Kathwal of Birote

The Kathwals of Birote are an ancient tribe who were once feudal lords of Murree Hills and Circle Bakote that dominated in the area for two and a half millennia. Originally Kehan, a province of ancient Persia, they went on to occupy the route of ancient Taxila Kingdom during Greece dynasty and into the Sub-Continent. They are believed to descendants of Barhama a Hindu Rajput Raja. They embraced Islam in 1402, when great the Sufi from Kashmir Syed Ali Hamdan arrived in the Murree Hills and preached Islamic teachings.
* Mian Qadir Bakhsh son of Raja Chandu of Murree Hills was the first Muslim of Kathwal tribe who embraced Islam in 1402 at Patan of Kohala.
* The word KATHWAL derived from the name of a tribe chief "MIAN KATHO KHAN". He was born in 1560 and ruled over area till half century.
* Kathwal families were intermarried in the age of 15 to 18 till 1950.
* There are many sub-tribes of Kathwal as Badwal, Jogeal and Janjual.
* All Kathwal living in UC Birote belonged to Jogi Khan, Jhandu Khan, Acha Khan and Sharbat Khan. Current Kathwals are the 22nd offspring of "MIAN KATHO KHAN".
* Mohammed Hafeez is a very atheistic and active political worker of Pakistan People Party Hazara Division since 1971.

References

* Abbottabad District authorities attested family tree of tribe.
* Tareekh-e-Kotlisattean (History of Kotli Sattian) by Sabir Satti.
* Satti Samaj (Satti society) by Sabir Satti.