Tribes of Meghalaya represent the inhabitants of Meghalaya who reside in the foothills as well as within the mountain ranges of Garo, Khasi and Jaintia. The whole of the state of Meghalaya houses a myriad of tribal communities who have settled in every nook and corner of the region.

Tribes of Meghalaya which include a number of large as well as small tribal groups represent the colours of Meghalaya. Largely the tribal groups follow Christianity though the state follows all the three religions namely Hinduism, Buddhism as well as Christianity.

Origin of Tribes of Meghalaya
The origin of these tribes can be traced from the Tibeto-Burman race and Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race. While the Garos can be traced as the descendents of Tibeto-Burman race, the Khasis and the Jaintias are claimed to have belonged to the Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race.

Different Tribes of Meghalaya
The tribal groups in Meghalaya are scattered all over the region and are known by separate names. Tribes of Meghalaya largely include the tribes of Garo, Khasi and Jaintias which are accompanied by many more tribal communities namely, Koch, Bhoi, War, Hynniewtrep, Achiks, Labangs, Nagphylluts and Nagtungs.

Garo Tribe: Garos are the tribes which are mainly found in the South Garo Hills District. They originally belong to the Bodo family from the Tibetan-Burmese race and also reside in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh. Like other tribes in Meghalaya, these tribes also follow maternal lineage in case of inheritance of property.

Khasi Tribe: The second type of tribe which is largely seen is Khasis. They are the largest tribal group of North eastern region. Khasis are known with a number of names in different parts of Meghalaya.

Jaintia Tribe: Jaintias too reside in the foot hills of Jaintia Hills from where they collect their name. Jaintia, like Khasis, belong to the Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race. The name Jaintia is derived from the Jaintia kingdom, whose rulers were Syntengs.

Koch Tribe: Koch Tribes are an ethnic groups belonging to the great mongoloid race allies to Garos, Bodos, Rabhas and Dimasa. They are a Scheduled Tribe inhabiting the Western Garo Hill district and some parts of Khasi Hills.

These are a type of Khasi tribe which further includes Bhoi in the northern Meghalaya; Khynriam in the central Meghalaya; Pnar of the Jaintia hills; War in the southern Meghalaya. Achiks are another group of Garo tribes who comprise one third of Meghalaya"s tribal community.

Culture of Tribes of Meghalaya
Tribes of Meghalaya are distinctly marked for their social structure. The traditional dress of Meghalaya is known as "Jymphong" which is often worn during the festivals and ceremonies.

Occupation of Tribes of Meghalaya
The tribal society of Meghalaya primarily depends on subsistence agriculture with sufficient amount of rainfall as the area lies within the monsoon belt and receives the maximum level of annual rainfall.