From Timber to Concrete: The Historical Evolution of the Kanju Bridge in Swat State Era (1915–1969)

Abstract

This article traces the century-long evolution of bridge construction over the River Swat near Kanju, arguing that the successive constructions of the Kanju (1929), Mingora (1962), and Ayub (1966) bridges were central to the political consolidation and infrastructural modernization of the Swat State. By juxtaposing colonial and postcolonial archival materials with vernacular historical narratives, the study reconstructs the chronological and technical development of these projects to reveal how each bridge, frequently damaged and rebuilt after seasonal floods served as a catalyst for economic integration, shaped emerging administrative practices, and symbolized the Walis modernizing vision. Methodologically, it combines textual analysis of British archival record and other relevant sources with spatial-historical contextualization to uncover how infrastructure mediated relations between territory, and community. Besides, the article illustrates a model of State formation in which infrastructure functioned as both a material and symbolic instrument of governance, marking Swat’s transition from a nascent polity to a modern, institutionally organized State.