Kokrajhar

Kokrajhar is a major town of western Assam on the north bank of the Brahmaputra and today serves as the political–administrative hub of the Bodoland region. From the early 17th century until 1865, much of the present Kokrajhar area was under the influence/control of the Kingdom of Bhutan. After the Duar Wars (1865), British authority replaced Bhutanese control, and the tract was later administered within the larger Goalpara region.

After Independence, Kokrajhar remained part of undivided Goalpara district for some time. In 1957, it was made a separate sub-division, reflecting its growing administrative importance. Later, on 1 July 1983, Kokrajhar district was formally created (with Kokrajhar town as headquarters). In 1989, the creation of Bongaigaon district carved out some areas from Kokrajhar and Goalpara.

A defining phase began with the Bodoland autonomy process: the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was created in February 2003, and Kokrajhar town became its headquarters—cementing the town’s role as the centre of Bodo cultural and political life. In 2020, the BTAD framework was renamed/reworked as the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), with Kokrajhar continuing as the capital.