Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah

Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah was the Wali of Swat between 1914 and 1918. He was a descendant of Syed Ali Shah Tirmizi.

Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah's early life was marked by tragedy and upheaval. In 1878, when he was just six months old, his father, Syed Mehmood Shah, was killed by the Hassan Zai tribes. Shortly after, his cousin Feroz Shah attacked Sethana, killing all male family members. A female servant rescued the infant Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah, taking him to the nearby village of Kia, where he was protected by the Ghulam Khel tribe.

At a very young age, he left for India and lived with his stepbrother in Lucknow. In Azamgarh, he studied with notable Persian scholars, including Maulvi Qamaruddin, Maulvi Nazir ud Din, and Maulvi Kabir Ullah, who were Arabic and Persian teachers in Banaras. In 1890, he returned for further studies and participated in the Siege of Malakand in 1897.

In 1899, he was appointed Minister by the Nawab of Amb (princely state), Muhammad Akram Khan, at a remarkably young age. Following the Nawab's death, his son Muhammad Khan Zaman Khan ascended to power.

In 1907, he married the daughter of the Nawab of Amb. In 1908, he recaptured Sethana with the Nawab's help and constructed a fort and house. That same year, he married the daughter of the ruler of Bukhara, who had come to Abbottabad after the revolution via Afghanistan, with assistance from Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Kabul.

Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah ruled Swat from April 28, 1914, to 1918, establishing his capital in the Niphikhel area of Bandi Bala. Upon assuming power, he organized an army, implemented income tax in accordance with Islamic principles, and ensured the army received regular monthly pay. Shariat law was strictly followed. In 1916, Mian Gul Abdul Wadood of Swat mutinied but was subsequently arrested and pardoned. Mian Gul then fought under Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah's command against the Nawab of Dir and pledged never to rise against him, a promise documented in the archives.

Despite this pledge, Mian Gul conspired with the British to overthrow Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah, leading to his exile by the British to Hyderabad Deccan in 1939. In Hyderabad, he was appointed Defense Minister by the Nizam of Hyderabad and remained there until 1945. During his time in Hyderabad, he secured Rs. 150,000 from the Nizam to support Islamia College at the request of Sahibzada Sahib. Mian Gul's status as ruler was officially recognized by the British in 1926, although they had supported and installed him much earlier.