When we discuss about Meghalaya, three major tribes comes out prominently they are the Khasis, Jaintias, and the Garos. When we discuss about sub-tribes or communities we find 26 communities are mentioned. Among them ‘Maram’ tribe of Meghalaya appears. Maram tribe or community is one of the cores of the Khasi tribe. When we discuss about the Khasi culture, economy or religion, Maram is part of them. Because of these reasons Maram stay hidden in the main Khasi tribe. Maram is a sub-tribe of the Khasi tribe. It has no record documents about its origin or its culture; it has lost its identity of its origination. The Maram dialect is slightly different from that of the main Khasi language or Sohra language (ktien Sohra). They occupy a large geographical area in the state and are in great number but their identity is lost under the roof of the Khasi and thus they found themselves backward in all spheres of life. Majority of the Maram are in West Khasi Hills District. They are also found in great number in the East Khasi Hills District especially in Mawlai, Ri Bhoi District and some of them are found in Jaintia Hills District and in Garo Hills District. Some of the Maram people have become great scholars but few of them have studied their culture and helping in bringing up the tribe by not migrating to the town. Many of the Maram people feel shy to reveal that they are Maram because they feel low; instead they make people to call them as Khasi.
Maram includes several clans and sub-clans under her roof. Some of them are the Lyngdoh, Syiem, Kharmawlong, Kharsyntiew, Lyngkhoi, Marbaniang, Marwein, Shangpliang, Iawphniaw, Nongbri, Kurbah, Diengdoh, Kharbani, LyngdohRani etc. Some of these clans and sub-clans have some connections with some clans and when there are some connections no inter-marriages are allowed. Each of these clans has their own interpretations about their origin. Folklores, folk stories, folksongs, chants and oral traditions tells one thing in common that is all the tribes once belong to the ‘Hynniew Trep’, ‘Hynniew Skum’ ,the ‘Seven Huts’ or the seven members who remain on the earth when the navel of the earth was cut. Almost all the clans believe to have come to exist due to some supernatural relationship or mixed marriages between human beings and animals. Some scholars say that the Maram people have migrated from South East Asia i.e. Mongolia many centuries ago. They would also say that being the sub-tribe of the Khasi the Maram must have come from T’Sintien and lived around the ‘Kameikha’ near Kamrup in Assam. The Anthropological study of the Maram shows that they are short statures in features m, mean for men is 1566.6mm and for women is 1471.5mm. They have mesocephalic, acrocephalic and hypsicephalic head. They have mesorrhine, platyrrhine type of nose and euryposophic and of tureen types of faces. In respect to ABO blood group system they are characterized by very high percentage of genes and A blood group followed by B, O and AB.
The Maram belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family like the Mon-Khmer of the Khasi language. The Maram has no script of its own. The Khasi and Maram could understand the language of each other because of their similarities but some of the other sub-clans of the Khasi find it difficult to converse in both the languages.
The Maram considers the earth as the mother who provide and protects (Ka Mei Ramew ,Ka Nongbsa Ka Nong btiap bas Ka Nongda Nongpeit).They are land owning people. The primary occupation is agriculture, supplemented by sericulture, petty business contract jobs, basketry, fishing, hunting, and collecting forest products like honey, firewood, bamboo shot etc. The staple food of Maram is rice. Potato, one of the cash crops of this region was first brought by David Scott the British conqueror of Meghalaya. Jhumming is the chief mode of cultivation besides dry-land cultivation of rice .The major crops are rice, maize, Jute, pulses, potatoes, ginger, sweet-potatoes, tapioca, chilies, etc. They also cultivate betel nuts, betel-leaves, and soft broom. Plantation of oranges, Mangoes, bananas, pears, pineapples, plumes, jackfruits, Khasi oranges (Sohphoh Nongkhlaw) are also done. Vegetables like potatoes, peas, brinjal, beans, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (red and ash) cucumber, leafy vegetables, roots and the Maram grows tubers. White-collar jobs are increasing as the state grows. They are also blacksmith, business people, and drivers. Maram are non-vegetarian they relish chicken, pork, beef, mutton sometimes buffalos, dogs, elephants and other animals from the forest, besides all sorts of edible fish and birds.
The Maram sub-tribe has many rich cultural heritages. Many of its festival are related with agricultural activities or activities of victory against the enemies or the devils. They are excellent dancers, skill hunters, fierce fighters and raiders. Their life was originally primal and isolated in their own ‘Shnong’ or groups amidst thick jungles with many wild animals ands birds. They live a nomadic life. Women found it very difficult to such a life. For better care of children, domesticated animals and in the family chores, they urged men to settle in one place and thus villages emerged. To maintain the religion ‘Ka Niam’ of the family, to be able to teach the children the religion, the laws of righteous living and to introduce the children to the clan system are some of the other reasons to form a village. Being an agrarian society \ community they are well trained how to defend themselves from being attack by wild animals or enemies. They are music lovers, they have many folksongs, poems, chants and unique musical instruments that are made by the indigenous people, they used them when they go for hunting or when any competition takes place with other villages. They sing these songs or chants so that they may get some animals or win the game or even defeating the enemies in case of war. These songs or chant are like mantras that brings good luck to them, ‘Ban Ieng Ka Daw’, so that the arrow may go straight to the desired place. There are different songs or chants that they use in ceremonies or during the clan sacrifices. The advancement of western Music has suppressed this beautiful traditional music very much. The songs and chants are replacing by western hymns and western musical instruments replace traditional musical instruments. Some of the Khasi traditional dances or dress is a mixture of the Maram, War, Khynriem and of the Bhoi dances or dresses.
Cultural Practices of The Maram regarding Death:
The Maram and the Lyngam of the state of Meghalaya, India, pays great respect to the dead people. Death is one of the biggest events in the society especially the clan. When anyone died many sacrifices and prayers are made to the gods, the ancestral deities, prayers are offered to the ancestress (Iawbei), the grandfather (Thawlang) and the great uncle( U Suitnia, mother’s brother). The sacrifices and prayers are done in a very diligent manner because they believe that if the spirits are not appease the Spirit will cause destruction to the family members, the crops, cattle and even haunt them and give them no peace. They believe that as long as the spirit is roaming around because he was not satisfied while living on earth, there will be no blessing to the clan.
They also believe in the ‘re-birth’ or ‘Karma’ teaching. So if a dead person has not been treated well with all the rituals and customs the person will be born as an animal or insect. The clan members are afraid of this very much for they don’t want to see any of their kiths and kin being born as animal or insects in the future life.
There is a strong believe in spirits or ghost. The people are frightened of this very much. Some live with this fear till they enter their graves. Even educated people who knows that it is a superstitious belief or even animistic have this fear. They will not talked anything regarding dead person, spirits or any queer stories that can frightened them once the weather is dark. Therefore, many people will not hesitate to spend any amount of money to appease the spirits.
The Maram belief that when a person dies he passes through various stages depending on the life he had lived on earth. If a person lived a good life on earth the people believes that he will go to heaven, an eternal home of happiness. If a person lived a life that is not so good he will be sent to purgatory called as ‘Nurok ka ksew’, ‘Mynkoi u Jom’, ‘Khyndai Pateng Niamra’ to be punished for sometime as a compensation for his sins. If a person lived a bad life he will be sent to hell, ‘Dujok’. A person who lived a bad life is frowned by all. When he dies there will be no sacrifices or prayer services offered for him. His body will not be burnt or burry in a common place. Even if the body is burnt or buried his bones will not be interned into the family bones repository, cromlech. It is believed that evil spirit will take control over his body and soul. He will not be at ease forever. This happened only when the person committed serious crimes like incest, murder etc. and he is excommunicated from the clan.
When a person breathes his last no sooner a cock is killed as a sacrifice for the soul of that person. The cock is killed because they believe that the cock knows the way home and thus the cock would scratch a way for the soul of that person. The cock intestines are also observed carefully whether it is good or bad. If it is bad they believe that something bad will occur in the family again. Prayers are offered for the dead person. The church bells are rung. The family members gather round the person and mourn for him. The family members and all his\her nephews or nieces, if they are grown up, come together and decide what to do. Some of them would be messenger to distant relatives and friends. Some would go and invite people to help them in cooking meals, digging grave, making coffin, collecting firewood, carrying water and other domestic chores. Some would be in charge of the prayer services and some for the relatives who have come from far. Different members of the family, to feed the people who come for the funeral, kill Bulls, pigs, chickens, and other animals, depending upon the income of the family. For example if the grandmother or uncle died, the brothers, sisters, nephew\nieces or grandchildren, and the relatives will offer something to help in the expenses made. Death is a costly affair in the society. On the first day or early on the second day the person is given a long bath. If the person is male the male members will give him bath and vise versa. The person is given bath with a warm water boiled on a big pot with few rice and lemon leaves in it, the pot is to be covered while boiling the water. When the bath is over the person’s body is wrapped with a new piece of cloth and make to lie on a bed that he usally sleeps or in the special room. The bed is curtained all round. Candles are kept on burning day and night on a candle stand above the persons head or on both sides of the head. Fruits, food, and the person’s medicine (if they die due to sickness) are kept on the person’s bed. A mother, wife, father or any relatives who are very close to the person will sit besides the dead body with one side of the curtain open.
The traditional Maram religion cremates the body while the Christian buries the body. In the Maram religion once the body is prepared for the burial, the body is kept on the coffin and brought outdoor in the verandah with only the head part of the dead body is shown. It is brought out to let the villager have their last homage to that person. Prayer service is conducted where, if the uncle died, his parents if still alive, his brother or sister, his nephew\nieces and his relatives will give a farewell speech for the dead person and beg from him to bless the clan. When everything in the courtyard is over the body is put on a bier (Ka Krong) with his head facing towards the east. The relatives will take the body to the cremation place with flowers and candles in front of the procession lines. On the cremation place there will be a farewell chanting then the body is kept on the pyre and the relatives will light fire on the pyre. All the clothes and personal things of the person are thrown in the pyre. The parents, relatives, friends and all those who attended the funeral ceremony will throw betel leaves and betel nuts; some will throw money into the pyre. Betel leaves and betel nuts are thrown so that the dead person may enjoy eternal bliss and happiness and he may not lack friends in their second life. When the cremation is done the unconsumed bones and the ashes are collected to intern them in the family cromlech. Sacrifices and prayers offered for the internment of the bones. On the dead anniversary prayer service will be held in the family and food will be offered to the people who attended the ceremony. The relatives will also take some food for the dead person and keep it on the tomb or cromlech. At present cremation is forbidden in the state but if the dead person by all means asked to be cremated when he was still alive the family members will burry the person for six months then the body will be removed and cremation will take place.
The Christian follow the same procedures till the procession. During the procession Rosary is recited or other prayers are prayed. When they reached the graveyard a prayer service is held then the body is lowered to the grave. The people bids farewell by throwing mud and some throw betel leaves, betel nuts or money. When the burial is done all the people will go to eat and drink in the person’s family. After one year the Christian also have prayer service for the repose of the soul of that person.
The Christian as well as those who are in Maram religion observed a period of purification for three days called as ‘Sngi Iew Ding’, soon after the person is buried or cremated. During these three days those who have touched the dead body or eat the food in the family where death took place will not touch the barn. The third day of purification is called as Miet Ap Rngai, literally ‘Night of waiting the ghost’. The family members will keep some eatable things in the pots, ashes will be kept on the doorway to see the footprints and the family members and friends will sleep early to wait for the coming of the ghost. Some would bring out with news that the ghost had come to eat, drink, and so on.
The Matriliny System Of The Maram.
The largest matrilineal unit of the Maram is the Kur Bah (main clan) followed by the Kur Nah, the Jait (sub-clan), the Kpoh (lineage), the Iing (family) and the Iing-Tnat (nuclear family). The Maram believed that ‘U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw’ (God the Creator) established the Kur through ‘Ka Iawbei Tynrai’(Root Ancestress), ‘U Thawlang’ (Primordial Progenitor)and ‘U Suidnia’ (Primordial Uncle, brother of Iawbei).Any sub-clan who adopted a slightly different title but still bound by the main clan, Kur, Iateh Kur comes together only in the Kur. Jait Iateh Kur, sub-clan that are bound by the clan has different Kpoh, Ing and Iing-Tnat.The Iing Tnat consists of a mother, father and children. The Iing includes the great grandmother, Meirad Tymmen and grandmother, the Khadduh (last daughter) the unclean, the unmarried sisters and brother .The Iing Tnat is split from the Iimg.The Kpoh or lineage includes the young ansestress, Iawbei Khynraw, her husband, the uncle and the Khadduh, From the Kpoh the Iing spreads. The Jait includes the Iawbei Tymmn, root ancestress, her husband ,her brother and the Khaduh. In the Jait, sub-clan all the different Kpoh are split. Those who belong to the same sub clan bears the same title or surname. The Kur clan includes the Iawbei Tynrai, root ancestress, U Thawlang, primordial progenitor, her husband; U Suidnia her brother and theKhaduh.The different sub-clans who have different titles or surname are split from the main Kur. The children addresses their mother’s sister and female maternal cousins as mothers. The brother of the mother is called as uncle. The mother of the children’s father is called as Meikha and his (father’s )brothers and sisters are addressed as “Bakha or Kha”. The Khadduh and her husband are expected to stay in the Iing, while the other daughters can split into their Iing-Tnat.The Khadduh inherits the major part of the wealth. It is because she has to look after her parents, the unmarried brothers and sisters, the nephew and nieces, if her sister died, and she has to take care after the different religious rites and sacrifices that are to be performed at different occasion. Though the Khadduh inherits the wealth, she is only the custodian. It is the Kni who manages on her behalf besides being the priest and the chief celebrant in any family sacrifices. The Paduh (husband of the Khadduh) has few roles to play because he (uncle) is like a father. In fact the husband of the Khadduh plays a great role only in the procreation so that the children get their Meikha and Bakha (paternal kin) or pasan or pakhynnah (uncle). The Kur are strictly exogamous and any inter-marriage within the Kur is a taboo and the greatest sin a person can commit. It is believed that nature herself will punish the Kur with natural calamities like striking of a lightning to the members of the Kur.If such love marriage occur the Kur will immediately order the two to live separately. If they don’t the Kur will excommunicate them from the clan. This is the greatest punishment in the society. The Kur does not praise the child born of such relationship though the child is allowed to join the Kur. The child is known as “Khun Kha Sang”, incestuous child. If such a relationship is done secretly the people believe that nature will herself reveals by mild actions, if the relationship had just began. Major actions like killing the family members will occur if it is a matured relationship. The Kni of the Kur with all the clan members will find out the cause of such unnatural happenings or deaths. The Kni will offer sacrifices ‘Knia Khan’ using eggs, cocks, goat or a die (six sided coin) ‘shyieng khan’ to find out the person. This method is done only when no one confesses even after enquiring. The punishment for the person who doesn’t confess will be beating especially when his action has killed someone in the family. When the reason “Daw” is found out a cock or a goat is sacrificed so that God may not punish the clan any longer with deaths or any other punishments. Prayers are also offered so that the incestuous evil spirit may be washed out from the clan. Marriage with immediate paternal kin (bakha) is considered to be a taboo and natural calamities will strike the Kur directly without any warning like what it usually happens in inter –marriages with in the Kur. However after two or thee paternal generations they can marry with the different Kpoh of the father’s side. Some clans ‘Kur’ consider marriage with paternal kin, a good thing. Such clans prefer the Khadduh to have such marriages. If any male members marry any plain women or vise versa and bring them to the land of the Kur they are integrated to the Kur but their title or sure name will be slightly different because they can add dkhar (plain man or woman) or only khar with the main title of the Kur.
The uncle (Kni Rangbah) and the Khadduh (last daughter) are the two most important persons in the clan. The uncle has authority over residence, economic, social activities, welfare, and moral well being of the clan, uniting of the clan and in performing as a priest in the family religious rites, customs and sacrifices. He works for his sister and controls the family wealth. He teaches, advices, counsels and supports his nieces and nephews and is an intermediary between God and the nieces or nephews. He is the administrator of movable and immovable goods of the family. The Khadduh (last daughter) is the custodian of the family;,property, economy, Iing (family), ancestral house, and of the cromlech, Maw Shyieng. She epitomizes the family religion and is referred to as the one who “ Keeps the Religion” though she is not a priestess. She is responsible to prepare the necessary items for the rites and rituals. She is responsible to look after the older members, the handicapped, the widower, the unmarried brothers and sisters and the children of the deceased parents. No beggars or thieves exist in the Maram Society. With their own sweat and blood they live happily and share with the clan members. Any Maram and even the whole Khasi tribe with the leadership of the uncle and the support of the Khadduh leads their lives with the help of these simple rules;
(a) Tip Briew-tip Blei (Know man -; Know God)
(b) Tip Kur tip Kha (Know Maternal and Paternal relationship; respect your kinsmen)
(c) Tip Hok- Tip Sot (know and do what is right and pure)
(d) Tip Burom-Tip Akor (Know the etiquette of life, Know how to respect)
(e) Kamai ia ka Hok (to earn with righteousness)
Matriliny system in the Maram society has its strong roots because of some family bonds, symbols, and practices. Some of these forces are: -
(1) Having a common grandmother
(2) Having a common ancestral cult, cromlech (Mawbah, Mawshyieng, Mawbynna Niam, literally means religious stone, Mawbynna Nam, literally means honoring stone).
(3) Common household deities
(4) Common religion beliefs
(5) Common Iing Seng (root family) or Iing Niam (literally means religion house) in the ancestral home.
(6) Common priest, uncle (Marangbah)
(7) Common ancestral property
(8) Common administrator, leader, teacher, confessor, supporter (the great uncle and the subaltern uncles)
(9) Common meeting place (Iing Durbar)
(10) Common visiting place (Iing Khadduh, ancestral home)
(11) Common surname (Kajuh Ka Jait)
(12) Common sacred grove, (Law Kyntang)
Pure traditional matrilineal system ceased to exist in Meghalaya as a whole. Few Maram villages practice a modified matrilineal system. Majority of the Maram are adopting only few aspects of the Matriliny system but still they call themselves a matrilineal society. The Maram women are in trauma; the women are in trouble and their children are left uncared because the role of the uncle is being wiped out and the progenitor father is slow to take the uncle’s place especially regarding material needs. Some of the forces that hinders Matriliny system are:-
(a) The conflicts between the Iing-Tnat (nuclear family) and the Iing (family), the Kpoh (lineage) regarding social, religious, economic and political aspects.
(b) The conflicts between a progenitor father and uncles regarding power, administration, guiding the children and cooperation.
© The conflicts between mans’ loyalty to his wife and children and his loyalty to his Iing (family) or Kur (clan).
(d) With the coming of the British the Khadduh has legal right to claim the ancestral property and considered them as self-acquired properties and this created conflict in the Iing because the Khadduh is suppose to be only a custodian while the uncle is suppose to be the administrator,
(e) The conflicts between matri-local residence and a man’s lack of complete authority over his own conjugal family.
(f) Some Iing (family) has a conflict in marriage system with the patrikin because after some two or three generation they can get marry.
(g) The outgoing sisters (Khun Mihiing) are also given some of the ancestral property to be used therefore, there is conflict between the Khadduh and them especially when the Khadduh get less amount of property to take care of the Iing .
(h) Individualism, privatization, urbanization and globalization has made people selfish and greedy, therefore, a conflict arises when some welfare work is to be done, that is when we need to share some money to support the Iing during religious practices and to help the unfortunate members of the family.
(i) Conflict between the real wife and children with the concubines and their children.
(j) The conflict when mixed marriages between patrlineal and matrilineal societies take place.
(k) Conflicts arise when the number of cognates and agnates (Ki kur bad Ki kha) are not enough for inter marriages.
(l) The conflict between wife and children with the father because he comes only to produce but not providing any support. The wife faces great trouble especially when the children are sick because the uncles are out of sight.
(m) The conflict between changing the matrilineal system to patrilineal system like the Nairs in Kerela . The Seng Rympei Thymmai (Association of new Hearts) started in 1990 is formed for this purpose.
(n) the conflict to form a new family system that is keeping the patrilineal and matrilineal title together in the title of the family . For example if the father’s title is Marbaniang and the Mother’s title is Lyngdoh then the children will have the title LyngdohMarbaniang.
(o) Marriage is a social contract based on clan, religious rites and practices. The uncle and other family members have to approve it, therefore, a conflict arises among the youths who falls in love with members of other clans whom the Iing (family) does not favored may be due to some conflicts in the past. A conflict also arises for adult boys and girls who want to choose their life partner freely i.e. without any interference of the Iing (family).
(p) Even though the Maram women receives high respect and have great role in the society but still they have to suffered many untold sufferings and are forced to work even at the cost of sacrifices oneself because the uncle nor the husband are not at her side to support her. For example, a woman has to carry firewood or work in the field amidst the scorching sun or heavy rain even during pregnancy. Therefore, a great conflict or quarrel arises among them.
(q) There is a Conflict among those who have white-collar jobs, who become richer with the simple agrarian people. Division between the rich and the poor began to appear and the poor are engaged even as bonded laborers by the rich.
(r) The conflict between the Christian teachings, practices etc. and the Maram teachings, practices etc.
Maram people insist in the present day insist the father to stay with his wife and children. The child whose father ran away are called Khunrei,, (fatherless child) in the present day. The uncles are respected though they don’t possess the traditional authority any longer. The Khadduh still inherit the ancestral home. Ancestral properties are divided to all the daughters but still the Khadduh gets the bigger share. The children still adopt the mother’s title. This is the present matrilineal situation of the people at present.
THE END
By Shaining Lyngdoh
