Swat Valley

s on the similarities of the snow-capped mountains and the scenic beauty of Swat and Switzerland and thus named it "Switzerland of the east". Nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts called Swat “a paradise on the earth”. History of Swat:

Swat has over 5000 years old history, the region remained an important place for civilization in the past. This place remained home to oral tradition, was once the settlement and societies of the Indo-Aryan peoples. The Gandhara grave culture also called Swat culture, or Swat Protohistoric Graveyards Complex, emerged in Swat in c. 1400 BCE and lasted until 800 BCE. Later Swat became home to the Indo-Aryan tribes saw the emergence of ethnic Nuristani and Dardic populations. In 327 BCE, Alexander the Great made his way to Swat. 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. 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. 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. 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 Buddhist 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. Swat and the wider region of Gandhara were overrun by the Iranian Hephthalites around about 465 CE. 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. Under his rule, Buddhist monks were reportedly killed, and Buddhist shrines were attacked. He himself appears to have been inclined towards the Shaivism sect of Hinduism. 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. The Tang-era Chinese monk Xuanzang recorded the decline of Buddhism in the region and the 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. Following the collapse of Buddhism in Swat following the Hephthalite invasion, Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty beginning in the 8th century, who made their capital at Udigram in lower Swat. 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. By the time of the Muslim conquests (c. 1000 CE), the population in the region was predominantly Hindu, though Buddhism persisted in the valley until the 10th century, after which the area became largely Muslim. Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax 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. Around 1001 CE, the last Hindu Shahi king, Jayapala was decisively defeated at the Battle of Peshawar (1001) by Mahmud of Ghazni, thereby ending 2 centuries of Hindu rule over Gandhara. Sometime later, ethnic Swatis entered the area along with Sultans from Kunar (present-day Afghanistan). Yousafzai State of Swat:

The Swat State also known as the Yousafzai State of Swat was a kingdom established in 1849 by the Muslim saint Akhund Abdul Gaffer, more commonly known as Saidu Baba, that was ruled by chiefs known as Akhunds. The British Indian Empire never invade Swat, yet during their stay in the subcontinent, in alliance, they recognized Swat as a princely independent state from 1926 to 1947. The British left the subcontinent, and India and Pakistan got independence in 1947 but Swat continued ruling for about 22 years as an autonomous state until 1969. On 14 October 1969 swat state willingly merged with Pakistan and was incorporated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly called NWFP - North-West Frontier Province). Tourism in Swat:

Tourists visit swat valley all year round for its natural wonders, stunning geological scenery, lush forests, and impressive high peak mountains. When you visit swat valley, you will get a chance to get closer to nature and will experience seeing freshwater lakes, rivers, springs, and waterfalls that enhance the inviting beauty of the valley. Swat valley is the land of spectacular lush-green high-peak mountains, attractive large lakes, and is the heaven of safe tourism in Pakistan. Also, winter sports activities in swat make it the most famous and enjoyable tour destination in Pakistan. https://www.visitswatvalley.com/
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