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A Study on the Settlement Morphology of Indigenous Khasi Community in

Sylhet, Bangladesh

Article · June 2016

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 Pratnatattva
Vol. 22; June 2016

A Study on the Settlement Morphology of Indigenous

Khasi Community in Sylhet, Bangladesh

SHAHIDUL ISLAM
Department of Architecture
Shahjalal University of Science
and Technology (SUST)
Sylhet,-3114, Bangladesh
ar.shahidulislam@gmail.com
MD. MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN
Department of Architecture
Shahjalal University of Science and
Technology (SUST)
Sylhet,-3114, Bangladesh
mustafiz_su@yahoo.com
MOHAMMAD TANVIR HASAN
Department of Architecture
Shahjalal University of Science and
Technology (SUST)
Sylhet,-3114, Bangladesh
tan.arc14@gmail.com
QAZI AZIZUL MOWLA
Department of Architecture
Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology
(BUET)
Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
qmowla@yahoo.co.uk

Abstract
A study was carried out on Khasi life and living pattern to apply those in the design of a Khashi Cultural Centre. The objective
was to identify and conserve indigenous / vernacular house form and settlement pattern in Bangladesh. The Khasi are a tribe in
Meghalaya state in the north-eastern India and in parts of Bangladesh. They have a distinct culture, and lifestyle, which is
manifested in their settlement pattern. This paper attempts to critically investigate on Khasi indigenous community’s living
pattern as it persist today focusing on the settlement form, pattern and its evolution with an aim to create a database and
guidelines for architectural design. The Khasis do not have any written or verbal tradition describing their origin or when did they
settle in the region. Though their settlement form and pattern is unique, due to the lack of available literatures and historical
evidences, information on their settlement morphology could not be fully ascertained and therefore it is mainly based on
investigated assumption, myths and field survey.

Introduction heritage, house form with their unique settlement pattern

Sylhet region has a long history, tradition, civility and
culture that are a bit different from other regions of
Bangladesh. Different types of indigenous community and
their social-cultural diversities make this region inimitable.
Khasi community is one of them but it is not clear when the
Khasis came to Sylhet. It is assumed that Bangladesh has
about 90 (ninety) Khasi villages with an approximate
population of about twenty thousand (Rahman 2004).
Historical evidence confirmed that by the sixteenth century
they had established an independent Jaintia kingdom in this
region. In remote past a section of Austric people called
T’sin-Taing or T’sin- Tien or Synteng along with other
groups of their race known as Ka-Chai or Khasia migrated
from China and established a kingdom in between the place
of Khasi and Jaintia hills. Traditions mention that about five
hundred years back a devastating flood occurred in Assam
or China, as a result of which the Khasis left the place and
settled down in Meghalaya and Sylhet. At present only
7,448 Khasis live in different parts of Sylhet who have
distinct culture, tradition and customs of their own by which
they govern their life and living. Each of their customs has
distinctive character which constantly reflects their
settlement form and pattern. Recent rapid and unplanned
urbanization, contact with other cultures, particularly
Christianity, technological development and high density of
population has an adverse effect on this indigenous
community. In spite of these many changes, the Khasi
communities emphasize preservation of their cultural
and tradition, the matriarchal society on which their society
stands. Present study attempt to find out the transformation
in house pattern, technique and material use and how they
finally made a successful community interactive dwelling
space which they adopted with respect to their indigenous
cultural heritage. Therefore the purpose of this study is to
investigate on their settlement form and pattern and identify
the key determinant behind the form and pattern, which can
be used in a design for that community (Mowla 1999). The
main objective, however, was to identify and conserve their
indigenous / vernacular house form and settlement pattern in
Bangladesh.
Identification as a unique ethnic group
The word Khasi is mystified like its people. Some Khasi
authors opine that the word Khasi is a generic name given to
all indigenous peoples living in the Khasi Jaintia Hills
Sylhet. The word “Khasi” is derived from the word “kha”,
which means “born of” and “Si” means mother. So, the
word Khasi means “Born of the mother” (Costa and Dutta,
2007). Khasi call them Ki Hynniew Trep which means “The
Seven Huts” in the Khasi language. A Khasi proverb `Kin
Pong Zeid Thai`, meaning humanity emanates from woman
mother, is the basis of Khasi culture. The matriarchal
society of the Khasi people can be traced in the word Khasi
and their religious beliefs and is manifested in their
settlement form.

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