Sudhan are a tribe of the Poonch Division of the Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir region, with their population primarily concentrated in the districts of Poonch and Sudhanoti, and smaller populations in the neighbouring areas of Bagh and Kotli. According to oral traditions, the Sudhans allegedly originated from Pashtun areas, and are regarded as the founding tribe of the Sudhanoti region, which bears their name.^{[verification needed]}

The tribe claims an Afghan ancestry. Alastair Lamb, a British historian and ethnographer wrote that there is a significant Pathan influence in Poonch and that the Sudhans, a major group claim to be of Afghan descent. According to Syed Ali, Sudhans have a Pashtun descent and moved to the Poonch district of Kashmir region some centuries ago. Sardar Ibrahim Khan, the first president of Azad Kashmir and himself a Sudhan wrote that Sudhans belong to the Sudhazai tribe of Pashtuns and migrated from Afghanistan via Dera Ismail Khan. Sudhans consider themselves to be Sudhozai or Saddozai Pathans (Pashtuns). Their claim to a Pashtun heritage is considered to be alleged. Scholar Iffat Malik of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad writes:

The Sudhans claim their origin from Afghanistan and they consider themselves to be descendants of a common ancestor Jassi Khan, who was an Afghan chief and had earned the name of Sudhan (from Sanskrit, meanings "justice, fair and honest") as a compliment to his valour as he 500 years or so ago landed in Western parts of Poonch and fought for their existence, but the local people dominated them in this period, they multiplied quickly and emerged into a strong and powerful tribe. According to them, they are same as the Sudhazai tribe of high class Afghans. In social habits and customs they also are certainly akin to Sudhazais of Afghanistan. Among Afghans, Sudhazai are a very respected clan with long good history behind them. Sikhs and Dogras had to fight the Sudhans in wars spread over a fairly long time as they had never been reconciled to their rule by them, and there was first rebellion in 1837, after Sudhan people went in revolt against Sikh Empire, had captured hills from Sikhs, however Sudhans were defeated by Sikhs but survived as a strong tribe. In 1947, Sudhans were first to challenge Dogras.

The Sudhan population was recorded to be 56,754 in the 1911 census, with 28,160 males and 28,594 females.

Although no contemporary sources exist that verify the Sudhan alleged origins, the Sudhan oral tradition and writings generally state that in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, a Pashtun chieftain named Jassi Khan, a descendant of his ancestor Saddo and hailing from Ghazni encamped in the Murree hills with his small Pashtun force, neighbouring west to the areas of the modern day Sudhanoti and Poonch districts. It is stated that the territories had originally been inhabited by local Brahmins, who had recently faced an invasion by a Rajput tribe called the Bagars (or Bhagris). The Bagars are said to have subjugated and oppressively ruled over the Brahmins, who sought the assistance of Jassi in expelling the Bagar occupiers. Jassi is said to have travelled to Pashtun territories, increasing the size of his forces, and taking command of both his and the rebelling Brahmin army and then overwhelming and expelling the Bagars from the region. It is said that afterwards Jassi took rule over the region and settled the Pashtuns from his forces. He was accepted by the Brahmins as a ruler, who granted him and the Pashtuns the laqab (title) "Sudhan" from Sanskrit, which is said to have been given as a compliment to their valor. It is said that Jassi and the Pashtuns accepted the title, and that Jassi renamed the captured territories to "Sudhanoti". His descendants and the Sudhans are said to have continued autonomous rule in Sudhanoti until their 1837 Poonch Revolt against the Sikh Empire and Dogra dynasty. After the failure of the rebellion, the Sudhans were stripped of autonomy and fully integrated into the Sikh Empire and brought under the control of the Lahore government.

According to books written throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, such as "The Pearl String of Saddozais" by Sabir Hussain Sabir, Jassi Khan belongs to the lineage of a different Sadullah Khan than the Malik Saddu Khan of the Saddozai branch of the Durrani Confederation. This Saddullah is said to have been born in 961 AD, and was the son of Atman, whom himself was a descendant of one Uthman. This gives way to an "Uthmanzai" branch of a different Saddozai tribe. The Saddozai are a lineage of the Popalzai clan of the Abdali tribe of the ethnic Pashtun. The lineage takes its name from its ancestor, Saddo Khan.

The Sudhan tribe contributed significant numbers of recruits into the British Indian Army during World War 1 and World War II. Their total contribution to the British Indian Army during World War I and World War II is considered to be between 40,000 and 60,000 soldiers.

In 1819, under the leadership of Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs had successfully routed the Saddozai Kingdom from Kashmir. Subsequently, the Sikh Empire came to rule the region of the Kashmir Valley, though they had previously already obtained control over Jammu.