By HH Mohrmen
The recent imbroglio about the state anthem created by this Government has helped bring to light the old debate about Pnar and the term Jañtia, which has a long history. However, this debate is not only about the two terms, but it is also about the identity of the community as Khasi, which is currently based on argument using linguistic points of view only. The truth is this debate is not about language only; it is about history and the pride of the people who belong to (the once upon a time) the greatest kingdom amongst the Austro-Asiatic Mon Khmer-speaking people in this region.
About Jayantia, which later became Jaintia
The region, which once comprised hills and plain lands to the south, is now part of Bangladesh and North Assam. The Jayantia kingdom was once a very flourishing kingdom. In the previous article, this column had, to some extent, dealt with the beginning of the Jayantia kingdom and its evolution to Jaintia, which has a history dating back to ancient times. The Jayantia kingdom, with its capital in Jayantiapur, is the only kingdom of the Jaidbynriew that issued coins (Rhodes, N.G and Bose, S.K. (2010). The coinage of Jayantiapur – with an account of the last days of the Jaintia Raj. Kolkata: Marudhar Arts.). Till date the monolith and the structures in Jayantiapur still stand tall as a testimony to the fact that it was once ruled by the people of Pnar descent. (Mohrmen, HH, Cultural History of Jañtia hills is a story of stone and traditions)
The Jayantia to Jaintia in a Nutshell
Let us start the 500 years’ history of Jaintia hills (1500-2024) by delving into the name, and identity called Jañtia. The term Jaintia is derived from the name of Jayantia Devi. It was a very ancient kingdom mentioned in Hindu scriptures. In the previous article, mention was made that the Jayantia Buranji also tells a story about King Jayanta Rai who had no son but a daughter only. Since the king was without a son, he handed over the reins of his kingdom to his daughter Jayanti Devi. The kingdom derives its name from the name of Jayanti Devi, and its capital is also called Jayantiapur. Till today, a considerable population of Pnar origin can be found in Jayantiapur.
A successful tribal chief, after defeating all the villages in the hills, extended his kingdom to the plains and ruled over the Jayantia kingdom. The first tribal chief who extended his domain to the plains was called by his adversaries as Prabhat Rai, meaning the Lord of the Hills. From 1500 onwards, it became one of the very flourishing kingdoms in the region, interacting and intermarrying with the Ahoms, the Dimasas, and the Tripuris. Initially, the Jayantia kings had a very good relationship with the British. But Jayantia started having problems with the British from 1830 onwards, and the main contention was that the Jayantias kidnapped some British subjects and used them to perform human sacrifices at the temple. The British annexed the Kingdom in 1835 because the Jañtia kidnapped British subjects and sacrificed them in their temple.
Kiang Nangbah and the Country “Ri” He Fought For
In the book “U Kiang Nangbah: The Swordsman with the Stealth of the Tiger,” this author dealt with the very important question – For which country did U Kiang Nangbah sacrifice his life? The causes of the rebellion were the house tax and the interference of the British with the religious ceremonies, but at a later stage, the leaders of the rebellion demanded the reinstatement of the king of Jañtia. The British also used the royal family and asked them to move from the plains to the hills to convince the rebels to end the rebellion, proving that the royal family still has a strong influence on the hills subject.
Later, when fed up with the members of the royal family whose only concern was the pension promised by the British, U Kiang Nangbah declared that if they did not wish to continue to serve as the king, then the people will find a new king. The country he had in mind when he rebelled against the British was certainly not the Indian nation-state but his beloved Jaintia kingdom. (Mohrmen, HH, U Kiang Nangbah, the Swordsman with the Stealth of the Tiger, 2022).
The Jañtia Region Post-Independence
Post-independence, the hill region where people who speak the Austro-Asiatic Mon Khmer group of languages lived was clubbed under one district known as the United Khasi and Jaintia district under the composite state of Assam. The state of Meghalaya was created with the principal constituents, the Garo hills, the Khas hills, and the Jaintia Hills. In the year 2012, the erstwhile Jaintia Hills district was further bifurcated with the creation of East Jaintia Hills district.
The Jaidbynriew and their States
Prior to the advent of the British, the tribal states in the hills existed as independent states, comprising few raids with their own tribal chiefs. Some of the kingdoms, which were, in fact, mere states, were ka hima Nongkhlaw, Mylliem, Khyrim, and Sohra or Cherra, and these states existed independently. During the Kiang Nangbah rebellion, the British used the king of Cherra (Sohra) to negotiate with the rebels and try to get them to surrender to the government. The Syiem of Nongkhlaw was compelled to provide support to the British troops, which passed through Nongkhlaw on their march from Guwahati to the Jañtia to suppress the rebellion. The different states existed independently and even fought against each other, and the idea of one Jaidbynriew as a cohesive identity was not there prior to the arrival of the British.
The Origin of Khasi
Khasi is an exogenous name given to us by others. The Jayantia Buranji has a story of how the Jaintia were given the name. King Yudhisthir decided to perform Rajashuya Yagna and to prepare for the sacrifice; he sent his brothers in all four directions. In a show of disrespect, King Indrasen refused to appear before Bhim. Bhim was infuriated and dragged him on his bottom till his testicles ruptured, sparing Indrasen’s life because he was a Brahmin. It was said that since then, the Jayantia kings came to be known as Khasi, and the name of the place where the incident occurred is called Khasipoor (Jayantia Buranji pp 24). Later, the missionaries who first settled at Sohra used the Sohra dialect to translate and write the Khasi language, and this, along with shared culture, are strands that unite the Jaidbynriew.
The Anthem Controversy and the History
Thanks to the NPP-led government, the state anthem compels one to revisit history and understand the fact that the issue is not merely a language issue; it is about the identity of the people of Jañtia. The people, which include the War, the Pnar, or even the Beate/Biate, and the Hadem of Saitsama, were part of this cohesive identity called Jañtia. Tradition has it that during the heydays of the kingdom, even the Hadem, which are of Kuki Chin descent, had a dance that they presented to the king to show allegiance to the Jañtia king. The fact is, Jañtia has always been inclusive of others and lived with people of different tribes and races since ancient times.
Jayantia/Jaintia is not just an idea, and for the people of Jañtia, the anthem controversy is not merely a linguistic issue. It is true that the community speaks the same language and follows the same culture, but the history of Jayantia/Jañtia cannot be easily done away with because it is inherent in the hearts and minds of the people. From U Ksan Sajar Nangbah to U Kiang Nangbah and to the present generation, they have been told and retold about the greatness of the Jaintia kingdom. To ignore this truth is to undermine the feelings that people have for their history and their tradition. Moreover, the Pnar and War have never in any way expressed that they do not belong to the Jaidbynriew. So, how can one question their allegiance to the community just because they demanded that the anthem needs to be more inclusive? In fact, if we are going to brand the people who asked the government to include Jañtia in the anthem, “ki nong pynpait jaidbynriew,” then what about U Kiang Nangbah who fought for the freedom of ka hima Jaintia?