Rajouri district
Rajouri district is a district in the Jammu division of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in the larger disputed Kashmir region. The Line of Control, between the Indian- and Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir, lies to its west, Poonch to its north, the Reasi district to the east and the Jammu district to its south. Rajouri is famous for its "Kalari". Representing an ancient principality, Rajouri was a joint district, along with Reasi, at the time of princely state's accession to India in 1947. The two tehsils were separated and Rajouri was merged with the Poonch district. Rajouri again became a separate district along with Reasi in 1968 till 2006 when both were separated again.
The Rajouri district comprises 13 tehsils. The land is mostly fertile and mountainous. Maize, wheat and rice are the main crops of the area and the main source of the irrigation is the river Tawi that originates from the mountains of Pir Panjal.
Geography
The Rajouri district is bordered on the west by Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir's Kotli district, on the north by the Indian-controlled part of Poonch district, on the east by the Reasi district and on the south by Jammu district.The northern parts of the Rajouri district are in the Pir Panjal range, especially the Thanamandi and Darhal tehsils. However, The Rajouri Tawi River and its many tributaries flow through the mountain valleys, making them habitable. The Ansi River similarly waters the Budhal tehsil.
In the south, there is a wide valley between the Tain Dhar and Kali Dhar ranges, which is called either Naushera Valley or Lam-Khuiratta Valley. In between these two ranges, there is a lower range called Koti Dhar, which divides the valley into two parts. The Line of Control between the Indian-administered and Pakistani-administered Kashmir regions runs along the southern Kali Dhar range for part of the way and the Koti Dhar range for the rest.
The old Mughal Road into the Kashmir Valley used to come up from Bhimber, and pass through the Naushera and Rajouri towns to the Pir Panjal Pass. This is now cut off by the Line of Control. Also cut off is the roadway between Sunderbani and Kotli, which used to run in the Lam-Khuiratta valley.
History
Ancient history
According to some historians, a second branch of Aryan emigrants crossed the Himalayas in the north and west and settled in Rajouri and Poonch area. Rajouri, Bhimber Gali and Naushera were integrated within the territory of Abhisar, which was one of the hill states of the Punjab Kingdom. Early records of incomplete nature show that in the 4th century B.C.E., there existed in the northwest of India a federal political setup, in which Abhisar, with its capital Rajouri, was also incorporated. At the time of Alexander's invasion, Rajouri was at the summit of its splendour. In the Mauryan period, the town of Rajouri was a great trade centre.Early modern history
During Mughal rule, the Muslim Jarral Rajput rulers or Raja agreed to a treaty with the Mughal Empire and were given the titles 'Raja' and 'Mirza'. Descendants of the Jarral Rajput dynasty continue to use these titles. Albaruni visited Rajouri with Sultan Masud in 1036 C.E. In his book "India", he refers to Rajouri as Raja Vari. Srivar, the writer of 'Raj Tirangini' written during the administration of Sultan Zain-Ul-Abdin, also refers to this region as Raja Vari. It is believed that Raja Vari was a variant of Rajapuri. Mirza Zafarulla Khan, the writer of 'Tarikh Rajgan-E-Rajour', illustrated in his book that the region was in the beginning known as Raj-Avar, and then altered from Rajour to Rajouri. The older inhabitants in the villages still labelled the place as Rajour. With the course of time, the name changed from Raja's Raj Avar to Raja Puri, Rajpuri to Raj Vari, Raj Vari to Raj Vara, Raj Vara to Raj Avar, Raj Avar to Rajour and then Rajour to Rajouri. According to Rajtirangini of Kalhan, Rajouri emerged as a principality in about 1003 C.E. The first ruler of this kingdom was Raja Prithvi Pal of the Mangral / Manial Rajput clan from 1033 to 1194 C.E. Raja Prithvi Pal defended Pir Panchal Pass at the time of incursion of Sultan Mehmud in 1021 C.E. Raja Sangram Pal safeguarded his principality Rajouri when Raja Harash of Kashmir attacked his country in 1089 A.D. Sangram Pal fought so courageously that Raja Harash was obliged to return from Prithvi Pal fort without capturing Rajouri. Jaral Muslim Rajas rebuilt Rajouri city at the time of their rule. A number of forts, sarais, mosques and baradaris were constructed.The area of the Rajouri principality included proper Rajouri, Thanna, Bagla Azim Garh, Behrote, Chingus, Darhal, Nagrota and Phalyana.
Kashmir Sultanate
Rajouri came under the suzerainty of the Kashmir Sultanate during the 15th century through the military campaigns of General Malik Tazi Bhat. In 1475, he led conquests that brought Rajouri, along with Poonch, Jammu, Bhimber, Jhelum, Sialkot, and Gujrat, under the administrative control of the Kashmiri Sultan. Local rulers retained limited autonomy but were required to acknowledge the Sultan’s authority and provide tribute and military support. This vassal arrangement continued until the late 16th century, when Mughal Emperor Akbar annexed Kashmir in 1586, ending Kashmir’s control over Rajouri.Modern history
In 1813, Gulab Singh of Jammu captured Rajouri for the Sikh Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh by defeating Raja Agar Ullah Khan. After this, Rajouri became part of the Sikh Empire. Parts of it were given as jagirs to Rahim Ullah Khan and other parts to Gulab Singh.Following the First Anglo-Sikh War and the Treaty of Amritsar, all the territories between the Ravi River and Indus were transferred to Gulab Singh, and he was recognised as an independent Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. Thus Rajouri became a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulab Singh changed the name of Rajouri to Rampur. He appointed Mian Hathu as Governor of Rajouri, who remained in Rajouri up to 1856. Mian Hathu constructed a stunning temple in between Thanna Nallah in close proximity to Rajouri city. He also built Rajouri Fort at Dhannidhar village.
After Mian Hathu, Rajouri was transformed into a tehsil and affiliated with Bhimber district. In 1904, this tehsil was separated from Bhimber and affiliated with the Reasi district.
Partition
After the Partition of India and the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in October 1947, there followed the First Kashmir War between India and Pakistan. The Pakistani raiders, along with the rebels and deserters from the western districts of the state, captured Rajauri on 7 November 1947. The 30,000 Hindus and Sikhs living in Rajauri were reportedly killed, wounded or abducted. Rajauri was recaptured on 12 April 1948 by the 19 Infantry Brigade of the Indian Army under the command of Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane. Rane, despite being wounded, launched a bold tank assault by conveying the tanks over the Tawi river bed in order to avoid the road blocks along the main road. When the Indian Army entered the town, the captors had fled, having destroyed most of the town and killing all its inhabitants. After the arrival of the Army, some 1,500 refugees that had fled to the hills, including women and children, returned to the town.The ceasefire line at the end of the war ran to the west of the Rajouri district.
Inside India
Soon after the war, the Rajouri and Reasi tehsils were separated. The Rajouri tehsil was merged with the Indian-administered Poonch district to form the Poonch-Rajouri district. The Reasi tehsil was merged with the Udhampur district. On 1 January 1968, the two tehsils were reunited and the resulting district was named the Rajouri district.The Reasi tehsil was also separated out in 2006 into a separate Reasi district. The present Rajouri district comprises the 1947 Rajouri tehsil.
Pakistan Air Force airstrike
On 27 February 2019, Pakistan Air Force crossed the Line of Control and carried out airstrikes against multiple targets in Rajouri district. Pakistan Air Force officials asserted that their target was the Indian military's supply depot and had struck 6 locations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. PAF officials claimed that they successfully achieved their targets. Indian military officials confirmed that the airstrike took place and identified Narian, Lam Jhangar and Kerri in Rajouri district, and Hamiphur area in Poonch district as the targets of the attacks. Indian military officials further stated that the bombs landed in deserted area and caused no damage. Indian Army 25 division headquarters and ammunition and supply depot were the intended targets of the airstrikes as per Indian military officials' claims.2023 Rajouri attacks
For over a decade, terrorism had primarily been confined to the tumultuous Kashmir Valley with some isolated incidents in other parts of J&K. But that trend changed in 2023 when militants killed seven people in the border district of Rajouri, the first such major attack in the Jammu division in years. It marked the beginning of a worrying shift in Kashmir’s militancy. On 1 January 2023, some militants broke into three houses in Dhangri village of Rajouri district and opened fire on civilians, resulting into death of four and injuring others. On 2 January 2023, an Improvised Explosive Device blasted near the same attack site, resulting in the death of a child and injuring five people.Organisation
The Rajouri district comprises the subdistrict sunderbani, nowshera, Kotranka, kalakote & tehsils are Rajouri, Darhal, Sunderbani, Budhal, kotranka, khawas, Manjakote Nowshera, Thanamandi, and Kalakot.There are 19 blocks: Rajouri, Darhal, kotranka Sunderbani, Doongi, Nowshera, Kalakote, Manjakote, Thanamandi and Budhal, Dhangri, khawas, Lamberi, Moghla, Panjgrain,Plangar,Qila darhal,Rajnagar,Seri,Siot,. Each block consists of a number of panchayats.
During recent reviews conducted by administration. It is planned to construct 400/132kv & 400/220 kv station at Rajori to resolve the electrical power supply to the statved area of Rajouri, Poonch Mendhar. This Grid station will be based on latest GIS technology of electrical technology.
Rajouri has its own deemed University Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University popularly known as BGSBU which offers various Diploma, UG and PG courses. It also has one Government Medical College GMC Rajouri along with other degree colleges.