DISTRICT PROFILE
|| HOME || EDUCATION || HEALTH || BLOCK || DEVELOPMENT || MPR || TOURIST || COMMUNICATION || LEGAL || ELECTION|| TELEPHONE ||

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL STATISTICS

Note :SC/ST Population *** indicate the projected population on the basis of average growth rate.

TOP

 

LOCATION AND AREA

The district  which  acquired the  status of  an  independent  district on 6th 

December, 1972, has a close linkage with the parent district   Hazaribag.Lying

almost in the central part of the North Chotanagpur   Divison ,the district is

bounded on the north  by Jamui and some  part of Nawada district of  bihar, on

the  east  by the districts of  Dhanbad,  Jamtara and  Deoghar ,on the south by

Bokaro and some part  of Dhanbad district  and on the  west by  Hazaribag  and

Kodarma district. Giridih is the administrative  headquaters and the principal

town of the  district. The district has been this name for abandance of mountain 

and hillocus in the district.Total area of the district is 4853.56 sq kms.

TOP

GEOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL FEATURES

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.

TOP

MINES AND MINERALS

The District has been famous as the place of well known Ruby Mica and has several large coal

fields which contain one of the best qualities of metallurgical coal in India. The extensive 

deposited of  mica in  this district are of importance not only to Jharkhand but to India and

 other countries also. It is mostly found near the block Tisri and Gawan.

The massif of Parasnath Hill consists mainly of a pyroxene bearing garnetiferous quartzite

with felspathic gneisses near the base.Stealite of soap stone are also found to the west of

Parasnath

TOP

 

FLORA AND FAUNA

 

The district conatins large portion of forest area which  distributed almost uniformaly

all over.Sal is the most famous and predominated species of trees in the jungles of the

districts Among other common species are bamboo ,Khair , salai , mahua ,simul,kusum,asan

,kend ,piar and bhelwa.In parasnath hill and its adjouring area ,large  no  of medicinal 

plant were found.Many of them still exits in the Parasnath hill. Awala,Bhelwa and Hare -

Bahera are found in huge quantity in the Parasnath hill.

Leopards are most times seen in the jungle of district .Bears,jackals ,foxes,pigs hares,

sambhar,spoted deer,hog deer etc are also found here.Sankes and lizards are quite common

here.Diffrent varities of birds visit the district in the winter season only.

TOP