LT ARSALAN ALAM SATTI - SHAHEED, SITARA-E-BASALAT

Lt. Arsalan Alam Satti was born (17th April 1995) and raised in the village of Ghel Sattian, Murree. He was the only son and brother of three sisters. 

Arsalan Satti secured regular commission in Pakistan Army by joining Pakistan Military Academy L/C 135 on 13th May 2015 and completed his military training on 15th April 2017. He belonged to 29 Sindh Regiment.

He looked into everything in a different perspective, his desires and goals were no longer surrounded by this petty, mundane world. He was into another world. He wanted to conquer the world but in a way that was beyond our wisdom, a way which seemed to be out of this world but a world full of serenity and bounties.

Arsalan Satti described himself in an intro of his Facebook profile; "I alone can't change the world, but i can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples."

He participated in "Operation Khyber-4" after completion of his training from Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. In August, "Operation Khyber-4" in Rajgal Valley had been successfully completed. The operation was launched in July to wipe out terrorists in the valley by targeting their hideouts. The army then established a number of check posts in the border region to stem the movement of militants. Arsalan Satti was promoted to Lieutenant days before his martyrdom and appointed as an Officer Commanding at the high-altitude post next to Afghan border after the military completed its operation against terrorists in the area. He was among those officers and soldiers who were posted to defend the area from cross-border infiltration.

The 22-year-old officer was commanding a post in Rajgal Valley, which borders Afghanistan, when it came under fire from the Afghan side on 23rd September 2017, at 09:00am. Lieutenant Arsalan Satti was shot in the head by a sniper and was airlifted to Peshawar for treatment, but he succumbed to his injures at the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar.

Arsalan Satti was laid to rest on Sunday 24th September 2017 in his native village Ghel Sattian in Murree with full military honours. 

Lieutenant Arsalan Alam Satti, you surely had it all! ALL HAIL TO YOU!

Lt. Arsalan Alam Satti Shaheed's father Shamsher Alam Satti couldn't bear the loss of his beloved son, he suffered a heart attack on 29th November 2017. He was taken to CMH Murree where he breathed his last.


The Government of Pakistan awarded Sitara-e-Basalat to Lt. Arsalan Alam Satti - Shaheed for his gallantry, after his martyrdom on 23rd March 2019.                                        
                                       

               
By: Anjum Satti

SATTI TRIBE VS KHALSA EMPIRE

People inhibiting harsh mountain terrains naturally grow tough and endure a great deal of physical hardship. Mountain tribes in Murree, Kahuta and Kotli Sattian, like people in the entire mountain regions, were averse to slavery. They lived fiercely independent lives since day one. It was known as Aap Raji or self-rule. However, different governments tried to subjugate these tribes from time to time with little success. The turning point arrived during Sikh rule which saw unprecedented atrocities carried out by Sikh armies against mountain tribes. Sattis were confined to higher reaches which were almost outside the approach of Sikh armies. However it forced Sattis to develop a complete self-sufficient lifestyle. They developed their own agriculture, hand mills, water mills, ploughs, etc. But they were deprived of any access to education, health or other civil amenities.

When British and Sikh fought each other Sattis naturally sided with British and Sikhs were finally defeated with the combined efforts of Sattis and British Indian army soldiers. The papers of Sikh surrender were signed at Rawalpindi. Sikhs also meted out similar punishments to other tribes who gallantly fought back them in the entire mountain ranges. The British declared Sattis as martial race and would happily recruit them in their army. The rivalries with Sikhs and subsequent alliance with Brits brought Sattis into regular military profession.

FURTHER DETAILS HISTORY OF SATTI TRIBE

HISTORY OF SATTI TRIBE

The Satti are a tribe in the region of North Punjab (Pir Panjal Range), Pakistan. Satti tribe mainly inhabits Kotli Sattian, Kahuta and Murree Hills of Rawalpindi district in north Punjab, Islamabad district, Abbottabad, Mansehra and Kohistan areas of KPK, and some scattered families also live in Afghanistan and across river Jhelum in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. 

Origin

The founding father of the Satti tribe, Satti Khan was born at Thoon in Kotli Sattian and from there his offspring spread to the neighbouring settlements.

The Satti tribe has two traditions regarding its origin. One tradition links Baba Satti to Anushirvan, A Sassanian king of Persia, while the other suggests that he was a descendant of a military commander known as Takht Khan, who accompanied Timur during the invasion of Delhi.

However, a huge number of Sattis are believed to have descended from Anushirvan, The Emperor of Sassanian Empire. When Arabs invaded and conquered Persia, the ancestors of this tribe were driven out, they took refuge in the neighbouring states of central Asia. Later on they joined the early Muslim Armies in their invasion of subcontinent and settled in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan in the train of invaders.

Education

The people of this tribe have great love and respect for knowledge. This Satti tribe has produced excellent army officers with the highest achievements, good doctors and scientists, better administrators and reputed students with incredible educational achievements. There are huge number of Sattis, who have earned Ph.D. degrees from local and foreign universities.

The Martial Race

Sattis are inborn soldiers, they possess a distinctive place and role in the Armed Forces of Pakistan. Every graveyard of Satti region is the resting place of Martyrs and War heroes. 

The high walls of mountains of the Satti region on the northeast side, protects the Federal Capital Islamabad as a fortress. As the homeland of most of the in-service and retired forces personnel, it stands surety to the well-being of the motherland.

People inhibiting harsh mountain terrains naturally grow tough and endure a great deal of physical hardship. Mountain tribes in Murree, Kahuta and Kotli Sattian, like people in the entire mountain regions, were averse to slavery. They lived fiercely independent lives since day one. It was known as Aap Raji or self-rule. However, different governments tried to subjugate these tribes from time to time with little success. The turning point arrived during Sikh rule which saw unprecedented atrocities carried out by Sikh armies against mountain tribes. Sattis were confined to higher reaches which were almost outside the approach of Sikh armies. However it forced Sattis to develop a complete self-sufficient lifestyle. They developed their own agriculture, hand mills, water mills, ploughs, etc. But they were deprived of any access to education, health or other civil amenities.

When British and Sikh fought each other Sattis naturally sided with British and Sikhs were finally defeated with the combined efforts of Sattis and British Indian army soldiers. The papers of Sikh surrender were signed at Rawalpindi. Sikhs also meted out similar punishments to other tribes who gallantly fought back them in the entire mountain ranges. The British declared Sattis as martial race and would happily recruit them in their army. The rivalries with Sikhs and subsequent alliance with Brits brought Sattis into regular military profession.

When an armed struggle was launched in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48. Ali Ghor Satti’s home in Malot Sattian served as a transit point for arms and men across river Jehlum. Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim of Sadozai tribe managed to acquire 500 Lee Enfield rifles and 45000 bullets which were stored safely in Ali Ghor Satti’s home. On the other side of the river was his son-in-law, Shukar Muhammad Satti, who coordinated the operation to safely transport arms and ammunition across river Jehlum.

Young Satti and Sadozai men swam across freezing river Jehlum and successfully managed to supply weapons to warriors and participated in the fight. The first attack was carried out against Dogra army unit stationed at Thorar. The warriors successfully climbed the rear vertical cliff of the army posts by using ropes and vines made of local shrubs. The enemy was ambushed from behind which left him bewildered with significant casualties. The rest were captured and kept as prisoners of war.

This was the starting point of Jammu and Kashmir liberation movement. The region of Poonch would not have been liberated without Sattis participation. The main reason to join the Poonch uprising was the harsh treatment meted out to Kashmiris by their rulers. Since Sattis and Sadozai have been related through different bonds, it was natural to respond to such calls. See the Striking Symmetry, When the Government of Pakistan joined in, the liberation command was assumed by Brigadier Saddiq Satti who went all the way to Poonch city. Later the Pakistan army headquarters recalled him and eventually the city fell to Indians.

Five war memorials in the Satti region were built to commemorate the gallantry during WWI. Nowhere on this earth such a small population had so many gallantry monuments built in such a number.

It is not true that Sattis showed their bravery only in regular army. Captain Riaz Satti was the right hand man to famous Indian nationalist leader Subash Chandra Bose and worked in the capacity of his secretary. Most of the WWII prisoners from Satti tribe joined Indian National Army of Bose.

The Murree Revolt

Prof. Karam Haideri has elaborated the story of Murree in his book, Dastan-e-Murree. It will be unfair to ignore the revolt that took place in nineteenth century in Murree. There are many version of this event. The local tribes in Murree planned to attack British residency at Kuldana and it was decided that Dhunds, Satti, Kethwal and Danial would participate in it. The plan was put together in a home where an old woman, named Sunnu, was also present and heard the plot. Her brother was working as a chef with the British resident commander. Ms. Sunnu was worried about the safety of her brother during this forthcoming attack. She immediately contacted her brother and asked him to take leave for few days as the resident would come under attack. Her brother asked for leave from job and he told his boss about the 'planned attack' as the reason for leave. The chef was arrested and put under military security. The British troops immediately called reinforcements from nearby cantonments such as Barrian. British established ambushes all along the gullies or passes. It is said that the warriors from the Dhund tribe launched the attacked before the set date. Some claim that Dhunds thought that Satti and other tribal participation would dilute the booty. Others claim it was not the greed for loot but sensing that British had already knew the plan it was tactically moved earlier to maintain the element of surprise. Whatever the case the revolt was crushed with an iron hand. It is told that when Satti warriors arrived under the command of Mr. Borra Khan the British forces were everywhere. When confronted by British commander, Mr. Borra Khan flipped the story and told that he came to help the British as a payback of their help against Sikhs. This saved him and his warriors from decimation. Some consider this as a cowardly act while other consider it as a great diplomatic move. Mr. Baz Khan, a Dhund chief, was hanged along with his sons and other fellows. The quest to liberate Murree was doomed forever. Tactically the revolt was defeated. Morally it succeeded as it showed the rebellious nature of mountain inhabitants against slavery.

RELATED ARTICLES

KHIABAAN - E - SATTI

TAREEKH-E-SATTIAN

NOTABLE PEOPLE

FAMILY CREST & COAT OF ARMS

THE MURREE REVOLT

SATTI TRIBE IN KASHMIR WAR

THE MARTIAL RACE    

HISTORY OF THE SATTI TRIBE

The Satti is a tribe in the region of North Punjab (Pir Panjal Range), Pakistan. Satti tribe mainly inhabits Kotli Sattian, Kahuta and Murree Hills of Rawalpindi district in north Punjab, Islamabad district, Abbottabad, Mansehra and Kohistan areas of KPK, and some scattered families also live in Afghanistan and in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. 

Origin

The founding father of the Satti tribe, Baba Satti was born at Thoon in Kotli Sattian and from there his offspring spread to the neighbouring settlements.

The Satti tribe has two traditions regarding its origin. One tradition links Baba Satti to Anushirvan, a Sassanian king of Persia, while the other suggests that he was a descendant of a military commander known as Takht Khan, who accompanied Timur during the invasion of Delhi.

However, a huge number of Sattis are believed to have descended from Naushirwan, The Emperor of Sasanian Empire. When Arabs invaded and conquered Persia, the ancestors of this tribe were driven out, they took refuge in the neighbouring states of central Asia. Later on they joined the early Muslim Armies in their invasion of subcontinent and settled in the region of North Punjab, Pakistan in the train of invaders.

Education

The people of this tribe have great love and respect for knowledge. This Satti tribe has produced excellent army officers with the highest achievements, good doctors and scientists, better administrators and reputed students with incredible educational achievements. There are huge number of Sattis, who have earned PhD degrees from local and foreign universities.

The Martial Race

Sattis are inborn soldiers, they possess a distinctive place and role in the Armed Forces of Pakistan. Every graveyard of Satti region is the resting place of Martyrs and War heroes. 

The high walls of mountains of the Satti region on the northeast side, protects the Federal Capital Islamabad as a fortress. As the homeland of most of the in-service and retired forces personnel, it stands surety to the well-being of the motherland.

People inhibiting harsh mountain terrains naturally grow tough and endure a great deal of physical hardship. Mountain tribes in Murree, Kahuta and Kotli Sattian, like people in the entire mountain regions, were averse to slavery. They lived fiercely independent lives since day one. It was known as Aap Raji or self-rule. However, different governments tried to subjugate these tribes from time to time with little success. The turning point arrived during Sikh rule which saw unprecedented atrocities carried out by Sikh armies against mountain tribes. Sattis were confined to higher reaches which were almost outside the approach of Sikh armies. However it forced Sattis to develop a complete self-sufficient lifestyle. They developed their own agriculture, hand mills, water mills, ploughs, etc. But they were deprived of any access to education, health or other civil amenities.

When British and Sikh fought each other Sattis naturally sided with British and Sikhs were finally defeated with the combined efforts of Sattis and British Indian army soldiers. The papers of Sikh surrender were signed at Rawalpindi. Sikhs also meted out similar punishments to other tribes who gallantly fought back them in the entire mountain ranges. The British declared Sattis as martial race and would happily recruit them in their army. The rivalries with Sikhs and subsequent alliance with Brits brought Sattis into regular military profession.

When an armed struggle was launched in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48, two battalions were formed by ex-servicemen, who belonged to the Satti Tribe, named as Kotli battalion and Satti Battalion. The Kotli Battalion comprised of 600 fighters. Captain Muhammad Riaz Satti organised The Satti battalion which comprised of more than 400 fighters.

Ali Gohar Satti’s home in Malot Sattian served as a transit point for arms and men across river Jehlum. Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim of Sadozai tribe managed to acquire 500 Lee Enfield rifles and 45000 bullets which were stored safely in Ali Gohar Satti’s home. On the other side of the river was his son-in-law, Shukar Muhammad Satti, who coordinated the operation to safely transport arms and ammunition across river Jehlum.

Young Satti and Sadozai men swam across freezing river Jehlum and successfully managed to supply weapons to warriors and participated in the fight. The first attack was carried out against Dogra army unit stationed at Thorar. The warriors successfully climbed the rear vertical cliff of the army posts by using ropes and vines made of local shrubs. The enemy was ambushed from behind which left him bewildered with significant casualties. The rest were captured and kept as prisoners of war.

This was the starting point of Jammu and Kashmir liberation movement. The region of Poonch would not have been liberated without Sattis participation. The main reason to join the Poonch uprising was the harsh treatment meted out to Kashmiris by their rulers. Since Sattis and Sadozai have been related through different bonds, it was natural to respond to such calls. See the Striking Symmetry, When the Government of Pakistan joined in, the liberation command was assumed by Brigadier Saddiq Satti who went all the way to Poonch city. Later the Pakistan army headquarters recalled him and eventually the city fell to Indians.

Five war memorials in the Satti region were built to commemorate the gallantry during WWI. Nowhere on this earth such a small population had so many gallantry monuments built in such a number.

It is not true that Sattis showed their bravery only in regular army. Captain Riaz Satti was the right hand man to famous Indian nationalist leader Subash Chandra Bose and worked in the capacity of his secretary. Most of the WWII prisoners from Satti tribe joined Indian National Army of Bose.

RELATED LINKS

KHIABAAN - E - SATTI

TAREEKH-E-SATTIAN

NOTABLE PEOPLE

FAMILY CREST & COAT OF ARMS

THE MURREE REVOLT

SATTI TRIBE IN KASHMIR WAR

SATTI TRIBE VS KHALSA EMPIRE

THE MARTIAL RACE

KOTLI SATTIAN

CAPTAIN KHIZAR MEHMOOD SATTI SHAHEED

Captain Khizar Mehmood Satti Shaheed

Born on 8 July 1983 at Malot Sattian.

Unit 35 A.K 

Embraced Shahadat on 28th may 2011 at Wali Dad Top, Mohmand Agency.

Awarded Sitara-e-Bisalat for his bravery 

Click here for more details

SATTIALI LANGUAGE of Circle Bakote

                                                                                       By : MOHAMMED OBAIDULLAH ALVI                                                                                                  Journalist, Anthropologist and Historian 


Human being related to any Geography, civilization, culture is not mute. They have their own language, full of passions of joy and grieves. This language is also a mirror of  past and road map of their future. They sleep and enjoy their dreams in their native or mother languages. I have studied my mother language since 1996 and compile a dictionary of 2.5 thousands of words, idioms with reference of local past and present back ground. I am translating Holy Quraan in this language first time in history.

The Dhundi-Karlali language is spoken throughout Abbottabad District, and the adjoining Murree Hills and Galyat areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.The Dhund Abbasi and Karlal Tribe form 80% of the population that uses this language. More than 1.5 million people speak this language from the north of Islamabad to the Kaghan Valley in the south, and in the east from the right bank of the Jhelum River to the Silk Road from Hasanabdal to Abbottabad.

Ancient History

The earliest known roots of the language go back to 5,000 BCE when Indo-Aryan priests wrote the Vedas on the high brinks of the Mukeshpuri and Murree hills. The Dhundi language evolved from an ancient Prakrit in 3,500 BCE and by the first century emerged as the Sharda language. This language developed and changed into the Sharda language of Kashmir, the official language of the Buddhist University at Taxila's Sharda Campus sixteen centuries before the invasion of the Huns from Central Asia. Kautilya and Pāṇini were the great scholars of this language

  

Muslim conquest

After the Muslim conquest of Kashmir in the twelfth century, many Muslim tribes such as Satti, Awan, Sayed, Dhund Abbasis, Karlal, and Gakhars (the main feudal lords of area), and many more came to Kashmir with Mahmud of Ghazni and his invading forces; they partially changed the social and political culture as well as the Ghindi language of Kashmir.

Effect on language

This influx resulted in new linguist influences; this dramatically altered the language, literature, poetry, philosophy and some 35% of the vocabulary. This created another version of the Sharda language. In the middle of the second millennium some social changes occurred: Gakhars displaced the Kareal tribe from Bakote to Galyat and promoted the Dhunds as their allies. Gakhars granted Abbottabad District and Murree Hills as jagirs(territorial grants) to Rattan Khan (Abd-u-Rehman), the great-grandson of Shah Wali Khan (Dhond Khan) as a reward. This jagir was geographically a hilly and mountainous area that has been developed by Katwals, Sattis, Gujjars and Kareals through the centuries.

Today a pure form of this language is spoken by Sattis. the language is now referred to as Sattiali in this area.

New History

The linguist Rev. T. Grahame Bayley contributed in the 1901 census of India report on the "dialects spoken in the hills between Murree and Kashmir". Bayley was the first to study the language, which he included in his book Languages of the Northern Himalayas Studied in the Grammar of Twenty-Six Himalayan Dialects, published the by Royal Asiatic Society London in 1908. Grearson detailed the nature and translation of the Sattiali language in the linguistic survey of India (Linguistic Survey of Pakistan Vol IV) published in Lahore in 1980. Linguists consider the Dhundi-Kareali language to be the same as Pahari (Dhondi), Pothwari (Potwari), Chibhali, Punchhi (Poonchi), and Mirpuri, varying slightly in dialect. This language belongs to the Western Pahari language family, which is a branch of the Indo-Iranian language. Indo-Iranian (also known as Aryan) is a branch of the Indo-Europeanfamily of languages. (For details read Mohabbat Husain Awan of Birote Kalan book ASSAN NAY NABI PAK HOR (Our Holy Prophet) first book on Dhundi-Kairali language, published in 2006 in Karachi and won Seerat Award in 2008.The book preface research article was written by Mohammed Obaidullah Alvi and covers five millenniums history and literature of Dhundi-Kairali language. Gulfiraz Abbasi, a lecturer of Murree College is also written a research thesis about this subject in 2010.

References

1. ^ Ethnologue report for language code:phr
2. ^ Location of Birot - Falling Rain Genomics
3. '^ H.H. Risley and E.A. Gait, (1903), Report on the Census of India, 1901, Calcutta, p. 247
4. ^ Formerly known as Qurashies, as narrated by Akram Abbasi in his book Aena-e-Qurashand Noor Alahi Abbasi in Tareekh-e-Murre
5. Awan, Mohabbat Husain, Asan nay Nabi Pak hor (Our Holy Prophet), preface and language by Mohammed Obaidullah Alvi 
6. Colin P. Masica, 1991, The Indo-Aryan Languages
7. Bailey, Rev. T. Grahame. 1904. Panjabi Grammar. Lahore: Punjab Government Press.
8. Rahman, Tariq. 1997. Language and Ethnicity in Pakistan. Asian Survey, 1997 Sep., 37(9):833-839.

  External Links

•  http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Dhundi-Kairali%20language
• Pothohari reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
• Javaid, Umbreen. 2004. Saraiki political movement: its impact in south Punjab. Journal of Research (Humanities), 40(2): 55–65. Lahore: Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of the Punjab. (This PDF contains multiple articles from the same issue.)
• Miki Kharo England - GeoPakistani
• Pahari.org
• Jumtree.co.uk, examples of Potwari Sher (sung poetry)

KHALABAT SATTIAN - MURREE HILLS

Khalabat is a hilly village of Murree hills in Rawalpindi district, Pakistan. Khalabat is 23 miles south-east of Murree town - a popular hill station, 31 miles north-east of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It is in the lower Himalayan hills and this area has cold, snowy winters, relatively cool summer with drastically escalated rain. During monsoon village top mostly remains covered by fog, monsoon starts in July and continues til September.

Maize is the traditional crop of the area, land holdings are small due to the hilly terrain and production is hardly sufficient for subsistence. Apple, apricot, pear, plum, walnut, cherry, raspberry, fig and pine nuts are main fruit of Khalabat.

The village has forest land as well as cultivated land. Part of the forest is kept by the government ; some of it, called guzara, is for community use. The forest is covered by thick blue pine trees. The top peak of the village is at altitude of 7,417 ft which is known as "Kullah", and the distance between this peak and Patriata top is just 300 meters, Patriata top is the highest point of the Murree hills which consequently the highest point of the Punjab as well.
There is a dense blue pines forest between Khalabat and Patriata, which is home to different wild animals like leopard, bear, monkey, fox and various species of pheasant and rabbit.
Forest is full of wilderness and it has large number of culinary and medicinal herbs.

The third type of land is used for house construction. Due to the need for terraces, houses and fields are small and homes are scattered.

There are four Mosques in village including Central Jammah Mosque. There is one primary school for boys and one for girls, one private high school for boys and girls and a college for girls. The literacy rate of Khalabat is 91.5%.

The village consists of five parts. The villagers are of different ethnic groups and each occupies a specific area of the village.
The largest ethnic group in the village consists of Satti who are also the second largest tribe in the Murree Hills. There are four tribes inhabiting the Murree hills: Abbasi, Satti, Dhanial and Kethwal. Khalabat is a Satti village situated in Satti area. In this village the first migrants were three Satti brothers from a neighboring village to the south east of Khalabat. Dhanials came later, the few households of Kethwals are the latest arrivals in the village.

Ethnic group Percentage in Khalabat
Satti 66%
Dhanial 24%
Kethwal 9%
others 1%

KhalabatVibe

                                                                By : Anjum Satti