This is an important point for us to know, why do we call ‘Swat’ to this tract, and from which source the name has been contrived.

In the ancient history, the word ‘Swat’ is not found. The early peoples called this soil with various names, but not by the present name, Swat. For example, some three thousand years ago, it was called Udhyana (Garden). In the writings of Chinese travelers, we can find ‘Soto’, while in the accounts of Greeks, the “Asoconoi” has been mentioned, but Mahmood Ghaznavi has called it ‘Qerat’. So for as the early names are concerned, Soto has much similarity to the present name.

The second base for its nomenclature is of Arabic origin. It is said that the word ‘Swat’ is the distorted shape of Aswad (black). As the hills and mountains of this land are covered with thick forests, which appear in sight as black, therefore, it was called Aswad. Slowly, it became ‘Swad’ but latter on the name changed completely and the present name ‘Swat’ was composed.

The final decision is lying in the fact that when Mahmood Ghaznavi conquered Swat, he wanted to settle some of his people to keep the control of the conquered area. So he settled two tribes the Swati and Dalazak here. As the Swati tribe was larger, the zone was called by the name of this tribe, Swat.