Who Are the Khasi?
The Khasi are an Austroasiatic people numbering approximately 1.5 million, primarily in Meghalaya state ("Abode of Clouds") in northeastern India, with smaller populations in Assam and Bangladesh. They speak Khasi, an Austroasiatic language related to Khmer and Vietnamese—an anomaly in this Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan region. The Khasi are famous for their matrilineal system—one of the world's most complete, where children take the mother's surname, property passes through women, and the youngest daughter inherits the ancestral home. This system makes Khasi society a global reference point for matriliny's possibilities and debates about gender relations.
Matrilineal System
Khasi matriliny is comprehensive: children belong to the mother's clan (kur); the youngest daughter (khatduh) inherits the family home and ancestral property; husbands traditionally move to wives' homes. Clan names (over 30 exist) pass through women; marriage within the same clan is prohibited. While women control property, men traditionally held political power—though this is changing. The system provides women economic security and social standing unusual in South Asia. However, it's contested: some Khasi men's rights groups argue they're disadvantaged; traditional structures face pressure from Christianity, urbanization, and mainstream Indian gender norms.
Living Root Bridges
The Khasi are famous for their living root bridges—structures created by training the aerial roots of rubber fig trees across rivers over decades. The bridges strengthen with age, some over 500 years old; double-decker root bridges exist. This bioengineering represents sophisticated indigenous environmental knowledge. The bridges have become tourist attractions and UNESCO has tentatively listed them. Yet they also face threats: newer cable bridges are faster to build; young people may not learn the patient techniques required. Conservation efforts seek to preserve both the bridges and the knowledge to create them.
Religion and Change
Traditional Khasi religion (Niam Khasi) involves ancestor veneration, nature worship, and ritual specialists. The supreme deity is U Blei Nongthaw; sacred groves (law kyntang) remain protected. However, Christian missionaries (primarily Welsh Presbyterians and Catholics) converted most Khasi since the 19th century—approximately 85% are now Christian. This has complicated traditional practices: some Christians abandon ancestral rituals; others syncretize. A Niam Khasi revival movement promotes traditional religion as cultural identity distinct from Christianity. These religious changes intersect with debates about matriliny's future.
Contemporary Khasi
Modern Khasi society navigates multiple transitions: traditional matriliny versus gender equality discourses (some argue matriliny isn't matriarchy—men still often hold public power); Christian influence versus indigenous tradition revival; development versus environmental preservation; tribal autonomy versus Indian national integration. Meghalaya's Autonomous District Councils provide some self-governance. Shillong, the state capital, is a modern Indian city with strong Khasi identity. Education levels are high; women's empowerment is notable by Indian standards. How Khasi adapt their unique social system to contemporary pressures while maintaining distinctive identity defines their 21st-century path.
References
- Nongkynrih, A. K. (2002). Khasi Society: Matriliny and Tradition
- Mathur, N. (1979). Khasi Family: A Matrilineal System
- Tiplut Nongbri (2003). Gender, Matriliny, and Entrepreneurship: The Khasis of North-East India