the politics of the late nawabs are described as reactionary and harsh. the italian anthropologist fosco maraini, who visited the state in 1959 during an expedition towards hindu-kush, reports the opinion of the people as the nawab jahan khan (who was about 64 years old at that time) being a tyrannical leader, denying his subjects any freedom of speech and instruction, governing the land with a number of henchmen and seizing for his harem any girl or woman he wanted. maraini also noticed the lack of schools, sewers and paved roads, and the presence of just a rudimentary newly built hospital. the nawab was negatively compared to the wali of swat, whose liberal politics allowed his state to enter into the modern era.