Īfter the Conquest of Taraf in 1304, Shah Arifin Rafiuddin, a disciple of Shah Jalal, migrated and settled in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills where he preached Islamic monotheism to the local people. One of the competing theories for the origin of rice comes from Ian Glover, who states, 'India is the center of greatest diversity of domesticated rice with over 20,000 identified species and Northeast India is the most favorable single area of the origin of domesticated rice.' The limited archaeology done in the hills of Meghalaya suggest human settlement since ancient times. The importance of Meghalaya is its possible role in human history via domestication of rice. The highland plateaus fed by abundant rains provided safety from floods and a rich soil. Neolithic sites discovered so far are located in areas of high elevation in Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and in neighbouring states, where Neolithic style jhum or shifting cultivation is practised even today. People have lived in Meghalaya since the Neolithic period. Meghalaya, alongside neighbouring Indian states, has been of archaeological interest. One of the biggest Central Institutes, the North Eastern Council Secretariat, is also situated in Shillong. In July 2018, the International Commission on Stratigraphy divided the Holocene epoch into three, with the late Holocene being called the Meghalayan stage/age, since a speleothem in Mawmluh cave indicating a dramatic worldwide climate event around 2250 BCE had been chosen as the boundary stratotype. It is also a major logistical center for trade with Bangladesh. The state has about 1,170 km (730 mi) of national highways. The state is geologically rich in minerals, but it has no significant industries. Meghalaya's gross state domestic product for 2012 was estimated at ₹16,173 crore (US$2.0 billion) in current prices. The service sector is made up of real estate and insurance companies. The important crops are potatoes, rice, maize, pineapples, bananas, papayas, and spices. Meghalaya has predominantly an agrarian economy with a significant commercial forestry industry. The forests are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants. The Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion encompasses the state its mountain forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. About 70 per cent of the state is forested. The state is the wettest region of India, with the wettest areas in the southern Khasi Hills recording an average of 12,000 mm (470 in) of rain a year. Unlike many Indian states, Meghalaya has historically followed a matrilineal system where the lineage and inheritance are traced through women the youngest daughter inherits all wealth and she also takes care of her parents. English is the official language of Meghalaya. During the British rule of India, the British imperial authorities nicknamed it the 'Scotland of the East'. The state is bound to the south by the Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh and Sylhet, to the west by the Bangladeshi division of Rangpur, and to the north and east by India's State of Assam. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,429 square kilometres, with a length-to-breadth ratio of about 3:1.

The population of Meghalaya as of 2014 is estimated to be 3,211,474.

Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and (b) the Garo Hills. Meghalaya ( / ˌ m eɪ ɡ ə ˈ l eɪ ə/, or / m eɪ ˈ ɡ ɑː l ə j ə/, meaning 'abode of clouds' from Sanskrit megha, 'cloud' + ā-laya, 'abode') is a state in northeast India.

Copperhead snake sketch