Why is the telling of the history of Swat significant? How does this meaning show itself when Malala describes her current surroundings?

Malala gives us context into Pakistan and the Swat Valley through her history lesson. We can see the struggle between governments, politics, and religion has shaped the situation that Malala lives in. The Taliban exist because of certain elements that created a power vacuum. The government of Pakistan gave the Swat Valley to the Taliban in order to appease them.