Swat (Pakhto سوات) is a valley and an administrative district in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan located 165 km/102 miles from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu SharifSaidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora. It was a princely state (see Swat (princely state)) in the NWFP until it was dissolved in 1969. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty that used to be popular with tourists as "The Switzerland of Pakistan".
In December 2008 most of the area was captured by the Taliban insurgency and it is now too dangerous for tourism. The Islamist militant leader Maulana Fazlullah and his group Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi have banned education for girls and have bombed or torched "more than 180 schools ... along with other government-owned buildings." The Pakistani government in late May of 2009 began a military offensive to regain control of the region.
History
The Swat River is mentioned in the Rig Veda 8.19.37 as the Suvastu river. The first historical mention of the valley goes back to a hymn of the Rigveda(Stein, 1929:viii). Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years and was known in ancient times as the Udyana. The independent monarchs of this region came under Achaemenid influence, before reverting back to local control in the 4th century BC. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to Udegram and Barikot. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. By 305 BC, the region became a part of the Mauryan Empire. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists, the Indo-Greeks, and the Kushans who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. Swat is thought to be the probable birthplace of Vajrayana Buddhism. There are many archaeological sites in the district, and Buddhist relics are common, testimony to their skills as sculptors and architects.
Tourist attractions
There was a popular ski resort in Swat at Malam Jabba, 42 km north east of Saidu Sharif, closed in 2007 due to the decreasing ability of the Pakistani government to maintain security in the region. In June 2008, the ski resort was burned down by militants.
