Shangla History and Culture

Shangla District is a mountainous district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, with its headquarters at Alpuri. It lies along the eastern side of Swat Valley’s hill ranges and is bordered by Kohistan to the north, Battagram and Torghar to the east, Swat to the west, and Buner to the south. Shangla’s total area is about 1,586 square kilometers, and the landscape rises quickly into high elevations, creating cool upland conditions and making road connectivity an important development challenge. Besham is the largest city of the district.

Shangla History

Shangla’s recorded history reflects its long human presence and cultural crossroads. The area was for centuries integrated with the Swat region, and for much of its early modern history it remained part of Swat District until it was formally established as a separate district in 1995, recognizing its distinct identity and governance needs.

Archaeological evidence indicates that ancient civilizations, including Buddhist communities linked to the Gandhara cultural sphere, once thrived here; relics and sculptures found at sites such as Pirsar, Chakesar, and Daut testify to this early heritage. It is even believed that Alexander the Great passed through this region during his campaigns in 326 BC.

Over the centuries, Shangla’s terrain continued to be shaped by successive cultural and political influences from neighboring powers, including the Hindu Shahi dynasty and later incorporation into state structures in the subcontinent. Its history remains intertwined with that of Swat and the wider Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlands, blending ancient legacy with more recent administrative evolution.

Tehsils of Shangla District

There are following three Tehsils of Shangla District:

Alipuri Tehsil. Its area is 1105 sq. km.
Bisham Tehsil. Its area is 184 sq. km.
Puran Tehsil. Its area is 297 sq. km.

Population and Demographics

According to census held in year 2023, population of Shangla district is 891,252, average household size is 7.10, average annual growth rate is 2.71, while total number of house holds is 125,551. According to 2017 census, population of this district was 759,609, while according to 1998 census, its population was 434,563.

Shangla Villages List

There are 111 villages / rural localities / rural towns in this District. Among the villages in Shangla, 65 have population of 5,000 or more. While, 29 villages have between 2,000 to 4,999 residents. There are also 15 villages with population ranging from 1,000 to 1,999 inhabitants. There is one village with population between 500 to 999. Here is the list of villages of Shangla District:

S. No	Name Of Village	Population 2017	Male	Female
1	AJMIR	5,475	2,726	2,748
2	GANSHAL	9,633	4,855	4,778
3	ALPURI	10,292	5,293	4,999
4	BASI	12,653	6,399	6,254
5	ACHAR	3,724	1,889	1,834
6	AMNAY	8,978	4,644	4,334
7	BANDA CHINA	5,060	2,467	2,593
8	KAS (GHOR BO	4,828	2,502	2,326
9	MANGAI	3,633	1,861	1,772
10	SHAHSAND	6,577	3,321	3,256
11	BILKANAI	11,247	5,643	5,604
12	DERI LARRI	10,178	5,263	4,915
13	DAMORAI	14,419	7,255	7,163
14	KARSHUT	7,807	3,980	3,826
15	DAWALAT KALA	9,392	4,854	4,538
16	ZARA	8,343	4,262	4,081
17	BANR	7,208	3,583	3,625
18	DERI	10,092	5,187	4,904
19	KOZKANA	16,557	8,581	7,976
20	SERAIKANA	5,044	2,600	2,444
21	LILOWANI	23,579	11,998	11,580
22	BAZAR KOT	3,737	1,937	1,800
23	MALAK KHEL K	9,830	5,019	4,811
24	PAGURRAY	9,459	4,620	4,839
25	PIR ABAD	10,392	5,139	5,253
26	PITAW	10,071	5,143	4,928
27	DONAI	9,193	4,683	4,510
28	RANIAL	5,494	2,743	2,751
29	SANGRAI	7,232	3,669	3,563
30	BARKANA	10,320	5,279	5,041
31	SHAHPUR	15,846	8,220	7,626
32	GANDAO	8,055	4,069	3,986
33	WAHAB KHEL K	12,985	6,652	6,333
34	BUNERWAL	5,431	2,761	2,670
35	KOTKAR	5,869	2,982	2,887
36	CHAKISAR	17,229	8,856	8,373
37	KHADANG	9,635	5,019	4,616
38	CHIDAM	4,031	2,011	2,020
39	DANAKOL	7,528	3,807	3,721
40	JATKOOL	5,283	2,498	2,785
41	KANDAI	5,326	2,672	2,652
42	DANDAI SONDA	3,620	1,837	1,783
43	LANGBAR	10,604	5,488	5,116
44	GULI BAT	5,262	2,745	2,517
45	KARORA	5,634	2,960	2,674
46	OPEL	3,515	1,779	1,736
47	PONIAL	2,466	1,202	1,264
48	DAWOOT	3,455	1,608	1,847
49	GUNAGAR	4,146	2,168	1,978
50	SARKUL	3,865	1,911	1,954
51	TALOON	7,886	3,671	4,215
52	ALAMI BANDA	3,646	1,713	1,933
53	MARTONG SER	1,586	798	788
54	PISHKAND	1,888	910	978
55	PISHLAR	4,554	2,242	2,312
56	BEHAR	4,337	2,187	2,150
57	CHORAQ BABA	1,267	600	666
58	TORANAY	3,476	1,646	1,830
59	GADO GARRI	1,876	948	928
60	HASHAM KHEL	2,147	1,097	1,050
61	MUSA KHELA S	1,365	683	682
62	NASK	1,364	651	713
63	RICHBAND	1,116	467	649
64	SALAY	1,272	643	629
65	ASHARO SAR	403	188	215
66	DAURA SAR	1,361	626	735
67	GEER	1,965	911	1,054
68	KABAL GARAM	9,410	4,672	4,738
69	KOTKAY MART	1,834	941	893
70	SHAGA	1,265	619	646
71	DADIL	8,491	4,335	4,156
72	KAMACH	8,624	4,313	4,311
73	KOZKALAI	7,508	3,965	3,543
74	MANDORIA	3,150	1,616	1,534
75	MANZKALAI	5,110	2,582	2,528
76	MIR JALAY	1,979	1,056	923
77	DANAKOL	3,484	1,723	1,761
78	TORAWRRI	1,299	584	713
79	TOTWALAN	4,466	2,294	2,172
80	BISHAM	3,082	1,573	1,509
81	KIRRAY	5,050	2,487	2,563
82	BOTIAL	15,975	8,409	7,564
83	HAWALAY	1,202	627	575
84	KORMANG	10,911	5,573	5,336
85	LAHORE	7,380	4,153	3,227
86	BARBAIKOT	3,676	1,712	1,964
87	MAIRA	19,045	9,860	9,185
88	SHANG	19,658	9,897	9,760
89	BANDAI	8,568	4,363	4,205
90	TAKHTA	11,403	5,786	5,617
91	ALUCH	6,499	3,285	3,214
92	DARA SERAI	3,164	1,641	1,523
93	KOLALAI	2,223	1,126	1,097
94	KOTKAY PURA	5,062	2,596	2,466
95	BANGLAI	10,577	5,402	5,175
96	CHAGUM	9,885	5,005	4,880
97	BINA	3,460	1,817	1,643
98	CHOGA	12,805	6,548	6,256
99	GARRI	4,856	2,455	2,401
100	KAZPOW	8,099	3,926	4,172
101	KADONA	6,639	3,410	3,229
102	NIMKALAI	13,485	7,049	6,436
103	ENAWAR	3,520	1,824	1,696
104	PANDORIA	2,801	1,485	1,316
105	SHAIKAWLAI	8,579	4,388	4,191
106	SANDOI	15,174	7,822	7,352
107	MACHKANDI	4,980	2,593	2,387
108	MARIKZI	2,156	994	1,162
109	SANGRRI	6,537	3,243	3,294
110	SHINCORAY	969	508	461
111	SANILA	13,828	7,204	6,623

Shangla Map | Location:

Here is the Location of Shangla District as per google map: