The Khasi and Jaintia Hills are a

mountainous A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

region that was mainly part of Assam and Meghalaya. This area is now part of the present Indian constitutive state of

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jai ...

(formerly part of

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

), which includes the present districts of

East Jaintia Hills district East Jaintia Hills district is a district with its headquarters at Khliehriat in Meghalaya state of India. The district was carved out of Jaintia Hills district on 31 July 2012. Khliehriat and Saipung are the two community and rural development ...

, headquarter Khliehriat,

West Jaintia Hills district West Jaintia Hills (Pron: ˈʤeɪnˌtɪə) is an administrative District in the state of Meghalaya in India. The united district (Jaintia Hills District) was created on 22 February 1972 and occupied an area of 3819 km2. It had a popul ...

, headquarter

Jowai Jowai (IPA: ʤəʊˈwaɪ) is the headquarters of the West Jaintia Hills district of the state of Meghalaya, India, and is home to the Pnar, a sub-tribe of the Khasi people. It is located on a plateau surrounded on three sides by the Myntdu rive ...

East Khasi Hills district East Khasi Hills is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India. The district headquarters are located at Shillong. The district occupies an area of 2752 km² and has a population of 825,922 (as of 2011). , it is the most ...

, headquarter

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a p ...

, and West Khasi Hills district, headquarter

Nongstoin Nongstoin (IPA: ˈnɒŋˌstɔɪn) is the headquarters of West Khasi Hills district in the state of Meghalaya in India. Geography Nongstoin is located at . It has an average elevation of 1409 metres (4622 feet).e The Langshiang Falls is loca ...

Jaintia Hills

The Jaintia Hills are located further to the east from the Khasi Hills. The twelve Chiefs of the ''elaka'' (tribal province) of the ''Pnars'', a Khasi Sub-tribe are styled ''Dolloi'', and the land is called after them in Khasi: KA RI KHADAR DOLLOI (‘Land of 12 Tribal Chiefs‘) - they are in Nartiang itself (see the Raja, uniquely also styled, as premier Chief: ''U Kongsong''), and in Amwi,

, Lakadong, Mynso, Nongbah, Nongjngi, Nongphyllut,

Nongtalang Nongtalang is a small town located in West Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, India. Connectivity Nongtalang is well connected by roadways to Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern In ...

, Raliang, Shangpung, Sutnga (see below; the Syiems). Above them is the only true princely ruler of the area, the Raja of the

Jaintia Kingdom The Jaintia Kingdom was a matrilineal kingdom in present-day Bangladesh's Sylhet Division and India's Meghalaya state. It was partitioned into three in 630 AD by Raja Guhak for his three sons, into the Jaintia Kingdom, Gour Kingdom and L ...

. His winter capital, Jaintiapur is now in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

, while his summer residence shifted from Sutnga (where the family started as Syiems) to Nartiang; also a

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

in the commercial center Borghat in

. The Jaintia Hills used to be a part of the Jaintia Hills District. The district has been bifurcated into two separate districts, namely, East Jaintia Hills and

West Jaintia Hills West Jaintia Hills (Pron: ˈʤeɪnˌtɪə) is an administrative District in the state of Meghalaya in India. The united district (Jaintia Hills District) was created on 22 February 1972 and occupied an area of 3819 km2. It had a population ...

on 31 July 2012.

Khasi Hills

The Khasi Hills are located east of the

Garo Hills The Garo Hills (Pron: ˈgɑ:rəʊ) are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. They are inhabited by the Garo people. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion. ...

. The other Khasi tribes did not have princes but their twenty petty states (''hima''), and sometimes even smaller tribal divisions, are led by one or two Chiefs -selected in various ways- usually styled ''Siem, Syiem''.Great Britain India Office. ''

The Imperial Gazetteer of India ''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'' was a gazetteer of the British Indian Empire, and is now a historical reference work. It was first published in 1881. Sir William Wilson Hunter made the original plans of the book, starting in 1869.

''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908. The names of these chieftainships are :

Bhowal Bhowal/Bhawal is an Indian family name of the Bengali Brahmin and Kayasthas. They're found in Assam, North Western to Central Bangladesh and West Bengal. Although the majority of the population migrated to India during the Partition of Indi ...

, Cherra (or Sohra; capital

Cherrapunji Cherrapunji () or Sohra is a subdivisional town (Proposed District) East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is the traditional capital of ka ''hima'' Sohra (Khasi tribal kingdom). Sohra has often been credited as being t ...

), Dwara (capital

Hat Dwara A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

), Jirang, Khyri(e)m (capital Cherrapunjee, under a Radja), Langrin, Langïong, Maharam,

Malai Sohmat Malai ( Hindi: मलाई, Urdu: ) is a type of clotted cream, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, especially, in regards to sweets from the Indian subcontinent. It is made by heating ...

, Marriw, Mawdon, Mawiang, Mawlong,

Mawphlang Mawphlang is a village in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya state in north-eastern India, 25 kilometers from Shillong. The word ''maw'' means "stone", ''maw phlang'' means "grassy stone," and is one of many settlements in the Khasi hill ...

, Mylliem (including

city, the colonial capital of all Tribal Assam), Nobosohphoh, Nonglwai, Nongkhlaw, Nongspung, Nongstoiñ, Pamsanngut, Rambrai, Shella, Sohïong. or Sardar ...

References

External links

Map of the Khasi states

{{Historical districts of India History of Meghalaya History of Assam Districts of British India Tourism in Northeast India 1912 establishments in India