‘King’s Settlemenrt’ [Raj Vari] City/District, Jammu & Kashmir
From Skt: rāj, ‘king’; and pura, ‘(fortified) settlement’, ‘town’
Rajouri is a historically significant town located in the Pir Panjal range with ancient roots.
Al-biruni, the 11th century Islamic scholar and traveller visited here with Sultan Masud (Son of Sultan Mahmud) in 1036 CE. In his book India he called it Raja Vari.
Rajouri is also mentioned in Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, a 12th century chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, where it is referred to as Rajapuri.
During the Mughal era, Rajouri became a key stop on the route to the Kashmir Valley.
In the 19th century, Rajouri was integrated into the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. During this time, it served as an administrative and cultural hub.
Rajouri witnessed turmoil during the partition of India in 1947. It was briefly captured by Pakistani tribal invaders before being retaken by Indian forces. Since then, the town has been strategically important due to its proximity to the Line of Control (LoC).
For related place names see Indian Place names and Jammu & Kashmir place names.
