Sudhan

Sudhan
سدھن
Total population
	Around 500,000
Regions with significant populations
	Azad Kashmir, Pakistan; Poonch · Sudhanoti · Bagh · Kotli
Languages
	Pahari-Pothwari
Religion
	Islam
Related ethnic groups
	Pashtuns

Last updated April 19, 2024

Sudhan (also known as Sudhozai Pathan)^[2]^[3] is one of the major tribes from the districts of Poonch, Sudhanoti, Bagh and Kotli in Azad Kashmir, allegedly originating from Pashtun areas.^[4] 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 Sudhanoti and ruled here for hundreds of years. ^[5]

History and origins

The tribe claims an Afghan ancestry.^[6] According to Syed Ali, Sudhans have a Pashtun descent and moved to the Poonch district of Kashmir region some centuries ago.^[7] Sudhans from Poonch considered themselves to be Sudhozai Pathans (Pashtuns).^[8] 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.^[9]

About 40,000–60,000 Sudhans were recruited and served in the British Indian Army during the First and Second World Wars.^[10]^[11] 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.^[12]

Alleged origins

Jassi Khan's Migration and Conquest

Nawab Jassi Khan attacked what is now known as Sudhanoti in the 14th century, at that time Sudhanoti was called "Bhan" and was first ruled by Brahmins who were usurped by Ladin Bhagads and Ghaghars who now ruled Bhan. The Bhagar Ladins oppressed the religious Brahmins, so the Brahmins invited Nawab Jassi Khan to attack Bhan against this oppression. So Pashtun Sadozai invaders led by Nawab Jassi Khan attacked Bhan, defeated the Bhagar Rajputs, conquered it and named it Sudhanoti.^[13] Sudhanoti (meaning the "heartland of Sudhans" or "Sudhan heartland"), was ruled by Sudhans for about four hundred years.^[14] The Sadozai tribe ruled Sudhanoti as a fully independent state from 1407 to 1837, this came to an end in the 1837 Poonch Revolt, 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.^[15]^[16]^[3]^[17]

1837 Sudhan Revolt

Shams Khan, an influential zamindar of Poonch and headman of the Sudhans was the leader of the 1837 rebellion. After the prior successful conquest of Poonch, the local tribes of the region, including the Sudhans, had been pacified. From the Sudhans, Shams Khan was taken as a hostage and given to the care of Dhian Singh, who began to grow a liking for him.^[18]

In the year 1836, he returned to Poonch and began to take charge once again. At around the same time, the Yusufzai began a revolt, distracting the Sikhs and the leader of the Dogras, Gulab Singh. Rumors of a Sikh defeat began to spread, which in turn began the rise of clashes throughout Poonch between the locals and Sikh garrisons. Gulab Singh gained intelligence that Shams Khan was behind this, and called for the arrest of him and his family. Shams eluded the chasing authorities.^[18]

After this, an all-out rebellion broke out. The local Pahari tribes too joined the Sudhans and began amassing their armies. Gulab Singh ordered his son Ottam Singh to suppress the revolt. A force of five thousand troops was sent, but was ultimately defeated. The prince himself was able to escape with what was left of his army.^[18]

Assaults over local forts began, resulting in great success. The garrisons were caught off-guard and ill-prepared, and fell to the marching armies.^[19]^[20]

Following the defeats, Gulab Singh himself returned from his campaign against the Yusufzai, and marched with an army of eight thousand regular infantry and twelve thousand irregulars. Upon his arrival, he chose not to engage immediately, but focused on bribing local Sardars and the many enemies of Shams, either neutralizing them as foes, or turning them to his side completely.^[18]

After this, Gulab began his assaults. Major clashes occurred at Pallandri, Pallangi, Pachhiot, Paral, Panthal, Baral, Narian and Chokian. The deadliest of which occurred in Mang, resulting in Sudhan and other tribal forces being pushed back at every turn.^[18]

To spread terror throughout the ranks of the rebels, Gulab Singh devastated all captured territories, permitting total plunder and terror in great excess. He also set a reward of five rupees for the head of every insurgent and anyone that was connected to him, regardless of age or gender. The rebels were outmatched both in number and arms. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, resistance began to disperse as rebels raced to protect their own families. Homes of the locals were ransacked, survivors who could not escape either massacred or enslaved.^[18]

Shams Khan had evaded arrest up to this point, but eventually had his hiding place exposed to the Dogras. He was beheaded, alongside his nephew Rajwali. Their heads were later put in two cages of iron at the very top of the Adha Dek pass. Leaders such as Sabz Ali Khan and Malli Khan were flayed alive, alongside other commanders and notable members of the Sudhan tribe. The rebellion was then ultimately crushed, as all ring leaders were either dead or captured, and no opposition was left.^[18]

Role in the 1947 Poonch Revolt

Ian Stephens (editor) was a British journalist who was the editor of the British Indian newspaper The Statesman in Kolkata, West Bengal from 1942 to 1951. He is one of the eyewitnesses of the Kashmir issue. He writes in his famous Zaman book Pakistan that Tehreek Azadi Kashmir is actually a rebellion of Sidhnuti whose rebellion took the form of Tehreek Azadi Kashmir ^[21] 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,^{[ citation needed ]} 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).^{[ citation needed ]} Azad Kashmir has been under the control Pakistan ever since.

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.^[24]

Baral Agreement

The Baral Agreement was an agreement between the Government of Pakistan and rebellious Sudhan tribes signed on 20 December 1956 following the 1955 uprising.^[25]

Politics and governance

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.^[26]

First Government of Azad Kashmir

On October 4, 1947, Azad Kashmir's First Government was established in Sudhanoti. Sudhanoti is the home and centre of the Sudhans.^[27] According to the sources, on October 4, 1947, Sudhanoti was the first area that was liberated from the continuation of the Dogra regime in the areas of the present Azad Kashmir announced.^[28] So at that time on October 4, 1947, there was no parliamentary house in Sudhanoti from where the system of government could be run, so this temporary government structure was started from Moti Mahal in Rawalpindi.^[29] After that, this rebel revolutionary government prepared a 40-room parliamentary house at Sudhanoti's Chonjal Hill within twenty days, after which on October 24, 1947, the same government was shifted from Rawalpindi Moti Mahal to Sudhanoti Chonjal Hill given.^{[ citation needed ]} According to sources, the 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 ignited the 1955 Poonch uprising.^[30]

Notable people

Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, first and longest-serving President of Azad Kashmir.
Sher Ahmed Khan, rebel leader during the First Kashmir War and former President of Azad Kashmir.
Captain Hussain Khan, rebel leader during the First Kashmir War.
Khan Muhammad Khan of Mong, rebel leader during the First Kashmir War.
Khan Muhammad Khan, politician who served as the Chairman of the War Council during the 1947 Poonch Rebellion.
Maqbool Hussain, recipient of Sitara-e-Jurat.
Mohammad Rahim Khan, former military general, diplomat, and later civil servant.
Aziz Khan, 11th Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSC) of Pakistan Armed Forces.
Masood Khan, former President of Azad Kashmir and current Pakistani ambassador to the United States.
Muhammad Anwar Khan, former military general, and later politician.
Muhammad Hayat Khan, politician and former President of Azad Kashmir
Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, politician and former President of Azad Kashmir
Salman Irshad Khan, cricketer currently playing for Peshawar Zalmi.

Bibliography

Bamzai, P. N. K. (1994), Culture and Political History of Kashmir, M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd., ISBN 978-81-85880-31-0

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References

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↑ 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.
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↑ 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.
↑ 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..
↑ Malik, Iffat (2002), "Jammu Province", Kashmir: Ethnic Conflict International Dispute, Oxford University Press, p. 62, ISBN 978-0-19-579622-3
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