Wali Ahmad (

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

ولي احمد), known as Sandakai (Mulla), was a religious

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, and reformer who was influential during the formation of

Swat State State of Swat () commonly known as the Yusufzai State of Swat was a state established in 1849 by the Muslim saint Saidu Baba, also known as ''Akhund of Swat'',Fredrik Barth, ''Features of Person and Society in Swat: Collected Essays on Path ...

Early life and education

Wali Ahmad was born at Sandakai, Currently Dandai, Besham,

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 ...

. Born into a religious family, he was given religious education locally. He proceeded to Madrasah-i-Deoband for higher studies. He then visited

Makkah Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above sea level. Its metropo ...

for the performance of

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

and travelled to

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

and other centers of Muslim civilization.

Anti British movement

Wali Ahmad returned from abroad and opened a religious school (Madrasah) at Tahkal (

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

). In those days

Haji Sahib of Turangzai Haji Sahib of Turangzai (real name Fazal Wahid ; 1858 – December 14, 1937) was a Pashtun militant and social worker of Mohmand and the Ghorikhel tribe in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Biography Born Fazal Wahid to a Muhammadza ...

was working against the British. Wali Ahmad was very much inspired by Haji Sahib. He went to Swat, in 1910, and organized the people in Swat and Kohistan against the British.

Reformation of society

Wali Ahmad (Sandakai Mullah) was against the aberrations in Islamic customs and rituals prevalent in Swat. So he continued to struggle for the formation of an Islamic government in Swat. He built a force of fifty to sixty shaykhs (disciples) equipped with latest weapons and were ready for every kind of action ordered by their pir (religious leader). He established his own mobile Shari'at Court where he tried to compensate and remove the grievances of people. He declared many prevalent practices such as Qada 'Umri, Iskhat and visiting shrines of saints to be innovations in Islam.

His role in the formation of Swat State

At that time, there was no government and central controlling authority in

. Wali Ahmad wanted a united government of Swat to eliminate the influence of the Nawab of neighboring Dir. The Khans of Swat supported him. The people of upper Swat, under the command of Sandakai Mullah, defeated the Nawab in 1914, which made the former a political leader. Sandakai Mullah was desirous f having a centralized organization Swat. Thus, Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah of Sithanah was made ruler of Swat in 1915. But he could not managed to protect Swat from the attacks of Nawab of Dir. Sandakai Mullah, who had first brought and made Abdul Jabbar Shah as king in Swat, drove him out and enthroned Miangul Abdul Wadud as the ruler of Swat, thus playing the role of king maker and king breaker.

The fate of Sandakai Mulla

With the passage of time, his relations with Miangul Abdul Wadud also became strained. He, again focused his attention on the eradication of innovations and un-Islamic rituals. He re-established his mobile Shari'at Court and executed his orders. The Badshah Sahib considered his presence and influence as serious threat to his power. So he wanted to reduce and diminish his role and influence. Miangul Abdul Wadud sent him his men and threatened him to leave Swat or he will be killed. The Badsha had now become so strong that nobody could challenge him. So, ultimately Sandakai Mullah left Swat in 1920 and settled in Kohan, Dir, where he died a natural death in 1356 A.H. (1937/1938 AD)

References