Person

Akhund of Swat

1794–1877 · 19th century · Also known as Abdul Ghafur, Saidu Baba

The Akhund of Swat, Abdul Ghafur, was a Sufi saint and religious leader of the Swat valley in the north-west of present-day Pakistan. Revered across the Pashtun lands, he helped rally resistance to the British in the Ambela campaign of 1863 and was the dominant figure in Swat for decades. His shrine is at Saidu Sharif, and his grandson Miangul Abdul Wadud founded the state of Swat.

Akhund of Swat
Image: Zarghun11 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Swat State

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Akhund of Swat. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/akhund-of-swat
MLA
“Akhund of Swat.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/akhund-of-swat. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Akhund of Swat.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/akhund-of-swat.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Akhund of Swat’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/akhund-of-swat (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻