Swat River
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Swat River
Sanskrit, Suvastu ; Greek, Souastos or Souastene
River of the North-West Frontier Province, formed by the junction at Kalan in the Swat Kohistan of the Gabral and Ushu. The former rises on the east of the Badugai pass, and the latter comes down from the higher hills of Bashkar to the north. From Kalan the Swat river flows almost due south for about 68 miles, but at Manglaur turns abruptly to the south-west and west for 24 miles until it is joined by the Panjkora. The united waters then sweep in a great curve south- westwards to Abazai in Peshawar District, where they emerge to the north of the Mohmand hills into the Peshawar valley. Here the river spreads south-east in several streams over the plain, joining the Kabul river at Nisatta after a total course of about 400 miles. Fed by glaciers and snow, it has a considerable volume in the summer months, but shrinks after the middle of September, until in midwinter it is fordable almost everywhere. In Peshawar District the Swat River Canal takes off" from the river, and a scheme for tunnelling under the Malakand Pass and bringing its waters to the eastern part of Yusufzai is under consideration.
