The British conquered the Jaintia Kingdom on 16 March 1835, finally incorporating its lowland areas into the Sylhet District after 90 years.

In order to maintain peace and discipline, the British colonials established a thana (police stationa and administrative headquarters) atop the Jhorna Tila in Lakshipur Mauza of Mulagul Pargana in 1841.

Establishments of middle schools, madrasas and mosques from 1905 marked the start of an intellectual awakening in Kanaighat, which had a reputation of ignorance due to its long time in the Jaintia Kingdom.

On 4 September 1971, freedom fighter Khwaja Nizamuddin Bhuyan of Comilla fought against the Pakistan Army in Kanaighat for 10 hours.

[8] Liaquat Ali Khan (Bir Uttom) of Bagerhat fought and was martyred in Kanaighat's Gouripur in November 1971.

On 24 March 1983, the President of Bangladesh, H M Ershad, upgraded Kanaighat's thana status to an upazila as a part of his decentralisation programme.

The Islamic Library and Public Welfare Association was founded in Mukiganj Bazar (Jhingabari UP) in 1988.The largest Social Organisation কানাইঘাট উপজেলা সমাজ কল্যাণ পরিষদ Established at 2012 by Ahmed Masum Kanaighat is located at 25°01′00″N 92°14′50″E / 25.0166°N 92.2472°E / 25.0166; 92.2472 and has a total area of 391.79 km2.

Kanaighat had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 43.54%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1041 females per 1000 males.

Almost all inhabitants are ethnic Bengalis, with small minorities of Meitei, Khasi and an Anglo-Indian by the name of James Leo Ferguson.