Miangul Sir Abdul Wadud (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: ميانگل عبد الودود) was the Wāli of Swat from 1926 until his abdication in 1949. A grandson of the Akhund of Swat, he was elected as ruler of

Swat A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

by a

loya jirga A jirga (, ''jərga'') is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of other ethnic groups who ...

in November 1918 and was formally recognized as Wāli of Swat on 3 May 1926 by the British authorities. He ruled from 1918 to 1949, when he abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Miangul Jahan Zeb.

Early life and struggle for power

Miangul Sir Abdul Wadud was born in

Royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Ill ...

Gujjar The Gurjar (or Gujjar, Gujar, Gurjara) are an agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, pastoral and nomadic ...

family of

Saidu Sharif Saidū Sharīf (Pashto/Urdu: ) is the capital of the Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The city also serves as the capital of the Malakand Division. It was named after Saidu Baba, a prominent leader of the former state of Swat. Sa ...

in 1881. He was grandson of

Saidu Baba Akhūnd Abdul Ghaffūr (1794–1876; also known as Saidū Bābā and the Akhūnd of Swāt) was a prominent religious saint and founder of the State of Swat. The city of Saidu Sharif, that serves as the administrative capital of Swat District, ...

from paternal and Aman ul-Mulk, Mehtar of

Chitral Chitral () is a city situated on the Kunar River, Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before ...

from maternal side. He was educated privately. In 1915, when the tribes of upper Swat elected Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah as their ruler, he opposed the election and went into exile at Dalbar. Abdul Jabbar could not defend the territory in a counterattack on Nawab of Dir in 1916. Anarchy ensued. Abdul Wadud returned and took up arms against Abdul Jabbar in 1916. As a result, the Jirga of Swat decided to oust Abdul Jabbar and appointed Abdul Wadud to replace him in 1917. Abdul Wadud established his rule in Swat with the help of the Mandanr tribe, and annexed

Buner Buner District (, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Before receiving the status of a district in 1991, it was a tehsil within Swat District. Buner's elevation starts at 1200 ft in the S ...

and

Chakesar Chakesar is a town and tehsil of the Shangla District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is situated about 6 km in the north-west on the right bank of the Indus River. Chakesar was given the status of Tehsi ...

to his dominion. By 1923, he controlled most of the Swat area.

Wāli of Swat

Abdul Wadud was proclaimed the Wāli of Swat in 1926 with an annual allowance of 10,000

rupee Rupee (, ) is the common name for the currency, currencies of Indian rupee, India, Mauritian rupee, Mauritius, Nepalese rupee, Nepal, Pakistani rupee, Pakistan, Seychellois rupee, Seychelles, and Sri Lankan rupee, Sri Lanka, and of former cu ...

s from the government of India. He had three wives, eight daughters and four sons. Though he was elected king and was locally known as "Bacha" or "Badshah", meaning "king," the British authorities only granted him the title of Wāli, which refers to a religious ruler. Abdul Wadud wanted the title of king but was denied by the British political authorities on the basis that no ruler in India was a king, and that only the King-Emperor in Britain had the right to be styled in such a manner. Abdul Wadud acceded to Pakistan in late 1947. Abdul Wadud removed shades for Hindu pilgrims on Elum Ghar who believed it to be the location of Rām taḫt. He abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Miangul Jahan Zeb, on 12 December 1949. Jahan Zeb ruled Swat until its merger with Pakistan in 1969.

Honours and awards

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver Ju ...

(1935) *

King George VI Coronation Medal The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir of King George VI's coronation. It was awarded to th ...

(1937) * Pakistan Medal (1948)

Death

Abdul Wadud died at the Royal Palace, Aqba (now Iqra Academy), on 1 October 1971 and was buried there at the Badshah Sahib

Mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

References

External links

Sultan-i-Rome e - IPCS PDF
*About Swat Royal Family & Photographs - Pakistan ... - Apna Swat