By Isamanda Pariat & Dr Omarlin Kyndiah
Clans are social organisations/institutions that evolved to maintain social order. They emerged as loose associations of a large number of people connected by kinship ties linked to a common set of ancestors. The Jaintia-Khasi are clan-based societies. A key, yet under-studied institution is the clan. This article presents a feeble step in an attempt to an indigenous history of the Khasi and Jaintia who are of Austric origin. As we unearth the roots of these clans we will expose some of the routes they took as they populated their current homeland.
The Legend of “Ka Iaw Chibidi” follows the story of a woman who came from across the Kupli river and migrated to Jaintia Hills, alongside her children. The Jaintia came to the northeast and settled at Kamrup now known as Guwahati. Due to the threat of raids and conquest by the Brahman of the Indo-Aryan, the Jaintia migrated to the east and settled at the banks of the Kolong River. Subsequently, they moved south to establish an agricultural civilisation on the fertile valley of the Kupli River which they called Kremlamet now situated in the North Cachar Hills. The folklore alluded that she had the calibre to accommodate herself inside a fictile jar or ‘lalu’ by which she and her younglings in due course were known, therefore leading to the emergence of the Lalu clan. The family thrived during the period when a potent chieftain of the Malaniang clan wielded power in the Jaintia Hills. On the king’s demise, a civil war arose, compelling the Lalu family and many others to flee across the Kupli. Here they lived and flourished for a few generations until they were all stricken by a plague that spread through the area. The entire family was erased out of existence, except a girl who came to be known as Ka Iaw Iaw. She eventually became the sole heir of her family’s affluence and her riches captivated the attention of many admirers, so it became an issue for her to live there. She managed to run away from that place, reached Jwai, and directly made her way towards the priest’s house or Yung Langdoh. Though the priest allowed her to stay, his wife thought otherwise. She did not want to keep her around and asserted to her husband that the girl should be sold off to anyone who had intentions of acquiring her.
The anecdote continues with the Langdoh being pressurized under the influence of his wife to sell off Ka Iaw Iaw as a bonded slave, but none were willing to offer more than twenty cowries (Chibidi) to buy her. The Langdoh ultimately decided to keep the girl and took her back home, much to the dissatisfaction of his wife. Out of immense gratitude for this amicable gesture, Ka Iaw Iaw told Langdoh about herself and decided to bring all of her wealth from beyond the Kupli River to his house. In these unforeseen turn of events, it made the Langdoh along with his wife happy and Ka Iaw Iaw afterwards was wedded to their son.
Things were running smoothly with the newlyweds until some adventurers from outside the Kupli decided to abduct the bride for her wealth. The Langdoh was able to gather information in advance about the malicious intentions of these people and quickly made arrangements for the couple’s escape. The two were taken to an area near Nongkrem, known as Sohphohkynrum, located in the Khasi Hills, and settled there. This reminds us that the Jaintias under the leadership of U Long Chyllong and his men crossed the Kupli River traveled on foot and reached the bottom of a mountain later known as Lum Shillong (Shillong Peak).
In this very place, Ka Iaw Iaw was paying every man, who was contracted by her in establishing a bazaar, twenty cowries or chibidi per day for their employment. Here, she was also accredited for introducing the craft of smelting iron and was said to have made abundant iron contrivance which she would export to the plains areas. The tale goes on that she also kept a herd of pigs, which she fed in a huge manger gouged out of a diengdoh tree. For several years Ka Iaw Chibidi, as she was known by then and her children dwelt in peace.
News of her fortune and her insights regarding the smelting of iron and her commerce in iron implements with adjacent areas spread rapidly. The verbal narrative apprises that the Ahom King Swarga Raja (U Long Raja most likely the Raja of Jaintia), and the Assamese Barphukan joined forces with one another and raided a place called Sohphohkynrum. Their objective was to deprive Ka Iaw Iaw of her riches. This coerced Ka Iaw Chibidi to escape from that area towards Lyndiang-umthli, near Lyngkyrdem. In this new place, the family found it arduous to stay together so decided to branch out into four different groups for their survival. One section returned to Jowai and came to be known as the Lalu Clan, another went to Nongkhlaw and became the Diengdoh Kylla Clan; the third group went to Mawiong and was now known as the Pariong Clan and finally, the fourth group went to Rangjyrteh and Cherra, where they inaugurated the Diengdohbah Clan, and subsequently became one of the chief myntri clans of the state.
While we try to comprehend the myth of Ka Iaw Chibidi, one simply cannot fail to acknowledge the process of the exodus of her forebears and that they originally hailed from the fertile valley of the Kupli River which they called Kremlamet. This movement from one location to another has aided them in coming into contact with people and also to adept the craft of iron smelting. In the course of their migration to save themselves, this newest innovation was imparted to the people by appealing to them to work in lieu of payment i.e. chibidi. Ka Iaw’s return to Jaintia Hills has played a significant role in presenting not only the skill of iron smelting but also in producing iron implements. Furthermore, the family’s struggle for survival has also led to the advent of a number of clans in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Reference to Ka Iawchibidi in oral sources traces back to the Jaintia Hills and she was instrumental in popularising this technology in Khasi Hills. Oral tradition does not refer to the dates but if her narrative is accepted then she might be the one whom we can trace back to 2000 years ago.
There are plenty of oral traditions and narratives that trace the origin of many Khasi clans (Kur) from the Jaintia ancestress. For instance, Iawtalang- the ancestress of the Talang clan had nine daughters. On the day when the youngest daughter was giving birth, all her sisters were sowing seeds in the field. Due to the siblings’s absence, her husband was enraged at them and this led him to cook the placenta. Then he offered it to the sisters convincing them it was the meat of a sacrificial chef. After they had consumed it, he taunted them by mentioning that they had devoured their own kith and kin, unbeknownst to them. Overtaken by guilt, they fled the village and all of them established different clans in other vicinities. One of them went to Chyrmang village, retaining her original clan. Another went to Thangbuli and there emerged the Buam clan. Another went towards Rymbai but because she stayed the night at Myntdu the clan is known as Nongtdu. Another went to Samynting where the Pyrtuh clan emerged after a religious celebration called Pyrtuh. Another went to Khasi Hills and founded the Syntung clan; another founded the Suting clan. Some say that both these clans are one and the same.
Clan historical narratives provide a rich source of indigenous information that helps us to explain and understand the movement or migration. It also shows how some clans are connected through a common history and ancestry. Many of the clan name changes took place when people dispersed or moved from one place to another. Let me give one example of the origin and dispersal of some clans and at one point in time emerged new clans or sub-clans. Rymbai, the daughter of Bahkhla ( ancestress of clan Ryngkhlem, Kyndiah, Kyndait, Sana, Ksoo, etc) originally settled in Rymbai village of Jaintia Hills. Some members of the Rymbai clan migrated and settled in Khasi Hills and their clan name changed to Nongrymbai and some were known as Nongrum. From the Nongrum emerged the sub-clan like Nongneng, Nengnong, and Rumnong.
These are stories handed down from the remote past by word of mouth from one generation to another, reflecting the people’s traditions and beliefs. Members of the same clan shared a common identity, and ideal sense of common origin and belongingness.
( Isamanda Pariat is currently pursuing her BA in English at St. Edmund’s College Shillong)