Assam’s Charaideo Moidams burial sites have been added to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites list. These are royal burial sites of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled over much of Assam and the North East from 1228 to 1826 AD. Located around 30 km from Sivasagar town in eastern Assam, even today, the tumuli in Charaideo are considered sacrosanct by many locals.

ABOUT

  • Charaideo commonly known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’ was the original capital of the Ahom Kings.
  • Charaideo remained the symbolic center of Ahom Kingdom even though the capital of the kingdom moved many times.
  • It was built by Chaolung Sukhapa the founder of the dynasty in about 1229 CE.
  • Location: Located at the foothills of Nagaland, it’s situated at a distance of around 30 KM from the historical Sivsagar town in Assam.
  • Why is Charaideo known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’?
    • It contains sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens and is also the place of the ancestral Gods of the Ahoms.
    • Some 42 tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens are present at Charaideo hillocks.
    • Architecture: It comprises a massive underground vault with one or more chambers having domical superstructure and covered by a heap of earthen mound and externally it appears a hemispherical mound.

AHOM DYNASTY

  • It was founded by Chaolung Sukapha , who entered the Brahmaputra valley in 1228.
  • They ruled Assam for six centuries.
  • The Ahoms created a new state by taking over the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords).
  • The Ahom administration was a monarchical government with democratic and aristocratic values as well.
  • Ahom society was divided into clans and with the expansion of the kingdom, the clans moved and took charge of the designated territory.
  • The Ahoms followed stringent travel policies to protect their motherland against the foreign invaders for inward travel.
  • In the 17th century, the Ahom rule got weakened due to multiple Burmese invasions and internal conflicts.
  • Ahom Kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company after the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.