Pashtuns of Kashmir

Pathans of Kashmir

Regions with significant populations
Azad Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir
Languages
Kashmiri • Urdu • Pahari
Religion
Islam

Pathans of Kashmir (also called Kashmiri Pathans) include Pashtun or Afghan people, who have settled in the Pakistani admistered Azad Kashmir and Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. These Pathan communities claim Pashtun ancestry through their forefathers who migrated to the Kashmir region. Many of these Pathans in Jammu and Kashmir have over time absorbed Kashmiriyat and use Kashmiri language as their first language. In Azad Kashmir, the local Pahari langauge has also been adopted by these Pathans but Pashtuns traditions are still practied by community.

Jammu and Kashmir

In Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, there are a large number of people who claim Pashtun ancestry and moved to Kashmir region,and few of these families traced their origins to Yusufzai and Achakzai tribes of Pashtun.

Afghan President , Najibullah Ahmadzai has himself studied at St. Joseph's School (Baramulla).

Azad Kashmir

In Pakistani administered Azad Kashmir, there are only few Afghan tribes are living in Rawalakot and other areas of Azad Kashmir, which include Lodi, Yousafzai Durrani, Tareen, and Afridi. They speak local Pahari language. A major tribe from Poonch and Sudhanoti districts, known as Sudhan, also traced its origin to Sadozai tribe of Afghanistan. According to last census approximate population of Sadozais in AJK is are one and half million. Sadozai tribe has a strong hold in Rawalakot city in Azad Kashmir.

Lodis

Majority of Barmang Khurd near Khai Gala town of Rawalakot in Poonch district, Azad Kashmir belong to Lodi tribe, who settled there some centruries ago. Musa Khan Lodi Public School in Khai Gala was named after Musa Khan Lodi of Barmang Gurd. Lodi is belevied to be largest local Pathan tribe.

Yousafzais and Afridis

There are many Yousafzai and Afridis families living several areas of Azad Kashmir, these Pathans belvied to be landed in 19 century.

Durranis

There are many families of Durrani people setteld in Rawalakot, Bagh, Mirpur and other areas of Azad Kashmir

Sudhans

Sudhan is an martial tribe from Sudhanoti, Poonch, Bagh, Kotli districts of Azad Kashmir. The tribe is known for his bravery and greatest share in the subsequent fighting and sacrifices for Kashmir’s history. The tribe has Afghan ancestry and Sudhans have Pashtun decent, moved to Kashmir region. They are traditionally descendants of Jassi Khan, an Afghan warrior who invaded Kashmir some centuries ago. Sudhan is a tribe of professional fighters and soldiers. They are a brave and self respecting people. They can be easily made to resort to Arms for a cause. They, some time, differ with one another, in ordinary life, but just as much easily and quickly get together in times of crises. In social life they follow time old customs and traditions, which may not be easily acceptable to a modern man but these traditions have a good basis and a good background. Though conservative in their thinking, basically they are a religious people, God fearing and believing tenaciously in God and His existence. Sudhans possess a good physical appearance and some of them could be classed as one of the most handsome of human race.

It is said that some 500 years or so ago Pashtun ancestors of Sudhans 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 called. Jassi Khan, an Afghan warrior, first attacked Kotli, in the Murree hills with his powerfull Pashtun army men. Another tribe held the opposite bank of the Jhelum and was tyrannised over the locals of that area, the locals called in the Jassi Khan, Sudhans to their aid. The Sudhans having defeated the tribe, seized their country and named it Sudhanoti, it was at this time that they took the title of Sudhan, The Sudhan which originates fron Sanskirt langauge, meaning "just and fair" this name was an honorary name given to their Afghan ancestors; Nawab Jassi Khan and his battlelion. which they had earned as a compliment to their valour from the locals. In this period, they multiplied quickly and emerged into a strong and powerful tribe. Shrine of Jassi Khan can be found at Jessa Peer, near Mang and Sudhan betka organized by Jassi Khan can be found at Holar in Kotli.

According to most Sudhans, they are the same as Sadozai of Afghanistan and they say that Jassi Khan was descendent of Sado Khan. It is also well established and accepted by all authors, that in social habits and customs they are certainly akin to Sadozai of Afghanistan. Among Afghans, Sadozai are a very respected clan with long good history behind them.Sadozai tribe is said to be the progeny of Abdali (Bor Tarin), whose lineage can be traced directly to Qais Abdur Rashid, The Sadozai trace their line back to an actual historical figure, Sado Khan who was made chief of the some 12,000 Bor Tarin families living about Afghanistan. The Sadozai are one of the most important groups in Afghan political history and have produced many of the country's rulers. Sadozai also ruled Afghanistan and Kashmir in 1747 to 1772. Famous King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali also belonged to Sadozai tribe.While some Sudhans, say that they are from different Pashtuns tribes of Afghanistan and Jassi Khan belonged to Utmanzai tribe of Afghans.

Sudhans had never reconciled the Dogra and Sikh rule on their homeland because of their Pashtun decent and traditional links with people of eastern Afghanistan.

Sikhs and Dogras had to fight the Sudhans in wars spread Over a fairly long time. Sudhans resisted the Sikhs and Dogra, till powerful armies of Sikhs and Dogras subjugated them and committed unheard of atrocities on them. But they have survived as a tribe to the present day. This happened between 1830-1840, much before the Treaty of Amritsar, which was concluded in 1846.

When Sudhans were defeated, in 1837, the Dogras imprisoned as many as five thousand women and children and as many men were ruthlessly beheaded. Their heads were presented to the Dogras barbaric forces against five rupees per head. This cutting of heads and their sale continued for a period of two months or so. In order to suppress these people for ever, the Dogra forces flayed alive their leaders. As many as twenty people were flayed alive. They were refused even a drop of water. Their bodies were hanged from trees. Some of these trees are still there to bear witness to these ghastly events. As far as one can see and judge world history, such atrocious events could not be easily found in the history of any Land.

In 1837, tribal chief of Sudhan tribe, Shams Khan started a war against the Dogras in the hill region of Poonch and there were bloody rebbelions between Sudhan tribesmen and Dogra army in the 18th century. Because of the independent identity of their homeland as a princely state, formidable mountain barriers, and districts ethnic characteristics, there interaction between the inhabitants of Poonch and those of the adjoining areas of the State; their traditional links were with the North-West Frontier Province and eastern Afghanistan. Shams Khan, who was chief of Sudhan tribe, Shams Khan had rose a war against Dogra, Gulab Singh’s forces, Sudhan tribemen braverly defeated the Dogras and libearted their areas from Dogra, but Sikh empire attacked Sudhan tribemens from Kahuta, Punjab gave currency to a rumour that both of them had been killed in a battle. Sabz Ali Khan and Malli Khan along many other Sudhan leaders of the revolt, who were captured and flayed alive at Mang.

18th century to 19th century, Poonch was one of the major recruiting grounds for the British Army, beacuse Sudhan people would always think of themselves as fightersa and there were no economic opportunities and inadequate landholdings in this area. So, most of them fought alongside the British, unlike other Kashmiri Muslims, who had enough land to till and were involved in economic activities. Sudhan had military and combat skills. This brings us to the last great war and Sudhans history.

This war gave Sudhans a great chance to fight on all fronts of the war. They fought in North Africa and Europe all over. Against the Japanese, they fought in Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia and other fronts. After Sudhans came back from war fronts, Indo-I’akistan continent was witnessing a unique political struggle and was on the verge of independence. This struggle for independence affected every big or small town. A new age was emerging with a brilliance never witnessed for ages before. Sudhans were thus affected by the magnificent struggle for freedom. Dogra rule seemed miserably crumbling along with the British Raj, where the sun never set for two hundred years or so. Filled with a spirit of new urge to be free, the Sudhans, like all Kashmiri patriots, were ready to do their part in freedom struggle. In fact they were the first to challenge the Maharaja and his armies all over the state.

In 1947, Dogra rulers were once again threatened by Sardar Ibrahim Khan, 32 year old Sudhan from Rawalakot, who organized army of 60.000 ex-serviesmen from Sudhan tribe to fight the Dogra, there were 60,000 Sudhans who had served in the British Army. Poonch was one of the major recruiting grounds for the British. These Sudhan people own Pathan origin and would always think of themselves as fighters. There were no economic opportunities and inadequate landholdings in this area. So, most of them fought alongside the British, unlike Kashmiri Muslims, who had enough land to till and were involved in economic activities. Sudhan had military and combat skills. In 1947 toegether with Pakistani Pathan (Pashtun) tribemen, it was Sudhans who libarated ‘Azad Kashmir’.

See also

• Afghans in India
• Pathans of Bihar
• Pathans of Madhya Pradesh
• Pathans of Punjab
• Pathans of Uttar Pradesh
• Pashtun People

References

• [1]
• Pathans in Kashmir Preserve Identity