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66-446: Lower Dir district borders with Swat District to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Upper Dir to the north and Malakand and Bajaur District to the south. At the time of independence of Pakistan , Dir was a princely state ruled by Nawab Shah Jehan Khan. Dir was merged with Pakistan in 1969, declared a district in 1970, and split into Upper and Lower Dir in 1996. As of the 2023 census , Lower Dir district has 202,836 households and

132-607: A terminus ante quem for many historical names, events, texts, and ideas therein. Faxian was born in Shanxi in the 4th-century under the Later Zhao dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms period. His birth name was Gong Sehi. He later adopted the name Faxian, which literally means "Splendor of Dharma". Three of his elder brothers died young. His father, fearing that the same fate would befall him, had him ordained as

198-483: A novice monk at the age of three. In 399 CE, about age 60, Faxian was among the earliest attested pilgrims to India. He set out from Chang'an , the capital of the Buddhist Later Qin dynasty , along with four others to locate sacred Buddhist texts and was later joined by five more pilgrims at Zhangye . He visited India in the early fifth century. He is said to have walked all the way from China across

264-592: A natural geographic region surrounding the Swat River . The valley was a major centre of early Buddhism of the ancient civilisation of Gandhara , mainly Gandharan Buddhism , with pockets of Buddhism persisting in the valley until the 16th century conquest of Swat by the Yousafzais , after which the area became largely Muslim, along with the Pashtunization of Swat and its neighbouring regions. In

330-492: A part of North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in 1969. The region was seized by the Tehrik-i-Taliban in late-2007 until Pakistani control was re-established in mid-2009 . The average elevation of Swat is 980 m (3,220 ft), resulting in a considerably cooler and wetter climate compared to the rest of Pakistan. With lush forests, verdant alpine meadows , and snow-capped mountains, Swat

396-411: A population of 1,650,183. The district has a sex ratio of 97.24 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 57.36%: 72.57% for males and 43.16% for females. 542,074 (32.88% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 47,860 (2.90%) live in urban areas. 4,439 (0.27%) people in the district were from religious minorities, mainly Christians. Pashto was the predominant language, spoken by 99.54% of

462-404: A population of 2,687,384. The district has a sex ratio of 104.83 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 48.13%: 61.83% for males and 33.95% for females. 808,888 (30.11% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 794,368 (29.56%) live in urban areas. Languages of Swat district (2023) Swat is mostly inhabited by Pashtuns who make up 92.18% of the population. The dominant tribe

528-519: A prosperous city. He left India about 409 from Tamralipti, a port he states to be on its eastern coast. However, some of his Chinese companion pilgrims who came with him on the journey decided to stay in India. The cities and towns of this country [Magadha] are the greatest of all in the Middle Kingdom [Mathura through Deccan]. The inhabitants are rich and prosperous, and vie with one another in

594-459: A village located near Mingora , is one of those few villages which produces 18 varieties of apples due to its agriculturally favourable temperate climate in summer. The apple produced here is consumed in Pakistan as well as exported to other countries. It is known as ‘the apple of Swat’. Swat is also famous for peach production mostly grown in the valley bottom plains and accounts for about 80% of

660-510: Is also founder of Private Schools Management Association (PSMA) and got good reputation in imparting quality education in the region. Swat is subdivided into 9 administrative divisions Tehsils : Each tehsil comprises certain numbers of union councils . Swat has 65 union councils: 56 rural and 9 urban. According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013 , a new local governments system

726-502: 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 persisting in the valley until the 10th century, after which the area became largely Muslim . Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area, and ruins dating back to their rule can be seen on

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792-630: Is delineated by natural geographic boundaries, and is centered on the Swat River. The valley is enclosed on all sides by mountains, and is intersected by glens and ravines. Above mountains ridges to the west is the valley of the Panjkora River , to the north the Gilgit Valley, and Indus River gorges to the east. To the south, across a series of low mountains, lies the wide Peshawar valley . The northernmost area of Swat district are

858-457: Is mainly inhabited by the indigenous Kohistani , Torwali and Kalami peoples. Swat Proper forms the lower portion of the district and has a Pashtun majority, with a significant Gujar population. In terms of administrative divisions, Swat is surrounded by Chitral , Upper Dir and Lower Dir to the west, Gilgit-Baltistan to the north, and Kohistan , Buner and Shangla to the east and southeast, respectively. The former tehsil of Buner

924-572: Is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The name "Swat" is derived from the Swat River . The Swat River referred to as the Suvāstu in the Rig Veda, with a literal meaning "of fair dwellings". Some have suggested the Sanskrit name may mean "clear blue water." Another theory derives the word Swat from the Sanskrit word shveta ( lit.   ' white ' ), also used to describe

990-615: Is the Yusufzai tribe with minor settlements of Shinwari , Tarkani , Ghoryakhel and Sulaimankhel tribes. The language spoken in the valley is Pashto (mainly the Yousafzai dialect ). Kohistani languages are spoken by 1.47% of the population and languages classified as 'Others', mainly Kalami and Torwali , are spoken by 6.10% of the population, and form the majority in the Swat Kohistan region of Upper Swat. According to

1056-409: Is wrapped all round it, which is then painted in various colours. They make figures of devas, with gold, silver, and lapis lazuli grandly blended and having silken streamers and canopies hung out over them. On the four sides are niches, with a Buddha seated in each, and a Bodhisattva standing in attendance on him. There may be twenty cars, all grand and imposing, but each one different from the others. On

1122-800: The Alif Ailaan Pakistan Education Rankings for 2017 , Swat with a score of 53.1, is ranked 86 out of 155 districts in terms of education. Furthermore, the Swat schools infrastructure scores 90.26 which ranks it on number 31 out of 155. A Christian-run missionary school was established in 1950s, the first ever private sector educational institution in Swat Valley. A number of other private sector schools are in run since long, Tipu Model School and College, Kabal Swat (TMS established by Safdar Ali Aziz) and Swat Public School (SPS) are oldest among such schools. Safdar Ali Aziz

1188-574: The British Indian Empire between 1926 and 1947, after which the Akhwand acceded to the newly independent state of Pakistan . Swat continued to exist as an autonomous region until it was dissolved in 1969, and incorporated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly called NWFP ). The region was seized by the Tehrik-i-Taliban in late-2007, and its highly-popular tourist industry was subsequently decimated until Pakistani control

1254-722: The Greco-Bactrians , and briefly the Scythians of the Central Asian Steppe . 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

1320-488: 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 Buddhists 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

1386-565: The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats. Faxian Faxian (337– c.  422 CE ), formerly romanized as Fa-hien and Fa-hsien , was a Chinese Buddhist monk and translator who traveled on foot from Jin China to medieval India to acquire Buddhist scriptures . His birth name was Gong Sehi . Starting his journey about age 60, he traveled west along

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1452-631: 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 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

1518-618: The Sung dynasty of the House of Liu (420–478 CE). If he became a full monk at the age.... of twenty, and went to India when he was twenty-five, his long life may have been divided pretty equally between the two dynasties. Faxian's major work is his account of his travels, known in English both by its Chinese name Foguoji or Foguo Ji ( t 《 佛 國 記 》 , s 《 佛 国 记 》 , Fóguójì ) and by various translations, including A Record of

1584-578: The Swat Valley , is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan . Known for its stunning natural beauty, the district is a popular tourist destination. With a population of 2,687,384 per the 2023 national census , Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Swat District is centred on the Valley of Swat, usually referred to simply as Swat, which is

1650-664: The Vinaya-pitaka . What follows this is merely an account of his travels in India and return to China by sea, condensed from his own narrative, with the addition of some marvelous incidents that happened to him, on his visit to the Vulture Peak near Rajagriha . It is said in the end that after his return to China, he went to the capital (evidently Nanking ), and there, along with the Indian Sramana Buddha-bhadra , executed translations of some of

1716-536: The Yousafzai Pashtuns from west during the reign of Sultan Awes Jahangiri in 1519, resulting into the Pashtunization of Swat. The princely state of Swat was a kingdom established in the late 19th century by the Muslim saint Akhund Abdul Gaffur , more commonly known as Saidu Baba, that was ruled by chiefs known as Akhunds . It was then recognized as a princely state in alliance with

1782-1031: The Buddhist Kingdoms , Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms , Buddhist Country Records , etc. The book is also known as Faxian's Travels ( t 《 法顯 行 傳 》 , s 《 法显 行 传 》 , Fǎxiǎn Xíngzhuàn ), Faxian's Biography ( t 《 法顯 傳 》 , s 《 法显 传 》 , Fǎxiǎnzhuàn ), Memoirs of the Eminent Monk Faxian ( t 《 高 僧 法顯 傳 》 , s 《 高 僧 法显 传 》 , Gāosēng Fǎxiǎn Zhuàn ), A Buddhist Pilgrimage to India ( t 《 佛 游 天竺 記 》 , s 《 佛 游 天竺 记 》 , Fóyóu Tiānzhú Jì ), Faxian's Report on Travel to India ( t 《 歷游 天竺 記傳 》 , s 《 历游 天竺 记传 》 , Lìyóu Tiānzhú Jìzhuàn ), and Faxian's work On India ( t 《 天竺國記 》 , s 《 天竺 国 记 》 , Tiānzhúguó Jì ). Faxian's memoirs are an independent record of

1848-587: The Hinayana and emerging Mahayana traditions, as well as the splintering and dissenting Theravada sub-traditions in 5th-century Indian Buddhism. Before he had begun his journey back to China, he had amassed a large number of Sanskrit texts of his times. On Faxian's way back to China, after a two-year stay in Sri Lanka , a violent storm drove his ship onto an island, probably Java . After five months there, Faxian took another ship for southern China, but again it

1914-559: The Jehanabad Buddha's face was blown up using dynamite , but was repaired by a group of Italian restorers in a nine-year-long process. Looters subsequently destroyed many of Pakistan's Buddhist artifacts, and deliberately targeted Gandhara Buddhist relics for destruction. Gandhara artifacts remaining from the demolitions were thereafter plundered by thieves and smugglers. Approximately 38% of economy of Swat depends on tourism and 31% depends on agriculture . Gwalerai,

1980-714: The Sham Baba mountainous range, with lush green gardens and large trees being added as "charm" to the climate in the area. More than 20 km² has been covered strategically, as was proposed during the last Wali's rule and constructed later-on by the Pakistani government. The Kanju village has seen an influx of academics in the region and is considered a hub for the Matta and Kabal Tehsils of Swat Valley. The Gandhara grave culture that emerged c. 1400 BCE and lasted until 800 BCE, and named for their distinct funerary practices,

2046-539: The Vaisya families in them establish in the cities houses for dispensing charity and medicines. All the poor and destitute in the country, orphans, widowers, and childless men, maimed people and cripples, and all who are diseased, go to those houses, and are provided with every kind of help, and doctors examine their diseases. They get the food and medicines which their cases require, and are made to feel at ease; and when they are better, they go away of themselves. At this time

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2112-515: The age of 25, have been discredited by later scholarship but his introduction provides some useful biographical information about Faxian: Nothing of great importance is known about Fa-Hien in addition to what may be gathered from his own record of his travels. I have read the accounts of him in the Memoirs of Eminent Monks , compiled in 519 CE, and a later work, the Memoirs of Marvellous Monks , by

2178-510: The clear water of the Swat River. To the ancient Greeks, the river was known as the Soastus. The Chinese pilgrim Faxian referred to Swat as the Su-ho-to . Swat's total area is 5,337 square kilometres (2,061 sq mi). Swat District consists of two well-defined geographic regions, Swat Kohistan and Swat Proper. Swat Kohistan forms the larger, northern part of the district, and

2244-645: The collapse of Buddhism in Swat following the Alchon Hun invasion, Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty beginning in the 8th century, who made their capital at Udigram in lower Swat. The Hindu Shahis are believed to belong to the Uḍi/Oḍi tribe, namely the people of Oddiyana , present-day 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

2310-579: The coming ages you will have still greater poverty and distress;—I am sorry for you beforehand." With these words he followed his companions into the monastery, while the thieves left the grain and went away, all the monks, of whom there were several hundred, doing homage to his conduct and courage. When he had finished his novitiate and taken on him the obligations of the full Buddhist orders, his earnest courage, clear intelligence, and strict regulation of his demeanor were conspicuous; and soon after, he undertook his journey to India in search of complete copies of

2376-494: The day mentioned, the monks and laity within the borders all come together; they have singers and skillful musicians; they pay their devotion with flowers and incense. The Brahmans come and invite the Buddhas to enter the city. These do so in order, and remain two nights in it. All through the night they keep lamps burning, have skillful music, and present offerings. This is the practice in all the other kingdoms as well. The Heads of

2442-626: The early 19th century, Swat emerged as an independent state under Saidu Baba . State of Swat became a Princely state under British suzerainty as part of the British Raj in 1918. In 1947, following the Partition of British India and subsequent independence of Pakistan , Swat acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan continuing as a self-governing princely state until it was officially annexed and merged into West Pakistan and later became

2508-602: The high valleys and alpine meadows of Swat Kohistan (Swat Mountains) , a region where numerous glaciers feed the Usho , and Gabral rivers (also known as the Utrar River), which form a confluence at Kalam, and thereafter forms the Swat river - which forms the spine of the Swat Valley and district. Swat then is characterized by thick forests along the narrow gorges of the Kalam Valley until the city of Madyan . From there,

2574-513: 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. The Sultanate of Swat was the last Dardic state that existed in the Swat valley between 12th and 16th centuries. It was conquered by

2640-470: The icy desert and rugged mountain passes. He entered India from the northwest and reached Pataliputra . He took back with him a large number of Sanskrit Buddhist texts and images sacred to Buddhism. Upon his return to China, he is also credited with translating these Sanskrit texts into Chinese. Faxian's visit to India occurred during the reign of Chandragupta II . He entered the Indian subcontinent through

2706-432: The lower plains experience occasional snow. Both regions are subject to two monsoon seasons - one in winter and the other in summer. Swat's lower reaches have vegetation characterized by dry bush and deciduous trees, while the upper areas mostly have thick pine forests. The Saidu Sharif Airport at Kanju is a stone throw from Mingora, adding much to the tourism in the past. The runway is situated between Swat River and

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2772-480: The monastery. On one occasion he was cutting rice with a score or two of his fellow-disciples when some hungry thieves came upon them to take away their grain by force. The other Sramaneras all fled, but our young hero stood his ground, and said to the thieves, "If you must have the grain, take what you please. But, Sirs, it was your former neglect of charity which brought you to your present state of destitution; and now, again, you wish to rob others. I am afraid that in

2838-419: The monastic life and return to her, but the boy replied, "I did not quit the family in compliance with my father’s wishes, but because I wished to be far from the dust and vulgar ways of life. This is why I chose monkhood." The uncle approved of his words and gave over urging him. When his mother also died, it appeared how great had been the affection for her of his fine nature; but after her burial, he returned to

2904-627: The monks. He mentions a flourishing Buddhist community in Taxila (now in Pakistan) amid a generally non-Buddhist community. He describes elaborate rituals and public worship ceremonies, with support of the king, in the honor of the Buddha in India and Sri Lanka . He wrote about cities like Pataliputra, Mathura , and Kannauj in Madhyadesha . He also wrote that inhabitants of Madhyadesha eat and dress like Chinese people. He declared Patliputra to be

2970-523: The northwest. His memoirs describe his 10 year stay in India. He visited the major sites associated with the Buddha, as well the renowned centers of education and Buddhist monasteries. He visited Kapilvastu ( Lumbini ), Bodh Gaya , Benares ( Varanasi ), Shravasti , and Kushinagar , all linked to events in Buddha's life. Faxian learned Sanskrit, and collected Indian literature from Pataliputra (Patna), Oddiyana , and Taxila in Gandhara . His memoirs mention

3036-484: The ordinary rate of sailing we ought to have reached Kwang-chow, and now the time is passed by many days;—must we not have held a wrong course?” Immediately they directed the ship to the north-west, looking out for land; and after sailing day and night for twelve days, they reached the shore on the south of mount Lao, on the borders of the prefecture of Ch’ang-kwang, and immediately got good water and vegetables. They had passed through many perils and hardships, and had been in

3102-565: The overland Silk Road , visiting Buddhist sites in Central , South , and Southeast Asia . The journey and return took from 399 to 412, with 10 years spent in India. Faxian's account of his pilgrimage , the Foguoji or Record of the Buddhist Kingdoms , are a notable independent record of early Buddhism in India. He returned to China with a large number of Sanskrit texts, whose translations greatly influenced East Asian Buddhism and provide

3168-459: The peach production of the country - thus oft marketed in the national markets with a branded as "Swat Peaches". The supply starts in April and continues till September because of a diverse range of varieties grown. Salampur village, located near Saidu Sharif , is a principle region in Pakistan for the manufacture of sheets and shawls. As of the 2023 census , Swat district has 381,212 households and

3234-613: The population. NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II) are constituencies of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Lower Dir district. These areas were formerly part of NA-34 (Lower Dir) constituency from 1977 to 2018. The delimitation in 2018 split Lower Dir into two separate constituencies, NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II). https://senate.gov.pk/en/profile.php?uid=804 Swat District Swat District ( Urdu : ضلع سوات , Pashto : سوات ولسوالۍ , pronounced [ˈswaːt̪] ), also known as

3300-423: The practice of benevolence and righteousness. Every year on the eighth day of the second month they celebrate a procession of images. They make a four-wheeled car, and on it erect a structure of four storeys by means of bamboos tied together. This is supported by a king-post, with poles and lances slanting from it, and is rather more than twenty cubits high, having the shape of a tope. White and silk-like cloth of hair

3366-582: The river courses gently for 160 km through the wider Yousufzai Plains of the lower Swat Valley until Chakdara . Climate in Swat is a function of altitude, with mountains in the Kohistan region snow-clad year round. The upper areas of the region are relatively colder and often get snowfall in the winter. Drier, warmer temperatures in the lower portions in the Yousafzai Plains where summer temperatures can reach 105 °F (41 °C), although

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3432-465: The service of the Buddhist society and had him entered as a Sramanera , still keeping him at home in the family. The little fellow fell dangerously ill, and the father sent him to the monastery where he soon got well and refused to return to his parents. When he was ten years old, his father died, and an uncle, considering the widowed solitariness and helplessness of the mother, urged him to renounce

3498-408: The sky continued very dark and gloomy, and the sailing-masters looked at one another and made mistakes. More than seventy days passed (from their leaving Java), and the provisions and water were nearly exhausted. They used the salt-water of the sea for cooking, and carefully divided the (fresh) water, each man getting two pints. Soon the whole was nearly gone, and the merchants took counsel and said, “At

3564-481: The society and culture of places he visited, particularly India. His translations of Sanskrit texts he took with him to China are an important means to date texts, named individuals, and Buddhist traditions. They provide a terminus ante quem for many historical names, manuscripts, events, and ideas mentioned. Faxian noted that central Asian cities such as Khotan were Buddhist, with the clergy reading Indian manuscripts in Indian languages. The local community revered

3630-637: The third emperor of the Ming dynasty (1403–1424 CE), which, however, are nearly all borrowed from the other; and all in them that has an appearance of verisimilitude can be brought within brief compass. His surname , they tell us, was Kung, and he was a native of Wu-yang in P’ing-Yang, which is still the name of a large department in Shan-hsi . He had three brothers older than himself, but when they all died before shedding their first teeth, his father devoted him to

3696-502: The valley around 403 CE, mentions 500 monasteries. Swat and the wider region of Gandhara were overrun by the Alchon Huns 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 attacked. He himself appears to have been inclined towards

3762-464: The works which he had obtained in India; and that before he had done all that he wished to do in this way, he removed to King-chow (in the present Hoo-pih ), and died in the monastery of Sin, at the age of eighty-eight, to the great sorrow of all who knew him. It is added that there is another larger work giving an account of his travels in various countries. Such is all the information given about our author, beyond what he himself has told us. Fa-Hien

3828-497: The year 414, filled with accounts of early Buddhism and the geography and history of numerous countries along the Silk Road as they were at the turn of the 5th century CE. He spent the next decade until his death translating the Buddhist sutras he had brought with him from India . The following is the introduction to James Legge 's 19th-century translation of Faxian's work. Legge's speculations, such as Faxian visiting India at

3894-427: Was blown off course and he ended up landing at Mount Lao in what is now Shandong in northern China, 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the city of Qingdao . He spent the rest of his life translating and editing the scriptures he had collected. These were influential to the history of Chinese Buddhism that followed. Faxian returned in 412 and settled in what is now Nanjing . He wrote a book on his travels around

3960-646: Was found along the Middle Swat River course. Swat, then known as Oddiyana , was a major centre of Gandhara civilization . In 327 BCE, Alexander the Great fought his way to Odigram and Barikot and stormed their battlements; in Greek accounts , these towns are identified as Ora and Bazira . After the Alexandrian invasion of Swat, and adjacent regions of Buner , control of the wider Gandhara region

4026-440: Was granted the status of a separate district in 1991. The Swat Valley is enclosed by mountains that forms a natural geographic boundary for it. The Swat River whose headwaters arise in the 5,500-to-5,800-metre-tall (18,000–19,000 ft) Hindu Kush mountain range runs through the length of the region. The main area consists of many sub valleys such as Kalam , Bahrain , Matiltan , Utror , and Gabral . The Valley of Swat

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4092-599: Was handed to Seleucus I Nicator . 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. It was during the rule of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka that Buddhism was introduced into Swat, and some of the earliest stupas built in the region. Following collapse of Mauryan rule, Swat came under control of

4158-675: Was his clerical name, and means "Illustrious in the Law," or "Illustrious master of the Law." The Shih which often precedes it is an abbreviation of the name of Buddha as Sakyamuni, "the Sakya , mighty in Love, dwelling in Seclusion and Silence," and may be taken as equivalent to Buddhist. It is sometimes said to have belonged to "the eastern Tsin dynasty " (317–419 CE), and sometimes to "the Sung," that is,

4224-431: Was introduced, in which Swat is included. This system has 67 wards , in which the total amount of village councils are around 170, while neighbourhood councils number around 44. The region elects three male members of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (MPAs) and two female MPAs. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections,

4290-434: 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

4356-408: Was re-established in mid-2009 after a month-long campaign. During their occupation, the group attacked Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, who at the time was a young school-girl who wrote a blog for BBC Urdu detailing life under Tehreek-i-Taliban rule, and their curb on girls' education. Kushan -era Buddhist stupas and statues in the Swat Valley were demolished by the Tehreek-i-Taliban, and

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