Dhund Abbasi

The Dhund Abbasi (also written Dhúnd; ) is a sub tribe of Abbasi Tribe in Northern Pakistan. They are mainly settled in Abbottabad District and Murree Hills, Along with Tehsil Kahuta and in District Rawalpindi of Punjab Province. They are also found in District Haripur and Mansehra of Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Apart from Abbottabad and Murree, there are large populations of Dhund Abbasis living in the Bagh District and Muzaffarabad District of Azad Kashmir. The tribe speaks the Dhundi-Kairlali hill dialect of Pahari-Pothwari. 
The word Dhund was an honorary name given to one of their forefathers.

Origins

The tribe traces its roots back to Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (Uncle of Prophet Mohammad). The Dhund Abbasis are descendents of the Abbasid dynasty. The descendants of Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib assumed authority over the muslim empire from the Umayyads in 750 CE and were known as the Abbasids, this dynasty governed for 500 years from Baghdad, Iraq. The rule of the Abbasids extended eastwards across Afghanistan into the South Asian subcontinent, covering the eastern part of modern-day Pakistan.  

Their Ancestor Ghayyas Ud Deen Mohammad Zorab Shah Also known as Sardar Zorab Khan Abbasi (1030 AD) was Governer General and Commander of Armed Forces in Hirat, Afghanistan during the reign of Mehmood Ghaznavi of Ghaznavid Empire. He came to sub continent with 
Mehmood Ghaznavi in his War Campaign and attacked on the state of Kashmir. When Zorab Khan reached Kashmir along with his Army, King of Kahmir agreed to pay tax and also married his daughter to Sardar Zorab Khan Abbasi,the Abbasid Army Chief. He received great wealth And lands from King of Kashmir and settled in his state as an Ambassador of Abbasid Dynasty. His Grave is in Darkot, a village of Kohota Tehsil of District Rawalpindi. He had only one son named Ghai Mohammad Akbar Also known as Sardar Akbar Ghai Khan Abbasi whose grave was also next to his father's grave. Sardar Akbar Ghai had twelve sons by whom his race spreads. This incident was recorded in Miraat Us Salaateen along with the family tree of Zorab Khan Abbasi, a famous history book written in Persian in 1836 AD. Also brief History of Dhund Abbasi's along with Family Tree is recorded in Abbasiyan E Hind written in 1819 AD by Mufti Najam Ud Deen Samarqandi. 

Sardar Zorab Khan was the son of Taeq Shah also known as Taif Khan who was an Abbasid Commander in Khurasaan during the reign of Abbasi Caliph Al Ta'eh Li'Amr'illah who ruled from 974 to 991 AD. He later joined Subgtageen (Father of Mehmood Ghaznavi) in Khurasaan.

The word Dhund was an honorary name given to one of their forefather Hazrat Shah Wali Ullah Also Known as Dhund Khan Abbasi by their Spritual Sheikh Hazrat Baha'ud Deen Zakria Multani. Sardar Shah Wali Ullah Khan Abbasi was also a Sufi Saint. He was the Great Grand Son of Sardar Zorab Khan Abbasi. Shah Wali's Brother name was Bagh Wali Khan (Forefather of Ghayyal & Jasgam Abbasi Tribe) living in Poonch and Bagh Districts of Azad Kashmir, along with Tehsil Kohota and Kotli Sattiyan of District Rawalpindi.

One of Famous Perosnalities of Dhund Abbasi Tribe is Peer Nehmat Shah Also known as Dada Dhummat Khan Abbasi (1380 AD). Dada Dhummat Khan Abbasi was a Sufi Saint & his shrine is in Ghora Gali, Murree. He moved from Poonch Region of Kahsmir to Murree Hills in mid fourteenth century. He was the GrandFather of All Abbasi Tribes of Murree Hills & Hazara KPK Region adjacent to Murree Hills and also GrandFather of Abbasi Tribe's of District Bagh & Muzzaffarabad of Kashmir. 

Dhunds are the largest and most prominent tribe of Murree. Historically besides Murree, tribal abode of Dhund Abbasis include parts of present day Islamabad Capital Territory, Tehsil Kahuta and Kotli Sattian of Rawalpindi, District Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra of KPK and Deerkot tehsil in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir.
Besides there is a large population of Dhund tribe in Kahuta tehsil, who are known as Jasgam. According to Gazetteer Rawalpindi 1893-4 they had thirteen villages in tehsil Kahuta to at the time.

According to Census of India 1881 total population of Dhund Abbasis, excluding Abbasis tribes of Kahsmir, in Rawalpindi and Hazara districts was 32690 of which 18268 lived in Rawalpindi and 14412 in Hazara. Furthermore, Abbasis' constitute overwhelming majority the population of Deerkot tehsil in Bagh district of Azad Kashmir.

Current data is not available but the total population of Dhunds (Abbasi's) in Murree and surrounding areas of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Hazara division of KPK and Azad Kashmir is thought to be around 2 to 3 Million.

Also of the predecessors of the tribe and very reverend Saint Dada (grandfather as he is affectionately called in the area) Peer Mulk Sooraj Khan Abbasi of Potha Sharif was a contemporary of Hazrat Bari Imam, another great saint whose mausoleum is in present day Islamabad. Bari Imam lived in the times of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1606-). This means that the Abbasis were present in considerable numbers at that time.

Related pages
 Karlal
 Murree
 Bhag

References

More reading
 

Ethnic groups in Pakistan
Pakistani tribes
Ethnic groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Abbottabad District