On July 2, 1998 the government of Madhya Pradesh state decided to constitute a new district, Kawardha by combining the erstwhile tehsil of Kawardha of Rajnandgaon district and the erstwhile tehsil of Pandariya of Bilaspur district. The town of Kawardha was decided as the headquarters for this new district. The new district came into existence on July 6, 1998. The district is presently known as Kabirdham district. Name of the district is changed from Kawardha to Kabeerdham on 17 January 2003 by then chief minister of state Ajit Jogi on the occasion of sixth century birth celebration of Dhani Dharm Das, the founder of Kabir panth in Chhattisgarh.Kabirdham name is given due to Kawardha was Guru Gaddi Pith of kabir panth from 1806 to 1903. Eighth Guru of Kaber panth Haq Nam Saheb established Guru Gaddi here in 1806.Ninth Guru Pak Nam Saheb,Tenth Guru Prakat Nam Saheb and Eleventh Guru Dhiraj Nam Saheb resided here Twelfth Guru Ugr Nam Saheb changed Guru Gaddi place from Kawardha to Damakheda in 1903,where presently Guru Gaddi is situated.
The present day tehsil of Kawardha was a princely state, formed in the year 1751 by Mahabali Singh. In 1895 it became Kawardha tehsil of Mandla district. In 1903, it was included in Bilaspur district. In 1912, it was shifted to Raipur district and in 1948 it became a part of Durg district. On January 26, 1973 a new district, Rajnandgaon came into existence and it became a part of it.
The other tehsil Pandariya was known as Pandariya zamindari till 1952. In 1952, it became a community block of Bilaspur district and in 1986 its status was raised to a tehsil. Head-Quarter of Kabirdham is Kawardha.Kawardha city is established by first Jamindar of Kawardha riyasat Mahabali Singh on1751
