Where Do Khasi Tribe Live: (Humanities & History) (Those in Power) Hynniewtrep, a collective name given to the Khasi, Jaintia, Bhoi, and War people of East Meghalaya, is a Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race believed to be one of India’s first ethnic groups. The Khasis are now dressed in Western clothing.
The Khasi-Pnars are: Meghalaya’s Khasi and Jaintia Hills are home to the Khasis. Residents of the Jaintia Hills, the Khasis, are now referred to as Jaintias instead. Pnars is another name for them. They are known as Bhois, the Khasi people who live in the northern lowland areas as well as the foothills above them. Wars are people who reside in the southern regions. People in the Khasi Hills are referred to as War-Khasis, while those in the Jaintia Hills are referred to as War-Pnars or War-Jaintias. Khyrwangs, Labangs, Nangphylluts, and Nangtungs live in the Jaintia Hills’ northeastern and eastern regions, respectively.
The Lyngngam people live in the northwestern region of the Khasi Hills. Khasi-Pnars, or simply Khasis, are the generic term for all of those who claim to be derived from the “Ki Hynniew Trep.” They share many of the same traditions, practices, and usages, yet there are some regional differences. “Jymphong” or a longish, sleeveless coat, is the traditional male attire of the Khasi people, which is secured in front by a long, loose thong strapping around the waist.
The Khasis are now dressed in Western clothing. They wear “Jymphong” and a dhoti with an ornate waistband for ceremonial occasions. Several pieces of cloth adorn the Khasi woman’s traditional clothing, which gives her a spherical silhouette. They don a silver or gold crown on their head during formal events. The feathers worn by men are represented by a spike or peak attached to the back of the crown.
Rice is the primary food
Rice is the primary food and beverage consumed by Khasis. Fish and meat are also acceptable as payment. The Khasis distill rice or millets to manufacture spirit, just like the other North-Eastern tribes. Every religious and ceremonial event necessitates the consumption of rice beer.
Matrilineal societies such as the Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos are common in these regions. The mother is the primary ancestor, but the father has a significant impact on the family’s financial and mental well-being. While writing on the Khasi and Jaintia people, David Roy noted that a man is the protector of the woman, but the woman is the guardian of his trust’. There is perhaps no better way to describe Meghalayan matrilineal society than this. When it comes to social and religious problems in the Khasi community, women take care of the household, men provide for their families, and the maternal uncle acts as a mediator. Traditionally, fathers in orthodox Jaintia non-Christian homes only came to visit their families at night and were not held financially accountable for their upkeep.
A matrilineal form of inheritance is used by Khasis, who are descended from their mothers. Traditionally, only the youngest daughter, known as “Ka Khadduh,” is allowed to inherit the family’s land and possessions, according to Khasi custom. In the event that ‘Ka Khadduh’ dies without any surviving children, her next oldest sister and the youngest daughter of that sister will inherit her family’s ancestral property. The land goes back to the mother’s sister, the mother’s sister’s daughter, and so on if there are no daughters. Because Ka Khadduh’s land is essentially family property, she must first get the consent and approval of her uncles and brothers before she can sell it.
Among the War-Jaintias, though, only the female children receive the inheritance, regardless of gender, but among the War-Khasis, both sexes are equally entitled. It is against the rules to marry inside one’s own family lineage. The bride and groom exchange rings or betel-nut bags to complete their union. Christian families, on the other hand, do not view marriage as anything more than a legal agreement. The Khasis have largely converted to Christianity. Before that, they had a Supreme Being, the Creator – U Blei Nongthaw, who was accompanied by other deities of water, mountains, and other natural objects.
Crafts, Costumes, and Music
Musical Instruments and Songs: Many of the Khasis and Jaintias’ songs celebrate the beauty of their homeland’s natural features such as rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and mountains. Drums, guitars, and instruments that sound like guitars, flutes, pipes, and cymbals are some of the instruments they employ.
Jewelry and Costumes: The clothes and jewelry of Meghalaya’s three major tribes are distinctive. With the passage of time, the men of the country as a whole have embraced the Western style of clothing, while the women have remained faithful to their cultural traditions. The ‘Jainsem’ clothing worn by the Khasi lady is long and free-flowing, ending at the ankles. Her blouse covers her upper body. She attaches the ends of checkered cotton cloth to one of her shoulders like an apron over the top of the other, so making her own. ‘Ka Jainsem Dhara’ is a long length of Assam MUGA silk that flows loosely below the knees after being tied or secured at the shoulders on formal occasions. The ‘Tapmohkhlieh,’ or head-shawl, can be worn in an elegant manner, like a shawl, by tying the two ends behind the neck.
Crafts: Cane or cloth weaving is a centuries-old tradition among the Meghalayan tribes. The weaving of cane mats, stools, and baskets by the Khasis are well-known. ‘Tlieng’ is a specific type of cane mat that has a 20-30 year life expectancy. The ‘Dakmanda’ is woven by the Garos and is used to make their garments. Cloth is also woven by the Khasis and Jaintias. To make use of the iron ore they have mined, the Khasis have made domestic knives, utensils, and even weapons of war.
The ‘Kyrshah’ – a checkered fabric knotted around the head during harvesting – is worn by the Jaintia maidens in addition to their Khasi counterparts. During more formal events, she wears a velvet top, drapes a striped cloth known as ‘Though Khyrwang’ around her waist, and ties at her shoulder an Assam MUGA piece that hangs down to her ankles. As opposed to the Assamese ‘Mekhla,’ Garo women wear a ‘Daksari,’ which is wrapped around their waist like a ‘Lungi,’ and a raw cotton ‘Dakmanda.’ A 24-carat gold pendant known as ‘Kynjri Ksiar’ is worn by both the Khasis and the Jaintias. During festive occasions, the Khasis and Jaintias wear a thick red coral bead string around their neck called ‘Paila.
Festivals
Dance of Nongkrem: Nongkrem Dance is a religious celebration held to express gratitude to God Almighty for a successful harvest, peaceful coexistence, and the well-being of the local community. Smit, the capital of the Khyrim Syiemship and a small town near Shillong, hosts the event every year in October/November.
An ethnic group in the Indian state of Meghalaya, the Khoshi, lives in the Khoshi and Jaintia hills. The Khasi have a distinct way of life that sets them apart. Both property and tribe office is passed down through the female line, with the youngest daughter becoming the next in line to assume authority. However, men recognized by these women are in charge of the management of property and office, and not the women themselves. The conversion of many Khasi to Christianity, the resulting conflict between tribal ritual responsibilities and the demands of the new faith, and the right of the people to make wills with respect to self-acquired property have all influenced this system in unexpected ways.
It is a Mon-Khmer language of the Austroasiatic stock that is spoken by the Khasi people. A number of distinct clans exist amongst them. For most people, wet rice (paddy) is their primary source of food; it is grown in valleys and terraces built on hillsides. One or two years after the slash-and-burn approach is used by many farmers to cultivate their land, they plant crops in the ashes. The Khsi’s elected councils have some political autonomy under the leadership of a deputy commissioner under the administrative structure established in the district in the 1950s. At both the state and federal levels of government, tribal leaders are guaranteed seats in both legislatures.
