The town is first mentioned in 1142 in
Rus' chronicles. From the thirteenth century it was part of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and then the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the
Lithuanian–Muscovite War of 1487–1494, it was captured and destroyed by Muscovite forces in 1492. From the 16th century it was a
royal town, administratively located in the Rzeczyca County in the
Minsk Voivodeship. The development of the town was hindered in the 17th century by
Cossack and
Russian raids, yet it was considered one of the regional centers of trade, intellectual life and manufacturing. Local
starosts included members of the Strawiński,
Sapieha, Bykowski, Judycki,
Ogiński, Nieroszyński and Pociej
noble families. At the beginning of the reign of King
Stanisław August Poniatowski, the
sejmiks (local councils) of the Rzeczyca County were temporarily moved to Rohaczów from
Rzeczyca. In the
First Partition of Poland in 1772, the town was annexed by the
Russian Empire. In 1777, it became the seat of the
Rogachev Uezd within the
Mogilev Governorate. In 1781, the coat of arms was granted. During
World War II, Rahachow was occupied by the
German Army from 2 July 1941 to 13 July 1941, and again from 14 August 1941 to 24 February 1944. ==Notable people ==