Description:
BAMCHAN, a town and union council of Swabi District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located on the right bank of the Swabi River, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of the provincial capital, Peshawar. The town is the administrative centre of BAMCHAN Union Council, which has a population of about 140,000. BAMCHAN is said to have been founded by a Brahmin called Bamchand in the early 18th century. It was originally known as Bamchandgarh. In 1825, it was made the headquarters of a jagir granted to Bamchand by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. In 1839, the town was sacked by the Sikhs, and in 1849 it was plundered by the Afghans. The town prospered during the British Raj, and it became an important commercial centre. In the early 20th century, it was the site of a major cotton mill. After the partition of British India in 1947, BAMCHAN became part of Pakistan. BAMCHAN is a predominantly Muslim town. The local dialect is Pashto. The main religions are Islam and Sikhism. The town has a number of Hindu temples. The main economic activities are agriculture and cotton spinning.