Swabi

Swabi District (Urdu: صوابی) lies between the Indus and Kabul rivers, in the NWFP of Pakistan. Its residents are referred to as 'Swabiwaals'. Swabai is the fourth most populous district of the NWFP with the Yousafzai clan of Pukhtoons being the predominant clan of this district.

The history and culture of Swabai is very rich. The late historian Roshan Khan Baba from this region wrote about the history of this great tribe in his book 'History of Yousafzai Tribe'. A drive to Swabai from Jehangiray or Mardan is scenic and a beautiful experience. Lush green fields and shady trees line the road on either side.

Swabai is proud of its illustrious sons like Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan founder of Islamia College (Peshawar) and the brave martyr of Kargil war Captain Karnal Sher Khan recipient of the highest military award Nishan-e-Haider. People of Swabai are well educated, skilled, hard working and enterprising. Many of them are expatriates working all over the globe for their living.

View of Sunset at Village Zaida of Swabi District.

View of Sunset at Village Zaida of Swabi District.
A beautiful view of Swabi City from Maneri Sona Baba Hill.

Many Swabiwals are liberal in their outlook to life yet devout Muslims. They are well known for their hospitality.

Tobacco is a popular cash crop of Swabai along withvegetables, wheat, sugar cane and maize.Its climate is ideally suited for citrus in particular while many other fruits like water melon, peach and apricot are also grown there. Swabi is also rich with mineral resources founded in the Maneri village and its white marble is very popular throughout the country.

Swabai is home to the largest earth filled dam of the world, the Tarbela Dam. It also boasts of one of the most prestigious institution of the country, The GIK institute of Engineering Sciences and technology located in village Topi.

A six lane motorway connecting Islamabad with Peshawar passes through Swabai District with an access interchange at Lahor.

Archaeological Sites

Swabi is important from the archaeological point of view and it has 438 archaeological sites. It was the part of Gandhara civilization. Alexander The Great crossed river Indus at a point on the right bank where now lies village Hund. Hund is an archaeological treasure and has remained capital of Hindu Shahi and Turk Shahi for nearly three hundred years. Archaeological sites are found peppered all over Swabai and is a great tourist attraction.

Maneri is one of the most educated village of district Swabai and has a high literacy rate and there is no field of education inwhich people from village are not involved.

People

Partition

Before partition, Hindus also lived here and most of the businesses were owned by them, both Muslims and Hindus lived peacefully. Specially there were more Hindus in Bamkhel before partition. After partition, the vast majority of Hindus left for India.

After Partition

Today almost the whole population is Pakhtun and belongs to the Yousafzai tribe of Pakhtuns. However even today Hindus and Sikhs are found in some areas of Swabi.

Tourism

The great love story of Yousaf Khan and Sher Bano also belongs to Swabi. And the visitors come to Shera Ghund (the village) and climb on the mountain to visit the tomb of Yousaf Khan. Dagi. In every way of life the people of Dagi are performing their role. Here live highly qualified people and most of them are officers in the Government departments.

Villages

Being one the most educated and peaceful district of NWF Swabi have many important Villages main Villages among them are kernal sher kalay,salim Khan, spin kani (spin kanray/white stones), Kotha,Topi,Maini,Tarakai, Tordher, Maneri, Zaida, Panjpir, Marghuz, Baja ,Bamkhel,Yar Hussain,and Zarobi. The people of Swabi has its own name in hospitality. Most of the people of Swabi work abroad especially UAE and rest of the Middle east. There are many religious scholars in Swabi.Link road swabi is a popular bazaar for buying clothes, cosmetics, furniture, etc. Topi is also one of the best market of Swabi. Yar Hussain is the biggest market of tobacco in the Asia.

Notable People

Mira Khan urf Tor kaka ( a notable social worker )belong to Dagi.
Mulana Hamdullah Jan (got education from deo band)
Sahibzada Abdul Qayum Khan (Founder of Islamia College)
Air Martial Yousaf Khan (Director Gerneral Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra)
Air Martial Rahim Yousafzai (Director Gerneral Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra)
Capt Kernal Sher Khan Shaheed (Nishan e Haider)
Sajjad Ali Shah (Engineering Manager, Palm Jumaira Project Dubai)
Lt.Col Naubahar Khan (SSG) of Maini
Abdullah Jaan Aseer (Poet and Writer and All India National Radio Newsreader)
Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar (Founder of Tehrek-e-Khilafat )
Maulana Shoukat Ali Johar ( Co-Founder of Tehrek-e-Khilafat)
Abdul qadir(International Cricketer) Inventor of Google (A type of spin)^{[citation needed]}
Shaikh Milli (Famous leader of the Yousafzai Tribe. The name of Shaikh Maltoon Town Mardan was kept after him.)
Sir Sahabzada Muhammad Khursheed (First Governer of N.W.F.P )
Dr.Ashfaq (Ex. Principal of KMC Peshawar )
Dr.Shafeeq( First male Gyane Specialist of N.W.F.P )
Dr. Abdul Mateen (Former Vice Chancellor Peshawar University and renowned Economist )
Nisar Mohammad Khan (Film, drama and musical writer (Orbal film), producer, actor and retired director-Radio Pakistan )

sairi charbagg is also one of the most educated village of swabi most of the people of this village are working abroad

Risaldar Ajab Khan (Ex-British Army Officer of Zaida)
Amir Nasir Yousafzai ( journalist Daily Mashriq Peshawar )

GAMES

in the category of games two types of games are played in swabi. local and encient games including maily MAKHA, Kabaddi, Cock Fighting and Dog Fighting, Rcing of Horses and Asses, Akor, Gulu Dandai, Bilorai and pat patonay ets.The popular games of modern times are, cricket and foot ball. Swabi is regarded as one of the few best volley ball nurseries in the country. and the reason is that many of the national team players are from this district including former national volley ball team captain Raheem originally from village Zaida. Apart from volley ball football is very famous in this part of the country.

Makha (Shooting) is the traditional game of Swabi,in which different villages take part.Makha is kind of shooting using a BOW and an Arrow with a relitively large stick and instead of tip it has a flat dish shaped head called TOBRAY, The target is hit by arrow with the help of bow. Kabadi is also a famous game in Swabi

The Hub of Streams and Rivers

Swabi is home to dozens of streams and two great rivers - Indus and the Kabul River. Both the rivers meet at a place called Kund, another major tourist attraction. The Indus river with its spectacular blue colour and the Kabul river's muddy brown water go side by side without blending. It is a treat to watch these two rivers hug each other quietly for thousands of years in its own special way. Also there are several small streams in different locaiton of the swabi. A unique stream is in village Maini. The water of the stream comes out in the centre of the village. its speciality is that in the winter the water of the stream is so hot. and in the summer water becoms cold. this water is used for irrigation purpose in village. this stream i scalled CHINA which means a spring. the three villages naming KOTHA, TOPI and Maini combinely called UTMAN has this peculiar aspect that all of them has natural springs called CNINA in Maini, CHINO in Kotha and Bayin in Topi.

Gadoon Amazai

Gadoon Amazai is one of the biggest Industrial estate of NWFP. Here once situated 580 industries and mills but due to no proper planning it is losing its charm. There are more reasons the biggest one is that the owners were not giving to workers their rights. 12 hour working, no weekend leave, no cadual leave, no medical leave were allowed to workers. Labour law of Pakistan was nothing in front of industrialist because many of them were ministers and members assemblies. Often workers did demonstration and government withdrawal incentive because the industrialist were making money only and were sending their products to others parts of Pakistan in low rates while others industrialist from different parts of Pakistan were also against them and so on many more reasons. One reason was that also the people of Gadoon were not happy of industrial estate because the industrialist were not giving rights to workers and even not giving jobs to them while often labours leaders if do something for labours they always charged in falls cases and often put in jails. Most of them are still wanted in many falls charges and they live hide of government eyes so when incentive were withdrawal local people and labour leaders not take any action and so government withdrawal incentive. And it's also cause of disturbance of Gadoon Amazai industrial estate.

Tourist Areas

When one enters Swabai from Jehangira there exist a park on the bank of river Indus and Kabul that is naming Kund park it is situated in Tordher. People came here from different areas of N.W.F.P And Punjab to see Kund Park. Another tourist area is Ghazi-Bharota dam, which lies near Topi and Tarbela. Mahaban Hill in Gadoon has a scenic beauty like Swat and other hilly areas. Here exist a resort, naming as Pir Galai, which is 6000 feet above the sea level and from here one can have glance at Mansehra, Buner and Kaghan Hills. The Tomb of Yousaf Khan in village Shera Ghund, near Shewa Adda. Template:NWFP

34°07′N 72°28′E / 34.117°N 72.467°E / 34.117; 72.467

A complete list of all villages in district swabi

Village Name No. Village Name No. Village Name 1* ADAM ABAD 51 JALBAI 101 QADRA 2* ADINA 52 JALSAI 102 QASIM 3*AHAD KHAN 53 JAMAL ABAD 103 RAFIQ ABAD 4* ALLAH DHER 54 JANGI DHER 104 ROSHAN PORA 5* AMAN KOT 55 JEHANGIRA 105 SALEEM KHAN 6* AMBAR 56 JHANDA 106 SANDOWA 7* AMRAI BALA 57 JUMA KHAN GARHI 107 SAPROONA 8* ASOTA SHARIF 58 KABGANI 108 SARD CHEENA 9* AURANG ABAD 59 KADDI 109 SARKOI BALA 1* BACHAI 60 KADI DAGAI 110 SARWAR SHAH KOT 11* BADA 61 KALA 111 SEEN KHEL 12*BAJA 62 KALABAT 112 SERAI 13* BAJA BAM KHEL 63 KALU DHER 113 SERI CHARBAGH 14* BAKAR 64 KALU KHAN 114 SHAH MANSOOR 15* BAM KHEL 65 KARNAL SHER 115 SHAHDAD KALLI 16* BATAKARA 66 KOLGAR 116 SHALMANI 17* BATTI 67 KOT GABAI 117 SHEIKH DHERI 18* BAZAR 68 KOTHA 118 SHEIKH JANA 19* BAZARGI 69 KSK 119 SHER DERA 20* BEEKA 70 KUNDA 120 SHERA GHUND 21* BEESAK 71 LAHOR 121 SHEWA 22* BOQA 72 LALU DHERI 122 SHEWA ADDA 23* BORI 73 LYRAN 123 SIKANDAREY 24* CHOUTRAI 74 MAGHUL KOT 124 SPEEN KANI 25* DAGAI 75 MAINI 125 SUDHER 26* DALORI 76 MALAK ABAD 126 SWABI 27* DANDOQA 77 MANERI BALA 127 TAKAIL 28* DEWAL 78 MANERI PAYAN 128 TANO 29* DEWAL GHARI 79 MANGAI 129 TARAKAI 30* DOBIAN 80 MANGAL CHAI 130 TARBELA 31* DODHER 81 MANKI 131 THAND KOI 32* DULAT 82 MANSABDAR 132 TOPI 33* GAAR MUNARA 83 MARGHUZ 133 TORDHER 34* GABASNI 84 MATHRA DAGAI 134 TURLANDI 35* GADOON 85 MAZGHUND 135 UCH KHUWAR 36* GAGAN NATH 86 MIAN DHERI 136 URMAL DHERI 37* GAJAI 87 MIAN KALLI 137 UTLA 38* GANDAF 88 MUSA BANDA 138 WISAL ABAD 39* GANI CHATRA 89 NABI 139 YAQUBI 40* GAR AKA KHEL 90 NAIK NAAM 140 YAR HUSSAIN 41* GAR PANJPIR 91 NARANJI 141 YOUSUFI 42* GHAZI KOT 92 NARO BANDA 142 ZADIA 43* GHULAMAN 93 NAZAR BANDA 143 ZAKARYA KHURD 44* GOHAR ABAD 94 PABAINI 144 ZAROBI 45* GOHATI 95 PAK KYA 46* GULO DHERAI 96 PALO DAND 47* GULSHAN ABAD 97 PANJMAN 48* HARYAN 98 PANJPIR 49* HUND 99 PARMOLI 50* ISMAILA 100 PEHUR HIMLET