Kathwal of Birote

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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 and active political worker of Pakistan People Party Hazara Division since 1971.

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