Sudhun

Sudhan is a tribe settled in Poonch region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Kashmir in India. Sudhuns can be found in the Poonch area in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and in Pakistan's portion of Poonch in the areas of Kahuta, Murree, Kotli Sattian in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

Sudhans stronghold is the city of Rawalakot. The Sudhans of Bagh, Kotli and Kahuta are equally a proud lot who make their presence felt wherever they are. Outside Azad Kashmir, the largest number of Sudhans are in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Internationally Sudhuns have a large community in Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Texas,and Utah in the United States, Toronto and Calgary in Canada, London,Manchester and Birmingham in Great Britain. Sudhun settlers moved to the various cities from Poonch in search of jobs.

Theories of Origins

Major Tilla Mohammad, now deceased, a political leader in Peshawar, Pakistan wrote books on the subject of Sudhan tribe and stated that Sudhans had immigrated to Azad Kashmir from Iran and Kandahar, Afghanistan during the 14th century. Major Tilla Muhammad was himself from Rehara, Kashmir and his ancestors had immigrated to Peshawar from Kashmir. [:cite book |last= Frederic |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Jammu & Kashmir Territories |year= |publisher= |location= India |isbn= ] The Pushtoon tribe Sudozai may be the offspring of the powerful Sudhun tribe. According to Major Tilla Sudhun people from the Poonch area travelled and settled in Afghanistan over the years called themselves Suduzai (meaning children of Sudhuns). The start of the Sudozai clan is somewhere in the year 1550s. The Sudhun tribe is said to have been in the present Poonch area since the 14th century. (reference below). Suduzai clan could be the offshoot of the Sudhun tribe ,but the for a Sudhun to be the offshoot of the Suduzai tribe is not possible. (mathematical Uncertainty). Like all areas of ethnic mix, Sudhan areas also have families who have mixed in with the majority community, but retain their oral traditions pointing to indigenous Hindu roots as well as other backgrounds. Col. Dr Khalil's research study on the Sudhun tribe found out the following regarding the background of the Sudhun tribe. - Lehr Muni (ancestor of Sudhan) s/o Bawa Muna (chief of Katas Tirath) migrated from Katas to Poonch in 11th century. One of his descendants Sudh Sain/Pal is the patriarch of Sudhans. Sudhan Chander Bansi dynasty ruled from the capital of Sudhnuti.> Like many of the people of the area, Sudhans converted to Islam. Research on this subject was conducted by Col. Dr. Khalil, a Sudhan who lived in Rawalpindi. There are a lot of Hindus who are members of the Sudhan tribe, most of these live in Indian Occupied Kashmir. [:cite book |last= Din |first= Mohammad|authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The History of Poonch Tribes |year= 1932|publisher= |location= India |isbn= ] [Tribes & Castes of Punjab & North West Frontier Province by Ebbetson.] - According to Dr. Khalil Sudhans were converted to Islam by Auranzeb.
Sudhans are Mohyals

There are few Sudhans who have adopted the name Sadozai, this started after the publication of the articles by Tila Muhammad. Sadozai last name should only be adopted my people who belong to the Sadozai tribe of Kandahar, DI Khan , or the peshawar region. For a Sudhun to have Sodozai attached to their last name is like a father having his sons first name as his last name.

Jewish Origin

Certain Sudhan oral traditions point to a Jewish origin. It is noteworthy that most sudhans are physically not similar to South Asians, but rather people from the Mediterranean region. The Kashmiri origin from the Jewish dispora is yet to be asserted or negated.

DNA Research

A research project comprising DNA lineage study has been commenced to determine the ancestry of the Sudhans.

Education

Sudhuns are a tightly knit community. Female education is highly prized in Sudhan areas.

Dr. Rehana Kausar MD

Dr. Rehana Kausar MD, was the first woman doctor from the Sudhan tribe. She graduated in 1975 and is a practicing Anesthesiologist in the State of Texas, USA. She was the past President of the Islamic Medical Association of North America [http://www.imana.org/mc/page.do Imana] . She is active in community affairs. She hails from Rawalakot.

Maqbool Hamidullah Khan

The first Sudhan woman, Maqbool Hamidullah Khan, to receive a Masters Degree in English from Punjab University in 1962. She retired as a professor of English from Government College for Women in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Both of her sons are Physicians in the United States.

Her recently published auto biography "Budhi Budhay say Shakespeare Tak Ek Safar(Published by Dharty Publication Rawalakot) captures the struggle of a woman for higher education. Her brother Dr. Yunus Khan is an eminent eye surgeon in Wales, the United Kingdom and has trained many eye surgeons now holding positions of high rank in the Pakistan Army.

Nasreen Tassadaq Khan

Nasreen was the first Sudhan woman to win a gold medal in the Masters of English from Punjab University. Thereby starting a flood gate of men and women of the Sudhun tribe who won medals and scholarships in the fields of study.

Nasreen's older sister was the first women from Azad Kashmir to be a news caster on Pakistan Television during the 1970s. She hosted the daily evening news in English.

Language

The Sudhun mother tongue is the Pahari language . Sudhuns generally learn and speak the language of the area of settlement but take pride in speaking it. A common joke being that when a Sudhun is in a good mood he speaks pahari and when his temper is on the rise he usually starts with Urdu and when he is on the warpath he speaks English. Sudhans living in Karachi and other elite classes have become accustomed to using English and Urdu.

Sudhans in Army

Due to a lack of resources, Sudhans joined the British Indian Army. Sudhans fought in the First and Second World Wars. Some Sudhans fought against the British Occupation of India with the Indian National Army.

Pakistan Army

The sudhans have risen to very high ranks in the Pakistan Armed Forces. Sudhans won a many gallantry awards in 1948, 1965 and 1971 wars fought by Pakistan Army. One prominent being Colonel Hidayat Khan from Balouch. He fought the freedom war against Dogra rule.

Religion

Sudhans or Sudan are found among Muslim , Hindu and Sikhs .

Sudhuns are Sunni Muslims of the Hannafi branch of Islam. With mushrooming of religious madrassas all sects of sunni islam have crept into the sudhan belt There is lately, Wahabi influence, that has crept into Sudhans. Traditionally they believed in and revered saints/holy men and visited holy places with enthusiasm.

Employment

Poonch District Area (850 km²) [1000persons/km²] .

Area of Sudhnuti is 550 square kilometers.

Current population figures are approximately half a million sudhan tribe

Having a few natural resources resulted in Sudhuns joining the military, initially joining the British Indian Army during the First World War and later during the Second World War.

During the Second World War Sudhans fought in Burma, North Africa and participated in the liberation of Europe. Some Sudhans who participated in the War are receiving war compensation from the Government of Japan.

Greatest resources of the Sudhans being their intellect. Sudhans are well represented in the military, government and business.

Notable Tribal Members

Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan Founder and First President of Azad Kashmir.

Major General (Retd.) Muhammad Hayyat Khan former President of Azad Kashmir.

Maj Gen (Retd) Sardar Muhammad Anwar Khan former President of Azad Kashmir.

General (Retd) Muhammad Aziz Khan former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Pakistan Army. He was instrumental in the coup that brought dictatorship and led to the appointment of Pervez Musharaff as President of Pakistan.

General (Retd) M. Rahim Khan, the former Division Commander Pakistan Army in East Pakistan, Chairman Pakistan International Airlines, former Chairman Pakistan Chrome Mines Ltd and Secretary General Ministry of Defense.

Justice Sardar Mohammed Nawaz Khan, Chief Justice of High Court of Azad Kashmir.

M. Rashid Khan Former Chairman Pakistan Banking Council.

Lt. Col. Tassadaq Hussain Khan former Chief of the Military of the Sultanate of Oman

Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan of Mong conquered Mirpur with handful of men.

Ambassador Masood Khan, the former spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Government of Pakistan and current Ambassador of Pakistan to Peoples Republic of China.

Tasneem Aslam, Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy and former Spokesperson and Director General(UN), Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [ [http://www.mofa.gov.pk/Pages/Divisions.htm#7 Ministry of Foreign Affairs ] ]

Sabir Hussain Sabir International Award winning Author,English/urdu poet and writer.

Earthquake of 2005

The city of Rawalakot, the capital of the Sudhan tribe, suffered significant damage from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake; although most of the buildings were left standing, many of them were rendered uninhabitable, and some of the population was left homeless. Most of the buildings have been reconstructed, though without the help of the Governments of Pakistan or Azad Kashmir.

In District Rawalakot the Press for Peace team in the supervision of divisional coordinator, Sardar Abid Siddique started its rescue and relief work soon after the disaster.

Dr. Rehana Kausar, a medical doctor from Fort Worth, Texas, USA was instrumental in providing surgicl equipment to Civil Military Hospital, located in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir. Doctors at Rawalakot hospital did a remarkable job of relief service to injured and sick victims of the earthquake.

Cuba along with other countries Czech Republic and Jordan provided medical assistance to the population of Rawalakot for which the populace is forever grateful.

ee also

*Punjabi Brahmins
*Mohyal

References

Under the main heading of Brahmans or Khatris, Sudhan is shown as one of the 12 communities in Hazara during the Vedic age. Sodhan is described as a Rajput tribe. Sud race is settled in East Punjab. The history of POONCH tribes written by Mohammad din fok:

Reigning Family of Lahore by Carmichael Smyth.

Sud were originally called suwdik, one of the nomadic tribes who settled in Iran in 900 BC. The name changed to Sogdian-Sulik-Sud due to dialects of Chines, Sogdian & Punjabi writers. Sudrakas (sud race in South Punjab) fought battle with Alexander the Great and gave Alexander a tough time in Sogdian (Summarkand).

Political & Social Movements in Ancient Punjab by Buddha Prakash

Sogdiana (Summarkand & Bokara) and Sogdae (Thar), Sogda (Rohri). The resemblance of names of the places shows that the Sogdian people lived in Sind.

Alexander the Great by Hammond

Sogdiana was Iranian province. Iranian tribes were present in Punjab & Summerkand.

Alexander the Great by Robin Lane

Darius conquered Sogdiana (521 BC), Punjab & Sind (512 BC)

KASHMIR SAGA BY SARDAR MOHAMMAD IBRAHIM KHAN, FIRST PRESIDENT OF AJK

History of Persia by Percy Sykes.

Chibhal. An important and high caste is Sudhan

Jammu & Kashmir. Territories by Frederic

Migrated from Ghazni to the present location in 14th century.

The Sudhan Revolt (The News 19 October 1997.) By Sardar M. Saleem Khan.

Sudhan, and important and high caste of Chihalis-Rajputs (Aryans).

Gazetteer of Kashmir & Ladakh (1890)

Lehr Muni (ancestor of Sudhan) s/o Bawa Muna (chief of Katas Tirath) migrated from Katas to Poonch in 11th century. One of his descendants Sudh Sain/Pal is the patriarch of Sudhan. Sudhan Chander Bansi dynasty ruled from the capital of Sudhnuti. Sudhan are Muslims as well as Hindus

Rajgan J&K and Rajputan Punjab by Tahakar Kahan Singh.

Mohammedan Rajas of Poonch loosely resemble Khakhas.

Ancient Geography of Kashmir by Cunnigham.

Sulikas were present in North & Northwest of India in Vedic age.

Alberunis' India by Sachu.

History of Sudhuns. by:

Colonel Retired Dr. Muhammad Khalil 10-C St 1, New Lalazar Rawalpindi Cantt. Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Modern academic studies that mention the Sudhans include Alexander Evans's 2005 article in Asian Affairs: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/raaf/2005/00000036/00000001/art00003

Typical Sudhan Members around the world

External links

* [http://www.sudhun.com/ Sudhun]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjGijuJD13g Rawalakot video 1]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhmEFN5xI9M Rawalakot video 2]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__kqMncPkbI Rawalakot video 3]
* [http://www.rawalakot.org Azad Jammu & Kashmir rawalakot]
* [http://www.ajk.gov.pk Official website of the Government of Azad Kashmir]
* [http://www.tourism.gov.pk/d_kashmir.html Official Azad Kashmir tourism site]
* [http://www.rawalakot.com Rawalakot]
* [http://www.saag.org/papers3/paper286.html]
* [http://www.zafarpoetry.blogspot.com link title]