Swift

Persia Era in Swat

Swat shares its long ancient religious, cultural, with Persia. It cannot be said with certainty whether Persia had extended its political yoke to Swat or not. It is a crux to be solved. The Persians since Cyrus 1st had been trying to make their way towards the east. They even appeared at the door of the Gandahara at that time, and knocked down its various territories. Gandahara had made the seventh province of the Achaemenian Empire and the third in the eastern provinces. Muhammad Ashraf Khan is of the view that Swat valley, probably, was brought by the Achaemenians under their control and ruled it until the Macedonians ousted them. Some scholars believe that Swat was within the boundaries of ancient Gandahara. Makin Khan writes that Darius of Parsia invaded Udyana in 518 BC. But Professor Tucci says that undoubtedly Swat had been under Gandaharan influence but it should not be considered as being identical with or included in Gandahara or in Kapisa. Afghanistan. It had a position by itself, separate from Gandahara. Herodotus assembled his information about the easternmost boundaries of the Achaemenian Empire from Iranian informants who by themselves had no exact notion in this respect.



The religious ties between Swat and Persia, during the Achaemenian era, seem to be strong enough. Gandahara was contiguous to Persia where Zoroastrianism has reached to its peak; the valley might be affected by such development in its neighborhood. Professor A.H. Dani believes on the basis of some receptacles found in Balambat that Achaemenian religion existed in Swat. But Professor Tucci on the contrary, argues that the presence of some lamps cannot be sufficient to prove Dani’s opinion. Professor Tucci calls the findings only family chapels what Dani declares (Zoroastrian religious) "fire altars".
Persian Empire 500 B.C
But the most vigorous relationship between Swat and Persia was in cultural sphere. Swat remained center of cultural exchanges and foreign influences. The Archeologists have found many similar tools and artifacts, both in Iran and Swat, which shows the cultural and commercial affinities between the two regions. The pottery found at Loebanr III that includes Black-Gray Burnished and Brown Gray Gritty wares, is the expression of Iranian influence. Similarly, tools found in the graveyards of Katelai, Butkara II, In the settlements of Aligrama and Balambat also testify northern Iranian influences. Another discovery is the drawing of dogs, found in higher strata of Gogdara I. In ancient Iranian religions dogs were very impotent and the finding of dogs as main animals of rock images indicates the presence of Indo-Iranian authors in Swat. The gray vases with disk or button bases found in the Valley are being dated back to the last quarter of the 2nd millennium B.C. had also been found in northwestern Iran.Similarly a variety of tools and handicrafts appears to be used in public life both in Iran and Swat.
Swat's particular geographical position, in Asia, had exposed it to foreign influences and its historical and cultural development underwent multiple changes. The interaction of different people at different periods of time in the Valley proves that Swat evolved intimate terms with many races in the course of history. The archaeological findings here suggest the spreading of cultural and probably ethnical change too. The similarity between the tools and artifacts of the two regions is not due to the same origin of these people but to the Persian cultural influence over Swat.
Swat's particular geographical position, in Asia, had exposed it to foreign influences and its historical and cultural development underwent multiple changes. The interaction of different people at different periods of time in the Valley proves that Swat evolved intimate terms with many races in the course of history. The archaeological findings here suggest the spreading of cultural and probably ethnical change too. The similarity between the tools and artifacts of the two regions is not due to the same origin of these people but to the Persian cultural influence over Swat.
Swat's particular geographical position, in Asia, had exposed it to foreign influences and its historical and cultural development underwent multiple changes. The interaction of different people at different periods of time in the Valley proves that Swat evolved intimate terms with many races in the course of history. The archaeological findings here suggest the spreading of cultural and probably ethnical change too. The similarity between the tools and artifacts of the two regions is not due to the same origin of these people but to the Persian cultural influence over Swat.

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