The Swat region, known in ancient times as
Oddiyana,
was conquered by the Yousafzai Pashtuns in the early 16th century, coinciding with the
Babur's conquest of
Delhi Sultanate. Following the conquest and land distribution, the Yousafzai clans lived a tribal lifestyle, resisting
Mughal and later
Durrani attempts to expand their influence into Swat. They maintained their independence until the mid-19th century. After the expansion of the British East India Company following the
Second Anglo-Sikh War into the neighbouring areas of
Hazara, Buner and Mardan, the various tribes of Swat felt the need to elect their single leader. In 1849 Syed Akbar Shah, a religious leader descending from
Pir Baba, was elected as the king of Swat. After his death the authority passed to
Saidu Baba, another religious figure. The region fell into the earlier state of anarchy after Saidu Baba's death in 1877. The British established the
Malakand Agency in 1895 consisting of Swat, Dir and Chitral, but did not interfere in the internal independence of the tribes. In 1915,
Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah, another descendant of Pir Baba, was elected as the ruler but he was deposed only two years later and
Miangul Abdul Wadud, the grandson of Saidu Baba, was elected by the tribal
jirga. Abdul Wadud, better known by his title Bacha Sahib, proved to be a capable ruler and soon expanded his influence in all directions. He brought Yousafzai territories of Buner, Malakand, and parts of Dir under his control. In 1922-23 he conquered the
Swat Kohistan, followed by the conquest of
Indus Kohistan as far as the west bank of river
Indus. After a fierce fighting his army defeated the Kohistanis of
Besham and Kormung (present-day Shangla) in 1926, and Bacha Sahib settled Yousafzai tribes in Shangla. The quick expansion raised alarms among the British colonial authorities and they delimited the sphere of influence of Abdul Wadud, recognising Swat as a princely state and awarding him the title of Wali of Swat. Upon Pakistan's independence in August 1947, Swat became a fully independent princely state until 3 November, when it acceded to
Pakistan as one of the autonomous
Princely states of Pakistan, and the Wali continued to rule. The last Wali,
Miangul Jahan Zeb continued to exercise absolute rule until Pakistan took control, when on 28 July 1969,
Yahya Khan announced the full integration of Swat,
Chitral, and Dir into Pakistan. The state of Swat was incorporated into the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The title was made honorary after 1969 when the monarch was replaced by a civil administration. Today, the title is used unofficially as a courtesy title by heirs of the Miangul family. ==Legacy ==