Khasi tribe

Khasi
It is a headhunting (now totally banned) tribal group of Jayantiya and Khasi hills of state
of Meghalaya. Their concentration is also in Kachhar and Darang districts of Assam.
Their population is 3,86,208 (1991 census). Their sex ratio is 1 : 1.2.
They have Mongolian features (eyes with epicanthic fold – a deposit of fat on the eyelids
and prominent cheekbones).
They speak a special Khasi language (it differs from the Tibet-Burma language family),
which is of Man-Khamere language family (similar to the language of Munda tribe of
Bihar).
Khasi live in a joint family and it is a matriarchal society. Family comprises of husband,
wife and female children. The female is the main person in matters of property and
inheritance is from mother to daughter. The husband and the maternal uncles are the
caretakers of the property. Ka-khachu (the selected girl for the property) is not totally free
in the case of decision making. She can’t sell property without the consent of the elder
sisters.
Khasi family is divided into Shikur (gotra – descendents of a real or hypothetical
forefather) and Ka-Lakei (members of a gotra or Shihur) can’t marry to each other.
Shrekh, Tham, Deengrate are the many different names of the Shikur.
Birth Ceremony
Khasi husband and wife follow some taboos (prohibition) during the pregnancy. They
don’t touch any sacred object especially agricultural implements. Khasi male celebrates
Cuvade - after the conception, the husband does the same actions as his wife till the birth
of the child, as his wife suffers from some complications, pain and prohibition regarding
the impurity of the pregnant lady. The husband can’t touch any sacred object (plough,
seeds, etc) and can’t worship his traditional god. Six days after the birth of the child they
give a feast and follow a normal life.
Marriage Ceremony
Marriage within a Shikur (gotra) is a taboo among the Khasi. They are monogamous. In
the marriage, the bride wears Kajampean (a piece of cloth which covers the waist and the
breasts) and Kajaikup (a piece of cloth around the neck of the bride). She covers her head
with Ka-taip-moh-saleeh (a piece of cloth). The groom wear Ka-jainvesen (a piece of
cloth around his waist) and a Dopalia (headgear). During the dinner, they give Kha-id-
Um (a kind of wine made of cereals and Ukhavi chang plant).
After the marriage, the husband lives in his wife’s home and after having one or two
children they make a separate home near their in-laws home. Except for Ka-khachhuh
(the daughter who inherits parental property) lives with her parents after the birth of the
children.
Death Ceremony
They burn the dead body. Before the cremation, they put an egg (it is believed to be a
sign of rebirth) near the dead body and sacrifice a hen. They collect the remains of the
dead person and make a menhir (a big straight stone) which is put on the remains of the
dead person. On the third day, they give a feast as a farewell to the departed soul.
Religion
They are nature worshippers. They have faith in benevolent and malevolent spirits. They
worship Ulei-muluk (area god), Ulei-umtang (water god), Ulei-syah (monkey god), Uranagkev
(village god). Every god is worshipped once in a year. At that time, goat and
hen are sacrificed. They worship different spirits as Kareeh for malaria, Duka for cholera.
At the time of war, they sacrifice goat and hen to worship their warrior god. Men were
sacrificed before the Indian independence, but now it is totally banned.
They are converting to Christianity in lieu of financial rewards.
Education
23% Khasi are literate. They prefer traditional work to working in government jobs or
private establishments. Three primary schools and two intermediate schools are situated
in their area.
Economy
Khasi are mainly engaged in west paddy cultivation (to check water in a field required for
paddy production) and shifting cultivation (they burn trees of the jungle and sow seeds in
the ashes), but due to the expansion of education they are adopting silk work (47 %).
Their economy is also based on fishing. They produce potato, tomato, betel and betel
nuts. They have started cotton work in great numbers (36%). They are engaged in
handicraft work.
They are taking government and financial aid for their betterment, due to the effect of
Panchayati Raj. They are taking loans (23 %) for silk and cotton work, which is making
their improving their overall condition.