The Wāli of Swat () was the official title of the leader (

wāli ''Wāli'', ''Wā'lī'' or ''vali'' (from ''Wālī'') is an administrative title that was used in the Muslim world (including the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates and the Ottoman Empire) to designate governors of administrative divis ...

) of the Miangul dynasty that ruled over the state of Swat between 1857 and 1969.

History

The state of Swat was founded by Saidu Baba, religious leader also known as Akhund of Swat, in 1849. After his death in 1878, the state fell into abeyance until 1915, when Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah, a descendant of Pir Baba gained power with the title of Badshah. The grandson of Saidu Baba, Wadud of Swat was elected as monarch of Swat in 1918. This title was changed to "Wali" in 1926, when Swat became a princely state in a

subsidiary alliance A subsidiary alliance, in South Asian history, was a tributary alliance between an Indian state and a European East India Company. Under this system, an Indian ruler who formed an agreement with the company in question would be provided wit ...

with the

British Indian Empire The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. Upon Pakistan's independence in August 1947, Swat became a fully independent princely state until 3 November, when it acceded to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

as one of the autonomous

Princely states of Pakistan The Princely States of Pakistan () were princely states of the British Indian Empire which Instrument of accession, acceded to the new Dominion of Pakistan in 1947 and 1948, following the partition of India, partition of British India and its In ...

, and the Wali continued to rule.Wayne Ayres Wilcox, ''Pakistan: The Consolidation of a Nation'' (Columbia University Press, ), p. 82 The Wali ceased to rule in 1969, when the state of Swat was incorporated into the

North-West Frontier Province The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP; ) was a province of British India from 1901 to 1947, of the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955, and of the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 1970 to 2010. It was established on 9 November ...

of Pakistan (now

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

). The region comprising the former princely state today covers parts of the

Swat A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

Buner Buner District (, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Before receiving the status of a district in 1991, it was a tehsil within Swat District. Buner's elevation starts at 1200 ft in the S ...

and Shangla districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Today, the title is used unofficially as a courtesy title by heirs of the Miangul family of the former Wali of Swat. The whole dynasty founded by the Abdul Wadud Badshah, also called itself by this title. The Wāli of Swat, Miangul Abdul Wadud, acceded his state to Pakistan on 3 November 1947. The last Wali, Miangul Jahan Zeb (1908 to 1987) continued to exercise absolute rule until Pakistan took control, when on 28 July 1969, Yahya Khan announced the full integration of Swat,

Chitral Chitral () is a city situated on the Kunar River, Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before ...

, and Dir into Pakistan.

Rulers of Swat

The title was made honorary after 1969 when the monarch was replaced by a civil administration.

References

Last ruler of Swat: Jahanzeb, a visionary who educated and loved his people

Swat's Gandhara heritage waits to be protected

History

Rulers of Swat

References

Further reading