![]() History of Poonch District Poonch district has witnessed many historical era. Around 326 BC when Alexander the Great attacked the lower Jhelum belt to battle with Porus, this region was known as Dravabhisar. In 6th Century AD, the famous Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang passed through this area. Around 850 AD Poonch became an independent state ruled by Raja Nar, who was mainly a horse trader. In 1596, Mughal emperor Jahangir made Siraj-Ud-Din ruler of Poonch. In 1819 this area was captured by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and it remained under the occupation of Khalsa Darbar of Lahore till 1850. The epoch from 1850 to 1947 is considered as the Golden Period of the history of Poonch. The Principality of Poonch got status of a state from British Raj in 1901 AD during the reign of Raja Baldev Singh. Geography of Poonch District ![]() Administration of Poonch District The district Poonch comprises 178 villages including 10 uninhabited villages, 115 panchayats, 51 patwar halqas, 12 girdawar circles, 8 niabats, 6 blocks, 4 tehsils, one sub-division and 190993 khasra numbers. At present under single line administration, the heads of different departments are working under the administrative control of District Development Commissioner. The District Development Commissioner is also known as Deputy Commissioner and is Revenue head of the District. The Deputy Commissioner is also vested with Powers of District Magistrate and is responsible to maintain Law and Order in the District. The law confers him very extensive powers for preserving peace and harmony. The administration of Police force is vested with Superintendent of Police in the District. Economy of Poonch District The economic condition of people of Poonch district is not adequate. Industrial environment is completely absent and commercial activity exists on a very low scale. Unemployment problem among youth, both skilled and unskilled workers is quite huge when compared to other districts of the State. The State Government is trying its level best to eliminate the problem by implementation of different employment generation schemes. Culture of Poonch District ![]() Tourism in Poonch District Poonch district has a lot to offer when it comes to tourism. Set amidst royal snow-capped mountains, dotted with beautiful lakes and twisty streams, affluent in nature's choicest gifts of fruit, flower, forests and age-old historical monuments, Poonch district offers the panorama of a vacation. Noori Chammb is associated with the name of Mughal Queen Nur Jahan is famous for its scenic beauty and water fall. Girgan Dhok is a valley of seven lakes. These lovely lakes have their own charm which a visitor would long remember. Poonch Fort bears the magnificence of Mughal architecture. As peoples of the place follow different religions, different religious places exist in the district and are renowned for the pilgrimage. How to reach Poonch District By Road: District Poonch is connected to other parts of the state and country through Road links. It is about 250 Km form Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir State. Everyday from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. a number of buses, Video Coaches, Tempos Traveller, Sumo, and other vehicles leave Bus-Stand Jammu for Poonch. |