Which one of the following statements with regard to the Moidams, built by the Tai-Ahom kingdom and inscribed as a World Heritage…

Question

Which one of the following statements with regard to the Moidams, built by the Tai-Ahom kingdom and inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is/are correct?

1. They acted as army fortresses.

2. They were recreation centres of the Royals and Nobles.

3. They were burial grounds of the Royals and Nobles.

4. They were battle drill centres of the Royals and Nobles.

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 1 and 3
3. C. 3 only (Correct answer)
4. D. 2 and 4

Correct Answer

Option C — C

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Option C.

Key Points

• Moidams are the mound-burial vaults of the Tai-Ahom royalty and nobility, concentrated at Charaideo, the first capital of the Ahom kingdom, in Assam.
• They are burial grounds — statement 3 alone is correct.
• They were not army fortresses (statement 1), not recreation centres (statement 2), and not battle drill centres (statement 4).
• Each moidam consists of a vaulted chamber, often double-storeyed, holding the body along with grave goods; it is covered by a hemispherical earth mound, topped by a small open pavilion (chow chali) and enclosed by an octagonal boundary wall.
• The tradition reflects the Tai-Ahom practice of me-dam-me-phi, the worship of ancestors.
• Heritage status: the Moidams were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2024 at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi.
• They are India's 43rd World Heritage Site and the first from North-East India to be inscribed under the cultural category.

Exam Tip

• the moidams are often compared to the pyramids of Egypt because both are royal funerary structures — hence their nickname, the 'Pyramids of Assam'.