In the remote northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, the Khasi tribe still follows the ancient tradition of matrilineage, where women inherit ancestral property, children adopt their mother’s surname, and the local market is abuzz with independent female vendors, who have complete control over their business. In other words, in the Khasi community, men play second fiddle to women – a situation rarely found elsewhere in India, where by and large the society is driven by patriarchal norms.
Photo Essays | Society | South Asia
The Khasis: A Matrilineal Society in India’s Northeast
The Khasi tribe in Meghalaya is one of the last remaining matriarchal societies in the world.
The Khasis, who constitute the largest ethnic group of Northeast India, are also one of the world’s last communities to practice matrilineal descent.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
The matrilineal social structure of Meghalaya differs from the rest of India in many ways. Here, women carry the family name forward and children take up their mother’s last name.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
Women are often spotted working in the fields. They are the main earners for the family.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
In the matrilineal society of the Khasi community, the youngest daughter of the family inherits all ancestral property. After marriage, husbands live in their mother-in-law’s home.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
A wholesale market for vegetables, fruits, flowers, and foodgrains, lewduh is one of the oldest traditional markets of Northeast India. Here, women of the Khasi community run the show.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
Hima Tynsong owns her own shop in Iewduh market in Shillong. She says that her success is largely due to the societal norms where women’s empowerment is inherent.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
A close-knit clan, Khasis are well-educated, and nearly 80 percent of them are Christians.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
A Khasi man takes a break from his work in the market stall to have a smoke. In the matrilineal society of this Northeastern tribe, men generally work as underlings of women who control the business.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
There is a remarkable sense of bonhomie and camaraderie among Khasi women. Here, it is accepted that to be of the same kur (clan), a blood relationship is not the only criteria; it can also be built on friendship.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee
According to Khasi folklore, they have patriarchal roots. A warrior clan, men often went to battle and died. Their partners would then have to remarry, and sometimes it was difficult to ascertain a child’s paternity. Historians believe that this was the root cause of the gradual evolution of a matrilineal society.
Credit: Sugato Mukherjee