History of Chandrapur district has traced a long path. The district of Chandrapur was earlier known as `Chanda`. According to tradition and legend the name of the place was `Lokapura` which was first changed to ` Indpur` and subsequently to Chandrapur. During the British colonial period it was called Chanda district, which was again changed to its original name `Chandrapur ` around 1964. Other places of the region in ancient times include Wairangad, Kosala, Bhadravati and Markanda. Hindu and Buddhist kings are said to have ruled the area for a long time. Later on Gonds overtook the Dana Chiefs who ruled Chandrapur around the 9th century. The Gond Kings went on to rule the area till 1751 following which the Maratha period started. Raghuji Bhosale, the last king of the dynasty, died heirless in 1853 and Nagpur province, together with Chandrapur, was declared annexed to the British Empire.

In 1854, Chandrapur formed an independent district and in 1874, it comprised of three tehsils viz. Mul, Warora and Bramhpuri. In 1874, however, the upper Godavari district of Madras was abolished and four tehsils were added to Chandrapur to form one tehsil with Sironcha as its headquarters. A new tehsil with headquarter at Gadchiroli was created in 1905 by the transfer of zamindari estates from Bramhpuri and Chandrapur tehsil. A small zamindari tract from Chandrapur district was transferred to the newly formed districts in 1907. In the same year an area of about 1560 sq. km. comprising of three divisions of the lower Sironcha tehsil namely Cherla, Albak and Nugir were transferred to Chennai State.

No major changes occurred in the boundaries of the district or its tehsils between 1911-1955. Consequent upon reorganization of the states in 1956, the district was transferred from Madhya Pradesh to the Mumbai state. In the same Rajura tehsil, a part of Adilabad district of Hyderabad state, was transferred to the Nanded district and subsequently it was transferred to Chandrapur district in 1959. The district became part of Maharashtra since its creation in May 1960. For administrative convenience and industrial and agricultural development, this district was again divided into Chandrapur and Gadchiroli district after 1981 census. Chandrapur district now comprises of the tehsil of Chandrapur, Bhadravati, Warora, Chimur, Nagbhir, Bramhpuri, Sindhewahi, Mul, Gondpipri, Pomburna, Saoli, Rajura, Korpana, Jivati and Balharshah.