Ramban has a rich history that dates back to the pre-independence era. Before the formation of Jammu and Kashmir state in 1846, Ramban was a small village called Nashband, consisting of only 15 houses on the right bank of the Chenab river. However, when Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu became the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, he adopted the Jammu-Udhampur-Banihal route to reach Srinagar for the movement of royal caravans. In this process, Ramban received the status of halting station for the royal caravans.

The Dogras then constructed a pucca building near present-day Ramban and a wooden bridge for the crossing of the Chenab river. Maharaja Ranbir Singh subsequently passed an order for a cart road from Jammu to Srinagar via Banihal and a suspension bridge over the Chenab river at Ramban. This road eventually became a national highway, now known as NH-44, and is being converted into four lanes. With the development of this road, Ramban also developed significantly, and it now serves as the district headquarters of the Ramban district.