Rahon

Rahon lies in the Doaba, between the Beas and Sutlej rivers. A trading town on routes towards Tibet and Central Asia, it was known for its market and for cotton cloth, including the closely woven fabric called bafta. Tradition traces its foundation to Raja Raghab, who is said to have named it Raghupur.

Under Akbar, Rahon was the centre of Dardhak Mahal, a subdivision of the Mughal administration, and a brick fort was built there in Aurangzeb's reign. Sikhs and Mughal forces fought at Rahon in 1710. In 1759 Tara Singh Ghaiba of the Dallewalia Misl seized the town and made it his headquarters. After his death in 1807, Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed the misl's territories, including Rahon.