https://highlandpost.com/democracy-of-khasi-dorbar-4/
Continuation…
That was when misunderstanding created in the clan and disputes arose with arbitrary motives within the clan. The ploy of the British officials made it proper to delay and engage in legal entanglement with the anticipated justice of the supposed verdict to be delivered by the British court itself. This tainted legacy was inherited by the subsequent government authorities till today and deprived the clans of their legitimate rights. It is human nature for the majority of the people at the helm of affairs to interpret everything as it suits the best in them, even if others suffer. As much, it is human nature that a few conscientious souls sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. This is the outcome of modern civilisation that the people cherished the contribution of the British colonial regime, without considering the effort of the community to excel through their own genius.
The British colonial invasion, interference, and intervention became the necessary evil that was destined to occur in the Khasi society. The Khasi folk’s idea of the market is neither for commercial trading nor charitable contribution, but to fend for the economic feasibility and sustainability of the people and the province. The different markets all over the Khasi territory have their respective encounters with the specific situation at every location, and the Їewduh of Hima Mylliem is one of the most significant traditional markets. The oral narrative has it that during the erstwhile composite province of Shillong or Hima Shillong, there was the necessity to exchange the commodities produced from different parts of the territory. In this regard, the invocation was performed to set up the strategic location for the exchange of goods through a barter system. There were few suitable sites identified for the purpose and, after a series of rigorous incantations, the signs ultimately favoured the present location at Ïewduh, which literally means the last found marketplace. The invocation to the deities revealed that the Shulong deity, or Lei Shyllong, and other spiritual beings for prosperity endorsed the chants and prayers for the final discovery of the most suitamarketplacemarket place called Ïewduh, with the sole purpose of sustenance and trading with the motive for accumulation of wealth is strictly prohibited. Subsequently, the council of nobles along with the chieftain mandated that preference be given to the citizens of the province or ‘Ki Khun Ki Hajar’ for the purpose of sustenance, while the subjects or ‘Raїot’ might be considered subsequently. It is the sacred market for the well-being of the citizens of the province, which was established with religious sanction. However fellow citizens of other provinces or ‘Soh-Hima’ could operate their barter with limited concession, while the foreigners or ‘Dkhar Lyngkien’ will function as the wayside vendors in the periphery, while they adhere to the regulations.
The operation of the market is being supervised by the designated noble or Myntri to regulate according to the divine sanction, where every seller, vendor, and hawker is liable to pay nominal tax or ‘Musur, Pynshok, Khajna’ to the Dorbar Hima depending on their respective function. In the event of any violation of the regulations, any person will be imposed with a fine or ‘Kuna’ according to the gravity of the offence. The collection of taxes and penalties are kept in the corpus fund of the Dorbar Hima for the regular management and maintenance of the market and for the performance of ceremonies of thanksgiving to the deities. Initially, the barter system is operational for a very long period, and later, after the disparity of demand and supply of goods, cowries are utilised as the medium of exchange. It was only during the Mughal regime in the mainland and subsequently through the British colonial period that money was introduced for the transaction of business at every market. The materials as the medium of exchange for goods consisted of metal coins or ‘Pisa’ and the currency notes or ‘Tyngka’ in Khasi terminology. It is an interesting coincidence that ‘Pisa’ also means anxiety and ‘Tyngka’ means the one and only, which conceptually signifies that money is the cause of uneasiness and an exclusive means to an end, which may require further linguistic and cultural research. The metaphoric connotation is being reflected through the myth of ‘Ïew Luri Lura’, literally the market of chaos and commotion to denote that trading with the motive of gaining enormous profit instead of deriving benefits for sufficient nourishment and sustenance is the savage and cruel intention.
The myth relates that trading in the market was initiated by creatures other than human beings. Every animal brought their wares for selling at the market with a roaring noise to facilitate the sale of their respective stuff, while some of them resorted to aggressive hype about the taste and quality of their products. Suddenly the bitch brought a basket of fermented bean sauce or ‘Tungrymbai’ a savoury condiment of Khasi relishing tang. The bitch finds her way into the space between the stag and the deer while they are busy displaying their products. Instantly, the stench spread around and the deer abused the bitch and trampled on the sauce, as all the other animals also followed suit and humiliated the bitch. From that incident, every canine species acquired the skill of sniffing the trail of any animal due to the reason that the smell of the Tungrymbai always remained in their footsteps. Thereafter, the dogs sought refuge in the human habitat and vowed to be faithful and protect them from the intrusion of wild animals, and were further obliged to be the cohort in the hunting expedition of humans, with the motive to avenge every other animal that had shamed them. The tale depicted the allegory of lucrative indulgence in a commercial enterprise without rational consideration of the social concern and solidarity with the individual integrity of every person in society.
The customary practices of granting privileges to the citizens at their respective markets are being followed in every other Khasi province also, where people from another province would reciprocate the regulations. This aspis being abodebide till today, where the privileges of the citizens or ‘Ki Khun Ki Hajar’ of Hima Shillong at Iewduh, will be treated as the ‘Soh-Hima’ at the other traditional market located elsewhere in the Khasi region of Sohra, Nongpoh, Jowai, Nongstoiñ and other villages. Likewise, the privileges of the citizens belonging to Hima Sohra, Hima Nonglyngdoh, Hima Sutnga, Hima Nongstoiñ, and others at their respective traditional markets would consider their counterparts as the ‘Soh-Hima’ with limited concession. With the flourishing potential of trade within the traditional structure of market management, the citizens or ‘Ki Khun Ki Hajar’ in every province are thriving under the patronage of the respective authority of the Dorbar Hima. The agrarian culture of the Khasi region generated an enormous number of farming products with a substantial quantity of basketry and metal implements, while the other essential products were limited and acquired from other sources. Therefore, the majority of the agricultural and farming products are similar everywhere in the Khasi regard that the subsidiary market along the border known as ‘Hat’ are the alternative source of products that are scarce in the Khasi region. Nonetheless, among all the markets in the Khasi territory, Ïewduh emerged as the potential destination for the entire community all over the Khasi territory, including the traders and merchants from across the borders.
The belief system and the folk democratic norms in Khasi culture lay emphasis on mother earth as the primary source of livelihood. The human settlement and farming activities for earning a living are acknowledged to the generosity of mother earth. In appreciation of the favour derived from nature, folk festivals and ceremonies are being held during the particular season of the year. The most significant occasion for the community is the sowing season and the harvest season. Every Khasi province or Hima has different traditions of folk festivals and ceremonies for celebration and offering obeisance to the different deities related to the well-being of humanity. In the Shillong province or Hima Shyllong, the ‘Knia Ïewduh’ ceremony prior to the sowing season is held at the sanctum sanctorum in the upper region of the market or ‘Khlieh Ïewduh’ near the vegetable and basketry stalls and the altar in the lower region or ‘Trai Ïewduh’ at the betel leaves stalls, where rituals are being performed at the megaliths dedicated the deities of prosperity and for protection from misfortune. As part of the ceremony, the folk dance from ‘Khlieh Ïewduh’ is performed along with the public procession towards the ‘Trai Ïewduh’ area. Subsequently, after the ritual performances in the lower area, the ceremony culminated with the celebration of the dance festival.
