Historically known as Nagarkot and "Trigarta".the town of Kangra was founded by Katoch Kshatriya Rajputs of ChandervanshiLineage . The Katoch Rajas had a stronghold here, with a fort and rich temples.
Another ancient name of the city is Bhimagar and it was supposedly founded by Raja Bhim, younger brother of Kuru EmperorYudhisthira of Indraprastha (now Delhi).
The temple of Devi Vajreshwari was one of the oldest and wealthiest in northern India. It was destroyed, together with the fort and the town, by 1905 Kangra earthquake on the 4 April 1905, when 1339 lives were lost in this place alone, and about 20,000 elsewhere. In 1855 the headquarters of the district were removed to the cantonment of Dharmsala, which was established in 1849.
Invasions on Nagarkot
Mahmud of Ghazni took the fort in 1009 and from one of the temples carried off a vast treasure. In 1360 Kangra was again plundered, by Feroz Shah Tughluq.
After invading and occupying Kumaon and Garhwal in 1790, the Gurkhas invaded Kangra in 1806 and occupied it until the British took it back in 1815. The princely state of Kangra was merged in India in 1948 by the then titled Raja of Kangra-Lambagraon namely Raja Druv Dev Chand Katoch. It was part of composite Punjab till November 1966 when it got transferred to Himachal Pradesh
