The Khasi people maintain a unique matrilineal society in the mountains of Northeast India

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Deep in the hills of Meghalaya, the Khasi people preserve a rare matrilineal culture where inheritance and property rules shape family life. This Austroasiatic group, whose history is tied to ancient migrations from Southeast Asia, balances traditional democratic governance with modern life, all while living in the wettest place on Earth.

The Khasi people, an Austroasiatic ethnic group, primarily inhabit the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India. Numbering over 1.41 million in the 2011 Census of India, they represent the state's largest community. Their history is marked by migration from Southeast Asia during the Holocene period, with linguistic ties to the Palaungic languages of Myanmar and the Mon-Khmer people. They have long been people of the hills, with a culture that reflects both their Austroasiatic roots and significant Tibeto-Himalayan-Burman influences.

Central to Khasi society is its matrilineal structure, which dictates inheritance and property ownership. Marital residence is determined by the type of marriage; it is matrilocal when an heiress, known as the Ka Khadduh, is involved, and neolocal otherwise. This system is deeply connected to the Khasi Kur, or clan system. Traditionally, Khasi political life was organized into independent states called Syiemships, led by a Chief or U Syiem, and governed through democratic Durbars. Today, these structures continue to function under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Khasi mythology offers a profound perspective on nature, viewing trees as manifestations of the divine. Their creation stories describe a heavenly ladder that once connected Earth to the heavens, a connection severed by a grave error. This reverence for the natural world persists among the roughly 15.41% of Khasis who follow the indigenous monotheistic religion, Ka Niam Khasi. Meanwhile, the majority are Christian, and smaller numbers follow Hindu, Buddhist, or Islamic traditions. Whether through the intricate weaving of Eri silk or the construction of living root bridges, the Khasi continue to blend ancient traditions with a resilient, modern identity.

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