Swabi District
Encyclopedia
Swabi District is the fourth most populous district
of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
. It lies between the Indus
and Kabul
Rivers. The residents are referred to as Swabva'l. The Mandanr Yusufzai subsection of the Yousafzai
clan of the Pashtuns form a majority of the population.
is the district capital. Tordher
is the second leading trading city, after Swabi. Tordher has a population of nearly 50,000, 18 primary schools and three high schools.
Today, almost the whole population is composed of Pashtuns of the Yusufzai tribe. There are also Utmanzai
and Tanoli
. Hindu
s and Sikh
s live in some areas of Swabi.
Tobacco
is a cash crop
of Swabi, along with vegetables, wheat
, sugar cane and maize
. Its climate is well suited for citrus
fruits in particular, but many other fruits like watermelon
, peach
es and apricot
s are also grown there.
It also boasts one of the most prestigious institutions of Pakistan, the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
, located in the village of Topi and Karnal Sher Khan Cadet College Swabi, located in the village of Ismaila, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A six lane motorway connecting Islamabad
with Peshawar
passes through Swabi District, with an access interchange at the village of Ambaar.
civilization, Swabi contains many important archaeological sites, which are tourist attractions. Alexander the Great crossed the Indus River where the village of Hund
now lies on its right bank. Hund is an archaeological treasure; it was the capital of the Hindu Shahi for nearly three hundred years.
Rani Ghat is another Gandhara archaeological site, containing the ruins of a famous palace belonging to the queen of that era. She was famous for paying Swabi villagers for clean air—they were not allowed to pollute it by winnowing their crops. The ruins on the top of a mountain still attract visitors. As a part of the origin of the Buddhist Gandhara civilisation, it has also garnered re-construction funds from Japanese research institutes. With the help of this money, the local non-governmental organization
Shewa Educated Social Workers Association built a walkway to the historical sites, as well as fences to protect the area. It also built a rest house on Baga Mountain. This area attracts many tourists, including Japanese who come here to learn about Buddhism in ancient times.
to visit the tomb of Yousaf Khan.
The Indus and Kabul Rivers meet at a place called Kund, a major tourist attraction. The Indus River with its blue colour and the Kabul River's muddy brown waters flow side by side without blending. Another tourist attraction is the Ghazi-Barotha Dam, which is near the town of Topi and the Tarbela Dam
.
Mahaban Hill in Gadoon has a scenic beauty. The Pir Galai resort is located here, 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) above sea level. From here, one can see Mansehra, Buner and Kaghan Hills.
Local and ancient games include Maily, Makha
, Kabaddi
, horse racing, Akor, Gulu Dandai, Bilori, and Pat-Patonay.
Makha, a type of archery
, is the traditional game of Swabi. A long bow and arrows made from bamboo sticks are used. Instead of a tip, the arrow has a saucer-shaped distal end called the Tubray. Villages Mangal Chai of and Channi of the Gadoon have a famous Makha rivalry.
Kabbadi is one of the most popular team sports of the area.
Koda, played with small round shaoe stones, was a favorite game of Swabiwal in ancient times. It is still played in Maneri Bala and Payan. The games attract sizable crowds, and traditional Pushto music dulkay is played during tournaments.
invaded Afghanistan
and five million Afghans fled to Pakistan. Bharakay is the largest camp in the country; most of the refugees spoke the same language and had little trouble settling down.
Districts of Pakistan
The Districts of Pakistan are the second order administrative divisions of Pakistan. Districts were the third order of administrative divisions, below provinces and "divisions", until the reforms of August 2000, when "divisions" were abolished...
of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It lies between the Indus
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
and Kabul
Kabul River
Kabul River , the classical Cophes , is a 700 km long river that starts in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan and ends in the Indus River near Attock, Pakistan. It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass...
Rivers. The residents are referred to as Swabva'l. The Mandanr Yusufzai subsection of the Yousafzai
Yousafzai
The Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
clan of the Pashtuns form a majority of the population.
Overview
SwabiSwabi
Swabi is the capital of Swabi District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°7'0N 72°28'0E. Its residents are referred to as 'Swabiwaal.'-Geography:...
is the district capital. Tordher
Tordher
Tordher is a town in the Swabi District and Mardan Division in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Tordher is the second leading trading city after Swabi in the district...
is the second leading trading city, after Swabi. Tordher has a population of nearly 50,000, 18 primary schools and three high schools.
Today, almost the whole population is composed of Pashtuns of the Yusufzai tribe. There are also Utmanzai
Utmanzai (tribe)
Utmanzai or Uthmanzai is a Pashtun tribe in Pakistan and Afghanistan.Utmanzai are generally considered to be a clan of Yusufzai, but they are, in fact, cousin tribes. ottman, the ancesstor of Utmanzais was son of Umar a brother of Yusuf, the ancestor of Yusufzais...
and Tanoli
Tanoli
The Tanoli are a Hazarewal tribe of the Tanawal valley, Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Although not usually acknowledged as Pashtuns, the Tanoli have to an extent assimilated many Pashtun cultural features and become Pashtunified. Tribally allied with the Pathans,. The...
. Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s and Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s live in some areas of Swabi.
Tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
is a cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
of Swabi, along with vegetables, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, sugar cane and maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
. Its climate is well suited for citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
fruits in particular, but many other fruits like watermelon
Watermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
, peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es and apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
s are also grown there.
It also boasts one of the most prestigious institutions of Pakistan, the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
-See also:* List of universities in Pakistan* GIKI clock tower* Project topi-External links:* * * * *...
, located in the village of Topi and Karnal Sher Khan Cadet College Swabi, located in the village of Ismaila, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A six lane motorway connecting Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
with Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
passes through Swabi District, with an access interchange at the village of Ambaar.
Buddhist archaeological sites
Once part of the GandharaGandhara
Gandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...
civilization, Swabi contains many important archaeological sites, which are tourist attractions. Alexander the Great crossed the Indus River where the village of Hund
Hund
Hund is a small village in Swabi district, situated on the right bank of the Indus River about 15 km upstream of Attock Fort and at a distance of about 80 km to the east of Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, of Pakistan...
now lies on its right bank. Hund is an archaeological treasure; it was the capital of the Hindu Shahi for nearly three hundred years.
Rani Ghat is another Gandhara archaeological site, containing the ruins of a famous palace belonging to the queen of that era. She was famous for paying Swabi villagers for clean air—they were not allowed to pollute it by winnowing their crops. The ruins on the top of a mountain still attract visitors. As a part of the origin of the Buddhist Gandhara civilisation, it has also garnered re-construction funds from Japanese research institutes. With the help of this money, the local non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
Shewa Educated Social Workers Association built a walkway to the historical sites, as well as fences to protect the area. It also built a rest house on Baga Mountain. This area attracts many tourists, including Japanese who come here to learn about Buddhism in ancient times.
Streams and rivers
Swabi is home to two great rivers, the Indus and the Kabul. There are also several smaller streams. Maini has a unique stream; the water emerges from the centre of the village. It is used for irrigation. This stream is called china in the local language, meaning "spring". The villages of Kotha, Topi and Maini are collectively called Utman. They all have natural springs called china in Maini, chino in Kotha and bayin in Topi.Tourism
Swabi is famous for the famous Pashtun folk love story of Yusuf Khan and Sherbano. Visitors come to the village of Shera Ghund and climb Karamar Mountain in the town of Kalu KhanKalu Khan
Kalu Khan is a town and Union Council of Swabi District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°13'0N 72°18'0E with an altitude of 317 metres ....
to visit the tomb of Yousaf Khan.
The Indus and Kabul Rivers meet at a place called Kund, a major tourist attraction. The Indus River with its blue colour and the Kabul River's muddy brown waters flow side by side without blending. Another tourist attraction is the Ghazi-Barotha Dam, which is near the town of Topi and the Tarbela Dam
Tarbela Dam
Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Pakistan is the second largest dam in the world by structural volume. It is located in Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about northwest of Islamabad.The dam is high above the riverbed. The dam forms the Tarbela Reservoir, with a surface area of approximately...
.
Mahaban Hill in Gadoon has a scenic beauty. The Pir Galai resort is located here, 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) above sea level. From here, one can see Mansehra, Buner and Kaghan Hills.
Sports and games
Popular modern sports are cricket and football. A famous cricket player, Ibrahim Shah, comes from the village of Kunda. In football, Maneri is the defending football district champion. Swabi is considered as one of the best volleyball nurseries in the country. Many of the national team players are from this district, such as former national team captain Raheem, from the village of Zaida.Local and ancient games include Maily, Makha
Makha
Makha is the traditional Pashtun archery sport played in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.The game is played with a long arrow and a long bow . The arrow has a saucer shaped metallic plate at its distal end...
, Kabaddi
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a South Asian team sport...
, horse racing, Akor, Gulu Dandai, Bilori, and Pat-Patonay.
Makha, a type of archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, is the traditional game of Swabi. A long bow and arrows made from bamboo sticks are used. Instead of a tip, the arrow has a saucer-shaped distal end called the Tubray. Villages Mangal Chai of and Channi of the Gadoon have a famous Makha rivalry.
Kabbadi is one of the most popular team sports of the area.
Koda, played with small round shaoe stones, was a favorite game of Swabiwal in ancient times. It is still played in Maneri Bala and Payan. The games attract sizable crowds, and traditional Pushto music dulkay is played during tournaments.
Afghan refugee camps
Two Afghan refugees camps, Bharakay Camp and Fazal Camp, were established more than 20 years ago when the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
invaded Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
and five million Afghans fled to Pakistan. Bharakay is the largest camp in the country; most of the refugees spoke the same language and had little trouble settling down.