Rajouri district | |
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 Aerial view of Rajouri city | |
 Interactive map of Rajouri district | |
![Rajouri district is in the Jammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded in tan in the disputed Kashmir region[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aJammu_and_Kashmir_Rajouri_district.svg) Rajouri district is in theJammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administeredJammu and Kashmir (shaded intan in the disputedKashmir region[1] | |
| Coordinates (Rajouri):33°23′N74°19′E / 33.38°N 74.31°E /33.38; 74.31 | |
| Administering country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Division | Jammu |
| Headquarters | Rajouri |
| Tehsils | 1.Rajouri 2.Manjakote 3.Darhal 4.Qila Darhal 5.Thana Mandi 6.Kotranka 7.Khawas 8.Teryath 9.Kalakote 10.Beri Pattan 11.Sunderbani 12.Nowshera 13.Siot |
| Government | |
| • Vidhan Sabha constituencies | 5 seats |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,630 km2 (1,020 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 642,415 |
| • Density | 244/km2 (633/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 8.1% |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 68.17% |
| • Sex ratio | 860 |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | JK-11 |
| Website | https://rajouri.nic.in/ |
Rajouri district is a district in theJammu division of Indianunion territory ofJammu and Kashmir, in the largerdisputedKashmir region.[1] TheLine of Control, between the Indian- and Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir, lies to its west,Poonch to its north, theReasi district to the east and theJammu district to its south. Rajouri is famous for its "Kalari" (made from milk).[2] Representing an ancient principality, Rajouri was a joint district, along withReasi, 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 13tehsils (boroughs). 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 riverTawi that originates from the mountains ofPir Panjal.
The Rajouri district is bordered on the west by Pakistan-controlledAzad Kashmir'sKotli district, on the north by the Indian-controlled part ofPoonch district, on the east by theReasi district and on the south byJammu district.
The northern parts of the Rajouri district are in the Pir Panjal range, especially the Thanamandi and Darhal tehsils. However, TheRajouri Tawi River (also called Naushera Tawi) 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 theTain Dhar andKali Dhar ranges (part of the Outer Hills of the Himalayas), which is called either Naushera Valley or Lam-Khuiratta Valley. In between these two ranges, there is a lower range calledKoti Dhar, which divides the valley into two parts.[3] TheLine of Control between theIndian-administered andPakistani-administered Kashmir regions runs along the southern Kali Dhar range for part of the way and the Koti Dhar range for the rest.
The oldMughal Road into the Kashmir Valley used to come up from Bhimber, and pass through the Naushera and Rajouri towns to thePir Panjal Pass. This is now cut off by the Line of Control. Also cut off is the roadway betweenSunderbani andKotli, which used to run in the Lam-Khuiratta valley.
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.
During Mughal rule, the Muslim Jarral Rajput rulers orRaja agreed to a treaty with the Mughal Empire and were given the titles 'Raja' and 'Mirza'. Descendants of the JarralRajput dynasty continue to use these titles. Albaruni visited Rajouri with Sultan Masud (son of Sultan Mahmud) 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.
Rajouri came under the suzerainty of theKashmir Sultanate during the 15th century through the military campaigns of GeneralMalik Tazi Bhat. In 1475, he led conquests that brought Rajouri, along withPoonch,Jammu,Bhimber,Jhelum,Sialkot, andGujrat, 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 EmperorAkbar annexed Kashmir in 1586, ending Kashmir’s control over Rajouri.[4]
In 1813,Gulab Singh of Jammu captured Rajouri for theSikh Empire of MaharajaRanjit Singh by defeating Raja Agar Ullah Khan.[5] After this, Rajouri became part of the Sikh Empire. Parts of it were given as jagirs to Rahim Ullah Khan (a half-brother of Agar Ullah Khan) and other parts to Gulab Singh.[6]
Following theFirst Anglo-Sikh War and theTreaty of Amritsar (1846), all the territories between theRavi River andIndus were transferred to Gulab Singh, and he was recognised as an independent Maharaja ofJammu and Kashmir. Thus Rajouri became a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.[7] Gulab Singh changed the name of Rajouri to Rampur. He appointed Mian Hathu as Governor of Rajouri, who remained in Rajouri up to 1856.[8] Mian Hathu constructed a stunning temple in between Thanna Nallah in close proximity to Rajouri city. He also built Rajouri Fort at Dhannidhar village.[citation needed]
After Mian Hathu, Rajouri was transformed into a tehsil and affiliated withBhimber district. In 1904, this tehsil was separated from Bhimber and affiliated with theReasi district.[7]
After thePartition of India and the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in October 1947, there followed theFirst 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.[9][10][11] Rajauri was recaptured on 12 April 1948 by the 19 Infantry Brigade of the Indian Army under the command of Second LieutenantRama Raghoba Rane. Rane, despite being wounded, launched a bold tank assault by conveying the tanks over theTawi river bed in order to avoid the road blocks along the main road.[12] 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.[13]
The ceasefire line at the end of the war ran to the west of the Rajouri district.
Soon after the war, the Rajouri and Reasi tehsils were separated. The Rajouri tehsil was merged with the Indian-administeredPoonch district to form the Poonch-Rajouri district.[7] The Reasi tehsil was merged with theUdhampur district. On 1 January 1968, the two tehsils were reunited and the resulting district was named the Rajouri district.[7]
The Reasi tehsil was also separated out in 2006 into a separateReasi district. The present Rajouri district comprises the 1947 Rajouri tehsil.
On 27 February 2019,Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crossed theLine 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-administeredJammu and Kashmir. PAF officials claimed that they successfully achieved their targets.[14][15] Indian military officials confirmed that the airstrike took place and identified Narian, Lam Jhangar and Kerri in Rajouri district, and Hamiphur area inPoonch 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.[16][17]
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 (IED) blasted near the same attack site, resulting in the death of a child and injuring five people.[18]
The Rajouri district comprises the subdistrict sunderbani, nowshera,Kotranka, kalakote & tehsils are Rajouri, Darhal, Sunderbani, Budhal, kotranka, khawas, Manjakote Nowshera, Thanamandi, and Kalakot.[19]
There are 19 blocks:Rajouri, Darhal, kotrankaSunderbani, Doongi,Nowshera, Kalakote, Manjakote,Thanamandi andBudhal, Dhangri, khawas, Lamberi, Moghla, Panjgrain,Plangar,Qila darhal,Rajnagar,Seri,Siot,.[20] Each block consists of a number ofpanchayats.
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[check spelling] area of Rajouri, Poonch Mendhar. This Grid station will be based on latest GIS technology of electrical technology.
Rajouri has its own deemed UniversityBaba Ghulam Shah Badshah University popularly known as BGSBU which offers various Diploma, UG and PG courses. It also has one Government Medical CollegeGMC Rajouri along with other degree colleges.
The district has five assembly constituencies: Nowshera, Budhal, Thannamandi, Rajouri andKalakote,[21] and 14 district development council constituencies: Budhal New, Budhal Old-A, Budhal Old-B, Darhal, Dhangri, Doongi,Kalakote, Manjakote, Moughla, Nowshera, Rajouri, Seri, Sunderbani and Thanamandi.[22] Rajouri District (exceptKalakote, which falls under theJammu Lok Sabha constituency), comes underAnantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha Constituency.[23]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 136,281 | — |
| 1911 | 146,823 | +7.7% |
| 1921 | 157,430 | +7.2% |
| 1931 | 166,126 | +5.5% |
| 1941 | 184,049 | +10.8% |
| 1951 | 177,789 | −3.4% |
| 1961 | 171,529 | −3.5% |
| 1971 | 217,373 | +26.7% |
| 1981 | 302,500 | +39.2% |
| 1991 | 384,435 | +27.1% |
| 2001 | 483,284 | +25.7% |
| 2011 | 642,415 | +32.9% |
| † 1951 and 1991 populations are estimated Source:Census of India[24] | ||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 62.71% | |||
| Hinduism | 34.54% | |||
| Sikhism | 2.41% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.34% | |||
According to the2011 census Rajouri district has apopulation of 642,415.[2] This gives it a ranking of 518th in India (out of a total of640).[2] The district has a population density of 235 inhabitants per square kilometre (610/sq mi).[2] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 28.14%.[2] Rajouri has asex ratio of 863females for every 1000 males[2] (which varies with religion), and aliteracy rate of 68.54%. TheScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 7.5% and 36.2% of the population of the district.[27]
Though Urdu and English are the main mediums of instruction, the main native languages arePahari-Pothwari andGujari. Pahari is mainly spoken by the Pahari Tribal community that forms majority of Rajouri District. Gujari is mainly spoken by theMuslim Gujjars andBakarwal which contribute much Muslim population of Rajouri.Kashmiri andDogri are both spoken by small minorities.
| Religion (and population) | Sex Ratio | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim (pop 402,879) | 923 | |||
| Hindu (pop 221,880) | 776 | |||
| Sikh (pop 15,513) | 646 | |||
| Other (pop 2,143) | 476 | |||
| Total (pop 642,415) | 860 | |||
| Rajouri district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.[25] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total | |
| Total | 221,880 | 402,879 | 983 | 15,513 | 189 | 26 | 3 | 942 | 642,415 |
| 34.54% | 62.71% | 0.15% | 2.41% | 0.03% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.15% | 100.00% | |
| Male | 124,925 | 209,548 | 730 | 9,426 | 165 | 18 | 2 | 537 | 345,351 |
| Female | 96,955 | 193,331 | 253 | 6,087 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 405 | 297,064 |
| Gender ratio (% female) | 43.7% | 48.0% | 25.7% | 39.2% | 12.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% | 43.0% | 46.2% |
| Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) | 776 | 923 | 347 | 646 | – | – | – | 754 | 860 |
| Urban | 31,243 | 17,244 | 278 | 3,452 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 57 | 52,314 |
| Rural | 190,637 | 385,635 | 705 | 12,061 | 157 | 19 | 2 | 885 | 590,101 |
| % Urban | 14.1% | 4.3% | 28.3% | 22.3% | 16.9% | 26.9% | 33.3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
Places adjacent to Rajouri district | |
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| National | |
