Akhund of Swat

Akhund Abdul Ghaffur
Tomb Of Saidu Baba
Born	1793 Jabrai, Upper Swat
Died	1878
Resting place	Saidu sharif
Known for	Ruling Swat area

Akhund Abdul Ghaffur (Pashto: اخوند عبدالغفور‎), commonly known as Saidu Baba (Pashto: سيدو بابا 1878-1793‎), belonged to the Gujjar tribe, a prominent religious Mullah or priest, from Barr Swat. Akhund Ghaffur was a supporter of the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai, and opposed the Sikh and British forces.

Akhund Ghaffur was an influential mullah and his residence in Swat was the destination for numerous pilgrimages by his disciples to consult him. Akhund Ghaffur was succeeded by a notable line of other mullahs and theologians.

Saidu Baba was born at Jabrai Matta, upper Swat valley in 1793 AD. He got his early education from Mian Brangola. Later, he went to Mardan, Nowshehra and Peshawar for completion of his education. In 1835, he returned back to Swat and settled in Baligram (now Saidu Sharif). In 1836, when the British tried to annex Swat valley, at that time Saidu Baba united the people against them and called for Jihad of Ambela , which discouraged the British expansion to the region.

In 1831, when the Muslim activist Syed Ahmad Barelvi was killed by the Sikhs along with hundreds of Barelvi's mujahideen in the battle of Balakot, many of his mujahideen stayed in Buner under the protection of Akhund Ghaffur. They started a new uprising against the British Empire under Akhund Ghaffur's leadership in 1862.

In 1834, Akhund Ghaffur cooperated with the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai in the battle against the Sikh Empire and brought a number of Ghazis and Talib al-'Ilm to the battle of Peshawar. In return, the Afghan Emir awarded Akhund Ghaffur with lands in Swat, Lundkhwar and Mardan among the Yusufzai Pathans, despite being an ethnic Gujjar. Eventually, when Akhund Ghaffur was about 43 years old, he permanently settled in Saidu Sharif and gradually turned it into a thriving city.