Kahut is a branch of the Quraysh tribe of Saudi Arabia which came to India with the Muslim invaders. Kahut Quraysh are mostly located in Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is believed that when the Quraysh landed in this area they had to fight a war with the locals to make place for them. This war took place at the location of Janga, derived from Jan Gah meaning place of war.
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Kahut or Kahoot are also called Koot in some districts such as the Sargodha and Mandi Bahauddin districts. In fact when some Kahoot community/tribe moved to the districts, the local people with the passage of time simplified its pronunciation to Koot/Kut/Kahout in line with their habits of making communication simple and easy. This has happened over the centuries. As like most other tribes of the area, they consider themselves and are also considered by all other people as Jats and have intermarried with all the tribes of the area.
They might not be as numerous in Sargodha and Mandi Bahauddin but they are not less important. Many of them are important in district politics and beyond. Chouhdary Ghulam Ali Kahut of Ahla is very social and important personality of the area and has been a member of the district council for Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin and chairman of Union Council and Markiz Councils. Haji Muhammad Ashraf (Naib Tehsil Nazim Pindigheb, District Attock) is known political personality and leader of Kahoots living in Union Council Khaur of Attock district and Union Council Warwal of Chakwal district. Taj Muhammad Khan - Kahut, Diplomat (Third Secretary), High Commission for Pakistan, UK, another famous personality of village janga is Subedar Amir Hussain, who took a major part in the welfare of the village of janga, he also fought the 2nd world war
There is a village by the name of Kahut near Bhuchal Kalan which is inhabited mostly by Kahuts. the late major general Ubaid-ur-Rehman signal officer in chief of Pakistan Army in 1970's belonged to this village. late Col.Another small village by the name of Dhalal sharing areas with Tatral is mostly inhabited by Kahuts.They are prominent cultivators of these two villages and hold ownership of the two of most of the agricultural lands present . Noor Khan belonged to Warya mall, a Kahut village in southern Chakwal tehsil. Karyala and Bhalla in Chakwal tehsil represent the principle zameendars of this family, notable being late Ghulam Haider Khan, father of Zafar Ali Khan. Ghulam Haider of Bhalla was a well-known zameendar and a social figure of Kahutani-the name given to southern part of Chakwal tehsil where Kahuts predominate. Sarfaraz Khan is a Ph.D in Economics from village Thirpal and retired as head of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. According to Kahuts, they were originally located in Arabia, the present name being merely that of their common ancestor-25 generations ago. About the year A.D 1359, their ancestor Said Nawab Ali, migrated to Delhi in the reign of Firoz Shah. On the way to Delhi they fought and conquered Raja of Sialkot. ON reaching Delhi, they paid respect to the king. The king ordered them to hold the Dhanni and Salt range on his behalf under the leadership of Kahut, the son of Nawab Ali. They thus returned to this district and settled first at a site near village Waryamal. The eastern part of Dhanni was then a lake, which on coming of Babur was drained at his command, the Kahuts taking part in the work and colonising the land. Chaudhry Sahnsar, 8th in descent from Kahut was their ancestor at the time of Babur.(District Gazatteer-Jhelum Districts 1904 published by Government of Punjab, Pakistan)
According to Ibbetson in "Punjab Castes" 1881, the Kahuts are probably of Rajput origin and have come from Jammu hills to Chakwal areas .
like Kassars and Mairs, Kahuts are also prone to petty feuds in rural life over land. they are good cultivators, physically they are active, well-made and high spirited affording excellent material for the Army. In this respect they resemble other common tribes of the area such as Kassars, Mairs and Awans.( Gazetteer Jhelum district 1904 pages 106 and 254 ) ( published by Civil and Military Gazette Press Lahore.) According to J.M. Wikeley as mentioned in his book, "Punjabi Musalmans" 1927, reprinted by Book House Lahore, Kahuts are men of independent character and make good soldiers like the other three principal tribes.
There is a sizeable town by the name of Pindi Kootan near Bhera, in Sargodha District. a very important family of kahut quresh is living in Village Dullah District Chakwal most prominent names are Mohammad Afzal Khan Kahut ( Secretary Establishment retired) Mohammad Mozaffar Kahut (Major General retired) Mohammad Munir Kahut ( Senior Superintendent of Police and Deputy Commandant Sihala) and also Sultan Amir Khan Kahut retired army personnel and many more they all are belong to one family.In addition the Kahut tribe has also spread to other parts of the Sargodha district and beyond. In Mandi Bahauddin, Kahuts are in Union Councils of Ahla, Haryah, Bhikhi and others. They have spread from Chakwal and are land owners and agriculturists. Interestingly the tribe of Mair, the Kahut's neighbours and sister tribe of Chakwal are also found with the Kahuts of Mandi Bahauddin.
Kahut Qursh are one of the majority castes of Chakwal. Kahuts are mostly located in Chakwal District but they also settled in other areas of the Punjab like Lala Musa.
The villages of Kahut, Nikka Kahut in Chakwal District is an important centre of the tribe. Similarly, the village of Kahut in the Sahiwal Tehsil of the Sargodha District is another important Kahut village
In the 1930s, the elders of he Kahoot, decided to educate themselves and then took responsibility for educating the Kahoots who were almost all uneducated. The Hindus were dominating class in trade, education etc. The policy of Hindus was to keep Muslims uneducated and ignorant so that the Hindus could dominate Muslims for ever. The Kahoot elders took the task to persuade Kahoots to become teachers in order to further the education of the tribes members. At that time the Hindus were monopolising the field of education the elders faced many hardships. Prominent leaders of this movement were, Chaudhary Ghulam Haider of Kariyala, who was at the time a member of the Jhelum District council, Chaudhary Mohammed Zaman Khan a prominent and respected Zamindar of Chakora, who was already a school headmaster and two brothers Mohammad Shah Sahib and Ahmed Shah Sahib of Dullah and some other friends and supporters from the clan.Sub Khuda Buksh(Sadwal)Member union councel in Ayub Khan era.Capt Muhammad Habib(Sadwal)Sub Feteh Muhammad(Thoa Humayun)Capt Allah Ditta(Dhok Tallian)Ch Allah Buksh(thirpal)Ch Khuda Buksh(kassowal)are Play major role to support/development of kahouts. Chaudhary Riaz Hussain Kahut of Thoha Bahader contributed to the cause of education and the general welfare of the Kahoots and proved a staunch supporter.He is also President of Kahut youth.
The villages of Sadwal and Janga, near Chakwal also has a large population of Kahuts. Ghazi Mureed Husain of Bhala was a Kahoot Quraysh who assassinated a Hindu officer for blasphemy and insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. His Mazar (tomb) is located in the vicinity of Bhalla and Kahoot Qurayshis are proud of him.Dr Muhammad Iqbal Kahut from Sadwal is grand son of Ch. Dost Muhammaed Kahut, a well known zamindar of Dhani.
The Kahoots are a warrior tribe and they fought many wars against the Sikhs and the British. The area near Chakwal in which the villages of Satwal, Sadwal, Janga, Hasola, Langah, Domali, Musa Kahoot Balla and Karyala lie is commonly known as Kahutni.Raja Muhammad Gulistan Kahut who is known to be the leader of the Al-mamood Kahut family, maintaining his spot in chakwal as one of the most richest person and resides in Bhawan area, his son Raja Muhammad Tariq Kahut the eldest son of the family taking the lead of the family name up in heights along with his sons Raja Fahad, Fazal Mehmood and the youngest Jahangir khan. The Kahoot are one of the three main dominant tribes of the region and original landonwer of the Dhani plains. Some cousins of the Kahoots live in Dullha, west of Chakwal and are respected across Chakwal. A majority landowners of Kahut also live in the villages of Warwal, bhawan and Hasil on the bank of Swan river and Thoha Bahadur near Chakwal on the Talagang road.
Some families of Kahoot live in Khaur in Attock District and Karachi. Haji Muhammad Ashraf of Khaur is Naib Tehsil Nazim Pindigheb, District Attock and Tauseef Ahmed owner of Rose-Marie Grammar School. Mr. Taj Muhammad Khan (Kahut), Diplomat, High Commission for Pakistan, UK - London belong to Warwal Distt. Chakwal.