In the olden days Budgam was a part of the district of Baramulla when Srinagar itself was a constituent of the Anantnag district. It was then known as Tehsil Sri pratap. Old records also refer to the area as `Pargana Deesu’. The present Budgam town (the district headquarter) has a long history. According to the chronicler, Khawaja Azam Demari, the area was known as Deedmarbag and was densely populated. It is said that the population was so congested that if a goat would climb a housetop in the southern end of the habitation it would come down on the northern end covering the distance on closely connected housetops. The place many believes, owes its name, Budgam (Big Village) to this dense population. Famous warrior, Mehmood Ghazni, made two abortive attempts to invade Kashmir in the 11th century through the Poonch Gali, the boundary of the present district oof budgam in Khag area. In 1814 A.D. Sikh ruler, Ranjit Singh, also made his first attempt from here to capture Kashmir. The famous Chinese traveler, Hien Tsiang,while visiting poonch, alsoo took this route.
One of the tallest personalities of Kashmir, Sheikh Noor-ud-din, popularly known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir, has traveled much in the present Budgam district and meditated at several places here. His resting place at Chrar-e-Sharief is also situated in the district. A Prominent village, Nasrullah Pora, is named after one of his distinguished disciples, Baba Nasr.
The tehsil of Chadoora has also a rich history. the famous Malik Hyder belonged to this place. Malik was a very influential landlord and a close friend of Emperor Jahangir. The emperor too reposed great trust in him. It is said that after the death of her first husband, Nur Jehan (Jahangir’s wise) was given in Malik’s custody by the Emperor before he finally married her and the woman became powerful enough to influence the decision s of the State. Malik also chronicled the history of Kashmir. He was honoured and rewarded by the Mughals for his talents. Jahangir has eloquently praised the beauty of Chadoora and mentioned in his Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, about a tree which would tremble all over if only a branch of it was pulled. The tree, he says was known as Halthal. There is no such tree present in the area or anywhere else but going by the description of the emperor, it seems that it must have been a delight to see the tree. At Chadoora is also situated the grave of Mir Shams-ud-Din Iraqi, a Shiete theologist. The counsellor of the last native ruler of Kashmir, Yusuf Shah Chak and his son, Yakub Chak’s tutor, Ali Dar also belonged to this area. The present Chadoora town was once a Kareva. Jahangir used to visit this place for hunting. He rechristained the place as Noorabad after his beloved wide but the name, was not popular upon which the king ordered reversion to its old name. Chadoora held a place of prominence during the Mughal period. The Mughals had constructed some buildings here including a small palace and an ammunition depot.
Another block of the district, Beerwah, was formerly known as Behroop after a famous spring of the same name. Beerwah is thought to be the the corrupted form of Behroop. Here is situated a cave about which it is believed that the famous Shivite philospher, Abhinav Gupt, alongwith some of his associates, entered in it sometime between 10th and 11th century A.D and did not return. In 1760 A.D. the Durrani Governor, Badal Khan Khatak, constructed a fortress in Beerwah which was repaired in 1801 A.D by Abdullah Khan. In 1884 A.D the fortress was destroyed in a severe earthquake. Subsquently, the remains of the fortress also disappeared.
The prominent Aga family of Kashmir belongs to Budgam. Accoring to an account, a famous Hakeem namely Syed Hyder came here to settle down about 150 years ago. He was pious and godfearing man. Many people came to him for spiritual guidance. After Hyder’s death, his son, Aga Syed Mehdi, donned the mantle of his father. He studied religion in Najaf (Iraq).The present Aga Sahab, the spiritual leader of the Shias, is a decendent of Aga Syed Mehdi.The family has produced a great religious man in Aga Syed Yusuf Al-Mousavi, who died in 1982. The main market in Budgam town is named after him. The village of Kanihama, the home of famous Kani Shawl, was an important trade centre during the Dogra rule. The idols of Raja Beerwa’s period, are found in Beerwah tehsil pointing to the Shivite influence on the area. Many areasof the Budgam district had, in the ancient days, been under the influence of Buddhism. These include Ishgan and Ishkota. The Khag block in the district is a place of enchanting beauty. The Budgam district has produced many distinguished poets and writers of Kashmir Language. Of these, the more famous include Shama Fakir and Samad Mir, the pioneers of spiritual Kashmiri poetry (Sufiana Shairee), Abdul Ahad Azad, revolutionary poet of kashmir who also penned the history of Kashmiri literature and Ghulam Nabi Dilsoz, a well known romantic poet. Among the living literaly personalities are Ghulam Nabi Gowhar, novelist, and Moti Lal Saqi, poet, scholar and critic.