Behrain Tehsil

{{Infobox settlement | official_name = | name = Behrain Tehsil | native_name = {{lang|ur|{{nq|تحصیل بحرین}}}} | native_name_lang = ur | settlement_type = Tehsil | other_name = | image_skyline = File:9 Kalam Valley, Swat.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Kalam Valley in Behrain during winter | image_map = File:Swat Tehsils.jpeg | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_mapsize = | map_caption = Behrain Tehsil (in green) in Swat District | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flagu|Pakistan}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = {{Flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}} | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Upper Swat | subdivision_type3 = Capital | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = Towns | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = Union councils | subdivision_name5 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | established_title = | established_date = | area_total_km2 = 2,899 | area_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Districts and Subdistricts) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/khyberpakhtunkhwa/admin/ |access-date=4 September 2024 |website=City Population}}</ref> | area_metro_km2 = | population_as_of = 2023 | population_footnotes = <ref name="2023censuslanguage">{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 11 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/kp/dcr/table_11.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}</ref> | population_note = | population_total = 270,620 | population_rural = 193,895 | population_urban = 76,725 | population_density_km = | population_density_urban_km2 = auto | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | elevation_ft = | timezone = PST | utc_offset = +5 | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = +6 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | blank_name = | blank_info = }} '''Behrain''', also known as '''Upper Swat Valley'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 October 2024 |title=Bahrain, Swat: An Indigenous community on the frontlines of climate change |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-environment-institute/news/2024/10/14/bahrain-swat-an-indigenous-community-on-the-frontlines-of-climat.html |access-date=19 April 2025 |website=The University of Sydney |language=en-US}}</ref> and '''Swat Kohistan''',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Torwali |first=Zubair |author-link=Zubair Torwali |date=15 June 2014 |title=Beautiful but marginalised — Swat-Kohistan |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/722238/beautiful-but-marginalised-swat-kohistan |access-date=4 September 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> is a tehsil located in Upper Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population is 270,620, according to the 2023 census.<ref name="2023censuslanguage"/> Behrain has an area of {{km2|2,899}}, comprising around three-quarters of total area of the district, and is part of the larger Kohistan region.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Torwali |first=Zubair |date=9 February 2026 |title=The case for a third district |url=https://www.thenews.pk/print/1397965-the-case-for-a-third-district |access-date=11 February 2026 |website=The News International |language=en}}</ref> The major towns include Bahrain, Kalam and Madyan.<ref name=":0" /> It is known for alpine valleys such as Kalam. ==Demographics== ===Ethnic groups=== Major ethnic groups in Behrain tehsil are the Gujjars and Koshitanis.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bashir |first=Elena L. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Second_International/e-9tAAAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Proceedings of the Second International Hindukush Cultural Conference |last2=Israr-ud-Din |date=1996 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-577571-6 |pages=48 |language=en |quote=Swat Kohistan is predominantly inhabited by the Kohistani and Gujjar ethnic groups.}}</ref>

Bahrain is also home to a number of other minor Indigenous Indo-Aryan peoples, including Pashtuns, Torwalis and Gawris.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nasir |first=Fateh-Ul-Mulk Ali |author-link=Fateh-ul-Mulk Ali Nasir |date=11 July 2020 |title=Kalam and the three princely states of Swat, Chitral and Dir |url=https://wemountains.com/07/11/1652/ |access-date=14 September 2024 |website=WeMountains |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Languages=== {{Pie chart | thumb = left | caption = Languages of Behrain Tehsil (2023)<ref name="2023censuslanguage"/> | label1 = Pashto | value1 = 35.81 | color1 = olive | label2 = Kohistani | value2 = 11.88 | color2 = green | label3 = Others (mainly Gujari, Torwali, Gawri) | value3 = 52.31 | color3 = red }} According to the 2023 Census, the share of Pashto and Kohistani languages in Behrain was 35.81% and 11.88%, respectively. Some 141,119, mainly Gujari, Torwalis and Gawris, chose "Other", amounting to a little more than 52%.<ref name="2023censuslanguage"/> However, these figures have been disputed by the activists based in Behrain, such as Zubair Torwali.

According to Torwali the usage of the name 'Kohistani' complicates recording of the accurate linguistic demographics since both Torwali and Gawri languages are sometimes termed as such, along with Indus Kohistani and Shina Kohistani. Zubair Torwali, a Torwali speaking nationalist, estimates the Torwali, Gawri and Gujari-speaking population of the tehsil to be around 100,000, 60,000 and 40,000, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Torwali |first=Zubair |date=21 February 2025 |title=What is ‘Kohistani’? |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1284909-what-is-kohistani |access-date=23 January 2026 |website=The News International |language=en-US}}</ref>

Other, relatively smaller languages spoken in the Tehsil include Ushojo, Badeshi and Khowar.<ref name=":0" />

==Union councils== Behrain consists of 8 Union Councils: Utror, Bahrain, Mankyal, Kalam, Beshigram, Madyan, Tirat and Balakot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=District Councils and Wards Annex-A |url=https://lgkp.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/District-Councils-and-Wards-Annex-A.pdf |access-date=20 April 2025 |website=Local Government KP}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{coord missing|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}} Category:Swat Kohistan Category:Tehsils of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Category:Populated places in Swat District