ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the social, political, and economic structure of Meghalaya and particularly the Jaintia hills of Meghalaya where the fieldwork for this research was carried out. It first gives an overview of the history of state formation of Meghalaya and a brief introduction to the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia hills that form the state of Meghalaya. It then goes on to discuss the history of migration, ethnicity, and conflict in Meghalaya followed by a discussion on Christianisation in Meghalaya. It then has a discussion on the matrilineal tradition in the state, followed by an outline of the history of mining in Meghalaya. The aim of this chapter is to provide a contextual understanding of the Meghalayan society, which is crucial to understanding the empirical realities of Meghalaya as discussed in this research.
