Akhund Abdul Ghaffur Saidu Baba | |
|---|---|
 Tomb of Saidu Baba | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1794 (1794) |
| Died | 1876 (aged 81–82) |
| Resting place | Saidu Sharif |
| Known for | Founding thestate of Swat |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
Akhūnd Abdul Ghaffūr (also known asSaidū Bābā or theAkhūnd of Swāt; 1794–1876) was a prominent religioussaint and founder of theState of Swat. The city ofSaidu Sharif, that serves as the administrative capital ofSwat District, is named after him. His descendants ruled over Swat between 1876 and 1969 with the title ofWāli of Swāt.
Akhund Abdul Ghaffur was born in aGujjar family of the upperSwat valley in 1794.[1][note 1] Saidu Baba had devoted himself to the religious study as early as the age of 18.[3]
For further spiritual study, Saidu Baba came toPeshawar and became a disciple ofHafiz Azim.[3] After spending some time under guidance of Sufi saintFazl Ahmad, he met another Sufi masterSho'ayb Tordher, who made him familiar with all four SufI orders:Naqshbandi,Qadiri,Chishti andSuhrawardi.[3] After his death in 1819, Saidu Baba isolated himself in a cowshed inHund by the banks of theIndus River, spending time in meditation andZikr.[4]
In 1829, the Muslim reformistSyed Ahmad Barelvi had themalik of Hund killed in Akhund's home, as he had betrayed theMujahideen in thebattles of Haidru andShaidu against theSikh Empire. After this incident, Akhund left his home and wandered across Swat, living life of asceticism.[5] When Ahmad Barelvi died fighting in thebattle of Balakot (1831) against the Sikhs along with hundreds of Mujahideen, many of his followers came toBuner to stay under the protection of Saidu Baba. They started a new uprising against theBritish Raj under Saidu Baba's leadership in 1862.[6]: 42 He returned to Saidu Sharif in Swat in September, 1835 at the age of forty-one, where he attracted a large number of devotees.[4] Afterwards, Saidu Baba became the most esteemed spiritual leader among the eastern Pashtuns.[5]
In 1835, Saidu Baba cooperated with theAfghan emirDost Muhammad Khan and mobilized the tribes ofYaghestan against the Sikh Empire.[5][6]: 39 In return, the Afghan Emir recognized him as ruler of Swat,Lundkhwar andMardan.[6]: 40 However,Dost Muhammad Khan's campaign proved to be a failure, and Akhund returned to Swat.[5] In 1849, he appointed Syed Akbar Shah, a direct descendant ofPir Baba, as ruler of Swat. Syed Akbar had previously served under Syed Ahmad Barelvi as secretary.[6]: 40 Saidu Baba ultimately assumed direct control of the state of Swat in the 1850s.[5]
In 1863, Saidu Baba led theYusufzai and other groups in abattle at the Ambela Pass against the British forces, inflicting a decisive defeat upon them in Swat.[5]
When Saidu Baba died in 1876, the London newspapers published a brief note mentioning his death. The general public ofLondon did not know anything about him or Swat, and this unfamiliarity prompted the poetEdward Lear to write a nonsensical poem titled"Who, or why, or which, or what, Is the Akond of Swat?", highlighting the "otherness" of the region to the English people.[5]