Churchill's Picket or Chakdara, obtain a permit from the office of the Political Agent of Malakand, open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Chakdara was once the area where the trade route from Afghanistan via Bajaur crossed River Swat. Alexander the Great crossed the area in 327 BC with half of his 50,000 men on his way to Taxila. Amongst the many archeological sights is a graveyard that has been in use for the past 3,500 years. There are remains of Buddhist monasteries from the first to the seventh century AD, and the hilltops are crouched by forts built by the Hindu Shahi kings from the eighth to the tenth century. In 1886, the British built both Chakdara Bridge and Chakdara Fort. Standing at the foot of the Bridge, the fort has been constructed on the foundations of a 16th century fort built by Akbar, the third Mughal ruler. The fort is still used by the army. From Damkot Hill can be viewed the entire valley from Malakand Pass to Barikot. Excavated ruins from different periods crown the hilltops. These include a Buddhist monastery, and a Hindu Shahi fort. Churchill's Pickett is the newest building here, and that too is a small fort built in 1896. Winston Churchill served here in 1897 during the Pathan uprising, which was curbed with gruesome force. In a dispatch to the Daily Telegraph, he wrote with youthful enthusiasm that they controlled the truculent masses by marching through the valley,, ravaging crops, breaking water reservoirs, blowing up castles and shooting anyone who tried to hinder them. Chakdara Museum is two kilometers (about one mile) from Chakdara Bridge and in a village that come along the road to Dir and Chitral. Its collection of Buddhist Gandharan sculpture of the first to the seventh century is neatly arranged and labeled. Obtained from nearby sites, many of these sculptures are chronologically dated as they were found in their original positions in the Buddhist monasteries. Artifacts as old as those in the time of Hindu Shahi kings, and as recent as those of the 19th and 20th century are also displayed there. The museum is closed on Wednesday and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in summer and 9:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from November through March. On the main Malakand-Saidu road, 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Chakdara Bridge is Haibatgram, a village which is overshadowed by an enormous Hindu Shahi fort of the eighth to the tenth century. Nimogram Buddhist Monastery and Stupa can be seen across a bridge over River Swat to the left; it lies seven kilometers from Landakai. The Nimogram remains lie on the other side of the river, about 21 kilometers (13 miles) up a rough road. Nimogram has three main stupas, each representing one of the three principles (or jewels) of Buddhism - Buddha the teacher, truth and order. Surrounded by a number of votive stupas, the place can pass off as an unexcavated monastery. On the left (north) side of the main road, just past the turning to Nimogram and just before the town of Barikot is Barikot Hill, the site of the ancient town of Bazira, sacked by Alexander the Great in 327 BC. If you climb the hill, you will find ruins of the eighth to tenth century Hindu Shahi fort, with one impressive stretch of defensive wall 15 meter (50 feet) high. The highest hill in Lower Swat is Mount Ilam, rising to a height of 2, 811 meters (9, 222 feet). The hill has been considered sacred since pre-historic times, and figures prominently in the religious mythologies of Buddhists, Lamas, Hindus and Muslims. Big square blocks of natural stone can be seen on the top, which, archeologists suggest, may have been used as altars. History says that Alexander won a decisive victory on the summit of this hill, then known as Mount Aornos. Until the partition of India in 1947, an annual Hindu pilgrimage came up the hill to celebrate some sort of religious cult. Three kilometers (two miles) past Barikot is Shingerdar Stupa. In the third and fourth century, AD, the dome of the stupa was covered with gold and its plastered, painted base was surrounded with Gandharan carvings illustrating Buddha's life. 105 kilometers (one mile) beyond Shingerdar Stupa can be seen a large Buddha image carved on the cliff face beside the road. This dates back to the sixth century, and now, its face is quite battered. If you are interested in looking at more carvings, go up a flight of cement steps that are to the left of this image. These will lead you to a natural grotto. Though the carvings here are also quite battered, you can just figure out a bearded figure standing on a pedestal. It is supported by lions and flanked by smaller figures. With a halo round his head, the central figure wears a long coat and Cassack trousers that are tucked into top boots. Such clothes were worn by the Kushan rulers (as shown by their coins of the first to the third century AD), and are still worn in Kashgar, China. Just before the village of Udegram are the Gogdara rock engravings. These are about six kilometers (four miles) past the carved Buddha image. Dating from about 1,000 BC, these carvings are amongst the earliest petrographs in Pakistan. The local villagers have defaced these images by scratching their names all over them, but still visible are some engravings of stick figures driving two-wheeled war chariots, as those driven by the Aryans around 1,700 BC into Swat. Higher up on the same rock are some Buddhist carvings that date back to the 6th or 7th century AD. As you proceed further, you will come across more Buddhist carvings on a rock face on the right about 100 meters away. Amongst the villages in Swat, Udegram is one of the most interesting in terms of history. It is where Alexander the Great fought one of his battles in 327 BC. The Hindu Shahi kings also used it as their capital from the eighth to the tenth century. Scattered on the hillside above the village are the massive Hindu ruins of Raja Gira's Castle. Surrounded by massive 8th to 10th century AD defensive walls, the castle can be approached up a monumental flight of steps, 8 m (26 feet) wide. Though nothing is labeled, foundations of numerous rooms separated by corridors characterize the inside of the citadel. The first excavations date from the 4th century BC. Most of the buildings are shops, and consequently, the excavated area is the bazaar. At the foot of the hill, enclosed in a grove of trees, is the shrine of Pir Khushab (or Khushal) Baba, the commander of the army of Mahmood of Ghazni. He subdued Swat in the eleventh century and introduced Islam in the region. About halfway between the shrine and the main defensive wall of the fort is the earliest mosque of Swat. Built in the time of Mahmood of Ghazni (eleventh century), it was excavated in 1985. The mosque is neither named nor labeled but ask any small boy for the purana masjid (old mosque) and he will show the way. Ambela Pass is dotted by ruins of several British forts, which were used by the British while trying to subdue 15,000 freedom fighters of Mujahiddin in 1863. SAIDU SHARIF AND MINGORA These two towns, 990 meters (3,250 feet) above sea level, are two kilometers (about one mole) apart. While Saidu Sharif is the administrative capital of Swat Division, Mingora is the district headquarters and main bazaar area. In Saidu Sharif, you can visit the Swat Museum, the tomb of the Akhund of Swat and the archeological remains of the Butkara and the Saidu Buddhist Stupas. Other places of interest include Raja Gira'a Castle at a distance of six kilometers (four miles), Birkot Hill 16 km (10 miles), Chakdara 36 km (22 miles), the Karakar Pass and a golf course near the airport. Halfway between Mingora and Saidu is Swat Museum. Japanese aid has contributed a lot in the accomplishment of this project. Its seven galleries display one of the world's finest collections of arranged and labeled Gandharan sculptures that illustrate the life of Buddha. These have been taken from the Buddhist sites in Swat. Especially Mingora is the site of fantastic pieces of Buddhist sculpture and the ruins of great stupas. Displayed in the ethnographic section is an admirable sample of local embroidery, tribal jewelry and carved wood. The museum is complete with as lecture and video hall. A book by Dr. Ashraf khan is also available, which illustrates the collection and talks of the Buddhist sites in Swat. The museum is closed on Wednesdays and can be visited from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. October through March, and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. April through September. Near the museum is the Butkara (or Butkada) Stupa, one of the most important Buddhist shrines. It is suggested that in the second century BC, Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor, built the stupa to place some of the ashes of the Buddha. In the centuries that followed, the stupa was enlarged five times; each time a new shell was built around the existing structure. In 1955, Italian excavators brought into notice the successive layers of the stupa, each layers an example of the building techniques employed at the time when it was built. Hence, here is also an evolution of building techniques. Before the birth of Christ, the stupa was enlarged three times. The fourth time, it was during the peaceful rule of the Kushans, a period of great prosperity in the beginning of the third century AD. Buddhism was at its peak in Swat and Butkara was the center of pilgrimage. The shrine was enlarged and opulently furnished with carvings of the life of the Buddha in stone and plaster the polished and gilded stupa was also provided with stone umbrellas. Two green schists (a crystalline rock) that date back to the fifth century can still be seen, though most carvings have been removed off the great stupa. One of them is the figure of the Buddha without his head while the other is the Buddha standing on a lotus flower amid three rows of acolytes. Wealthy pilgrims strived for merit by building stupas around the main stupa. All of these 215 stupas were painted, gilded, decorated with stones and capped by stone umbrellas. However, this has been little preserved through the centuries. Butkara is not infrequently hit by natural calamities. The Jambil and Saidu rivers run on either side of the site and are often in flood. Located on the fault line between the Asian and Indian geological plates, it is often jolted by earthquakes. The damage caused by these was compensated by the faithful in the time of abundance, but the monastery had to be abandoned in the seventh century due to devastating floods. In the eighth century, during the rule of the Hindu Shahi kings, some repair work was done. However, till then, Buddhism had entered its tantric stage. Saidu Stupa and Monastery can be visited if you travel up the road that goes behind the central hospital and Serena Hotel. The site, excavated by the Italians in the late 1970s, dates back to the first to the fifth century. Standing on a square base, the stupa can be approached by steps on one of its sides. In the monastery, a central courtyard is surrounded by monk-cells. It also contains a spacious assembly hall. Numerous stone sculptures, pottery and coins found here are displayed in the Swat Museum. Marghazar, a small village, is located at a distance of 13 km (8 miles) from Saidu Sharif and at an altitude of 1,287 meters (4,220 feet) above sea level. Peace and pleasure blend here, especially at the sight of Saidu stream cascading down Mount Ilam. Near it is Marghazar Hotel, once the summer resort of the first wali of Swat. It is known as "Sufaid Mahal", the white marble palace. Beside the stream and behind the palace, a path runs up Mount Ilam, which was used by Hindu pilgrims. This path can be superbly employed as a hiking track; a day would be enough to hike up the hill and back. UPPER SWAT VALLEY In most villages of this region, you would come across mosques that are constructed entirely of wood. Though they do not cover large areas, they have a uniquely quaint beauty. Places like Bahrain, Kalam, Utror, Gabral and Matiltan display epitaphs, minarets of mosques, pillars and fireplaces that have been elegantly carved. Some appreciable models of Islamic architecture can also be seen here. Also go to see the rock engraving of Buddha in Jehan Abad (Manglaur, Swat). The huge four meter (thirteen foot) tall Buddha image is carved on a rock that is high up on the mountains that go along the river and can be seen from quite a distance. The Buddha is sitting cross-legged with his hands folded on his lap, and a serene expression on his face. This great model of Gandhara Art, being one of the most distinguished statues ever engraved on a rock, is an indicator of the devotion and regards the people had for Buddha. The drive to Malam Jabba is quite scenic. Opened in 1998, the Malam Jabba ski and summer resort is at a height of 2,800 meters (8,700 feet). A chairlift at the resort goes over the Swat Valley to the Karakoram Mountains in the distance. Two short ski runs and an ice-skating rink are offered in the winters. Ski and skating equipment is available on rent. It would be worthwhile to visit the central mosque at Madyan, which has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals and a mud plastered west wall that has relief designs in floral motifs. This hint at the love Swatis have for decoration. At a height of 1,400 meters (4,500 feet) and two kilometers to the north of Madyan is Bahrain. It is also a riverside resort popular amongst tourists and the bazaar in the area can be explored for handicrafts. You can also walk around and observe the houses. Some of these have carved wooden doors, balconies and pillars. What strikes the viewer is the remarkable variety of decorative motifs that resemble those seen on Buddhist shrines, quite far removed from the usual Muslim designs. HANDICRAFTS Even in older times, the people of Swart were interested in craftsmanship, and their customs and traditions channeled this art into sculptures. Rocks and stones, doors of houses, many articles of daily use, and woolen products such as Tawnai (an exquisitely stylized Swati cupboard) and Takhtposh (wooden prayer-may) are carved in so masterly a fashion that the style is unmatched. Bedstead, woolen blankets, caps, mats, waistcoats, pitchers and pillows, too, are richly embroidered. This hints at the somber aspects of Swati life in earlier days. Today also, the people of Swat are skilled craftsmen, and expert in producing the high backed Swati chairs and stools. Women stay at home, embroidering shawls, tablecloths, blouses and shalwar kames. A distinctive feature of Swati embroidery is 74"x 36." silk cross-stitch and satin stitch, with buttons, snaps, metal beads, coins, cast brass medallions and assorted metal ornaments. Needless to say, a dress embroidered in Swati style is quite heavy; the jingle of its ornaments recall to mind the civilization that dwelt here centuries back. A jar of Swati honey is the souvenir you can take from here. Sadly enough, this great Swati heritage is becoming rare, as businessmen in the trade of the antiques are busy selling it to foreign tourists. Steps must be taken to retain and save these relics and carved and embroidered articles in Swat. GETTING THERE
A flight leaves from Islamabad as well as from Peshawar to Mingora on
daily basis. Mingora can also be reached by road. Buses and minibuses
leave Peshawar every 15 minutes or so and are quite inexpensive. Three
routes can take the traveler to Swat, and all three can be journeyed in
ordinary cars. The shortest, about 250 km (150 miles) from Islamabad, from
Peshawar about 120 km (75 miles) goes via Mardan and across the Malakand
Pass. A longer, yet the most attractive route takes five and a half hours
from Islamabad. It is via Shahbaz Garhi and the Ambela Pass to Buner, and
then across the Karakar Pass. |
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