Rajouri, during ancient times known as Rajapura or Rajapuri – ‘the land of Kings’ - finds its mention in the travelogue of Chinese traveler Yuan Chawang who visited the town in 632 AD and described it as a part of Kashmiri dominion. Still earlier in the Buddhist period, it formed a part of Gandhar territory (north-west Punjab and parts of north-western frontier province of Pakistan) and later was included in the domain called Daravabhisara which comprised the hilly stretch from Poonch to Kashmir. Those days Laharkote in Poonch district and Rajouri had emerged as two powerful states of the area.
Based on evidence in the ancient text, the Mahabharata, combined with the evidence from Chinese pilgrim Yuan Chawang, the region of Kashmir including the districts of Hazara, Poonch and Abhisara had been under the overlordship of the Republican Kambojas with Rajapura as their metropolis during epic times.
According to F. E. Pargitor, second branch of Aryan emigrants crossed Himalayas in the north and west and settled in Rajouri and Poonch area. Rajouri, Bhimber and Naushera were included within the territory of Abhisar, which was one of the hill states of Punjab Kingdom. Early records of fragmentary nature show that in 4th century BC there existed in the north west of India a federal type of political set up in which Abhisar with its capital Rajouri was also included. At the time of Alexander's invasion, Rajouri was at the height of its glory. In Mauryan period, the town of Rajouri was a great trade centre. During the Mughal rule, the rulers of Rajouri have embraced Islam though they retained the title of Raja.
Albaurni visited Rajouri with Sultan Masud (son of Sultan Mehmud) in 1036 AD. In his book India he wrote name of Rajouri as Raja Vari. Srivar, the writer of Raj Tirangini written during the reign of Sultan Zain-Ul-Abdin, also named this area as Raja Vari. It appears that Raja Vari is the changed shape of Raj Puri. Praja Bhat another writer
