Sadozai (Pashtun tribe)

The Sadozai are a lineage of the Popalzai clan of the Abdali sub-tribe of the Tareen tribe of Pashtuns. The lineage takes its name from its ancestor, Asadullah Khan alias Mir Saad Afgan Saddu Khan. Other important clans of this division oAbdali tribe are Mohammadzai Kings, BarakzaiKings, Alekozai, Achakzai, Popalzai and Musazai. Most of the notable Afghan kings and rulers belong to Sadduzai and their servants in order MohammadZai, BarakZai clans.

Asadullah (Saddu) Khan was born in 1558 to Umar Khan son of Maruf Khan of Popalzai progeny. [Hayat-i-Afghani, Khan, Mohamad Hayat, CSI, Lahore, 1867, p-120] Sadduzai are mostly living in the valleys of Tarnak, Kandhar, and Kabul. A few Sadduzai families live at Peshawar,Poonch & Sudhnoti districts of Azad Kashmir, Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan. Some descendents of Shah Shuja ul Mulk also settled in Ludhiana, India. [History of Pathans vol-I, Rashid, Brig. Haroon, Islamabad, 2002, pp-124-125,136] The Sadozai The Maliks of Kabul and 27 Cities Worldwide Laid down their nine lives in age of Muzzafar Sadozai at Multan. But those Partner tribes of Ahmed Shah who entered deal with British in particular and Abdali in general are now commonly known as Durrani. The Sadduzais trained Ahmed and Nadir and another hundred some tribes to create the worlds largest tinker tailored military that fought at PaniPat and ousted the Marhattas and took Dehli but only to bring back titles and wealth of the peacock throne to gift their master who chased them to dishonor. Nadir Shah's tribe The QazilBash honorably served as front gaurds and slaves, 'The Ghulaman E Shah' until today, but the Ahmed Shah faction that ran away into quetta hills have returned half-Indian/half-Christian blooded. The Panipat wars however made etarnal trade peace and panipat [Waterloo was sent to Belgium. Many leaders rose to prominence when an able military commander Ahmed Shah Abdali son of Zaman Khan of Khawaja Khizer Khan Khel of Sadozai clan gained attention during Indian campaign of king Nadir Shah of Persia in 1738. Ahmed Shah Abdali played a prominent role during the Indian expedition and in the security of king Nadir Shah while passing through Khyber Pass in Afridi tribal area. Much pleased with his services, Nadir Shah accorded special favours to Ahmed Shah Abdali. When Nadir Shah was killed in 1747 near Mashhad by his nephew, Ahmed Shah fought with Persians and later hurried to Kandhar to secure Nadir Shah's treasure including the jewels and Koh-i-Noor diamond he brought from India. After securing Kandhar, Ahmed Shah declared his independence from Persia and uniting all Afghan tribes laid the foundation of first Afghan empire. Ahmad Shah, one of the greatest and most respected Afghan leader assumed the title of "Durr-i-Durran", “Pearl of pearls”. Hence, known as 'Durrani', which is in fact a title and not a name of the tribe. The title of 'Durrani' rightfully belong to the Sadduzai clan and not to the entire Abdali tribe. At its peak, Durrani empire stretched from Subzwar in Persia in the west to the Srinagar, Kashmir in the east, and from Balkh in the north to Hub, near Karachi in the south.

After Ahmed Shah Abdali's death in 1773, the Sadozais crowned themselves as Great Mirzas and enjoyed the entire wealth of the Mughal Empire that Ahmed and Nadir Shah had taken away from Delhi for 100 years. One of the Great Mirza's was Ala Man The Great Shah and Emperor who ruled Khorasan the vast empire passed on to his son Taimoor Shah and his progeny which included Shah Zaman, Shah Shuja ul Mulk, Shah Mehmoud, and Shah Ayub. The great empire shrunk and eventually it was passed on from Sadduzai clan to Amir Dost Mohammad Khan of Barakzai clan in 1810 and to his progeny. Shah Alaman [he created the Waziristans styled like Switzerland and the four sons Tareen [Traders] , Niazi [police] , Wazirs [Arbitrater] , Masud [ Militant] , are the most interesting characters to read in 'THE PATHANS' a book/account written by Sir Olaf Caroe the one-time Governor of NWFP commisioned by Field Martial Gen., M Ayub Khan the Military Dictator and President of Pakistan.

Also read Khan Bahadur Haji Ahmed Yar Khan Sadozai, who himself organised himself from Quetta Baluchistan as the British Resident Governor and created the modern colony and saved the Muslim states from British/Mughal Apartheid. "we had lunches a mid day meal specifically meant for a businesslike get together in the evenings we played tennis and polo and even walked around with our wives it was a new British lifestyle this was the best age for the English" and freed African slaves worldwide. [Pictures and Archives available through The Governor of Baluchistan and The Vice Chancellor of Gomal University]

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