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Khasi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Khasi |
|---|
| Total population |
|
1,283,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Meghalaya (India): 1,250,000 Assam (India): 29,000 West Bengal, Mizoram, Mharashtra, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Nicobar Islands (India): 3100 |
| Languages |
| Khasi, Hindi and other Indian languages |
| Religions |
| Presbyterian or Roman Catholic with animistic elements |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Khmers, Palaungs, Was, Kinh, Nicobarese and other Mon-Khmers |
The Khasi are a tribe in Meghalaya, India and in parts of Bangladesh, who call themselves Hynniew trep (which means "the seven huts" in the Khasi language). They comprise almost fifty percent of the population of Meghalaya, the remainder of whom are mostly Garo. Most Khasi are Presbyterian or Roman Catholic, although there is a tiny Unitarian presence, as well. Some Khasi reside in the hilly areas of Sylhet, Bangladesh. The Khasi tribes are usually dependent upon jhoom cultivation in which the vegetation is left to grow totally under the care of nature. In Bangladesh, one of the main products produced by the Khasi using jhoom cultivation is betel leaf.
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The Khasis mainly reside in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills in the state of Meghalaya. The Khasis inhabit the Khasi Hills proper, and the Syntengs, or Pnars, the Jaintia Hills. The Lynngams inhabit the western portion of the Khasi Hills proper. The people known as Bhois live in the low hills to the north and north-east of the district. The Wars inhabit the precipitous slopes and deep valleys to the south of the district.[1]
Khasi from different regions have small, but noted differences. They are descendants of Mon-Khmer speakers who migrated from Yunnan to Meghalaya, and thus they are of East Asian origin. Most Khasi have brown to light yellow skin, epicanthic folds, high nasal bridges and aquiline noses, but looks ranging from those of typical East Asians to Central Asians or even Persians are not uncommon. The Khasi are a relatively early and isolated branch of Mon-Khmer people and they have preserved features common to Nicobarese and Yunnanese. They are similar in appearance to their northern Mon-Khmer relatives, most notably the Palaung and Wa.
The traditional Khasi male dress is Jymphong or a longish sleeveless coat without collar, fastened by thongs in front. Now, the Khasis have adopted the western dress. On ceremonial occasions, they appear in ‘Jymphong’ and dhoti with an ornamental waist-band.
The Khasi traditional female dress is rather elaborate with several pieces of cloth, giving the body a cylindrical shape. On ceremonial occasions, they wear a crown of silver or gold on the head. A spike or peak is fixed to the back of the crown, corresponding to the feathers worn by the menfolk.
The Khasis have a matrilineal society. Descent is traced through the mother, but the father plays an important role in the material and mental life of the family. According to Khasi laws, a woman cannot be forced into marriage, she owns the children and properties. A woman may end a marriage at her will with no objection from her husband. The Khasi have an unusual dedication toward matrilineal customs, most notably similar to the Minangkabaus.
- ^ The Khasis — Peter Gurdon
- The Khasi Project
- The Khasis by Gurdon, P. R. T.
- Government of Meghalaya Portal
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