Beginningwithdetailsofitsnomenclatureandgeography,thebookcontinueswithcoveringandthoroughlyexamininganddiscussingtheprehistoryandprotohistoricperiodsofSwat,differentaspectsofAlexanderofMacedonia’sinvasion,theperiodfromtheMauryastotheHinduShahis,religiousperspectiveofSwat,Muslims’occupationandpre-Yusufzi’speriod,theYusufzi’soccupation,theirsocialsystemandmodeofruling,theMughalsandSwat,KhushalKhanKhattakandSwat,theperiodfrom1707till1915CE,andtheKuhistan.ThereisverylittleaboutSwat,fromthesaidperspectives,thatcannotbelearnedfromreadingthisbook.Thebookiscomprehensive,andsystematic.Writteninananalyticalbutsimplestyle,andpresentedmethodologically,itisrichinfactualinformation.Itisheavilybasedonprimarysourcematerial;buttherespectedsecondarysourcesarealsoutilized.AsistervolumeofthetitleSwatState(1915-1969),thepresentvolumedetailstheabovetopicsandthemesintheregional,international,geopoliticalandstrategiccontextsoftheperiodsconcerned.Itenablesthereadertogainthekindofknowledgethatmighthaverequiredthereadingofanumberofseparatebooks.Eachtopicandthemediscussedhasbeenfullyresearchedandpresentedwithaknowledgeableandlearnedcommentary.Thescholarshipisexceptional,andtheauthorisregardedasoneofthetopscholarsofthecountryinthedisciplineofhistory.
