44-750: The Pnar , also known as Jaiñtia , are a sub-tribal group of the Khasi people in Meghalaya , India . The Pnar people are matrilineal . They speak the Pnar Language , which belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family and is very similar to the Khasi language . The Pnar people are natives of West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya, India. They call themselves as "Ki Khun Hynñiew Trep" (Children of 7-hut). Their main festivals are Behdeinkhlam, Chad Sukra, Chad Pastieh and Laho Dance. The name "Pnar"
88-453: A Jymphong and sarong with an ornamental waist-band and they may also wear a turban. The traditional Khasi female dress is called the Jainsem or Dhara , both of which are rather elaborate with several pieces of cloth, giving the body a cylindrical shape. On ceremonial occasions, they may wear a crown of silver or gold. A spike or peak is fixed to the back of the crown, corresponding to
132-597: A 1998-99 research by the National Family Health Survey of India (NFHS), the Khasi tribe, along with Jaintia and Garo had the highest fertility in India at TFR=4.57. According to genetic study in 2007, paternally, the Khasi people of Meghalaya carry around 72.8% Haplogroup O , 10.8% Haplogroup F , 6.5% halpogroup H and 4.4% Haplogroup P . Ri-Bhoi district Ri Bhoi ( English: / r ɪ ˈ b ɔɪ / )
176-617: A 73-year-old retired Meghalaya civil servant, who is also an Khasi actor, comedian have translated Bhagavad Gita into Khasi language, locally known as "The Song of God or in Khasi, Ka Jingrwai U Blei". The book was published on 9 May 2011. The author have also translated the Ramayan , the Mahabharat and the Upanishads into Khasi. Historians suggested that the Kamakhya temple of Assam's Nilachal Hills
220-751: A former settlement; the myth of Jayanti Devi was probably created after the Hinduisation of the Jaintia kingdom. As with all sub-tribes of the Khasi tribe , the Pnar sub-tribals have no recorded history of their own. However, they are mentioned in the Buranji chronicles of Assam and the British records. Like all the other sub-tribes of the Khasi tribe , the Pnar people also claim descent from Ki Hynñiew Trep [ seven 'huts'(derived from - ïing 'Trep') or seven families ]. The rulers of
264-639: A part of the Assam Province after the Khasi Hill States (which numbered to about 25 kingdoms) entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British . The main crops produced by the Khasi people are betel leaves , areca nut , oranges, pineapples, plums, litchis, local varieties of rice and vegetables. Many Khasi sociologists classify the Khasi tribe in the following seven sub-tribes, which are collectively also known as 'U Hynñiewtrep' or 'Khasi': According to
308-401: A population density of 109 inhabitants per square kilometre (280/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 34.02%. Ri Bhoi has a sex ratio of 951 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 77.22%. Scheduled Tribes make up 88.89% of the population. Christians are the majority. Languages of Ri-Bhoi district (2011) Khasi is the main language of
352-460: A strong Tibeto-Himalayan-Burman influence. The word "Khas" means hills and they have always been people of cold and hilly regions and have never been connected to the plains or arid regions. This nature-loving tribe calls the wettest place on Earth their home. The village of Mawsynram in Meghalaya receives 467 inches of rain per year. Primarily an oral language, they had no script of their own, until
396-675: A total of 640 ). It is one of the three districts in Meghalaya currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Ri-Bhoi district is divided into three blocks: The region is the best in connectivity in the whole state having the only airport at Umroi, the Four-lane from Jorobat to Lad-Umroi and the Shillong Bye-pass in Umroi-Bhoirymbong area to Mawryngkneng of East Khasi Hills and
440-493: Is monotheistic in nature. In Khasi traditional religion Niam Khasi, the principal deity U Blei Nongthaw, who is One and formless is the Supreme creator of the whole universe. A significant small number of Khasi population also adheres to Hindu and Buddhist faith. As per as 2011 census, around 10.3 thousands Khasi people have stated their religion as Hindu and Around 1.8 thousand Khasis follow Buddhism . Lesli Hardinge Pde,
484-523: Is an endonym , while "Jaiñtia" and "Synteng" are exonyms . The word "Jaiñtia" is derived from the name of a former kingdom, the Jaintia Kingdom , whose rulers were Syntengs. One theory says that the word "Jaiñtia" is ultimately derived from the name of the shrine of Jayanti Devi or Jainteswari , an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga . Another theory says that the name is derived via Synteng from Sutong ,
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#1732868783235528-500: Is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India . The district headquarters are located at Nongpoh . The district occupies an area of 2378 km² and has a population of 258,840 (as of 2011). As of 2011 it is the second least populous district of Meghalaya (out of 7 ), after South Garo Hills . The name is derived from the Bhoi sub-tribe of the Khasi people. The district
572-651: Is the same in Tibetan, Burmese, and Old Chinese as it is in Khasi. Traces of connections with the Kachin tribe of North Myanmar have also been in the Khasis. The Khasi people also have their own word for the Himalayan mountains which is Ki Lum Mankashang which means that at one point in time, they did cross the mighty mountains. Therefore, all these records and their present culture, features, and language strongly show that they also have
616-536: The Constitution of India , the Khasis have been granted the status of Scheduled Tribe . Khasi mythology traces the tribe's original abode to 'Ki Hynñiewtrep ("The Seven Huts"). According to the Khasi mythology, U Blei Trai Kynrad (God, the Lord Master) had originally distributed the human race into 16 heavenly families ( Khadhynriew Trep ). However, seven out of these 16 families were stuck on earth while
660-688: The Mon-Khmer people of Southeast Asia . Multiple types of research indicate that the Austroasiatic populations in the Indian subcontinent are derived from migrations from Southeast Asia during the Holocene period. Many of the words are similar to other Austroasiatic languages such as Palaung and Khmer language : There are also words similar to those in Sino-Tibetan languages , such as nga meaning "I," which
704-596: The 2011 Census of India, over 1.41 million Khasi lived in Meghalaya in the districts of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills which togetherly constitute the Eastern part of Meghalaya's Khasi and Jaintia Hills region. In Assam, their population reached 35 thousand. In Bangladesh's Sylhet Division specially in Jaflong , around 85 thousand Khasis are living there. Khasi inhabiting
748-475: The District is the main connectivity to Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland and other stations of Meghalaya. The National Highway No.37 origination from Jorabat to Shillong passes through the District. According to the 2011 census Ri-Bhoi district has a population of 258,840, roughly equal to the nation of Vanuatu . This gives it a ranking of 580th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has
792-487: The Khasi community designed and built living root bridges of the War region. The traditional costume of the Khasis is known to be ‘i shongkun bad i Don burom” which translates to being grand/respectful and modest. The traditional Khasi male dress is a Jymphong , a longish sleeveless coat without collar, fastened by thongs in front. Nowadays, most male Khasis have adopted western attire. On ceremonial occasions they appear in
836-514: The Khasi community is democratic in nature. In the past, the Khasis consisted of independent native states called Syiemships, where male elders of various clans under the leadership of the Chief (called U Syiem) would congregate during Durbars or sessions and come to a decision regarding any dispute or problem that would arise in the Syiemship. At the village level, there exists a similar arrangement where all
880-790: The Khasi people practised an indigenous tribal religion. The first translation of the Bible into any of the languages of Northeast India was a Khasi version, published in 1891 by missionaries. The main Christian denominations today followed among the Khasis include Catholicism , Anglicanism , Presbyterianism (largest Christian denomination among the Khasis), and others. Around 83.14% of the Khasi tribe numbering around 1.17 million are Christian of various denominations (mainly Presbyterian and Catholic ) and 15.41% of them numbering around 217,000 still follow their Indigenous khasi religion called "Ka Niam Khasi" which
924-701: The Pnars is known as Niamtre . The Pnar tribals believe that their religion is God-given (not founded by man) and comes to this world by God's decree. The three cardinal principles dictated by God are kamai yei hok, tipbru tipblai and tipkur tipkha. They signify right living and practice based on right livelihood; fulfillment of duties towards fellow men to reach God; and showing respect to the members of one's father's and mother's clans. Therefore, Niamtre stresses equal weight to be given to fellow humans to attain God realisation. Religious wise out of 4 lakh Jaintias, around 2.4 lakh (60% of
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#1732868783235968-598: The arrival of the Welsh missionaries. The Welsh missionaries originally used the Bengali script before resorting to the Roman script to transcribe the Sohra dialect of the Khasi language. Particularly significant in this regard was a Welsh evangelist, Thomas Jones . The Khasi first came in contact with the British in 1823, after the latter captured Assam . The area inhabited by the Khasi became
1012-466: The beginning of time. The rooster is the symbol of morning marking a new beginning and a new sunrise. Khasian is closely related to Palaungic language of Myanmar. Pre-Khasian migrated through Upper Burma to Brahmaputra Valley on the way to Meghalaya. The Khasi language is classified as part of the Austroasiatic language family . According to Peter Wilhelm Schmidt , the Khasi people are related to
1056-460: The establishment of Kamarupa in (4th century CE). There is also an endogamous very small community of Khasi Muslims, mostly residing in Shillong and adjoining areas of the city, who accepted Sunni Islam as a result of historic Muslim traders in the region. On 3 February 2019, Quran , Islamic Holy Book, was released in the Khasi language . The translation of 1251 pre-pages and pages of Quran,
1100-461: The ethnic population) professed Christian faith of various denominations particularly ( Protestant and Catholic ) & rest remaining 1.6 lakh (40% of ethnic population) practice their original tribal religion called "Ka Niamtre". Khasi people The Khasi people are an ethnic group of Meghalaya in north-eastern India with a significant population in the bordering state of Assam , and in certain parts of Bangladesh . Khasi people form
1144-484: The family" ) is involved must be matrilocal (that is, in his mother-in-law's house), while post-marital residence when a non-heiress is involved is neolocal. Traditionally (though nowadays this rule is not absolutely true), a Khasi man returns to his Iing-Kur (maternal home) upon the death of his spouse (if she is a Khadduh and they both have no children). These practices are the result of rules governing inheritance and property ownership. These rules are themselves related to
1188-406: The feathers worn by the menfolk. The Jainsem consists of two pieces of material fastened at each shoulder. The "Dhara" consists of a single piece of material also fastened at each shoulder. Weaving Ryndia is an art passed down through the generations and treated as an occupation, providing livelihood to families in the region. Traditionally a hand-spun, hand-woven fabric, worn with pride by both
1232-555: The heavens forever. This myth is often seen as a metaphor of how nature and trees, in particular, are the manifestation of the divine on Earth and destroying nature and trees means severing our ties with the Divine. Like the Japanese, the Khasis use the rooster as a symbol because they believe that it was he who aroused God and also humbly paved and cleared the path for God to create the Universe at
1276-519: The husband handing the wife 5 cowries or paisa which the wife then hands back to her husband along with 5 of her own. The husband then throws these away or gives them to a village elder who throws them away. Present-day Khasis divorce through the Indian legal system. The type of marriage is the determining factor in the marital residence. In short, post marital residence for a married man when an heiress (known as Ka Khadduh or "The Youngest daughter in
1320-465: The majority of the population of the eastern part of Meghalaya, that is Khasi Hills , constituting 78.3% of the region's population, and is the state's largest community, with around 48% of the population of Meghalaya. They are among the few Austroasiatic-speaking peoples in South Asia . The Khasi tribe holds the distinction of being one of the few remaining tribes that have a matrilineal society. Under
1364-637: The medieval Jaintia Kingdom belonged to the Synteng community. The Kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company in 1835, and merged into the Assam province. The Jaintia Hills district was established in the region after the establishment of the Meghalaya state in independent India, in 1972. There are Pnar people in the Jaintiapur upazila , Sylhet , Bangladesh . The original tribal religion of
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1408-412: The men and women in Meghalaya, the fabric in its un-dyed off-white state, or maroon and mustard plaid design, is a cultural symbol of the Khasi people. Eri silk is also known as ‘peace silk’ as the production process is considered to be non-violent. Weaving is primarily done by women. Eri silk in Meghalaya is produced from start to finish by women working from home or in clusters. The Khasis are, for
1452-431: The most part, monogamous. Young men and women are permitted considerable freedom in the choice of mates. Potential marriage partners are likely to have been acquainted before betrothal. Once a man has selected his desired spouse, he reports his choice to his parents. They then secure the services of a mediator to make the arrangements with the woman's family (provided that the man's clan agree with his choice). The parents of
1496-648: The north and finally join the Brahmaputra Valley. The important rivers flowing through this region includes the Umtrew , Umsiang , Umran and Umiam rivers. In 1981 Ri-Bhoi district became home to the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary , which has an area of 29 km (11.2 sq mi). In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Ri-Bhoi one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of
1540-417: The northern part are known as Bhoi, as that area is often called Ri Bhoi. People in the east are known as the Pnar, and they call their land Rilum Jaintia. The south are called War or Ri War, because of its mountainous regions and soil fertility . The west has a number of regional names: Maram, Rimen, Khatsawphra, Mawiang, Lyngam. A Khasi who inhabits the central area is known as Khynriam. The War inhabitants of
1584-458: The number of villages is 561. Ri Bhoi District covers an area of 2,448 km (945 sq mi). The headquarters of the District is at Nongpoh located 53 km (33 mi) from the state capital Shillong and 50 km (31 mi) from Guwahati in Assam. This District is characterized by rugged and irregular land surface. It includes a series of hill ranges which gradually slope towards
1628-424: The other 9 in heaven. According to the myth, a heavenly ladder resting on the sacred Lum Sohpetbneng Peak (located in the present-day Ri-Bhoi district ) enabled people to go freely and frequently to heaven whenever they pleased until one day they were tricked into cutting a divine tree which was situated at Lum Diengiei Peak (also in present-day East Khasi Hills district ), a grave error which prevented them access to
1672-655: The people or ruling clans of their respective domains. Famous among these Syiemships are Hima Mylliem, Hima Khyrim, Hima Nongkhlaw, amongst others. These Syiemships continue to exist and function till today under the purview of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), which draws its legal power and authority from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries and post- conversion, almost all of
1716-571: The residents of the village or town come together under the leadership of an elected Headman (called U Rangbah Shnong) to decide on matters pertaining to the locality. This system of village administration is much like the Panchayati Raj prevalent in most Indian States. There were around 25 independent native states on record which were annexed and acceded to the Indian Union. The Syiems of these native states (called Hima) were traditionally elected by
1760-489: The structure of the Khasi Kur (clan system). Khasi names are known for their originality and elaborate nature and often literal nature. The given names may be invented by parents for their children, and these can be based on traditional native names, Christian names, or other English words. The family names, which they call "surnames," remain in the native Khasi languages or its dialects. The traditional political structure of
1804-426: The woman ascertain her wishes and if she agrees to the arrangement her parents check to make certain that the man to be wed is not a member of their clan (since Khasi clans are exogamous, marital partners may not be from the same clan). If this is satisfactory then a wedding date is set. Divorce is relatively common, with causes ranging from incompatibility to lack of offspring. This ceremony traditionally consists of
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1848-483: Was an ancient sacrificial site for an Austroasiatic tribal goddess, locally called or known as “Ka Mei Kha” (literally: old-cousin-mother ), of the Khasi tribe supported by the folk lores of these very peoples. The traditional accounts from Kalika Purana of (10th century) and the Yogini Tantra too recorded that the goddess Kamakhya is of Kirata origin, and It is said that the worship of Kamakhya goddess predates
1892-580: Was done by a Khasi Muslim leader Mubarak Lyngdoh, to propagates Islam among the local Khasis. The translation was done at the initiative of the Seng Bhalang Islam (A local Islamic organisation of Shillong, Meghalaya). Khasi Muslims numbers around 1,689 as per 2011 census. There are also a small segment of Khasi population who don't follow any particular faith. Around 6.8 thousand Khasis have stated that they are atheist and don't believe in any particular religion or God as per 2011 census. According to
1936-570: Was upgraded from subdivisional level to a full-fledged district on 4 June 1992. The new district, was created from a Civil Sub-division of the East Khasi Hills district . The district lies between 90°55’15 to 91°16’ latitude and 25°40’ to 25°21’ longitude. It is bounded on the north by Kamrup District, on the east by Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong District of Assam , and on the west by West Khasi Hills District. There are three C and RD Blocks and one administrative unit at Patharkhmah , and
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