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In Jaintia Hills society, it is found that villages which clustered around a particular area recognize themselves as the components of a single political entity. Villages then appears as 'elaka ' (province) of a single settlement which is unitary in type. The Chief of this elaka is called Doloi and he is the territorial ruler and he represents the Rajship of his elaka. Doloi can be elected from the seniority clan which is strictly maintained, and a Doloi can be removed from his office by his people, for his misrule or corruption. Dolois also performs certain ritual functions and so generally, the Doloi should be of traditional religion, but nowadays there are exceptions also. And in this case, when the Doloi is not of traditional religion, a Doloi 'niam' should be there side by side for the performance of the rituals.  The aggregation of elakas which differs in sizes  formed the Jaintia Syiemship (kingship). Sutnga Syiemship is regarded as a mother Syiemship. There is a difference between the administration of the paramount chief (Raja) and the administration of the Doloi in Jaintia Hills. Dolois represent the people  of their respective elaka  in the Raja's Durbar. This kind of administrative set up is the foremost administrative unit in Jaintia Hills. This old political system  of government still continues to exist till date except for the Raja.  The Doloi has his own durbar as well as the Rajah. There are durbars of different denominations, like village durbar, Elaka Durbar, Syiem Durbar. The power of the Rajah and the Doloi were checked by the durbars of their respective areas. The durbars provide opportunities to people to participate in their own affairs. The Durbar checks the functionaries of the government. Therefore, consent is the basis of political authority.   Jaintia Hills was originally known in the local parlance as 'Ka Ri Khadar Doloi' or ' The Land of the Twelve Tribal Chiefs'. Because in those ancient days, Jaintia Hills was ruled by the twelve Dolois who had their own Elakas, boundaries, power to govern and a sizeable population.     

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The Twelve Elakas :

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HOW KA RI KHADAR DOLLOI BECAME A JAINTIA KINGDOM  
(Excerpts from an article; Jaintia Hills: A peep into the past, by Shri S.S.Laloo)

As stated earlier, the Jaintia  Hills was originally known as Ka Ri Khadar Doloi.  Whenever there is any aggression from any part of Ka Ri Khadar Doloi, all the twelve Dolois used to join hands under the leadership of the Dolloi of Nartiang or U Kongsan to fight against the enemy. In the beginning all the Dolois used to live in peace like brothers, but in due course of time, due to increase of population, the need to expand agricultural lands and to create new settlements, there arose border disputes and frequent skirmishes which ultimately had to be settled by war among the Dolois concerned. This sad state of affair kept on happening from time to time. Therefore in order to stop the frequent clashes among the Dolois, the twelve Dollois held a round table conference at Nartiang to find out the ways and means to maintain and foster peace, fraternity and unity which used to be there in Ka Ri Khadar Doloi since the time it was created by the ancestors. For all of them also were afraid that if bloodshed continues from time to time, the state would become weak and powerless and would be an easy prey for the neighboring kingdoms. Therefore the twelve Dollois after a long and thorough deliberation and discussion, unanimously decided that in order to end the frequent hostility and bloodshed amongst the people belonging to different elakas and in order to promote friendship cooperation, peace and tranquility they should appoint one person as their king who would rule over them and  knit the unity of Ka Ri Khadar Dolloi.        Top

They also decided that the appointed king  would rule through their help and advice. He should not be an absolute monarch. He,  who would be the king should have no right of ownership over the land and he should not levy taxes over his people. His soldiers would be provided by all the Dollois from the people residing in their respective Elakas. In order to maintain his living, the king should get service land from all the twelve Elakas. The king could mint his own money (currency) in his name and it would get the legal tender within the kingdom. He could collect taxes from the people belonging to other kingdoms who were defeated  in the war. The king would also be entitled to get fee from the Dolois and the people involved in the litigation who were referred to in his court  would also get the benefit. During war times, the king should protect and defend the people and the territory of the kingdom and he should lead the army in  the battle only when there was a great threat to the security of the kingdom. For the expansion of the kingdom, war had to be fought against  the neighboring kingdom and in such wars, the appointed general would lead the army. The Dollois  would remain to look after their respective   Elakas and whenever there was a dispute between one Doloi and another or more such disputes should be referred to the king and his ruling should be abided by all concerned. The above decision was unanimously accepted by the twelve Dolois which was upheld by voice vote.  Top

A Conference was held and the twelve Dollois began for the would be king throughout the length and breadth  of Ka Ri Khadar Doloi. But they could not find the man whom all of them would have chosen to be their king. After some years, the Doloi of Nartiang received the news that a certain man in Sutnga village named U Loh Ryndi Pala had settled down with a woman name Ka Lidakha who had transformed into a human being from a fish. U Loh Ryndi Pala had two daughters and three sons from Ka Lidakha. After receiving this tiding, the then Doloi of Nartiang sent messengers to all Dollois to come to Nartiang as soon as they received his message to discuss the task of appointing a King which has been pending for quite a long time. When all the Dollois had arrived, U Kongsan (Dolloi of Nartiang) informed them of the news he had received and said, " It appears now that the Almighty has deemed it fit that we should get our king. Therefore, I suggest that one of Loh Ryndi's sons be appointed as our king". All the Dollois consented to his suggestion. Then they sent the Doloi of Nartiang and two other Dolois to go to Sutnga village and to select one of the said sons to be their king. When they reached Sutnga, they found out that the news they received was true. The first daughter of U Loh Ryndi was named "Ka Rupatong' and the second was " Ka Rupanga", the third son was named "U Siang-Am", the fourth son was named "U syngkhlien-Am" and the fifth son was named "U Tetia". Therefore the Dolloi of Nartiang and the two other Doloi that accompanied him decided to appoint 'Iakor Sing' son of Rupanga, a 14 year old boy,  so that they could have ample time to train and mould him, under their guidance into a perfect king. U Iakor sing Sutnga was appointed as the first king of Jaintia Kingdom, thus Ka Rupanga was recognized as the ancestral Queen mother for the Sutnga Syiem. While Ka Rupatong was recognized as the ancestral queen mother for the Khadsawphra Syiem.       Top

The Above stories are based purely on oral accounts and legend which were handed down from one generation to another. Before the British came, the Lyngdoh (priest) was the appellate authority for the redressal of grievances  of the people in the elaka, and if the people are not satisfied with the Doloi, the Lyngdoh has the authority to remove the Doloi from his office. During the British period, the Lyngdohship was concerned only with religious matters. Economic privileges are attached to Doloiship and Lyngdohship.

Soon after the British took over the administration of the Jaintia Hills, they immediately abolished the office of the Syiem, though at the same time they retained the other two traditional institutions, that of the Doloi and Waheh Chnong or Village Headman. Thus the three tier system of administration which was in existence during the pre-British era  was reduced into a two-tier system only.  Under the British administration , the whole of Jaintia Hills along with few other villages of the Khasi Hills were grouped together under one common system of administration and they are treated as British areas and was administered directly by the British Government.       Top

"Ka Jinglaitluid ka long ka kyndon ba donkam tam ha ka jingim U briew bad ka Ri kaba khlem ka jinglaitluid ym lah tang ban ong ba ka long kaba im"  ---Kiang Nangbah

Translation of the above lines:

"Freedom is the most important factor of a Human's life and a country without freedom cannot be claimed to even be alive"  ---Kiang Nangbah              Top

Located on the banks of Syntu Ksiar, alongside the river Myntdu, there is a vast field known as Madiah Kmai Blai. At the center of this field stands the elegant Kiang Nangbah Monument, a hollow tower-like structure of typical Jaintia design, erected by the Jaintia people in honor of U Kiang Nangbah, the Jaintia patriot who died a martyr to the cause of Jaintia freedom, at the hands of the British rulers. 

The field known as Madiah Kmai Blai is itself of historical importance, as it was on this field that a meeting of Jaintia leaders took place during 1861. At the meeting U Kiang Nangbah took oath to lead his people, come what may, in their fight to drive the British out of their land. He was, however, asked whether he could do something to show that they had correctly chosen him as their leader. Kiang Nangbah, looked around, said not a word, but plunged suddenly on that cold wintry night into the depths of Syntu ksiar and emerged moments later with an uprooted little plant from the stem of which three branches spread out.  The Oracles agreed that it was a sign signifying the justice of their cause and the correctness of their choice of U Kiang Nangbah as leader. The meeting gave U Kiang Nangbah mandate to wage war against the British who had, by then, attempted to strangulate the local economy and interfere with the religious and cultural life of the Jaintias. Under his leadership, the Jaintias fought a bitter war of attrition  for almost two years against the much superior British military might. Ultimately the British managed  to seize Kiang Nangbah by deceit, on 27th December, 1862. After a summary trial, they publicly hanged him at Iawmusiang, Jowai on the 30th December, 1862. From the scaffold he spoke to his countrymen, loud and clear-

"If my face turns eastwards when I die on the rope, we shall be free again within a hundred years, If it turns westwards, we shall be enslaved forever "

The last words of U Kiang Nangbah, the immortal Jaintia Martyr proved prophetic. Indeed the dying patriot's face turned eastwards and India became free within hundred years.

The monument at Madiah Kmai Blai is a grateful people's tribute to their immortal martyr.       Top

1. U Swar Sutnga was shot dead amidst the fight for freedom

2. U Long Padu died in his sick bed

3. U Mon Rymbai was killed by his own people near Surting

4. U Chye Rangbah, U Lahduh and U Kiang Nangbah's army were all killed during the fight

5. U Bang Raliang surrendered

6. U Bukher Pator Raliang surrendered to the British Govt. and was imprisoned for life

7. U Woh Riang surrendered to the British Govt.

8. U Mulon Mynso surrendered to the British Govt. and was imprisoned for life

9. U Kiang Sule, Shangpung surrendered to the British Govt.

10. U Kat Shangpung also surrendered to the British Govt.

For further Reading:" U Kiang Nangbah bad ka Jingialeh ka Ri Jaintia na ka bynta ka Jinglaitluid " By Shri.S.Q.Sumer.      Top