Swat Nama of Khushal Khan Khattak

[ijaz yousafzai]

Khushal Khan Baba took a visit to Swat for organizing a resistant movement against the Mughals. Khushal Baba remained for a long time in Swat and authored his famous masnavi, "Swat Nama". Dr. Rajwali Shah Khattak observes in the Preface of its english translation by Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, "The Swat Nama is a unique masnavi of an eminent thinker, warrior and great poet Khushal Khan Khattak. Its uniqueness lies both in its structure and contents, making it a master-piece, having great literary and artistic value"......In the masnavi, Khushal Khan Khattak like a true Pakhtun elder, documented the lifestyle, rites & rituals and beliefs of the people of Swat.

Khushal Khan got married several times and according to some people, he had more than 80 children. Raverty writes that Khushal Khan had 57 sons besides many daughters. Khushal Khan has said in a couplet;
Kaal zar yao navee da hijrat de hum tahveel de da meezan
Wara dairsh zoya laram oss hazir pa da awan
(The year is 1090 of Hijra and it is the end of the month of Mizaan. I have 30 sons in all, present at this moment.
The following is the excerpt of some of the english translation of the couplets of Swat Nama.

1. "I was then in service of the Mughals where as the Yousafzais were rebels, as such, my entry into Swat was not welcome.
2. The natural beauty of Swat renders it suitable for the enjoyment of Kings and Monarchs, but ever since its occupation by the Yousafzais, the place has been turned into a ruined inn.
3. Every place in Swat is worthy of Kings and Knights. But as there is no sardar or chieftain in the region, it is just a country of crude mountain dwellings.
4. Of all the things, Swat has two gifts of unmatchable excellene to offer. The first is that of the young Kafir damsels with rosy-cheeks, while the second is its good falcons.
5. The Yousafzais are numerous, but inspite of their number, they are like a herd of animals.
6. For six generations my fore fathers and I have been serving the Mughals and have earned enough riches to have gilded stools".....nor bya

[eusuphxai]

nice one really enjoyed it will be waiting for the rest of it.

[ijaz yousafzai]

manana are you from Swat?

I'm from Swabi

[ijaz yousafzai]

Khushal Baba has two phases of his eventful life, the first spent in the service of the Moghals and the second half endeavoured as a Pakhtun hero and warrior. He never tried to conceal his true self and has frankly admitted his association with the Moghals loudly in his poems. His poetry carries a chronological record of all events ,he went through his life.
Swat Nama narrates the " confessions" of Khushal Baba in a very bold manner. Look at a few couplets with English translation ;

Da Maghul da para maa toore wahale
Pushtano ba raa ta kre dere kanzale
"I fought for the Moghals with my sword and the Pashtoons used to abuse me for this."

Ka wrakzee dee ka Bangash ao ka Yousaf dee
Dvee hama zama da taigh pa ta'asaf dee
"Whether it is the Orakzais, Bangash or Yousafzais, they all are lamenting the fact that my sword is not on their side"

Pushtana me pa zargono dee wajalee
Pa saroono ba ye khra ghwaya lwashalee
" I have killed thousands of Pashtoons, so much so that the animals used to walk over their dead bodies"

Laa tar wosa da saroono yai anbaar de
Pa Attak pa Peshawar ke yai Minaar de
" Even now there are heaps of their skulls, while in Attock and Peshawar one can see their skull-towers still in existence"

Ka Maghul sara zama da zra ikhlaas wai
Khudai khabar de ka Pushtoon zama na Khlaas wai
"Had I been loyal to the Moghals,God knows if any Pashtoon could have been safe from my sword"

Nan da waaro Pushtano pa nang walaar yam
Daa che hase pa har dar har drang walaar yam
" I now stand for the honour of all Pashtoons, which takes me from house to house to beg for their help and unity"

- nor bya

[Feroz Afridi]

ijaz yaqeenan pa khushal baba expert dey