Giridh district was a part of Kharagdiha estate till the late 18th century. During the British Raj Giridih became a part of Jungle Terry. After Kol Uprising in 1831, the parganas of Ramgarh, Kharagdiha, Kendi and Kunda became parts of the South-West Frontier Agency and were formed into a division named Hazaribag as the administrative headquarters.

Giridih district was created on 6 December 1972 by carving some parts of Hazaribagh district. In 1999 part of it became Bokaro district.[2

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Giridih is located at 24.18°N 86.3°E.[4] It has an average elevation of 289 metres (948 ft). Śrī Sammed Shikharji also known as the Parasnath Hills, located in Giridih is the highest mountain peak in Jharkhand. It is a conical granite peak located 4,477 feet (1,365 metres) above the sea level.[5][6]

Giridih District is geographically divided into two natural divisions, which are the central plateau and lower plateau. The central plateau touches the western portion of the district near Bagodar block. The lower plateaus have an undulating surface and an average height of 1300 feet.[6] 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. The district has uniformly distributed and vast forests. Sal tree is the most famous and predominant trees here. Among other common trees are bamboo, semal, Mahua, palash, kusum, kend, Asian pear and bhelwa.[6]

Giridih district is divided into two main water heads – Barakar and Usri rivers. Giridih is rich in mineral resources and has several large coal fields with one of the best qualities of metallurgical coal in India. Mica is found in abundance near the blocks Tisri and Gawan. Mica is of importance not only to Jharkhand but to India and other countries as well.[6]