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Shams-Ud-Din Khan
Born	Dhaman, Baloch, Sudhanoti (state)
Died	Baloch tehsil, Sudhanoti (state)
Nationality	Sudhanoti (state)
Occupation	Grovernor of Sudhanoti (state)
Known for	1837 Poonch Revolt
Title	Ruler
Family	Sudhan

Shams-Ud-Din Khan was governor of Poonch and chief of the Sudhan clan, at the time the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Gulab Singh. He was an influential zamindar of Poonch District, Pakistan, headman of the Sudhans and the leader of the 1837 Poonch Revolt. After the previous successful conquest of Poonch, the local tribes of the region, including the Sudhans, had been pacified. From the Sudhans, Shams-Ud-Din Khan was taken as a hostage and taken into the care of Dhian Singh, who began to grow a liking for him.

Historical Background Sikh-Sudhnoti War

The state of Sudhanoti was divided among fifteen mountain chieftains, all of whom were under the command of Sardar Shams-Ud-Din Khan, the ruler of central Sudhnoti. Due to this geographical division, many historians have referred to Sudhnoti as the “land of the mountain chieftains.’ The First Sikh-Sudhnoti War at Plangi was fought in the border areas of lower and upper Poonch, which lay to the northeast and southeast of this mountainous region.The origins of this war trace back to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's invasion of Kashmir. In mid-June 1814, when Ranjit Singh's forces reached Rajouri via Bhimber on their way to capture Kashmir, the ruler of Rajouri, Raja Agar Khan, surrendered without resistance.Once in Rajouri, Ranjit Singh divided his army into two parts. He assigned command of one part to Ram Dayal, Dal Singh, and Namdar Thakur, instructing them to capture the areas from Rajouri to Baramulla and from Baramulla to Shopian. Ranjit Singh himself led the other part of the army, aiming to conquer Poonch city, the adjacent upper areas, and the territories of the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti. He planned to reunite his forces in Shopian, where the military camp of Muhammad Azim Khan was located, after subjugating these regions. At that time, the state of Poonch was divided among three rulers. Raja Sherbaz Khan of the Rathore clan ruled one part, Raja Ruhullah controlled the central Poonch fort, and a few independent tribes had gained autonomy over a small area of 300 square miles. To the west of Poonch lay the mountainous state of Sudhnoti, where fifteen mountain chieftains were under the command of Sardar Shams Khan, the ruler of Sudhnoti. When Ranjit Singh attacked Poonch with the intention of conquering all these areas, Raja Sherbaz Khan, without offering any resistance, peacefully annexed his territory to Ranjit Singh's empire.Following this, Ranjit Singh laid siege to the central Poonch fort, which was under the control of Raja Ruhullah. However, during the siege, heavy rains began, rendering many of Ranjit Singh's cannons and guns unusable. Meanwhile, Raja Ruhullah's forces launched intense bombardment from the fort, forcing Ranjit Singh to retreat from central Poonch temporarily.As Ranjit Singh's forces withdrew and reached the Plangi area on the Sudhnoti border, they encountered the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti, led by Sardar Shams Khan himself. A fierce battle ensued between the forces of Sudhnoti and Ranjit Singh. Due to the earlier rains, many of Ranjit Singh's cannons and guns were already damaged, and they could not withstand the sudden and powerful assault by the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti. According to Sardar Suba Khan, the author of Maakhaz-e- Sudhnoti, the First Sikh- Sudhnoti War at Plangi lasted only four hours.In this brief battle, the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti killed eight hundred of Ranjit Singh's soldiers and three hundred mules. The relentless attack by the mountain chieftains left Ranjit Singh's already exhausted army no time to regroup, and within four hours, Ranjit Singh's morale collapsed.Ultimately, Ranjit Singh was forced to flee towards Rajouri, abandoning two of his mountain cannons and twenty-two sacks of grain on the battlefield at Plangi. After collecting the spoils of war, the mountain chieftains, under the command of Sardar Shams-Ud-Din Khan, returned to the borders of Sudhnoti and awaited another attack from Ranjit Singh for twenty days. However, due to the significant loss of life and resources in this battle at the borders of central Poonch and Sudhnoti, Ranjit Singh refrained from even looking towards Kashmir for the next four and a half years, from mid-1814 to 1819.

Sikh-Sudhan Peace Treaty

Following the First Sikh-Sudhnoti War at Plangi in mid-1814, Ranjit Singh spent the next four and a half years gathering his full strength. In 1819, he eventually conquered Kashmir in the Battle of Shopian. After securing Kashmir, Ranjit Singh turned his attention towards Poonch, where Raja Sherbaz Khan was still the ruler. As he had done in mid-1814, Raja Sherbaz Khan once again declared his allegiance to the Sikh Empire without offering any resistance, and he had also taken control of central Poonch following the death of Raja Ruhullah.This time, Ranjit Singh annexed Poonch with- out any battle. Afterward, instead of launching any attacks on the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti or the independent tribes that had gained freedom from the 300-square-mile state of Poonch, Ranjit Singh focused on consolidat- ing his control over Jammu, Kashmir, and Poonch. Consequently, the Sikh Empire swiftly established its complete dominance over Kashmir, Jammu, and Poonch.Following this, the Sikh Empire granted a jagir (land grant) in Jammu to Gulab Singh's father which after his death, passed on to Gulab Singh. Shortly thereafter, Ranjit Singh also granted the Poonch jagir to Raja Dhian Singh, who was the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire and Gulab Singh's brother. According to Maakhaz-s-Sudhnoti by Sardar Suba Khan, during the coronation ceremony of the Poonch jagir held at the Sikh Empire's court in Lahore, Prime Minister Dhian Singh pleaded with Maharaja Ranjit Singh, saying:"Maharaja, | am ready to sacrifice my parents for you. If you command, the remaining areas of the 1600-square-mile Poonch region, which Emperor Akbar had officially granted to Raja Sirajuddin with his signature and seal in 1596, and which later fell under Afghan control but is now under the control of Maharaja Bahadur Ranjit Singh, could also be brought under the control of this great Sikh Empire." Sardar Suba Khan notes that Dhian Singh made this statement during the coronation of the Poonch jagir because, prior to this, Ranjit Singh had granted Gulab Singh the jagir of Jammu without any official documentation, only through a public declaration. However, Dhian Singh needed official documents from the Sikh Empire for these jagirs. Since only 300 square miles of the 1600-square-mile Poonch region were under the control of independent tribes, and the remaining 1300 square miles were already under the control of the Sikh Empire, Dhian Singh had no concern about the 300-square-mile area of Poonch. Instead, he strategically made this statement at the right time to achieve his objectives, and his request hit the mark.During the same ceremony, Ranjit Singh announced that the remaining areas of Poonch would also be conquered, and the necessary documents for the related jagir would be secured. Consequently, Ranjit Singh signed and sealed the documents for the Poonch and J astrota jagirs and granted them to Raja Dhian Singh.This Poonch jagir, which the Mughals had officially demarcated as a 1600-square-mile region and granted to their newly converted Muslim soldier Raja Sirajuddin in 1596, had remained under Afghan control from 1752 to 1819. The Afghans also kept it under the same family's administration. After the Sikh Empire established its control over the region in 1819, it formally granted the 1600-square-mile Poonch jagir to Prime Minister Raja Dhian Singh in 1827.This 1600-square-mile jagir of Poonch included areas that are now part of both Azad Kashmir and the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, specifically:

- Tehsil Haveli

- Tehsil Mandi

- Tehsil Mendhar

- Tehsil Surankot

- Tehsil Mankot

These areas, which currently constitute the Poonch district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, cover a total area of 1,674 square kilometers (646 square miles). This 646-square-mile region is part of the former 1600-square-mile Poonch state, now known asthe Poonch district of Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir.In 1972, based on administrative divisions, the government of Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir incorporated certain areas of the former 1600-square-mile Poonch state into Rajouri district. These included the 100-square-mile border regions of Mendhar, Surankot, and Balakot, which were previously part of Poonch. Asa result, out of 1600 square miles, 746 square miles of the former Poonch state are now part of Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir.In Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, several areas also belong to the former Poonch state including:

-District Bagh: Out of the total area of 770 square kilometers (300 square miles), 275 square miles were part of the former Poonch state.

-District Poonch: Out of the total area of 855 square kilometers (330 square miles), the 126-square-mile region of Tehsil Abbaspur was part of the former Poonch state.

-District Haveli: The entire area of 231 Square miles Is also part of the former Poonch state.

-District Kotli: Out of the total area of 1,862 square kilometers (719 square miles), 102 square miles, including Tehsil Nakiyal and Fatehpur Thakiala, were part of the former Poonch state. District Hattian: Out of the total area of 854 square kilometers (330 square miles), 120 Square miles, including Tehsil Chikar Gari Dupatta, was part of the former Poonch state. Thus, the former Poonch state, established with these boundaries in 1596 and later granted as a jagir to Prime Minister Raja Dhian Singh by the Sikh Empire in 1827, still encompasses 854 square miles of what is now part of Azad Kashmir, including District Kotli, District Bagh, District Poonch, District Haveli, and District Hattian. These areas have been part of the 1600-square-mile Poonch state since 1596. On 10th January 1827, Ranjit Singh formally granted the 1600-square-mile Poonch jagir to Dhian Singh. During the coronation of this jagir, Dhian Singh requested Ranjit Singh's permission to subdue the independent tribes occupying the remaining 300 square miles of the Poonch state and the 550-square-mile area of Sudhnoti ruled by the mountain chieftains. This led to the decision to bring these areas under the control of the Sikh Empire, which ultimately resulted in the Sikh-Sudhnoti Peace Treaty. Sardar Suba Khan, the author of Maakhaz-eSudhnoti, writes that after 10th January 1827, Ranjit Singh personally led an army of 60,000 troops and camped at RawalpindiKahuta, known as the gateway to Sudhnoti on 24th February 1827. Here, Ranjit Singh assessed the strength of the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti, as he had previously been defeated by them at the Sudhnoti border in mid-1814. This _ time, employing a more strategic approach, he halted at Kahuta and launched a _ heavy bombardment with 150 cannons on the areas under Sudhnoti's control. The sheer size of the army and _ its artillery and modern weaponry instilled fear and panic among the mountain chieftains and the other independent tribes of Poonch. According to Sardar Suba Khan, the author of "Maakhaz-e-Sudhnoti, following the over-whelming display of force by Ranjit Singh at Kahuta, the tribes of Poonch that had earlier rebelled against the Poonch State and established their own independent rule over a 300-square-mile area came forward on 25th February 1827 and declared their allegiance to Ranjit Singh. In response, Ranjit Singh reincorporated this 300Square-mile territory back into the State of Poonch, keeping it within Dhian Singh's jagir. At that time, the remaining 550 square miles of the Sudhnoti region were still outside the control of the Sikh Empire. This area was governed by fifteen small independent mountain chieftains of the Sadozai Sudhan tribe, led by Sardar Shams Khan. Upon learning of Ranjit Singh's encampment at Kahuta, Sardar Shams Khan convened a Loya jirga of these chieftains at Qila Mang to discuss whether to engage in battle or submit to the Sikh Empire. They realized that the total military strength of the Sudhnoti chieftains was only around 4,500 soldiers, with the remainder being peasant fighters who lacked even their own ride. Given the circumstances, the chieftains decided that if a peace agreement could be reached with the Sikh Empire, it would be acceptable; otherwise, they would rely on divine intervention and fight in the name of God, regardless of the outcome. Following this unanimous decision, Sardar Shams Khan sent his envoy to Ranjit Singh's Muslim diplomat and Foreign Minister, Fagir Azizuddin, offering to bring Sudhnoti under the control of the Sikh Empire through a peace agreement. It is important to note that in ancient times, peace agreements were a recognized legal practice in the Indian subcontinent. Whenever a state accepted the authority of an empire without engaging in battle, it was required to pay lower taxes compared to states conquered through force, and the local rulers were allowed to retain their positions of power. When Fagir Azizuddin presented the Sudhnoti chieftains' request for a peace agreement to Ranjit Singh, he gladly accepted it. The peace treaty between the Sudhnoti chieftains and Ranjit Singh was subsequently formalized at the location known as Holar, which Is also referred to as Bab-e-Sudhnoti in present-day Azad Kashmir. The main article of the treaty stated:

1. Leadership and Representation: Sardar Shams Khan would retain his position as the head of the fifteen mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti and be given official representation in the Sikh Empire's Lahore court. Sardar Shams Khan, along with his entire family of seventy members, would reside in Lahore and manage the affairs of Sudhnoti from there, including the collection of taxes. He would only be allowed to visit Sudhnoti after earning the full trust of the Sikh Empire, but he could inform the Lahore court and travel there with his seventy family members whenever necessary.

As per this agreement, Sardar Shams Khan, along with his seventy family members, was required to relocate from Qila Mang to the Lahore court of the Sikh Empire. Following the agreement, Ranjit Singh appointed Fagir Azizuddin as the head of a delegation, which included Dhian Singh, Sardar Shams Khan, the fifteen Sudhnoti chieftains, and ten other ministers and advisors of the Sikh Empire. The delegation was tasked with determining a tax amount for Sudhnoti based on population. According to Sardar Suba Khan, the delegation set an annual tax of 10,600 rupees, which Sardar Shams Khan was to collect from the fifteen entities of Sudhnoti.

The internal autonomy of Sudhnoti was preserved under the agreement, including control over the forts, judiciary, policing, and the collection of taxes. After these arrangements were finalized with Sardar Shams Khan, the Sikh Empire instructed him to deliver the collected taxes from Sudhnoti to the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire, Raja Dhian Singh, in Lahore. Sardar Shams Khan diligently fulfilled his duties under the peace agreement from 28th February 1827 to 5th April 1832.

The Intergration of Sudhnoti into Poonch jagir

The context of the Sikh-Sudhnoti Peace Agreement, it is stated that on 28th February 1827, the State of Sudhanoti (state) accepted the authority of the Sikh Empire through a peace treaty. Under this treaty, Sardar Shams Khan was required to pay an annual tax of 10,600 rupees from Sudhnoti to the Sikh Empire. Sardar Shams Khan diligently fulfilled his responsibilities in the Sikh Empire's Lahore court from 28 February 1827 to 5 April 1832. His honesty and high character impressed the Sikh Empire's Prime Minister, Raja Dhian Singh. Meanwhile, the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti were also pleased with Sardar Shams Khan's leadership.However, during the thirteen years from 1819 to 1832, significant changes took place within the Sikh Empire. The Dogra brothers, Gulab Singh and Mian Dhian Singh, gained considerable power during this _ period, enabling them to manipulate the Sikh court for their own interests. The Dogra brothers devised a plan to incorporate the State of Sudhnoti, which had been under direct control of the Sikh Empire since 1827, into their jagirs by first eliminating Sardar Shams Khan. They began by feeding Maharaja Ranjit Singh false reports of rebellion in Sudhnoti, attribut-ing the unrest to Sardar Shams Khan's incom-petence. Without informing Sardar Shams Khan, they began constructing military posts in Sudhnoti in early March 1832, which was a direct violation of Sudhnoti's internal autonomy and when Gulab Singh and Dhian Singh, started building military posts in Sudhnoti, the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti halted the construction. This led to a skirmish between the Sudhozai chieftains of Sudhnoti and the Sikh army, resulting in the death of twenty Sikh soldiers, while the remaining Sikh forces retreated towards Poonch.After the incident, messengers from the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti traveled to Lahore to inform Sardar Shams Khan about the construction of the military posts and the ensuing conflict. Sardar Shams Khan sent a message back to the chieftains, instructing them not to take any further action without consulting him, assuring them that he would address the issue at the Lahore court. He expressed confidence that no military posts would be built in Sudhnoti and emphasized the importance of not taking any action without his approval. The messengers returned to Sudhnoti with this message.Meanwhile, the Dogra brothers had already informed Ranjit Singh of a rebellion in Sudhnoti. Ranjit Singh summoned Sardar Shams Khan to inquire about the incident. Sardar Shams Khan explained the situation, stating that the Dogra brothers had started constructing military posts in Sudhnoti without informing the local chieftains, leading to a confrontation. He clarified that there was no rebellion, but rather a misunderstanding due to the unauthorized construction of the posts. Ranjit Singh, somewhat angered, asked, "So, if we build military posts in Sudhnoti, will the chieftains now attack us?" Sardar Shams Khan firmly replied that such actions would be in direct violation of the peace treaty, which guaranteed Sudhnoti's internal autonomy. Ranjit Singh then summoned the Dogra brothers to explain the situation. The Dogra brothers, adding more falsehoods, claimed that soldiers stationed at the border between Poonch and Sudhnoti had wandered into Sudhnoti while hunting and were attacked by the chieftains, resulting in the death of twenty soldiers. They argued that the internal autonomy of Sudhnoti was emboldening other states and that the people of Sudhnoti had become increasingly rebellious. They suggested limiting Sardar Shams Khan's powers, a proposal that Ranjit Singh found agreeable. According to Sardar Suba Khan, the author of “Maakhaz Sudhnoti’, Ranjit Singh subsequently ordered the Dogra brothers to limit Sudhnoti's internal autonomy and construct military posts there. On 5th April 1832, the Dogra brothers, along with more than thirty thousand Sikh soldiers, advanced towards Sudhnoti. In their presence, police stations and military posts were established in all the towns and villages of Sudhnoti. The mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti promptly informed Sardar Shams Khan of these developments, who then advised them to remain silent and not take any action. Although the chieftains complied with Sardar Shams Khan's orders, it was beyond their tolerance, as there had been no Sikh or Dogra military posts in Sudhnoti before 5th April 1832. Under the peace treaty, Sudhnoti enjoyed complete internal autonomy, with its only obligation to the Sikh Empire being the payment of taxes based on population. However, after 5th April 1832, when Sudhnoti's internal autonomy was revoked and it was incorporated into Poonch, the construction of Sikh military posts and police stations began, similar to those in other parts of the Sikh Empire. Seeing the situation, a delegation of mountain chieftains from Sudhnoti once again traveled to Lahore to meet Sardar Shams Khan. He advised them to remain patient, strong, and united, assuring them that he would do everything possible to preserve Sudhnoti's internal autonomy. He also promised that if he failed, he would soon leave Lahore with his family and join them in Sudhnoti, but instructed them not to take any action before his return. However despite Sardar Shams Khan's best efforts, he ultimately not only faced failure in his attempts to maintain Sudhnoti's autonomy from all sides, but he was also told by the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire, Raja Dhian Singh, that Sudhnoti had now been merged into Poonch under the orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and that Poonch and Sudhnoti had been made a single unit. Therefore, the tax collector (Malia Dar) of Poonch, Diwan Dilbagh Rai, would now also collect taxes from Sudhnoti, as Sudhnoti was now part of Poonch, and since Diwan Dilbagh Rai was the Malia Dar (tax collector) of Poonch, he would now be responsible for tax collection in Sudhnoti as well. Thus, you should now work in cooperation with him. Following this, Sardar Shams Khan, along with his family, made the firm decision to rebel against the Lahore Durbar and flee from it, which will be discussed further in the context of the second Sikh-Sudhnoti war. Here, a brief historical background is provided regarding the merger of the Pakhtun state of Sudhnoti, established in 1407, into the jagir of Poonch, established in 1596, on the 5th of April,1832.

Second Sikh-Sudhan War

On 28th February 1827, the State of Sudhnoti accepted the sovereignty of the Sikh Empire through a peace agreement. This agreement maintained Sudhnoti's internal autonomy, the criminal justice system in the fort of Kot, the leadership of Sudhnoti's fifteen units, and the collection of taxes from Sudhnoti remained under the control of Sardar Shams Khan Abakhel Sadozai. Due to the subjugation by the Sikh Empire, Sardar Shams Khan had to pay an annual tax of 10,600 rupees to the Sikh court in Lahore. Initially, Sardar Shams Khan, along with seventy members of his family, had to reside in the Sikh court in Lahore because, under the peace agreement, Sardar Shams Khan and his family were made guarantors for the annual tax from the fifteen units of Sudhnoti. However, after two years, when Sardar Shams gained the trust of the Sikh Empire, the rest of his sixty family members were allowed to return to their ancestral village of Dhaman in Sudhnoti. Subsequently, he continued to live in the Sikh court in Lahore with his immediate family and ten Sudhan guards along with four Sikh guards provided by the Sikh Empire.On 5th April 1832, when the internal autonomy of Sudhnoti was abolished and the Sikh Empire annexed the state into the Poonch region, and Diwan Dalbagh Rai's influence began to grow, Sardar Shams Khan abruptly separated from the court and returned to his ancestral village of Dhaman in Sudhnoti. Upon his return, he convened a *Loya J irga* in the Dipri Fort of Dhaman, where all the chieftains of Sudhnoti took an oath to fight and resist the Sikh Empire. The decision was made to go to war against the Sikh Empire. When the Sikh army learned of this *Loya Jirga* in Dnhaman, they launched an attack on the village via Kotli, marking the beginning of the Second Sikh-Sudhnoti War. The battle spread from Sardar Shams Khan's ancestral village of Dnaman to the forts of Sudhnoti. Within days, Sardar Shams Khan's forces had liberated the entire Sudhnoti from Sikh control and advanced towards Poonch. During this time, the tribes of Poonch, which had rebelled against the central authority of Poonch in 1810 and established their small independent states over an area of 300 square miles but later submitted to the Sikh Empire out of fear in 1827, also rose in rebellion against the Sikhs. In response to Sardar Shams Khan's growing victories, the Sikh Empire dispatched three armies, each comprising 5,000 troops, under Generals Udham Singh, Labh Singh, and Zorawar Singh, to counter Sardar Shams Khan. However, like the First Sikh-Sudhnoti War, the Sikh army faced consecutive defeats on twenty-two fronts across Sudhnoti, Poonch, and Jammu.As a result of these defeats, Sudhnoti captured the entire Poonch estate and half of the Jammu estate. The author of “Maakhaz-eSudhnoti’, Sardar Suba Khan, notes that 3,500 Sikh soldiers were killed in the Second Sikh-Sudhnoti War, with the heaviest casualties occurring in the Battle of Badi Galla, which was part of Sardar Shams Khan's ancestral land in Dhaman. Badi Galla was the area of the Sabz Ali Khan and Sardar Mili Khan neighborhood and was Sardar Shams Khan's birthplace. In the Battle of Badi Galla, the Sikh forces suffered the most significant losses, with approximately 1,500 Sikh soldiers killed. The battlefield was so bloody that the streams and ravines in the area ran red with blood for several days. Following this bloodshed, the area, previously known as Badi Galla, became known as Ratt Galla or Ratt Na Galla (Ratt meaning blood in the local language). The name change occurred due to the intense bloodshed that took place there.This text provides evidence of this that the author of Maakhaz-e-Sudhnuti, the last ruler of Sudhnuti, Sardar Suba Khan, continued writing Maakhaz-e-Sudhnuti until 1852 AD. Additionally, the Hindu author of “Gulab Nama” writes that Sardar Shams Khan, a notorious leader of the Sudhan tribe, not only massacred Sikh soldiers but also ordinary Sikhs and Hindus. Sardar Shams Khan, during the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War, brutally killed many unborn Sikh and Hindu children by slitting the wombs of pregnant women, preventing these children from being born. Furthermore, Sardar Suba Khan, an eyewitness of the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War, writes in “Maakhaz-e-Sudhnoti” that out of the 25 battlefronts in this war, Sudhnuti emerged victorious in 22 of them. During this war, Sardar Shams Khan seized 22 small and large forts and 106 outposts from the Sikh Empire's army within two months. In addition to this, around 3,500 Sikh soldiers and 5,000 of their mules were killed, while on the other side, 1,200 Sadozai Sudhan soldiers and 400 mules were also killed. In summary, like the First Sikh-Sudhnuti War, Sudhnuti emerged victorious in the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War as well

Third Sikh-Sudhan War

On the 5th of April, 1832, when the Sikh Empire attempted to annex the State of Sudhnoti into the Poonch estate, the ruler of Sudhnoti, Sardar Shams Khan Abakhel Sadozai, rebelled against the Sikh Empire. This rebellion led to the Second Sikh-Sudhnoti War. After Sudhnoti's victory in this war, it gained control over most of the regions up to Jammu, including the Poonch estate. The author of “Maakhaz Sudhnoti, Sardar Suba Khan, writes that during the Third Sikh-Sudhnoti War, the State of Sudhnoti had taken control of 15 of its forts and 7 additional forts in Poonch and Jammu. Thus, Sudhnoti now had a total of 22 forts, for which Sardar Shams Khan increased his army from 7,000 to 16,000 soldiers and stationed them as needed in these forts. After that Sardar Shams Khan also got significant increase in the annual tax from Sidhnoti which was during the peace agreement, Rs. 10,600 per annum but now he collected Rs. 160,000 in taxes from the conquered regions of Poonch and Jammu in just two months and ten days. This was because Sardar Shams Khan urgently needed money and a larger army, which forced him to take such steps. However, this aggressive tax collection angered even his Muslim tribal supporters in Poonch and Jammu, who started looking for ways to rid themselves of Sardar Shams Khan. The author of “Maakhaz-d-Sudhnoti” writes that due to this aggressive tax collection, Sardar Shams Khan had to fight wars on both internal and external fronts. On the other hand, seeing Sardar Shams Khan's growing victories, the Sikh Empire abandoned its military campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions to wage a decisive war against him. This war was led by the bravest General of the Sikh Empire, Gulab Singh, who commanded an army of 60,000 soldiers with 50 generals under his command.Instead of directly attacking Sudhnoti, General Gulab Singh first camped in Kahuta, known as the gateway to Sudhnoti, for two months. There, he began by aligning with the Muslim tribes who were angered by Sardar Shams Khan's heavy tax collection. These were the same tribes from Poonch and Jammu from whom Sardar Shams Khan had collected Rs. 160,000 in taxes within two months and ten days. By the end of the two months, Gulab Singh had successfully turned many Muslims in Poonch and Jammu against Sardar Shams Khan. After this, the Sikh army crossed the J helum River, attacked the Sudhnoti fort of Aain and then Mang, and launched a simultaneous attack on all four forts considered the capitals of Sudhnoti using 800 mountain cannons. Although the Sudhnoti army resisted for a month, 14,000 soldiers were killed in the battlefield. Consequently, Sardar Shams Khan had to flee from the Mang Fort, and along with 300 of his companions, took refuge in Sudran with Raja Sherbaz Khan, the former ruler of Poonch. Raja Sherbaz Khan was the same ruler who, after twice surrendering without resistance, had been given the rule over a small estate of 104 villages by the Sikh Empire. When Sardar Shams Khan conquered most of Poonch and Jammu, he did not attack Sardar Sherbaz Khan's estate, considering it a Muslim estate. In return for this favor, Raja Sherbaz Khan secretly sheltered Sardar Shams Khan in his estate of Sudran and assured him of assistance in reassembling his scattered army to fight the Sikh Empire again. However, the Sikh Empire did not give Sardar Shams Khan the time to recover for a third time. On the other hand, the Sikh army continued its attacks on Sudhnoti. During one such battle, Sardar Sabz Ali Khan's army came under heavy fire from mountain cannons, resulting in Sardar Sabz Ali Khan, Sardar Mili Khan, and 300 other Sadozai chiefs being severely wounded and left in a critical condition. When these prominent generals of Sudhnoti fell into the hands of the Sikh army, their skins were brutally flayed while they were still alive. After the death of Sudhnotii's renowned generals, Sardar Sabz Ali Khan and Mili Khan, the morale of the Sikh army, led by General Gulab Singh, soared. Gulab Singh then announced that any soldier who brought the head of a Sudhan man, woman, elder, or child would be rewarded with five rupees per head. Following this announcement, the Sikh soldiers beheaded 3,000 Sudhan men and women. During this time, the Sikh army also discovered the hiding place of Sardar Shams Khan. General Gulab Singh sent a letter with a messenger to Raja Sherbaz Khan of Sudran, threatening that if Sardar Snams Khan was not handed over to them, Raja Sherbaz Khan should prepare to have his skin flayed like that of the generals Sardar Sabz Ali Khan and Sardar Mili Khan. Upon receiving this threatening letter, Raja Sherbaz Khan was gripped with fear. That very night, he had his troubled guest, Sardar Shams Khan, martyred in his sleep and sent his body to the Sikh General Gulab Singh, securing his own safety. After the death of Sardar Shams Khan, the Sudhnoti resistance movement collapsed, leading to the fall of Sudhnoti. For along time after, Sudhnoti remained under the control of the Sikh Empire. The author of “Maakhaz-eSudhnoti’, Sardar Suba Khan, who directly participated in the Third Sikh-Sudhnoti War and was a Dewan of Sudhnoti under the rule of Sardar Shams Khan, recounts this in his writings. Sardar Suba Khan whose father was the cousin of Sardar Shams Khan's father, writes that in the Third Sikh-Sudhnoti War, 14,000 Sadozai Sudhan soldiers and 3,000 other Sadozai Sudhan farmers were martyred on the battlefield. Additionally, 1,000 women, children, and elders also attained martyrdom in this war. The Sikh army captured 5,000 Sadozai Sudhans, including 2,000 children and women. After this war, Sudhnoti completely fell under the control of the Sikh Empire.

Biography

In 1836, Shams Khan 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.

After this, an all-out rebellion broke out. The local Muslim tribes too joined the Sudhans and began massing their armies. Gulab Singh ordered his son Ottam Singh to suppress the revolt before it grew further in strength. Ottam Singh arrived with a Dogra force of five thousand troops, but was defeated by rebels commandeered by Shams and his lieutenants. The prince himself was able to escape with some remnants of the army, but now Poonch was laid bare to the rebels.

Assaults over local forts began, resulting in great success. The garrisons were caught off-guard, ill-prepared, and fell to the attacking rebel armies. Some soldiers of the garrisons, whom had previously treated the locals with cruelty were cut up and their corpses fed to dogs.

Following the defeats, Gulab Singh quickly forced the Yusufzai into peace, and then marched to Kahuta, where he raised an army of eight thousand regular infantry and twelve thousand irregulars. Though Gulab had raised a sizeable and professional army, he chose not to engage the rebellion immediately to minimize the number of Dogra casualties. He focused on bribing local sardars of the various tribes and the many enemies of Shams, promising lavish rewards or positions of power if they betrayed Shams and the Sudhan-led rebels. This either neutralized them as foes, or turned a small number to his side completely, resulting in them aiding Gulab with either information or later fighting against the rebels. Thus Gulab had successfully incited treachery within some ranks of the rebellion.

After this, Gulab made his way to Poonch through Jhelum, and after some initial victories against local tribes, he paved way towards the Sudhan heartland, aiming to defeat the Sudhans who were both the leaders of the rebellion and made up the majority of its forces. Major clashes occurred at Pallandri, Pallangi, Pachhiot, Paral, Panthal, Baral, Narian and Chokian, alongside smaller clashes in other areas. The deadliest battle occurred in the Sudhan stronghold of Mong, where the local Sudhans both dealt and received heavy casualties. Although the rebels temporarily pushed out occupying Dogra forces in some areas, with the aid of Sikh reinforcements, Gulab counterattacked and overwhelmed the rebels. Many Sudhan commanders and notables were captured, including two sardars (scions) Malli Khan and Sabaz Ali Khan, whom alongside Shams were at the head of both the tribe and the rebellion. Thus the remaining rebels had also lost key leaders.

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 remaining rebels were outmatched both in number and arms. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the rebellion collapsed as the rebels raced to protect their own families. Though the majority of the local population managed to escape Gulab's forces by taking refuge in nearby hills, their homes were looted, fields destroyed and cattle seized. Those who could not escape were either massacred or enslaved.

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. As a result, any remnants of the rebellion ended as the main leader of the Sudhans and the rebels was now dead. The heads of Shams and his nephew were later put in two cages of iron at the very top of the Adha Dek pass. The captured sardars Sabz Ali Khan and Malli Khan were flayed alive, alongside other commanders and notable members of the Sudhans and other rebellious tribes. As all ring leaders were now either dead or captured, any remaining insurgents now in hiding, alongside no remaining resistance, the conflict was concluded and Gulab withdrew his forces.

Though the majority of the local populace of Poonch and the Sudhans had survived by taking refuge in the hills, they returned home to barren fields and ransacked homes, alongside the deaths or disappearances of many relatives, including non-combatants and those who had nothing to do with the rebellion. The cruelty shown by the Dogra forces was not forgotten, with British contemporaries being appalled at the treatment of the rebellious tribes and the people of Poonch as a whole by Gulab. In 1846, after the Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir was created and became a princely state of the British, Gulab Singh was forced to address the issue of his cruelty. He claimed that the actions of him and his forces were vengeance for the treatment the rebels imposed upon Dogra garrisons, and that he had only flayed alive three ring-leaders, though the locals claimed otherwise. To appease the British, he requested an advisor by whose counsel he would avoid further tyrannical action.

Notes

References

1. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English (CHAPTER 19) https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/144/mode/1up
2. Khan, Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim (1990). The Kashmir Saga. pp. 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85.
3. Bawa, Satinder Singh (1966). Gulab Singh of Jammu, Ladakh, and Kashmir, 1792-1846. University of Wisconsin--Madison.
4. Smyth, G. Carmichael (1847). The History Of Reigning Family Of Lahore. p. 206. One of the head-men of the Sudhun tribe when it submitted to the Dogras, was Shumass Khan.
5. Kirpa Ram, Diwan (1876). Gulabnama of Diwan Kirpa Ram. p. 158. Shamash one of the head-men of the Sudhun tribe when it submitted to the Dogras.
6. Cunningham, Alexander (1871). Four Reports Made During the Years 1862-63-64-65. Original from National Library of Naples. Page 13. "The gallant resistance which Shams Khan, Chief of the Sadan tribe of Punanch."
7. ^ Ram, Diwan Kirpa (1876). Gulabnama Of Diwan Kirpa Ram. Srinagar: Gulshan Books. pp. 156–163.
8. ^ Carmichael Smyth, G. (1847). "The Soodhun Revolt." In The History of the Reigning Family of Lahore (pp. 205–212). Archive.org. English.
9. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/158/mode/1up?view=theater&ui=embed&wrapper=false
10. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language Englis https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/164/mode/1up
11. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English (CHAPTER 23) https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/178/mode/1up
12. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English (CHAPTER 24) https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/186/mode/1up
13. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English ,, army within two months. In addition to this, around 3,500 Sikh soldiers and 5,000 of their mules were killed, while on the other side, 1,200 Sadozai Sudhan soldiers and 400 mules were also killed. In summary, like the First Sikh-Sudhnuti War, Sudhnuti emerged victori- ous in the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War as well. https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/191/mode/1up
14. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/193/mode/1up
15. Register Sudhnoti English Version by Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai Publication date 2025-01-10 Topics Sadozai, Register Sudhnoti, Poonch, Yousuf Khan Abakhel Sadozai, Abakhel, Captain, Sudhnoti, Sidhnoti, Poonch, Sardar, Abakhel, Abdal Collection opensource Language English https://archive.org/details/register-sudhnoti-english-version_20250110/page/198/mode/1up
16. ^ Saraf, Muhammad Yusuf (1977). Kashmiris Fight for Freedom: 1819-1946 (PDF). University of California: Ferozsons. pp. 85–89.
17. Griffin, Lepel Henry (1865). The Panjab Chiefs. Oxford University: T.C. McCarthy. p. 594.
18. Saraf, Muhammad Yusuf (1977). Kashmiris Fight for Freedom: 1819-1946 (PDF). University of California: Ferozsons. pp. 85–89. 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."

• Poonch District, Pakistan