Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Sudhan" in English language version.
Sudhans possess a good physical appearance and some of them could be classed as one of the most handsome of human race. They claim their origin from Afghanistan. They came from Afghanistan via Dera Ismail Khan, in NWFP Pakistan, and are the same as Sudhazais of Afghanistan. It is well established and accepted by all authors, that in social habits and customs they are certainly akin to Sudhazais of Afghanistan. Among Afghans, Sudhazai are a very respected clan with long good history behind them.
According to them they first settled near Kotli, in the Murree hills (not the place of the same name in Jammu territory), which was at that time occupied by Brahmans. A tribe known as the Bagar held the opposite bank of the Jhelum and tyrannised over the Brahmans, who called in the Sudhans to their aid. The Sudhans having defeated the Bagars, seized their country and named it Sudhanoti, it was at this time that they took the name of Sudhan, which they had earned as a compliment to their valour from the Brahmans.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)With this assurance, Nawab Jassi Khan Sadozai recruited more Pakhtuns into his army, took command of both the Afghan and Brahmin forces, and launched an attack on Bhan. Within a few weeks, the Bhagri Rajputs were defeated, and the Brahmins crowned Nawab Jassi Khan Sadozai as the ruler of Bhan. On this occasion, the Brahmins' religious leader, Guru Vishnudas, conferred upon him the title of "Sudhan,' meaning brave and just. Henceforth, Nawab Jassi Khan renamed the region from Bhan to Sudhnoti, meaning the place or homeland of the Sudhan.
One of the head-men of the Sudhun tribe when it submitted to the Dogras, was Shumass Khan.
Shamash one of the head-men of the Sudhun tribe when it submitted to the Dogras.
Their rule lasted till 1819 when the State was conquered by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The Sikh army which is estimated at thirty thousand entered Srinagar on the 4th of July, 1819.
Although Sikhs were able, to a large extent, to subdue Muslims of Kashmir valley, they did not succeed in fully subjugating the people living in hilly areas, particularly those in Poonch and Muzaffarabad. Soon after the capture of Srinagar, they marched upon Muzaffarabad. Among other tribes inhabiting the district, the most important were the Rajput tribes known as 'Khakha' and Bamba.
About the year 1832, Gulab Singh, who had already acquired the Chakla of Jammu as Jagir from Maharaja Ranjit Singh, made many attempts at the conquest of the district of Poonch, which was inhabited by martial tribes like the 'Sudhans'.
Gulab Singh prevailed upon Ranjit Singh, mainly through the influence of his brothers Dhian Singh and Suchet Singh, to attack Poonch. Consequently, Ranjit Singh marched at the head of a force as large as sixty thousand equipped with a hundred and fifty pieces of ordinances which boomed day and night in the hills surrounding the territory. Instead of putting up a fight, the local leadership thought it advisable to make peace and accept the Maharaja's sovereignty in order to save their territory from the destruction that such a huge army with its artillery could have inflicted. Shamas Khan, the outstanding local leader, was taken a hostage and entrusted to the care of Dhian Singh.
During our interview, the Maharaja volunteered an explanation of the grounds on which he had obtained the character of a cruel tyrant, saying that in the Suodan country, the people had not only put his garrisons to the sword but cut up many of the soldiers piece-meal and thrown their corpses to the dogs, that in punishment for such atrocities and prevention of them for the future, he had flayed three ring-leaders. He then said that he would request for the services of... ((I Vigne, p. 241. 2 Maulvl Mlr Alam p. 97)) an advisor, after arriving in Kashmir by whose counsel he would abide his conduct."
There is a strong Pathan influence in Poonch, and the major martial group, the Sudhans, claims an Afghan ancestry.
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..
Sudhan/Sudhozai – one of the main tribes of (southern) Poonch, allegedly originating from Pashtun areas.
The district is the home of the proud "Suddhan", the tribe which was the first to take up arms against the Dogra tyranny, and does rightfully claim the greatest share in the sub-sequent fighting and sacrifices. They claim to be Saddozai Pathans, much to the amuse-ment of the other tribes.
Sudhan Pathan tribe had seen action in WW1 and WW2