SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE OF BABUZI DURING THE SWAT STATE ERA (1917-1969)

Abstract

Administratively the present- day Swat district of the present day Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province of Pakistan is divided into seven tahsils. Tahsil Babuzi is among one of them which comprises of the Babuzi area. The importance of Babuzi lies in the fact that the Swat State capital, Saidu Sharif, was part of it during 1917-1969. The Swat State was formed by a jargah at Kabal whih in 1915 proclaimed Sayyid Abdul Jabbar Shah as the king of Swat. Later in 1917, Sayyid Abdul Jabbar Shah was deposed by the jargah and Miangul Abdul Wadud (1917¬-1949) was installed in Kabal as the ruler of the Swat State. Miangul Abdul Wadud was succeeded by his son Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb, ruler of Swat State (1949-69), who ruled till the merger of Swat State with Pakistan in 1969. Both Miangul Abdul Wadud and Miangul Jahanzeb took initiatives for the social amelioration of their subjects. In Babuzi area various steps were taken for social advancements. The steps taken in social sector were numerous. They included promotion of education, development in health sector and socio-cultural changes. This paper aims to analyze the social perspective of Babuzi (1917-1969). Moreover, this paper will also discuss the social structure of Babuzi, social developments in Babuzi during the period 1917-1969, and social institutions in Babuzi.