Jaintias

The Jaintia were a people of Khasi origin who inhabited the Jaintia Hills in northeastern India. Historically, their territory stretched across what is now the border between Bangladesh and India, extending into the Assam plain.12

The Jaintia people largely maintained a matriarchal culture due to their isolation. They traditionally practiced shifting cultivation, with potatoes being a primary crop, though settled farming was also adopted, influenced by Hinduism and Aryan customs.2

In the 19th century, the raja of Jaintia allied with the British. Following the annexation of their territory in 1832, tensions arose with Bengali traders and European tea planters, leading to a rebellion in 1862 that was suppressed by British authorities. Under British rule and later Indian independence, their traditional administrative system was replaced by a district council for tribal affairs.12