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 J ...

(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, headquarter Khliehriat, West Jaintia Hills district, 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 riv ...

, East Khasi Hills district, 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 ...

, 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 loc ...

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, 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 Laur ...

. 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 eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

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

. 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, Cherra (or Sohra; capital Cherrapunji), Dwara (capital Hat Dwara), Jirang, Khyri(e)m (capital Cherrapunjee, under a Radja), Langrin, Langïong, Maharam, Malai Sohmat, Marriw, Mawdon, Mawiang, Mawlong, Mawphlang, 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