'Jammu' and 'Dogra'

The Jammu Region, which is one of the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir state (the other two being the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh), is bounded on the North by the Pir Panjal Range of the middle Himalayas, in the south by Punjab, to the East by Ladakh and close to the West in Pakistan. The lower Himalayan ranges begin suddenly behind the town of Jammu, which is placed on a slope of over 1300 feet above sea level, overlooking and commanding the plain watered by the Chenab, Ravi, Tawi and Ujh rivers. The Jammu region consists of ten districts: Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Poonch, Kishtwar, Reasi,samba, ramban and Rajouri.The city of Jammu is the winter capital of the state(the summer capital being Srinagar, in the Kashmir Valley). The Dogras traditionally inhabited the area between the slopes of Shivalak range of mountains, the sacred lakes of Surinsar and Mannsar. Surinsar is located at 30 km to the west of Jammu. Dogras are believed to be of Rajput origin migrating many centuries ago from Rajputana (now called Rajestan) to the hilly areas of Jammu. They speak the Dogri language and the majority are followers of Hinduism. However, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, few Dogras embraced Sikhism and Islam. The origins of the name 'Jammu' are shrouded in mystery, as is the history of the people inhabiting the territory, popularly known as 'Duggar', but the towns of the region with their fortresses stand testimony to a distinct cultural and linguistic identity. Some try to trace its origin in the word jambudvipa, a combination of the word `Jambu' and dwipa (island). According to Sir Walter Hamilton (Description of Hindustan, pg. 499), "It is possible that an ocean may at one time have reached the base of these mountains forming high table lands into islands." The famous Chinese traveller Xuanzang describes the valley of Pamir as "the centre of Jambudwipa." Some attribute the name to Jambavantha or 'Jamwant', the 'Riksharaja' or the king of the bears in the army of King Sugriva in the Ramayana, who is said to have meditated in the Peer Kho Cave on the banks of the Tawi River.According to the 'Imperial Gazetteer of India' the origin of the word 'Dogra', as commonly stated by the people themselves, is said to have arisen from the fact that the cradle of the Dogra people lies between the two lakes of Sruinsar and Mansar. 'Dwigart Desh' or the country of two hollows, was corrupted into Duggar and 'Dugra' and then became Dogra. From Jammu stretching to the east along the plains of the Punjab is the Duggar country and all who live in it, whether high born Rajputs or low born menials are known as Dogras, and have certain national characteristics and a common tongue, Dogri, which are differentiated from any of the other people in India. What is more acceptable is the popular belief that Jammu owes its name to Raja Jambulochan, but it remained an insignificant village till the fourteenth century A.D.