Poonch

Poonch (or Punch), (called Prunts in the Kashmiri, Gojri & Pahari languages) is a town and the administrative headquarters of the Poonch district, in the Jammu division of the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger disputed territory of Kashmir. It is located near the Line of Control – the de facto border in the disputed region. Poonch shares a de facto border with the Poonch district of the Pakistan-administered, self-governing territory of Azad Kashmir. History of the Poonch District Based on the Mahābhārata evidence, and the evidence from the seventh-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang, the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara were under the sway of the Republican Kambojas during epic times. Poonch has witnessed many historical eras. Around 326 BC when Alexander the Great invaded the lower Jhelum belt to fight with Porus, this region was known as Dravabhisar. In the sixth-century AD, the famous Chinese traveller Huien Tsang passed through this area. According to his observation, this region was known as part of Kashmir also known as mini Kashmir. Around 850 AD Poonch became a sovereign state ruled by Raja Nar, who was basically a horse trader. According to Rajatarangani, Raja Trilochanapala of the Poonch area gave a tough fight to Mahmood Ghaznvi, who invaded this area in 1020 A.D. In 1596, the Mughal emperor Jahangir made Raja Siraj-Ud-Din Rathore, the descendant of Rao Jodha and Rao Suraj Singh, the new ruler of Poonch. Siraj-Ud-Din and his descendants Raja Shahbaz Khan Rathore, Raja Abdul Razak Rathore, Raja Rustam Rathore and Raja Bahadur Rathore ruled this area up to 1798 AD. From 1819 to 1846, Poonch was a part of the Sikh Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Maharaja granted it as a jagir to Raja Dhian Singh, one of his nobles and a brother of Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu. In 1846 Poonch was part of the territories transferred to Gulab Singh, who became the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir under the suzerainty of the British Raj.