Sudhan (also known as Sudhozai Pathan)[1][2] is one of the major tribes from the districts of Poonch, Sudhanoti, Bagh and Kotli in Azad Kashmir, allegedly originating from Pashtun areas.[3] The Sudhan Pathans who settled in Azad Kashmir are mainly an important and major branch of the Saduzai tribe who migrated from Afghanistan in the 14th century AD and founded the present-day Azad Kashmir region of Sidhnuti and ruled here for hundreds of years. [4]

Sudhan
سدھن
Regions with significant populations
Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
Poonch · Sudhanoti · Bagh · Kotli
Languages
Pahari-Pothwari
Religion
Predominantly Islam
Related ethnic groups
Pashtuns

Nawab Jassi Khan Siddozai was the first Pakhtun ruler who laid the foundations of the Sidhnuti stateHe attacked Sidhnuti in 14th century AD, at that time Sidhnuti was ruled by Ladin Bhagads and Ghaghars who Earlier Sidhnuti whose first name was Bhan was ruled by Brahmins who were usurped by the Bhagaras. There were Bhagar Ladin who oppressed the religious Brahmins, so the Brahmins invited Nawab Jassi Khan to attack Bhan Sidhnuti here against this oppression. So Nawab attacked Jasi Khan Bhan and conquered it and named it Sidhnuti [5]

Nawab Jassi Khan Saduzai
The first founder of the Pashtun ruling state of Sadhunati
Personal
Born1370
Ghazni, Afghanistan
DiedMarch 1417 AD
Sidhnuti, Azad Kashmir
NationalityAfghan
CitizenshipAfghan

History of Sudhanoti

Sudhanoti (meaning the "heartland of Sudhans" or "Sudhan heartland"), was ruled by the Sudzai Sudhans for about four hundred years, its the first name was Bhan Ya (Brahman) who was defeated by the Pashtun Sadozai invaders in the thirteenth century AD defeated the Bhagar Rajputs and named it Sudhanoti.[6] The state of Sudhanoti is one of the former ten states of Jammu and Kashmir, its history is approximately one thousand twelve hundred years old which Sudhanoti was ruled by Brahmins from 830 to 1105 AD.

The Brahman Raj was invaded by the Rajputs of hill Punjab in 1005 and captured Sudhanoti in 1105, The Bhagar Rajputs ruled Sudhanoti from 1105 to 1407. The Bhagar Rajputs were then attacked by the Afghan chief named Nawab Jassi Khan in 1407 AD, defeating them and establishing their own Sadozai government.

The Sadozai tribe ruled Sudhanoti from 1407 to 1837, Sudhanoti which from 800 to 1837 was called the fully independent state of Sudhanoti, came to an end in the Third Sikh Sudhanoti War, in which fifty to thirty thousand Sadozai people were killed. The Sikh Khalsa merged with the state of Poonch and brought it under the control of the Lahore government.[7][8][2][9]

History

The palace of Nawab Jassi Khan, on the Jassi Peer mountain in Mang town in Sudhanoti district of Azad Kashmir.

The tribe claims an Afghan ancestry.[10] According to Syed Ali, Sudhans have a Pashtun descent and moved to the Poonch district of Kashmir region some centuries ago.[11] Sudhans from Poonch considered themselves to be Sudhozai Pathans (Pashtuns).[12] Scholar Iffat Malik of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad writes:

The Sudhans claim their origin from Afghanistan and they consider themselves to be descendants of a common ancestor Jassi Khan, who was an Afghan chief and had earned the name of Sudhan (from Sanskrit, meanings "justice, fair and honest") as a compliment to his valour as he 500 years or so ago landed in Western parts of Poonch and fought for their existence, but the local people dominated them in this period, they multiplied quickly and emerged into a strong and powerful tribe. According to them, they are same as the Sudhazai tribe of high class Afghans. In social habits and customs they also are certainly akin to Sudhazais of Afghanistan. Among Afghans, Sudhazai are a very respected clan with long good history behind them. Sikhs and Dogras had to fight the Sudhans in wars spread over a fairly long time as they had never been reconciled to their rule by them, and there was first rebellion in 1837, after Sudhan people went in revolt against Sikh Empire, had captured hills from Sikhs, however Sudhans were defeated by Sikhs but survived as a strong tribe. In 1947, Sudhans were first to challenge Dogras.[13]

About 40,000–60,000 Sudhans were recruited and served in the British Indian Army during the First and Second World Wars.[14][15] The Sadozai are a lineage of the Popalzai clan of the Abdali tribe of the ethnic Pashtun. The lineage takes its name from its ancestor, Sado Khan. [16]

1837 Poonch Revolt

In 1837, after Hari Singh Nalwa's death in the Battle of Jamrud, the Sudhan tribe of Poonch, together with other tribes and Pahari speaking people, rose in revolt in Poonch. The insurgency was led by Shams Khan, a Chief of the Sudhan tribe[17][18] and former confidential follower of Dhian Singh.[18] Thus the betrayal of Shams Khan Sudhan against the regime was taken personally and Gulab Singh was given the task of crushing the rebellion. After defeating the insurgents in Hazara and Murree hills, Gulab Singh stayed at Kahuta for some time and promoted disunion among the insurgents. Then his forces were sent to crush the insurgents. Eventually, Shams Khan Sudhan and his nephew were betrayed and their heads were cut off during their sleep while the lieutenants were captured, flayed alive and put to death with cruelty. The contemporary British commentators state that the local population suffered immensely,[19] many of rebels were caputerd, and treated with a vengeance; their hands and feet were served by axes, while skins of Mali Khan and Sabz Ali Khan, two of the close accomplices of Shams were peeled off their bodies and their heads were hung on gallows in a crossing as a warning to others. Hands were ultimately laid on the chief rebel as well, and his head was cut off.[20][21][13]

Role in 1947 Poonch rebellion

The Sudhan tribe has been described as "a main and martial tribe of dissident Poonch" by Christopher Snedden, a political analyst. Sardar Ibrahim Khan, a barrister, and politician of the Muslim Conference party, was among the Sudhan people who rose to significance in 1947 as a result of the campaign and later rebellion against the Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan led a significant faction of the Muslim Conference activists in their demands that Singh should join Pakistan rather than accede to India. Together with the Dhunds from Bagh, it was the Sudhans who were at the heart of this campaign.[22] The rebels were directed by the Pakistan Army, and with the support of Pashtun tribal lashkars sent in from the Khyber and Waziristan tribal agencies,[23] they were able to liberate a portion of the state, called Azad Kashmir (Free Kashmir). Azad Kashmir has been under the control Pakistan ever since.

First Government of Sidhnuti Azad Kashmir on October 4,1947

First Government of Sidhnuti Azad Kashmir on October 4, 1947
Observed by Azad Kashmir
Date4 October
Next time4 October 2024 (2024-10-04)
Frequencyannual

Azad Kashmir Fast Government Sadhnuti Azad Kashmir Sudhanoti Azad Kashmir which is the home and center of Pakhtun tribe (Saduzai Sudhan) was established here the first government of Azad Kashmir which is basically called the first and founding government of Azad Kashmir. [24] According to the sources, on October 4, 1947, Sidhnuti was the first area that was liberated from the continuation of the Dogra regime in the areas of the present Azad Kashmir announced.[25] So at that time on October 4, 1947, there was no parliamentary house in Sidhnuti from where the system of government could be run, so this temporary government structure was started from Moti Mahal in Rawalpindi. [26] After that, this rebel revolutionary government prepared a 40-room parliamentary house at Siddhnuti Chonjal Hill within twenty days, after which on October 24, 1947, the same government was shifted from Rawalpindi Moti Mahal to Siddhnuti Chonjal Hill given.[27] According to sources, the Sudhanuti government of Azad Kashmir was transferred to Muzaffarabad on August 1, 1949. One of the main reasons for this transfer of government was the growing differences between the Sudhan tribals and the government of Pakistan. Due to which Pakistan started PC Pak Search Sudhan Operation on Sudhan tribals, the end of which continued till Baral Agreement. [28]

1955 Poonch Uprising

Sudhans played an immense role in the 1955 Poonch rebellion, who revolted against the appointment of Sher Ahmed Khan and dismissal of Sardar Ibrahim Khan. The violent anti government protestors demanded regional autonomy, especially in the administration and for budgets.[29]

PC Pak Search Sudhan Operation

PC Pak Search Sudhan Operation was a Pakistani military operation of the 1955 Poonch uprising. The first major operation of the Pakistan Army inside Pakistan, it was conducted against Sudhan tribal insurgents in the Sudhan-majority Sudhanoti, Poonch, Bagh, and Kotli Districts of Azad Kashmir.[30]

Baral Agreement

The Baral Agreement was an agreement between the government of Pakistan and rebellious Sudhan tribes signed on 20 December 1956 following an armed rebellion by the tribes against Pakistan's rule of Kashmir [31]

Politics

Together with the Dhunds & Rajputs. It is the Sudhans who dominate the politics of Azad Kashmir in the present day, although the Gujjar community is estimated to be the largest among the population.[32]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Cite Genealogy https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Sadu_Zai_subtribe.jpg
  2. 1 2 Snedden, Christopher (2013). Kashmir: The Unwritten History. India: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 978-9350298978.
  3. ↑ Snedden, Christopher (2012). The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir. Columbia University Press. p. xix. ISBN 9780231800204. Sudhan/Sudhozai – one of the main tribes of (southern) Poonch, allegedly originating from Pashtun areas.
  4. ↑ Tarikhi Sudhan qabail Author : Muhammad Arif Khan Saddozai Summary : History of the Sudhan tribes of Kashmir https://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990071496180203941/catalog
  5. ↑ Nawab Jassi Khan Ghazni to SidhnutiAhmad, Pirzada Irshad (2003). A Hand Book on Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Nawab Sons Publication. ISBN 978-969-530-050-3.
  6. ↑ Wikeley, J. M. (1968). Punjabi Musalmans. Pakistan National Publishers.
  7. ↑ History of the Punjab Hill States by Hutchison and Vogel, reprinted edition, 2 volumes in 1 Chapter XXIV. 1933 AD
  8. ↑ Balocu, Nabī Bak̲h̲shu K̲h̲ānu (1989). Maulānā Āzād Subḥānī: taḥrīk-i āzādī ke ek muqtadir rahnumā (in Urdu). Idārah-yi Taḥqīqāt-i Pākistān, Dānishgāh-i Panjāb. ISBN 978-969-425-071-7.
  9. ↑ "Statistical Year Book 2019" (PDF). Statistics Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  10. ↑ Hussain, Rifaat (2005). "Pakistan's Relations with Azad Kashmir and the Impact on Indo-Pakistani Relations". In Dossani, Rafiq; Rowen, Henry S. (eds.). Prospects for Peace in South Asia. Stanford University Press. p. 361. ISBN 9780804750851.
  11. ↑ Syed Ali (1998). "South Asia: The Perils of Covert Coercion". In Lawrence Freedman (ed.). Strategic Coercion: Concepts and Cases. Oxford University Press. p. 253. ISBN 0-19-829349-6. Poonch at the time of partition was predominantly Muslim and the overwhelming majority of them were Sudhans, who were descendants of Pashtuns of Afghanistan, settled in the region some centuries ago.
  12. ↑ Snedden, Christopher (December 2013). Kashmir - The Untold Story. HarperCollins India. p. 43. ISBN 9789350298985. Sudhans from Poonch considered themselves to be Sudho Zai Pathans (Pukhtoons), which explained why the Pashtun tribesmen from NWFP province lost no time coming to help Jammu and Kashmir's Muslims in 1947..
  13. 1 2 Malik, Iffat (2002), "Jammu Province", Kashmir: Ethnic Conflict International Dispute, Oxford University Press, p. 62, ISBN 978-0-19-579622-3
  14. ↑ Syed Ali (1998). "South Asia: The Perils of Covert Coercion". In Lawrence Freedman (ed.). Strategic Coercion: Concepts and Cases. Oxford University Press. p. 253. ISBN 0-19-829349-6.
  15. ↑ Stephens, Ian (1963). Pakistan. Frederick A. Praeger Inc. p. 199.
  16. ↑ Moorehead, Catherine (2013-09-30). The K2 Man (and His Molluscs): The Extraordinary life of Haversham Godwin-Austen. Neil Wilson Publishing. ISBN 978-1-906000-60-8.
  17. ↑ Sir Alexander Cunningham, Four Reports Made During The Years 1862-63-64-65, (The Government Central Press, 1871), Volume I, Page 13.
  18. 1 2 Sir Lepel H. Griffin, The Panjab Chiefs., (T. C. McCarthy, Chronicle Press, 1865), Page 594.
  19. ↑ Hastings Donnan, Marriage Among Muslims: Preference and Choice in Northern Pakistan, (Brill, 1997), 41.
  20. ↑ Kapur, Manohar Lal (1980). History of Jammu and Kashmir State: The making of the State. India: Kashmir History Publications. p. 51.
  21. ↑ Snedden, Christopher (2015). "Jammu and Jammutis". Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris. HarperCollins India. ISBN 9781849043427.
  22. ↑ Snedden, Christopher (December 2013). Kashmir – The Untold Story. HarperCollins India. pp. 1937–1938. ISBN 9789350298985.
  23. ↑ Josef Korbel, Danger in Kashmir, New York:United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan Report, 1954, pp.49–54
  24. ↑ Untold Story of Formation of Azad Kashmir Prof. Suresh Chander https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/untold-story-of-formation-of-azad-kashmir/
  25. ↑ Kapur, Manohar Lal (1980). History of Jammu and Kashmir State: The making of the State. Kashmir History Publications.
  26. ↑ the Pakistani and Azad Kashmir Government officials find it convenient not to mention the Provisional Government of 4th October 1947? (Page 163)PDF paper cover thumbnail Azad Kashmir, is it Azad? Dr Shabir ChoudhryDr Shabir Choudhry https://www.academia.edu/43135608/Azad_Kashmir_is_it_Azad
  27. ↑ Mahmud, Ershad. “Status of AJK in Political Milieu.” Policy Perspectives, vol. 3, no. 2, 2006, pp. 105–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42922642.Accessed 29 Dec. 2023.
  28. ↑ "Youm-e-Tasees of Azad Jammu and Kashmir". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  29. ↑ Snedden, Christopher (December 2013). Kashmir - The Untold Story. HarperCollins India. pp. 120, 121, 122. ISBN 9789350298985.
  30. ↑ Marxism, In Defence of. "Kashmir's Ordeal - Chapter Six". Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  31. ↑ II: Revolt and Pacification 4.Early Years and the Sudhan Revolt.
  32. ↑ Lyon, Stephen M.; Bolognani, Marta (2011). "The Mirror Crack'd: Shifting Gazes and the Curse of Truth". In Bolognani, Marta; Lyon, Stephen M. (eds.). Pakistan and Its Diaspora: Multidisciplinary Approaches. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230347120.

Further reading

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