The Khasis are numerically very small Scheduled tribe. Mainly they are found in Meghalaya. In Assam the Khasi tribe is found Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills bordering Meghalaya. It is believed that the origin of the Khasi and the Jaintia is same. According to E Gait the Khasis belongs to the Mon-Khmer family and entered to North-East India.

The Khasis have the matrilineal family where the entire affair of the family creates around the mother who is also the head of the family. A Khasi family being a nuclear one and consists of woman, her husband and their children. The woman of the family inherits all the property and the father of the family is responsible for upbringing of the children, protecting the family. For a Khasi family the mother's clan called ‘Kur' is very important. The Khasi tribe has seven clans and every clan is supposed to be originated from an ancestors. The Khasis are exogamous and marriage within the clan is barred. Cross cousin marriages are prevalent under certain circumstances. In the Khasi society the girl has more freedom than the boys. The traditional Khasi marriage is a simple one, in case of Christianity the marriage is performed in the Church. After marriage the bridegroom is to be stay with his wife in his mother-in-laws house and their children will be inducted to the mother's clan.

Child marriage is not present, divorce and remarriage are permissible.

The birth in the family is considered to be a joyous one. The maternal uncle plays a very important role in the name giving ceremony on the new-born baby. They believed in rebirth. The dead body is cremated. After the death the body is washed and dressed and after putting the corpse bed food articles and betel leaf and nut offered. The cremation ceremony is performed by the maternal uncle, after the cremation bones are collected and kept in cist made of float stones where specially prepared food articles, rice beer, betel nuts and betel leaves are offered to the deceased.

The youngest daughter of the family inherits all the property. She leaves in the ancestral house and her brothers and elder sisters leave the house after marriage. In the Khasi land system two types of land are present, namely ‘Ri-Kynti' and ‘Ri-Raid' where the former is owned by the clan and the later one owned by the community.

The entire territory inhabited by the Khasi democratically elected Chief and ruler called Syiem. Every ruler has a ‘Darbar' consisting of several officials including ‘Mantries' and village elders to assists him administration and other matters. Severe punishment is given to the person who committed the crime including the capital punishment and life imprisonment. That's why there is lesser number of crimes in the Khasi society. AA Khasi village is built on the both side of the main street and villages are not shifted. A traditional Khasi house is build without nails and uniformity in regard of building materials is maintained.

The Khasi people believe in one supreme God called ‘U Ble Nongthaw' who is the Creator of all lives and beings. They also believe in some other smaller god and goddesses. They worshipped those deities and other natural objects like sacred groves, hills, peaks etc. The Khasi tribes believe in the existence of haven, life hereafter and rebirth. Majority of Khasi families are converted to Christianity, but still some of the families practice the traditional religious rituals. Agriculture is the primary occupation. They produce rice and practice Jhum cultivation also.They raise pigs and fowls. They produce various articles made from bamboo, cane. Rice is the staple food of the Khasi tribe. Pork, beef, mutton and chicken is served with rice. Use of betel nut and betel leave is very common among them. Smoking is a very much present. They take rice beer and other alcoholic drinks also.

They have their own traditional dresses for both men and women. Since weaving is not present in the Khasi society, they collected their dress materials from the plain of Assam. Women wear ‘Ka Jympiem', ‘Ka Jainsem', ‘Jainkup', and the Khasi men wear ‘Dhoti' and ‘Chaddar'. They also have their traditional ornaments. Their ornaments are made of gold, silver and coral beads. The Khasi tribe has many folk tales and mythological tales which are passes from one generation to other orally. They are great lovers of music. The folk songs are believed to be century old. Some musical instruments used by the Khasis are ‘Ka Sharati', and ‘Ka Duitara. Archery is most popular game. The Khasi tribe observes ‘Ka Pomblang Nongrem' as main festival.

The Khasi tribe is a very hard working tribe.

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