Government of IndiaBrief History
In a tribal society, the market and other public spaces serve as a gathering place for clan members to discuss issues such as marriage, employment, and even gossip. Among the Khasis and Jaintia societies in Meghalaya, there existed a robust market economy from the late 18th century, and they even had a market calendar.
Markets were only held on certain days of the week, making it a vital social event that fostered communal relationships. They also provided a means for the rural inhabitants to connect with regional and urban markets. Because Khasi society is matrilineal, women were always active players in its market economy. The 19th century British conquest of these regions not only reshaped territory, but also had an impact on markets and trade.
The British, who arrived from Sylhet (present day Bangladesh), established their administrative centre at Cherrapunjee but soon relocated to Shillong and made it their headquarters because they couldn't stand the frequent rain and dreary weather in Cherrapunjee.
With the arrival of colonisers came an inflow of non-tribal businessmen, with whom tribal businessmen were unable to compete. As a result, tribal chieftains imposed taxes on strangers who wanted to enter the hills' marketplaces. As surplus production caused social separation, currency was introduced, and Chiefs and Kings (the Syiem) began to collect tolls (Khrong Khajana) from local sellers as well. These tolls or levies were only imposed after consulting the durbar (Dorbar Shnong). There were also additional costs if someone wanted to use the river for transportation, and for establishing a business.
Outsiders purchased dried fish, oil, and cotton from Khasis and Jaintias, who traded limestone, iron, orange, bayleaf, cinnamon, and other forest goods. To facilitate trade, elephants were utilised to move enormous amounts of products within districts, and a tax of 3300 was placed on them in the fiscal year 1900-01. Because the selling of liquor in marketplaces and by the roadside was illegal, rice beer was sold for 4-6 annas per quart. Price had to be paid to acquire a separate liquor license, which cost 5-6 thousand rupees per annum, and unlicensed spirit distilling within a 8kms radius of Shillong was also forbidden
In the 1900s, only 5 opium shops were present in Assam District, one of which was at Shillong. There was only one shop for Ganja in Shillong, which mostly catered to foreigners’ demands. There was reportedly an excessive consumption of betel nuts, which is still very popular today.
Shillong was designed on the model of an English hamlet, but it developed organically and in an unplanned manner. As the little hill station grew in size, the European and Indian residential districts became segregated, with the former known as 'wards' and the latter as 'bazaars.'
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Iewduh Market/Bara Bazaar
Shillong’s largest and oldest market is Iewduh or Bara Bazaar. 'Iewduh' literally translates to "largest bazaar" ('iew' means "bazaar," and 'duh" means "biggest"). Some believe that 'duh' might also mean 'refuge,' implying a 'second chance,' because the market offers something for everyone. The Iewduh Market is run by the chief of Mylliem and it is a network of small lanes that reach far beyond the major streets. Iewduh market is also believed to be one of the oldest markets in Northeast India and there exists an award-winning Khasi film of the same name.
The movie Ïewduh (2019), is based on this vibrant market and the lives of the individuals who run it. The film includes a song based on an urban legend about the mysterious woman 'Corrina,' who was once seen in Iewduh, and even after she vanished, the song ‘Corrina’ stayed on with the market.
Segregated alleyways dedicated to various items and services, such as traditional tools, utensils, groceries, vegetables, meat and fish, a section for baked goods, coffeehouses, and even funeral services, may be found at the market. Bara Bazaar is especially well-known for its numerous second-hand clothing stores that cater to Shillong's stylish clientele.
Every year, the Pom blang (goat sacrifice) begins within the Iewduh monoliths, where the goat is first shackled before being taken to the main procession, affirming the importance of Bara Bazar in Shillong's cultural atmosphere.
The ‘Monument of France’ in Iewduh, also known as ‘Motphran’, was built in remembrance of the 26th Khasi Labour Corps, who served in France under the colonial government during World War I. Motphran is a memorial commemorating the brave contributions of those men of the Labour Corps who aided in transporting weaponry, ammunition, and other required materials for British soldiers.
Every day, new stories merge with old lore as people from different communities and beliefs congregate in Iewduh’s busy spaces. Iewduh continues to bustle and thrive, and it stands as an ode to Shillong's illustrious past. Today's Iewduh is full of scars, colours, and freshness.
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Police Bazar
The city's main hub, Police Bazar, is famed for its numerous shops and delicious street food. Shillong's main street, Khyndailad (meaning "a meeting of nine lanes"), is located in Police Bazar and houses a variety of hotels, businesses, cafes, and restaurants. This cosmopolitan location is a good mix of classic and modern Shillong.
As the name suggests, Police Bazar is named so because it is located in the vicinity of many police stations. The Laimu, Laban, and Sadar police stations are all located in close proximity, and even the Superintendent of Police’s Office is located very close to the Police Bazar market.
This locality also houses one of Shillong's oldest mosques. When the Khasi Hills headquarters were moved from Cherrapunjee to Shillong in 1864, a few influential Bengali Muslim merchants relocated to the new site and acquired land in and around Police Bazar. They subsequently constructed the Police Bazar Masjid near Thana Road's entrance, on land granted by Golam Haidar, with its development ably monitored by his son, Haji Kasimuddin Molla.
The Tibetan Market in Police Bazar is another popular shopping centre. Aside from its crowded passageways teeming with vendors and their wares, Police Bazar houses some of Shillong's most reputed schools. One of which is the Rai Bahadur Anup Chand Hindi High School, which was established by Govind Narayan Sanganeriah. Sir John Henry, the Governor of Assam at the time, dedicated it in 1926. The school is a relic of Shillong's past role as a colonial government headquarter, and embodies the migrant community's contributions to the city's educational environment. Today the road is known after the school as Anup Chand Lane, Police Bazar.
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Laitumkhrah/Iew Shyllong
In 1844, the first Welsh Mission arrived in the Khasi Hills. On February 27, 1890, it was followed by the Catholic Church Mission which arrived in Shillong with the German Salvatorians, led by the first Mission Superior Fr. Otto Hopfenmuller. At the time, a total of only 20 Europeans and Anglo-Indians were Catholics. There were no Khasi Catholics then. With the arrival of Fr. Christopher Becker in March 1906, the Catholic Church flourished in Shillong, notably in Laitumkhrah, due primarily to the Jesuits and, since 1922, the Salesians.
Through the efforts of Catholic missionaries, this neighbourhood became urbanised, and it now has various Christian constructions such as the magnificent Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, the Don Bosco Museum, Nazareth Hospital, and St. Edmund’s Chapel (1927), which is the oldest ferro-concrete structure in Shillong. The Salesians of Don Bosco have various enterprises offering services like printing, book binding, blacksmithing, woodworks, and tailoring. In recognition of the congregation's contributions to Shillong and Northeast India’s education sector, Laitumkhrah’s central square was named as Don Bosco Square.
In the subsequent years, Shillong would become an educational hub for many students from Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram. Laitumkhrah, with notable institutions such as the St. Anthony's College, St. Edmund's School, NIT Meghalaya, and Loreto Convent all located nearby, welcomed these young minds. The Laitumkhrah Market, with its various restaurants and cafés, is equally popular among the youthful student population.
Being located in the heart of Shillong, Laitumkhrah is considered an upmarket neighbourhood. Within the neighbourhood is located the Shillong Public School, which has a beautiful football field where children interested in the sport are offered training.
The teachings of the Ramakrishna Mission form an integral part of the cultural landscape of present day Laitumkhrah and Shillong. In 1941, Gouri Charan and Yogidhan Wahadar revived the Ramakrishna Mission from the ashes of the Brahmo Samaj movement in the South Khasi Hills. The Mission had arrived in Shillong in 1929 and operated from rented houses on Laban Road, Jail Road, and Mawkhar until 1934, when the Mission obtained its own property in Laitumkhrah.
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Jail Road
By 1878, a new colony of 106 dwellings had formed around Thana Road, Jail Road, and adjacent European Ward precincts. The colony did not have waterworks, street lighting, or other municipal amenities. As a result, a design for constructing a station was established. 96 families petitioned for a station committee. The Syiem of Mylliem, Hain Manik, also became a member of the Municipal Commission of the Shillong Station Committee, a nominated body of officials with the Syiem being the only unofficial Commissioner.
To meet the requirements of the new colony's predominantly Bengali population, the Jail Road School opened in 1897 in a hut erected by the Jail Road Society Hall Committee. In 1933, Jail Road Boys' High School was affiliated with Calcutta University, and the school has since nurtured the curious young minds of Shillong.
The Jail Road Girls' High School, which is also nearby, is another important educational institution. Lady Keane Girls' School and College, one of Shillong's most prestigious schools, began as the Jail Road Govt. Girls ME School in 1932, subsequently renamed Jail Road Girls' High School. Lady Jaycalline Keane, the wife of the Governor of Assam, supported its creation. The High School section was transferred to Grooveside Cottage on Keatinge Road in 1935, with the purpose of establishing an Intermediate Arts College, which is today known as Lady Keane College.
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Rilbong
From Ramkinker Baij to Rabindranath Tagore, Shillong’s quaint beauty has been the muse and source of inspiration for poets, writers and artists. ‘Shillong-er Chitthi’ and ‘Sheshar Kabita’, were written by Tagore during his stay in Shillong. In 1919, he stayed at the Chittagong Assistant Commissioner’s Bungalow in Rilbong, which is today known as Rabindranath Tagore House. The Tagore House in Rilbong is a testament to Shillong’s everlasting charms, as even a century ago the city offered a much needed respite for the Nobel Laureate. The Rabindranath Tagore Art Gallery and a museum are now housed in the historic structure. The museum holds the personal belongings and memorabilia of its esteemed former occupant.
“When heat became hard to beat with fresh drink and fan
To cool myself, hastily to Shillong I ran
Where pine-decked hills and deep dark forest
Afford tired souls their much needed rest”
- Shillong-er Chitthi (1923),
translated from Bengali by Moon Moon Mazumdar
Another museum in Rilbong is The Rhino Heritage Museum. Its holdings include historical military images, weapons used during the War of Liberation of Bangladesh, military uniforms, and armaments produced by China, Iraq, and other nations.
The Netaji Pathagar, is a library located about four kilometres from the main Shillong city. Inaugurated on April 30, 1947, and named after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, this library was conceived from the remains of its predecessor, the Rilbong Literary Institute. At the library’s inception, the Rilbong neighbourhood had about 30 households, which were largely Bengali. Newlyweds and new members of the neighbourhood were encouraged to donate books to the library. As the number of readers grew, the library collection was strengthened through collections made during Saraswati puja, sale of handlooms, and other donation drives.
The Library now possesses about 25000 books and periodicals on many themes in various languages - from fiction to non-fiction, educational and research papers - and it is also the proud curator of several rare collections. Shillong's passion for reading is illustrated by this decades-old community-built library.
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Them Mawlong or Metor/ Punjabi Lane
The British initially brought the Mazhabi Sikhs into Shillong after their victory against the Burmese in the aftermath of the Treaty of Yandaboo (1826). Men recruited from Punjab by British administrations were to be engaged as sweepers and scavengers since locals and other Colonial Government workers, who were mostly upper class Bengalis, would not undertake such a menial job. There were only dry latrines back then, and the other members of society's upper echelons refused to act as manual scavengers.
The Mazhabi Sikhs were placed as municipal workers in Sweepers' Lane or Harijan Colony, after 1863. Today, this area near Bara Bazaar is also known as Punjabi Colony. Most of this area’s residents have resided in Shillong since the mid-nineteenth century, and are a reminder of Shillong's cosmopolitan spirit.
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