The Land Where Women Prevail: Khasi Matrilineality and Emergent Social Issues in Meghalaya

Abstract

Khasi society in Meghalaya follows matrilineality- a social system in which family line is traced through women. However, the society now happens to be passing through a transitional phase whereby a section of radical khasi men destines to displace the years-old tradition. Given such situation, this piece of work has attempted to understand the grounds and rationality of blooming of matrilineality among the khasi community through an ethnographic research and its survival over time despite being surrounded by the patrilineal societies across India. It has also sought to analyse the true status of both khasi male and female in terms of their involvement in social, economic and political affairs under the matrilineal system. The study, however, concludes that despite bestowing laudable respect towards women, today’s khasi society happens to be vitriolic due to its ‘customary code of conduct’ which keeps the khasi women outside all political affairs and make them to be engaged only in domestic affairs.