TOP .

The district may be divided broadly into two natural divisions, viz : 1. The central plateau; 2. The lower plateau, The central plateau touches the western portion of the district near Bagodar block.Around the central plateau are the lower plateaus on all sides excep the west on which side a ridge connects the central plateau to the Palamu district. The lower plateaus average 1300 feet in height, their surface being undulating. In the north and north-west, the lower plateaus form fairly level tablelands until they reach the ghats when they drop to about 700 feet. In the east, the general elevation is lower and the descent gradual. The district ontains the famous Parasnath Hill which has the distinction of having the highest peak in the state, with an altitude of 4431 feet above the mean sea level. The district contains a large portion of forested area which is distributed almost uniformly all over. Sal is the most famous and predominant species of trees in the jungles of the district. Among other common species are bamboo, khair (catechu), salai, simul, mahua, palas, kusum, kend, asan piar and bhelwa.


TOP.


HISTORY

The history of Giridih is a part of the history of its parent district, Hazaribag as also of the Chotanagpur plateau. The entire territory of Chotanagpur, known as jharkhand (meaning forest territory) was presumably beyond the pale of direct Hindu influence in ancient India. It is generally believed that in very early times it was covered with inaccessible hills and
forests to which many non-Aryan tribes who refused to surrender to the steadily advancing Aryans, retired at different times. Though this tract was in touch with many parts of India, yet these non-Aryan tribes had no king. The inhabitant of chotanagpur decided to elect a king due to regular foreign invaders and Mundas became the king of the state. The Madra Munda appointed his foster son Phani Mukut for his superior intelligence and capability. Phani Mukut just after his birth , had been found by the side of a tank under the protection of huge nag or serpent. For this reason his descendants called themselves as Nagbanshi.Since the capital was at chutia near Ranchi hence the kingdom was called Chutia Nagpur .The Chota is a corruption of chutia .All through the long centuries of Hindu rule in India Chotanagpur including the district of Giridih appears to have remained unmolested, though foreign invaders on rare occasions might have succeeded in exercising nominal over lordship over it. To the Muhammadan historian the whole of Chotanagpur (including the Giridih ) was in the tract which they knew as Jharkhand or forest country. It appears to have practically independent through out the Turko-Afgan (1206-1526 A.D) in India. The accession of Akbar to the throne of Delhi in 1556 A.D. opens a new chapter in the history of Jharkhand.To the Mughals it was also known as Kukrah.It excited cupidity of the Mughal Emperors by the reason of report of the diamond to be found in its rivers.Kukrah remained independent of Muslim suzerainty till about the thirtieth year of the reign of Emperor Akbar. In 1585 Akbar sent an expedition which reduce the Raja Chotanagpur to the position of tributory.It is mentioned in the Ain-I-Akbari that chotanagpur or Kukrah was included in the subah of Bihar .During the expedition of Raja Mansingh ,one of the Industrious Generals of Akbar as some part of Chotanagpur region still carry the percolation of reminants of district Manbhum and Singhbhum which were acceded to subah of Bihar and during this period the only the concept of district was first introduced in revenue administration of Mughal. The entire region including the pargana of Khargdiha (Giridih district ) saw lot of up heavals thereafter till 1780 when Mr. Chapmen succeeded captain oamac. Mr. Chapman was practically the first civilian administrator of Chotanagpur. The conquered provinces as they were then called were formed into a British district which comprised parganas Ramgarh, Kendi, Kunda and Kharagdiha (which together constituted the old district of Haziribag comprising Giridih), the whole of Palamu, Chakai Panchet and the area around Sherghati. Subsequent to the Kol rising in 1931 which, however, did not seriously affect Giridih, the administrative structure of the territory was, however, changed. The parganas Ramgarh, Kharag-diha, Kendi and Kunda became part of the South- west Frontier Agency and were formed into a division named Hazaribag, with Hazaribag as the administrative headquarters. In 1854 the designation of the south-west Frontier Agency was changed to Chutia Nagpur and it began to be administered as a Non-regulation Province under the Lieutenant Governor of Bihar. In 1855-56 there was the great uprising of Santhals against the British but it was brutally suppressed.

TOP .

RIVER SYSTEM

The district is divided into two main water heads viz the Barakar and the Sakri rivers. The Barakar rivers drains major portion of the district ,enters the district near the Birni block and also flows through certain portions of the pirtand block. The Sakri river touches the areas of Deori and Gawan blocks. These are a number of small rivers also in the district,the most important among them being Usri.