A Woman's Empire

Photographer Karolin Klupper spent nine months capturing what NatGeo journalist Jeremy Berlin calls an 'inverted world.' What they are both describing is the beautifully lush village of Mawlynnong, home to members of a Khasi tribe. A matrilineal society for generations it has remained, where the 'khadduh' or youngest daughter, inherits the wealth of the family, and the men marry into these homes; their children take their mother's surname. Below are two examples of Klupper's work (The Kingdom of Girls, 2015).


They believe that only girls may preserve the family line - those without girls are called "iap-duh," - extinct.

This tribe are incredibly interesting from a social standpoint (although some male members of the tribe are calling for gender equality, somewhat fed up with their second-class station), but also from an environmental edge; their understanding of the provinces within which they reside, and the fast-disappearing knowledge of the medicinal uses of the plants around. Indeed, one of their main sources of income are through the cultivation of Betel leaves, sold commonly throughout Bangladesh for the stimulant they produce, alongside their aid in digestion. The Khasi tribes are on the verge of disappearance, as are many of the old ways of living - along with their cache of knowledge and understanding. Rahmatullah et al., 2013 published an excellent article regarding their medicinal knowledge and fading presence in the Sylhet division.

What Kuppel captures in his photographic series is the primordial role of girls in this society; a challenge, perhaps, to be issued towards the patriarchal societies of the west?