One theory says that the word "Jaintia" is derived the shrine of Jayanti Devi or Jainteswari, an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga.

Another theory says that the name is derived via Pnar (the language of the rulers) from Sutnga, a settlement in the modern day Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

In ancient times, Austroasiatic tribal migrations from Southeast Asia during the Holocene period to what is now known as the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

It is said that his eldest daughter, Sheela, was once bathing in a lake south of the Kangsa-Nisudhana hill (which became the hillock of the Civil Surgeon's Bungalow during British rule) and she was kidnapped.

Chatala indulged herself in an unlawful relationship with one of the palace servants, leading to her being disowned and dumped in a distant island in the middle of 2000 square mile lake to the south of the kingdom.

[8] Xuanzang of China mentions that he visited Sheelachatal in the 630s in his book, the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.

[9] Jayantak built his own Kamakhya Bama Jangha Pitha temple in the southeast of his kingdom on top of a hill near modern-day Kanaighat.

The locals of this village continue to share a legend about how Yang, after being questioned for always leaving the palace by his wife, transformed his queen into a cursed bird which is still alive and inhabits the region as a sign of bad luck.

Bancharu was interested in cultivation, and planted many trees and increased production of honey, tejpata, orange and agarwood.

Bancharu also began the practice of sacrificing humans at Jangha Kali, which would continue for centuries in Jaintia up until British rule.

In 1618, Dhan Manik conquered Dimarua leading to a war with Maibong Raja Yasho Narayan Satrudaman of the Kachari Kingdom.

Dhan Manik, realising that he would need assistance, gave his daughter in hand to Raja Susenghphaa of the Ahom kingdom.

The Akhbarats note that the Raja had gathered 1500 infantry and began plundering the nearby region and led a siege against the fort in Sylhet.

Ram Singh, however, died as a captive to the Ahoms and his son, Jayo Narayan took over the Jaintia Kingdom.

An envoy of Jaintias assembled at Hajo where they informed the incident to Ahom Raja Suremphaa Swargadeo Rajeswar Singh who re-opened it for them.

The kingdom extended from the hills into the plains north of the Barak river[14] Major Henniker led the first expedition to Jaintia in 1774.

The quarries in their possession were the chief supplier of lime to the delta region of Bengal, but with the British, the contact was not very smooth, and they were attacked in the same year.

After the conclusion of the First Anglo-Burmese War, the British allowed the Jaintia king his rule north of the Surma River.

The British administered the plain areas directly and the hill region indirectly via a system of fifteen dolois and four sardars.